Staff Pick: Best Burgers in Southport
If you are looking for a great burger, look no further than Southport’s Blue Cow Grille. Voted “Best Burger Joint” by Southport Magazine in 2019, the Grille is located on 108 East Moore Street, right in the heart of downtown Southport’s shopping and dining district. There are just a few tables, so it can get crowded quickly, but it is certainly worth the wait. The atmosphere is very casual, and the décor can only be described as “Kitschy cow”. The food and the service are top-notch!
We got the last table for four on a rainy Wednesday night. The server was incredibly helpful, providing us with a few suggestions for dinner and drinks as well as going over the specials. She was also right there to refill our drinks and make sure we had our food in a timely manner.
We started off we a round of IPAs and the homemade Sangria which had a sugar rim. It was so delicious, I ordered two! The menu has so many interesting choices, from the fried green tomato burger with pimento cheese to The Black Betty house-made black bean and quinoa cake to the Sorry Charlie Sandwich which boasts Sushi-Grade sesame incrusted tuna. This menu has something for everyone. It was really hard to decide what to get so the server’s suggestions were extremely helpful.
For appetizers, we ordered the pork rinds and the fried pickles. Both were amazing. The pork rinds were light and crunchy – not too greasy and the pickles were lightly battered and crisp. The chipotle mayo dipping sauce, which was recommended by our server, was tangy and delicious.
For dinner, I chose the D’Wight Yolk-Um Burger which included bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg on top. I also got the sweet potato fries with it. I was not disappointed; the burger was cooked to perfection. I like mine medium and it was just that. It tasted very fresh, not frozen, and was also juicy and flavorful. The sweet potato fries were savory and had the perfect crunch. They were served with a brown sugar- cinnamon- butter dipping sauce, which everyone at the table had to try.
Now, the Blue Cow Grille is a burger joint, but they also serve up an incredible tuna taco. When my husband asked our server which item to get, the wings or the tuna tacos, she replied without hesitation, “Honey, you can wings anywhere- get the Tuna Tacos. They’re my favorite.” Three people in our party of four took her up on this suggestion and devoured these sushi-grade tuna tacos. There was not a crumb left over. The homemade chips were also a great side to accompany the tacos and again- not a crumb left over. Our taco diners raved about how fresh the Tuna was in these tacos. I guess we really are spoiled here in the Carolinas. The Carolina coast is known for its abundance of fresh seafood, and Southport is a great spot to go if you are looking for a variety of fresh fish and shellfish or just a laid-back coastal lifestyle.
I highly recommend the Blue Cow Grille to anyone who wants good food at an affordable price with great service. This restaurant is just 6 minutes from Southport’s newest gated neighborhood, The Home Place. Stop by there on your next visit.