Ruffino’s Restaurant in Baton Rouge has easily become our favorite in recent years. Picture-lined walls showcasing smiling faces throughout the spacious house depict a large family setting, which, upon first visit, explains the initial greeting of lingering warmth in the restaurant’s atmosphere. The welcoming warmth is immediately followed by host and service staff with inviting smiles receiving your presence as if you were the Guest of Honor. From the host to the wait staff and maître d’, the service is superb—always sincere, never forced.

Our recent visit was in celebration of our 20 year anniversary. Joe and I found ourselves visiting with the tables on either side of us, both with couples also celebrating anniversaries. The restaurant is primarily Italian. Though it is also well known for its steaks, seafood, and wood-fired pizzas, Italian culture reigns supreme in the warm family atmosphere. We truly had the “pictures on the wall”experience.

The food is absolutely delish! Our choice of entrees is generally steak. Ribeye topped with crabmeat imperial for Joe; 8 oz filet for me. Although the aged steak, no longer on the menu (said to possibly make occasional appearances), was Joe’s absolute fav, he is completely content with the ribeye. But something unexpected happened on our last visit. I ventured beyond the steak and seafood choices of recent years.

The description of the Steakhouse Hamburger enticed me.

Brisket, short ribs, tenderloin, onion roll, Benton’s bacon jam, truffle mayo, sautéed onions, truffle French fries, homemade ketchup

If my amateur photography doesn’t draw you in, read through that menu description again, slowly.

Not only did this burger not disappoint, it left me with an experience I will not soon forget. It warranted this blog post!

Joe and I set out on a quest a couple of years ago to find the best burger. We discovered among the competition, an array of amazing burgers, many of which stood out largely because of their varied toppings. Ruffino’s Steakhouse Hamburger is like a movie classic. The burger is the undeniable star; the toppings, an exceptionally creative cast of characters that compliments, yet enhances, the production of the entree.

The Star Burger! Brisket, short ribs, and tenderloin made for a mouthwatering experience knocking filet mignon off its pedestal. The leading cast of characters! Before assembling the burger, I sampled each condiment with small pieces of Ruffino’s house bread. Truffle mayo? Truffle fries? I couldn’t recall having tried truffle anything, ever. The mayo is rich yet surprisingly light, a curious contradiction. And the truffle fries—delish. Words fail me, as I’m not quite sure how to describe truffle. I only know that I want more. Bacon is my jam! Benton’s bacon jam is to meat jam as bacon is to meat candy. While crispy bacon is high on the burger toppings list, its delicious texture was forgotten and quickly replaced by this salty spread of deliciousness. The mayo and jam performances truly wowed me. Expectation rising, yet cautiously optimistic, I approached the homemade ketchup. I like ketchup; I don’t usually enjoy ketchup and I rarely dip fries in ketchup. With great surprise, I discovered that it was the best of the supporting characters. I’ll never be the same. Not only is it the best ketchup ever, it surpasses the awesomeness of the mayo and bacon jam. A delightful surprise! I nominate the ketchup as lead supporting role. The burger assembly was carefully thought out. A generous amount of bacon jam was spread atop the grilled onion covered patty, followed by plenty of homemade ketchup, and the truffle mayo spread over the top bun beneath the lettuce and tomato. I would only add that, although the onion roll is delicious, a roll with a bit more substance, perhaps, might provide more structure for this amazing burger.

Finally, in comparison, we recently visited Gordon Ramsey’s Burger in Las Vegas where we split the anniversary burger—filet and ribeye meat topped with short rib. At a whopping $27, the burger was absolutely delicious and worth the price.

Yet, Ruffino’s Steakhouse Burger trumped it.

Priced at only $13.95, the Ruffino’s steakhouse burger with truffle fries dipped in amazing homemade ketchup trumped Gordon Ramsey’s anniversary edition hamburger at Burger Restaurant. The Steakhouse Burger is not only my new favorite entree item at Ruffino’s and my all-time favorite burger, it is the epitome of the gourmet burger experience.

Combined with Ruffino’s ambiance and exceptional service, you have the elements of the best dining experience I’ve had to date. Topping it off, instead of their customary courtesy cotton candy, we were served this scrumptious chocolate cake with raspberry sauce.  It’s deliciously rich yet light; another curious contradiction. The gluten-free cake is made with only three ingredients—cocoa, cream, and eggs. So decadent, we were sure it was cheesecake. We ate every bite. Such a sweet way to end a perfect 20th-anniversary celebration.