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Crave has pictures of their colossal creations to tempt you on the front door

Crave Burger is a fitting name for the burger establishment that nearly knocked our socks off with it’s flavo-riffic patties. Having sampled numerous burgers around town, we think we have filled the top spot on our list.

Upon first glance, their menu, which boasts a number of concoctions, feels unfamiliar as your taste buds try to imagine what the Crave burgers will taste like. Sure they have a few basic patties, with or without cheese, however most of the menu looks as if a 7-month, pregnant women oversaw its creation.

Crave has quite a unique burger menu
Crave has quite a unique burger menu

Some of the “Outrageous Burgers” (taken from the menu heading) feature off the wall toppings like peanut butter or Cabernet caramelized onions, while others have glazed donut buns. It was impressive that they offer 6 of their specialty burgers minus the bun. The only surprise was that patrons are charged an additional $2.50 for the substitution of a gluten free bun – do they cost that much by the package?

But the friendliness of the waitstaff won me over. The very cheery waitress was polite and took my order quickly. Per her great selling skills, she sold me on the ‘Love Stinks’ patty as she told me it was a winner for some Colorado best burger contest in 2014 (They have a few Heisman burger trophies on display to prove it!).

'Heisman-esq' burger trophies for their 'Love Stinks' creation
‘Heisman-esq’ burger trophies for their ‘Love Stinks’ creation

Fries were chosen to accompany the burger – a patty topped with garlic cream cheese, crispy onion strings, candied bacon, roasted red pepper mayo, garlic mayo and red pepper aioli. Salad or cole slaw were the other included side options, while sweet potato fries, loaded fries or fried pickles could be substituted for an additional charge.

Their menu likewise boasts a few delectable sandwiches and salads along with some tasty milkshakes. Those with nut allergies want to be careful (as stated on the menu) when ordering these creamy desserts because many are made with nuts – hence the fear of cross contamination.

At the start of my 20ish minute wait, my waitress for the to go order brought me water while I sat, which was greatly appreciated. Two other servers followed suit, being very observant and making sure that I had been helped. Because I had arrived at the start of the dinner rush around five-o-clock, I fully expected to wait; especially after seeing the restaurant approaching 70 percent capacity.

Crave kitchen
Crave kitchen

I spent my time browsing the menu. Crave also has some adult beverages to quench your thirst. Along with serving ‘adult milkshakes’, they serve house wines: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Just be careful not to let the little ones sneak any sips off your alcohol infused shake as they are very tempting.

The one constructive critique that was made, was that the establishment was in need of a good deep cleaning. Not that it was gross, dirty, it just felt cluttered in a very compact space (that has a diner feel) and the open style kitchen clearly had put a film of burger grease on the room. We would suggest eating on the patio instead, especially since we can finally enjoy outside, now the weather is warming up!

It felt slightly cluttered and in need of a deep cleaning
It felt slightly cluttered and in need of a deep cleaning

Besides that, once I got home to chow on my burger, it made my tummy happy. The burger was cooked to perfection and the juiciness and taste were the bomb.com. All the flavors of the toppings previously listed blended in my mouth perfectly and finished with a little crunchiness from the onion rings and candied bacon. The side of steak fries that came with the ‘Love Stinks’ burger had just the right amount of crispiness (though I am in love with Freddy’s thin fries) and tasted good.

My Crave burger was utterly delicious!
My Crave burger was utterly delicious!

And like most burger joints in Castle Rock, you can expect to pay an average of $10-$15 per burger with a side. If you include a drink, add accordingly. This place is great for kids for the milkshakes and fun burger creations – also it’s a pretty lively place, so kids screaming just blends in like background noise.

Overall, do we like Crave? Heck ya – they definitely left us with a good impression and we intend to try more of their ‘Outrageous Burgers’ very soon! And we thought we would pass along that they are a sister restaurant of The Old Stone Church Restaurant, another CRCO fav…

Crave Real Burgers
3982 Limelight Ave
Castle Rock, CO
(303) 814-2829
http://craverealburgers.com/