By Matt Ern, Staff Writer
You may have heard of a new signature burger being offered at BYOB in Bits and Bytes called the “Hermanator”. The burger, designed by University senior Jeff Herman, won the burger- building contest held last week at the Bits and Bytes’ Grand Opening.
The sandwich consists of a beef patty, cheddar cheese, bacon, red onions, red peppers, a fried egg and a touch of maple syrup.
Because of its addition of breakfast foods to a lunchtime staple, this burger is perfect for a midmorning brunch inbetween classes.
“I wanted to make something people could just grab after their morning classes in case [Bits and Bytes] has already stopped serving breakfast”, Herman says.
Herman was inspired to create this breakfast-burger while on a trip to Manhattan freshman year. While in the city he came across what is known as the “Hangover Burger” which had bacon and eggs on it.
“The egg seemed unique, I didn’t think a lot of people would think of putting it on a burger. So I built the rest of my burger around it. Lettuce really doesn’t work with eggs so I didn’t put any on, and I don’t like tomatoes, so I left those off too.” The red onions and peppers were added on as filler to “balance the flavor out”.
Perhaps the most interesting and unique aspect of the “Hermanator” is the maple syrup. It adds a hint of flavor that most would not expect to come across while chowing down on a burger, but it works great.
The syrup acts as a sauce for the burger, but putting too much on will get messy and ruin an otherwise delightful dining experience. The touch of syrup included with the burger is exactly what was needed to set it apart from its competition in the contest as well as the rest of the BYOB signature burgers.
During the contest Herman’s burger was tied with a chicken sandwich so the final vote went to the chef. The chef liked the breakfast burger more and gave the win to the “Hermanator”.
The burger may seem a little daunting and messy at first, but once you bite into it you won’t regret waiting in line fifteen minutes for an overcooked hamburger patty.
If some runny eggs or a little maple syrup on your sandwich doesn’t turn you off, this burger is perfect for you.
Herman warns “It can be a little on the greasy side, but its good as a treat every once in a while or to hold you over between classes”.
All in all, it’s one of the better items on the BYOB menu. The only downside is the price. The breakfast burger will set you back $5.95 but it’s worth it to at least try this unique new sandwich