The Burger Stand at The Casbah – Delicious Lawrence Eats

It feels like there is never enough time to do all the things we enjoy. For years, we have made quick trips to Lawrence, Kansas for a variety of reasons. Our daughter worked at the university for four years, which provided us with lots of exploring in this college city. These days, we make the occasional excursion from Kansas City, when a chance to see something different arises. One of their Final Friday art events looked interesting, so we headed out after work, to start our weekend with a little fun. During our visit, we picked The Burger Stand at The Casbah for our evening meal.

Big Decisions at The Burger Stand

Since opening in 2009, and later relocating to The Casbah, The Burger Stand has been serving up some notable menu items. Their focus is centered around handhelds, with a focus on burgers. They have added some extras, like dogs, salads, and some unique sides. When we stepped inside, we were faced with the option of bar seating (full service) or open seating, which is self-serve. Since the bar was fairly open, we plopped down near their huge menu board.  We noticed that the full-service bar offers up some “boozy shakes”, which seem to becoming more popular these days. The decision was made to pass on these, but I did order a pear flavored hard cider. It was a perfect accompaniment to our meal to come.

Black & Blue

Since there are only two of us, we have a limited amount of menu items that we could eat in a single sitting. We will usually choose a variety, and then split the entrees. That way we can both sample the flavors of the place. Our first burger choice was the Black & Blue, which comes coated with blue cheese, Granny Smith apple chutney, and some mixed greens. The mix of flavors added a tang, that was cut with the delicate sweetness of the chutney. This is definitely one of the best tasting burgers we have had. We added a side of the Beer-battered Onion Rings, which had a great crunch without being to crumbly.

Smoke Burger

Picking the second entree was a little more difficult, since we were facing so many choices. It was finally determined to add another burger option, since it would offer a direct comparison opportunity. This one is the Smoke Burger, which adds Gouda cheese, apple-wood smoked bacon, and their homemade chipotle-coca ketchup. What would have been an almost regular bacon burger at most places, was escalated by the addition of the ketchup. The other side we picked was the Sweet Potato Fries. On a side note, you may notice the sneaky hand in the photo above. While Crystal is usually extremely patient during the picture phase, this time she got a tad bit anxious. It wasn’t until afterwards, that I noticed her sneaking a taste.

Explore Lawrence for Some Delicious Eats

For those who may not be familiar with Lawrence, Kansas, one of the main hot spots is Massachusetts Street. (Mass Street to locals) The six-blocks of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues is popular with locals, college kids, and visitors from nearby cities. (You can see some other Lawrence articles here.) Over the years, we have sampled quite a few of the dining spots, but it seems like there are a never ending list of options. Perhaps someday we will have an opportunity to spend a few days exploring a variety of them. In the meantime, perhaps this article will spark your desire to check out this downtown for yourself. We’d love to hear some of your favorite eateries on Mass Street.