First look: Elevation Burger

Cheap burgers that won't make you feel cheap. Nice. (Credit: Michael Cook)

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Elevation Burger promises grass-fed, free-range burgers cooked by hand, as well as relatively healthy sides and drinks. Those familiar with Chipotle recognize the business model, and fans of Five Guys recognize the menu. Ecological friendliness and cheeseburgers is a combination someone was bound to figure out eventually. The chain is relatively new, with the Harbor East locale being one of the first expansion sites for the Virginia-based company.

A few opening night kinks had yet to be worked out. One employee said, "It's our first day, and everything that could possibly break did." Despite an out-of-service grill, food came out quickly, and we enjoyed friendly service. The staff circulated between tables and asked for comments and suggestions. That desire to get it right portends a good future for the chain. We just wonder: By making burgers healthy, could Elevation have missed the point?

Crowd: On its very first night open, a steady stream of mostly young, well-dressed Harbor East-types flooded Elevation for some healthy burger binging. Seriously, these kids wear designer jeans to go get burgers.

Food: How does a free-range cow taste? Like a regular cow, only less greasy. Those who love the down-the-throat-and-into-your-arteries guilt of normal fast food may be disappointed. Burgers do lose a little robustness when stripped of grease. To get the same full-flavored experience from Elevation, we relied on the more delicate taste of the beef, as well as free toppings, including caramelized onions and balsamic mustard.

The thin, almost shoestring, fries were a bit salty but perfectly crispy. It's awesome to see apples and oranges on a menu. An option on whole wheat buns might be nice, too. The salads were pre-made, but looked fresh. The veggie burger looked frozen, rather than hand-made. The menu describes the veggie patty as having a fire-roasted taste, and it certainly does, making it one of the better tasting veggie patties in town.

Drinks: Drinks include bottled water and juices, fountain soda and milk shakes. Clearly the best option, milk shakes allow diners to mix flavors as diverse as key lime, coffee and guava (but please don't combine those three). The paper cups explain so much about Elevation's environmental design you'll have reading material for the duration of your entire meal. Either that, or you'll wish you had footnotes.

Digs: As the paper cup thesis explains, all the construction material is recycled or renewable, including the bamboo flooring and soft wood accents that mesh nicely with the blue color scheme. If the lighting weren't quite so bright, the vibe would be very soothing. With a touch of music this could be the most pleasant burger joint ever. Located near the heart of Harbor East, Elevation is bound to pull in foot traffic. The most exciting part of the restaurant is the cordoned-off area with outdoor tables. Despite the patios along the harbor, Baltimore suffers from a dire dearth of outdoor eating.

Bottom line: Most of Harbor East is unnecessarily expensive, as is most free-range and environmentally conscious food. Elevation, however, is pleasantly inexpensive. We're psyched we can grab a burger for less than $5 and go home feeling guilt free. If you want a burger that might not ruin your diet, check out Elevation.