From Loudoun Times Online:
Melt Gourmet Cheeseburgers
Wed., May. 9, 2012Attention please, there’s a new local burger joint in Leesburg. Melt is located off the main strip in Leesburg and it has some gourmet burgers that make the trip worthwhile.
I had the pleasure of chomping down on a burger myself not long ago. And while I’m skeptical of anything gourmet, I was very happy with the friendly service and good burger.
Melt prides itself on using 100 percent Angus beef, ground daily from premium beef cuts. The impressive thing for me was the bun – freshly baked and toasted.
Having recently opened, Melt is true to its name. They have a variety of burgers to offer, like the Paris burger, which is topped with melted French Brie, roasted garlic, glazed onions and baby spinach.
While it’s obvious that their passion is for hamburgers, there are some alternative-meat burgers on the menu as well: veggie burgers, but also tuna, salmon, crab and turkey burgers.
There is another reason to try Melt and that is there visible support for the Loudoun County Animal Shelter. In addition to providing collection jars, the restaurant also has poster-sized photos of animals up for adoption. As the signs say, they’ll “melt” your heart.
Just like YELP says, this is “as good as it gets” and then some. The burgers are AMAZINGLY delicious and the servings are very generous. I’ve had “gourmet burgers” before and was never impressed but this actually lives up to the term!
The staff was super friendly, even with a packed house.
What’s even better is they support local animal shelters in a bright, cheerful way.
I sat outside with my dog and he got a fresh bowl of water with ice cubes! Loved everything about this place, will be back for sure!
Absolutely delicious. Went around 11am on a Saturday, the place was packed by 11:30.
For two people, we ordered two burgers, an order of onion rings and a chocolate shake. WAYYYY too much food for two people! But we enjoyed every bite. We saw some people dividing a burger four ways and while that’s a bit purist for us, I can see their point of view.
The burgers definitely come close to the best we’ve had in the area. Juicy, tender burger patty on a toasted bun with plenty of toppings. They have a great menu with a wide variety of meats (specials that day included Maple Leaf Duck and Ahi Tuna) and toppings. We tried the bacon & blue with balsamic onions and the hatch chile – both fabulous.
The onion rings were nice and crispy with a panko-like breading, balsamic drizzle and a thousand island-style dipping sauce.
The milkshake was thick and creamy and chocolate-y. Again, perfect.
I have had Melt burgers since a few weeks after they opened their doors. I HIGHLY recommend stoping by if you are craving a one of a kind local flavor. Hands down, they are the best burgers in Loudoun County, if not all of Northern VA. The burgers are hand forms and the rolls are made and cooked right in their restaurant. The veggie burgers are also assembled on site and are very, very filling and delicious. One of my favorite burgers is the Bacon/Blue burger. YUM! The sweet potato fries come with marshmallow fluff, and their onion rings are perfectly crispy and thick. The shakes are great and they have beer for those dining in the store. Their food also travels fairly well and is still good when you arrive at your destination. They have a distinct look with their Melt logo and boxes they package their burgers in. I am the envy of the office when I come back with their food. The only down fall is that they are closed on Sunday’s but I can understand why. The couple that owns the establishment works there every single day of the week. Dining in the restaurant is a good experience but get their early or you will have to wait for seating. They do not take tips either, instead all ‘tips’ go toward helping the local animal shelter.
Delicious, perfectly-cooked burgers. Good fries. Haven’t gotten to try their other sides or famous milkshakes, but I look forward to coming back.
Great atmosphere. The walls are decorated with large pictures of dogs, cats and horses that need to be or already have been adopted.
The food is high-end gourmet but everything else is super-casual, which I love. Drinks are just canned sodas served in red plastic cups; napkins come in the form of a roll of paper towels at the table; ketchup is in its standard squeeze bottle; utensils are plastic.
*Dining Environment* – 1 star
The place is very clean for a burger joint. Probably because it’s relatively new. Even the restroom had a fancy contemporary sink!*Food Presentation* – 1 star
I got the classic burger with all the fixings (lettuce, tomato, onion, special sauce which looks like russian dressing). The burger patty is half pound and I ordered mine medium rare. On top of that, I asked them to add a fried egg. And the whole thing is served between house made buns that look like nice and pillowy. Served on a round metal plate with a pile of fries. The way the burger was stacked, it looked stupendous!*Food Taste* – 1 star
The burger tasted as good, if not better, than it looked! I totally wanted to enjoy the burger experience and ensure I had room to consume the whole thing, so I broke rank and ate the burger first before I touched the fries (normally, I alternate between the two). I dipped the fries in the special sauce they provided (the sauce looked like the same found on the burger). Eating the burger can get alittle sloppy, with the egg yolk, special sauce, and juice from the burger oozing with each delicious bite — but hell, it’s a burger joint! They have paper towels on a stand at each table to help clean yourself up.*Service* – 1 star
You order and pay for the burger at the register and they give you a number to take to wherever you wanna sit. Then the server brings your meal to you. You get your drink at the register and take it with you. And yes, they serve beer and wine as well. I’d say there was a decent crowd when I was there so I had an expectation on when I felt I should receive my meal. When I got it, I didn’t feel it took longer than it should. And the meal was hot and fresh off the presses!*Bang for Buck (Value)* – 1 star
I got there around lunch time so I got the Daily Deal, which was their classic burger with fries and a drink. The deal costs $8.95, but I had added an egg to my order, and so in the end I paid alittle over $10. That was a steal for the size and freshness of the burger and the boatload of fries they piled on the tray!*Verdict* – 5 star total! This burger place is a winner!
Awesome burgers! They have fresh Hatch Green Chilis shipped in for their Hatch Burger, can’t beat it! Lots of choice for toppings and specialty burgers along with a cooler full of unique drinks and some craft beer variety as well. This will be our go-to gourmet burger joint when friends from out of town visit.
Melt serves one of the best burgers I have ever had the pleasure to consume. After a seriously disappointing experience at Ray’s Hell Burger, my wife and I needed some burger redemption. Fortunately, we found Melt.
The burgers are stacked tall (as the images on Yelp show), and taste excellent. The beef is fairly thick, and is very tender and flavorful. The beef here is the polar opposite of the bland/boring Ray’s Hell Burger patty. Melt’s beef is flavorful and juicy; really a stark contrast. The ancillary ingredients seem very fresh, and the fluffy bread is great.
The food seems to take quite a while to be prepared, but I’m willing to wait for a burger this good. Also, the place does get crowded due to popularity and lack of seating. I recommend going during non-peak dinning times.
Great experience, we will definitely be back.
Burgers don’t get better than this.
I’m sort of weird when it comes to meat. I’m not a huge burger person but when you get a craving you just have to have it. I checked this place out last night with the bf after reading how many options for burgers they had online. It’s easy to miss since the sign out front only reads ‘Melt’s so I had driven by it a bunch of times without ever noticing.
The establishment was clean and there was a good crowed there for a Tuesday evening- not overly crowded though where you couldn’t find a seat. What I loved is that they offer other options if beef isn’t your thing. Crab, Tuna, Lamb, Turkey, and Veggie burgers are all offered along with your choice of no bun, a ‘Bunless Burger’ or wheat roll for those pretending to eat healthier. You can also get a salad but why waste your time at a gourmet burger place?
I got The Classic Cheeseburger and it. was. AMAZING! I’m not sure what they put in their ‘Special House Sauce’ but I will be coming back for more shortly!
As a bonus the woman who took our order at the register was soo sweet! Great service and great burgers. Enough said.
I have been meaning to find a nice burger joint in the Leesburg/Ashburn/Sterling/Fairfax/Tysons area! Through my years of searching I haven’t had a burger that was perfect! Yesterday i did! :) My hats off to the MELT! They have perfected the cheeseburger!
It was the three of us, we all ordered their “classic cheeseburger” on wheat bun and their suggested “house sauce”. We were all happy after our first bite! The meat tasted fresh and juicy, the cheese had melted beautifully, and the lettuce and tomatoes were a bonus :) The house sauce looks like thousand island sauce but MUCH more delicious!
We also ordered a plate of fries that would be enough for 2-3 people…very crispy and tasty! They put cracked black pepper on it so it makes it very yummy!
They have an extensive menu with ANY topic you can imagine, but I think the classic is perfect since from the pics you can see how stacked the simple burger is already!
If anyone is a fan of “How I Met Your Mother” …when Marshall seeks for the amazing burger, I think Melt is the place to enjoy a burger just like Marshall and the gang did!
I REALLY hope they keep up the good work!
