Sal's Place shows its school pride...in burger form

If you read Chris[topher] Mascaro's write-up of Massapequa's Sal's Place online or in this Sunday's Newsday, you know two things:

1. They make burgers.

2. They make burgers with really cool names.

Because it's late and he already wrote it, I'll just quote Chris' story:

"Three years ago, the hometown bar and grill located on Hicksville Road in North Massapequa created hamburgers named after the local schools' mascots. It's a harmonious blend of hamburgers and high schools.

Obviously, this was too good of a field trip to pass up. Five Newsday High School sports reporters made the trek to Massapequa (or, in one case, made the two-minute drive to Massapequa) to test-drive the gastro-intestinal version of school pride.

Name: Stephen Haynes

Beat: Field Hockey

Burger: Massapequa Chiefs Burger - half-pound burger with melted American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and Thousand Island Dressing.

The Review: The Chiefs burger isn't quite on par with Five Guys', but mmm-mmm, it is a tasty burger (tell me someone got that movie reference). Named after the Massapequa mascot, it's a standard bacon cheeseburger with the usual toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion), the change-up being the Thousand Island salad dressing. Yeah, salad dressing on a burger. A little odd, but it works, giving it a slightly tangy kick. The beef patty was pretty thick, the vegetables were fresh and the cheese was cheesy - not that generic brand stuff with no flavuh - sandwiched between a soft sesame seed bun. In all, the burger was worth its $8.95 price tag. Should you try it, be sure to wash it down with a pink lemonade.

Name: Cody Derespina

Beat: Girls Soccer, Boys Swimming

Burger: Bethpage Eagles Burger - half-pound burger with mozzarella and roasted red peppers

The Review: As an Italian, it would've felt wrong getting any other burger. I mean, how often do you find the combo of roasted red pepper and mozzarella on a burger? I’m a dressing and sauce guy but this burger didn’t need any; the juiciness of the roasted red pepper was perfect.

Name: Laura Albanese

Beat: Football, Girls Gymnastics

Burger: Plainedge Red Devils Burger - half-pound burger marinated in wing sauce with blu cheese, lettuce and tomato

The Review: Since I’m clearly the rough-and-tumble member of the crew, I manned up and went for the Red Devil, the half-pounder with fiery wing sauce and blue cheese. It’s a time-honored combo that you rarely find on a burger…and I fully approve. The blue cheese is the real deal – none of that (admittedly delicious) fake stuff that comes with (admittedly delicious and wholly questionable) 10 cent wings at various dives around the nation. The burger could use a touch more kick – so make sure you ask for some of that fiery wing sauce on the side or scrape off some of the blue cheese. For a bonus, try the deep-fried cheesecake, which comes with your choice of sauces: chocolate, caramel and raspberry. [+20 points if anyone reading this immediately went, “There’s only ONE MAN who DARES give me the raspberry…LONESTAR” – which is exactly what I said when I got it. General reaction from coworkers: “What?” General reaction from people reading this: "What?"]

Name: Bob Herzog

Beat: Football

Burger: MacArthur Generals Burger - half-pound burger on a toasted roll with a choice of two toppings.

The Review: "Hey I'm the old man. I've got to have the Generals burger," said Newsday senior writer Bob Herzog, who admitted he was "wimping out" by selecting the one burger where you chose your own toppings. "Red peppers and Zog do not mix." - Burger Bob

[Ed. Note: You can tell Bob is a pro because he wrote his review in article form...he even attributed it to himself.]

Name: Chris Mascaro

Beat: Football

Burger: Wantagh Warriors Burger - half-pound burger with Bourbon BBQ sauce, bacon and battered onion rings.

The Review: This burger isn't for the feint of heart: the sauce, the bacon, the deep-fried awesome - it's a burger a Warrior would be proud of eating before whatever pilaging and fighting and burning he has in store for the evening. No clowing. This is a good burger. 

By the way, burgers are anywhere from $8.95 to $10.95 and come with fries and slaw.