big orange

i'm calling it -- the emperor is naked.... the trimmings were first-rate. heck, the patty may even be top quality from the vaunted creekstone farms. but what's the point if it is just dry and flavorless?

off the top -- burger type: flattop-griddled and a little less than medium-thickness but not as thin as a smashed burger.

i ordered mine medium since i've been to creekstone and trust them to turn out e. coli-free beef. of course the cook killed it and this medium-well to well abomination was dry and even lacking agoodsear that would have lent flavor through a little carmelization (word to management -- turn up the temp on the flattop and you'll seal in the juices with a quick sear while giving the outside a good, crispy carmelized layer).

i considered asking if they wanted another chance to get it right since -- even after the smallish burger and shy order of $3 fries (which were excellent) -- i was still hungry and usually inclined to give a place a second chance. but the help seemed to believe the hype and press and couldn't conceive of bob serving a sub-par burger. couple that with the infrequency of my visits to rock town and my native knowledge of at least 5 truly phenomenal burgers in the city and i won't darken the door here again.

the fries are great and the hard dishes are classy -- but i don't recommend this place at all. and if you saw me you'd trust me because i am clearly someone who knows from agoodburger.

great food, so-so staff. this was my second time eating at big orange. the first time my experience was pretty much perfect. friendly staff, great food, cool atmosphere. the second time, however, was as if the staff kind of just quit caring. when we walked in this time, we were greeted by two teenage hostesses who clearly did not want to be there. when asked if we wanted to sit inside or out (it was almost 100 degrees outside- why would they even ask that?), i said we wanted to sit indoors.

something about my answer must have really ticked her off because she attempted to seat us at an incrediby tiny table right next to the bar. like i said, i'd been there before so i knew that at that particular table, servers tended to gather and socialize in groups while waiting on the bartender to make drinks for their tables. so, in essence, i would have butts in my face the entire duration of my meal. when i told the hostess that i would prefer to sit elsewhere, she picked up the menus she had just sat down on the table and threw them on a table adjacent from that one. she let out an audibly loud sigh and stormed back to her station.

from where she sat us, there was this "cubby hole" thing next to our table that just so happened to be positioned right next to the hostess station. i lost track of how many glaring looks the hostesses kept giving us through it...that is...while they weren't on their cell phones.

anyway...the food....it seemed a tad bit greasier this time. yes, yes...i know it's a burger joint. but the last time i ate there, i felt like i was eating a gourmet burger. this time, it felt like it had come from someplace like sonic. our waiter was decent, though my water ran dry about 10 minutes into dinner and he never refilled it. my date had to ask for his soda to be refilled, which you shouldn't have to do. agoodwaiter will notice that your drink is getting low and refill it without having to be asked.

i know some of the things i mentioned above are what could be considered "nit-picky", but as i said earlier, the first time i went here, i had an awesome experience. now it feels like the honeymoon is over for the staff and they're just barely performing to moderate service levels. a word of advice, though: insist on sitting out in the main area of the restaurant in front of the bar and not in the tiny hole that's to the right of the bar. once all the tables are filled up in that part, it's one constant traffic jam in front of your table.

i like burgers!!

i find myself on a continuous quest to find the ultimate burger.

big orange (i'm guessing named for the old andy griffith comedy sketch) is one of my favorite stops along this trek.

they have very imaginative burgers, i love the atomic burger, and most recently tried their specialty of the month, the frito chili pie burger. it was topped with fritos, chili, fried onion threads and i believe a few pickled jalapeños, i think the cheese was jack (pepper jack?).

anyway it was wonderful and not nearly as messy as you might have imagined!!

the only real negative i can say about the place, the cooks do not seem to know how to cook a medium burger.
the last few times overcooked...usually come out medium well with no discernible pink in center.
time before last i had to send it back. they were very happy to recook the burger, and the next came out perfect.

i think from now on i'll order medium rare to try to get a medium burger . maybe this is a little rock thing, as that i recently had a burger ordered at bar louie, and again ordering medium got me medium well at best.

that is my only gripe..,otherwise i love this place!!
i've not tried the shakes, but they look amazing. i'm just not much of a sweets eater.

the regular fries, the sweet potato fries and house made chips are all good. do try the sauces that come with them they're fun, but i gotta admit after a couple bites i go withgoodold ketchup to finish on the fries.

the beer.
great!!
stick with the house made beers on tap, they are awesome, and fairly high octane...
:)

overall, a place i always come to when i'm in town.

i like everything about this place. the atmosphere is pretty chill, and the bartenders are awesome. the food is reallygoodand the service is almost always on point.

an excellent location for burgers, root beer and cheese dip -- or, as we know it, agoodlittle rock restaurant.  love the maytag blue burger.  the float features abita root beer and yarnell's ice cream, agoodpairing.  i love the kennebec chips with the cheese dip.

first experience. my daughter and i tried big orange for the first time after hearing rave reviews. the tempura battered asparagus was amazing!
my daughter ordered the tilapia burger.....she thought it was excellent as were the hand cut fries. i ordered the blue cheese burger. i was disappointed. it had a smallish bun, the burger patty was a little dry. i will def go there again but i will try the pecorino burger. the atmosphere was noisy..loud obnoxious music, very crowded. the metal chairs very uncomfortable. i felt like i had metal rods poking me in each hip. i noticed the outdoor chairs were different. service wasgoodexcept the waiter never ask me if i needed a refill of my diet coke.

my burger fix. i love big orange. it is a bit pricey for a student like me, but the food is alwaysgoodso it keeps me coming back, and since every burger can be made with a veggie patty it makes the restaurant very vegetarian friendly. i've had agoodbit of their menu, all good, but some stand out more than others.

my favorite entree is the curried falafel and lentil burgerwich. the falafel patty is good, but the tangy tzitziki sauce and spicy sriracha with the fresh veggies make it awesome. the white truffle and pecorino burger is good, but not worth the price for me (well, i got it for free, but i wouldn't pay $12.50 for it). it tastes good, but there was not enough toppings to make it worth the price. i couldn't taste the truffle and there was just the smallest piece of cheese that didn't cover most of the burger and a tiny spot of flavorful jam.

i love the truffle fries and the sweet potato fries, and have liked every shake i've tried.

love!!! burgers aregoodbut the fries...omg the fries are amazing! most def the best burger place in lr hands down.

although it was agoodenough burger, we had the classic it wasn't fabulous. i did like the potato chips our bill was close to $30.00 with diet cokes. much to pricey for a burger joint and the chairs are so uncomfortable. we won't go back and we are telling everyone we know that hasn't been there how expensive it was. a thirty dollar lunch is a little much and it was so loud you couldn't even talk

holly crap! that was onegoodburger. the petit jean bacon avocado burger is amazing. sure it is a little over priced, you will not find a better burger in little rock.

good. the food is very good. the milkshakes aregoodas well.

awesome!. if you lovegoodfood, then you'll love the big orange. it is pricey, but you get what you pay for. everything is fresh and has some twist from the usual fare, that you probably won't find anywhere else.

i really think the main source for criticism is the price, but this isn't your usual burger joint. if that's what you're seeking, then you may be disappointed, not only with the price, but also the food. personally, i can't afford to eat at the big orange regularly -- nor would i want to -- but considering all the work that must go into preparing their food, i have no problem with paying more money.

the food is simply awesome. i'm very impressed with this restaurant on so many levels. but if you're simply looking for a greasy burger, then you might want to look elsewhere. people who rate this restaurant down because it's not another greasy burger joint are really being unfair.

good, for what it is. reallygoodfood for what it is. the burgers, i love the turkey and veggie, are outstanding. the big orange salad can't be beat anywhere. reallygoodand varied wine and beer selection. but it is like eating in a fast food restaurant. the chairs are uncomfortable, the lighting is too bright late at night. it's a bit too much of a kid feat at times. not a restaurant for a relaxing meal.

good burgers, not sogoodservice. every time we have been here, the food has been excellent, but the service is fair to poor. it's a great place to go if you have a whole evening to kill, but if you only have a couple of hours i wouldn't choose big orange. the shakes are excellent!!!

good, but pricey. pretty much what i expected for this area of town. burgers are tasty and large, but overpriced. and sides (even fries) are extra which drives up the cost even more. overallgoodexperience, but probably not a place i'll be making an effort to return to.