Morrison’s tavern burger, a mixed bag in Plainview

I’ve been eating a lot of burgers lately, with varying degrees of success. Oh, who am I kidding, with very little success. Overdone, over-bunned, underdone, tasteless, topped with unworthy salad fixin's, accompanied by frozen fries. I’ve yet to find one I can really get behind.

Last night’s “tavern burger” at Morrison’s in Plainview was better than most. The meat itself, which the menu says is “specially blended for Morrison’s with rib eye, short rib and kobe beef,” was superb, juicy, well seasoned. It was also medium well, when I asked for medium rare, but such was the power of this burger blend that it was still delicious. The hand-cut fries, though not piping hot, were also excellent.

And now the bad news: The bun was hard and way too big for the burger. Do restaurants think diners are fooled by big buns into thinking the burgers are bigger than they are? If anything, the opposite is true. The lettuce was indifferently shredded iceberg, the tomato a pale, unripe slice. A stingy portion of cole slaw made me wish they’d just left it off the plate.

The strangest thing about my dinner at Morrison’s was its speed. My burger was delivered about two minutes after I’d ordered it, and even my server was surprised to find it in front of me when she brought me my beer.

Morrison’s Plainview is at 430 Woodbury Rd., Plainview,  516-932-8460.