My Favorite Dish: Sitting Duck Tavern Burger - New Go-To Joint in Oxford

Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, Pepsi, Pepsi.

What is the fascination with cooked ground meat placed between a couple of slices of bread? From Germany to Ohio to New Haven, the simple ground beef sandwich has exploded from its plebian beginnings to a cult following, with the USDA estimating that Americans consume 50,000,000,000 (that’s 50 billion) burgers per year.

And the burger ain’t what it used to be over 150 years ago; you can now grill it...fry it…smoke it…griddle it…steam it…smash it? One type of meat…two…three…four? Loose grind, course grind? Mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, cheese, bacon, pickles, avocado, onions…on and on? If you do the math there are thousands of combinations. And then the doneness decision on rare, medium-rare, medium and don’t get me started.

Years ago, I ate close to 150 burgers a year in pursuit of the best in CT. Now I am a little wiser, I look for the needle in the haystack, the place where you can go with friends and enjoy a consistent and delicious burger. And the place that has delivered the consistency of the medium-rare bacon cheeseburger can be found in none other than The Sitting Duck Tavern in the Quarry Walk in Oxford (there are two other locations in Stratford and Trumbull). Each time I visit, it is a mouth-watering delight.

The Duck is a local place. On any day you will find families, dates, da guys, GNOs (that’s girls’ night out), and locals just shooting the breeze, grabbing one of sixteen beers on tap, watching the games, having some special family time. Seating options include booths, tables, in front of the fireplace or a stool at the bar, plus a patio, enough for 150 guests.

My go-to meal is the burger. There are three pre-determined options, the Sitting Duck Burger with lettuce and tomato (served with or without cheese), the Tavern Burger, a Chipotle spiced patty with house-made "bacon jam", lettuce, tomato, and Vermont cheddar, and the Cadillac Burger with BBQ sauce, a cheddar blend, bacon, chipotle ranch, sitting atop a handful of fronions. I view these as guidance and The Duck has no issue with a mix-and-match audible.

After careful research and numerous adjustments, I highly recommend the following off-the-menu combo, the Sitting Duck Burger with American cheese, bacon, and here’s the twist…add the bacon jam, ordered medium rare. The patty is a large 8-ounce from Pineland Farms, a perfectly seasoned and lightly compressed gem. The kitchen nails the temperature absolutely every time, with a good hard sear on the outside and a darkish pink on the interior. The American cheese works perfectly with all burgers, and the cheese on this version is no exception, melted and gooey. The Duck is generous with the bacon, with three thick, smoky rashers crisscrossed on top. One bite and you gain the full sense of the smokiness from the cooking. And then there is the bacon jam, which adds a touch more smokiness and a tang of sweetness. All these are encased in a super puffy hamburger roll. This combo stands on its own, no mustard or ketchup is required.

I’d be remiss if I omitted the last bit of advice, order the regular fries. They are slightly thicker than traditional shoestrings, seasoned just right, and a quick dip in the ketchup will add to the full burger and fries experience.

Overall, The Duck offers a bunch of options for everyone in the family. But for this burger lover, having this local place that offers this level of deliciousness is fantastic.

Sitting Duck Tavern

360 Center Rock Green

Oxford, CT 06478

(203) 941-5141

https://www.sittingducktavern.com