Located on the edge of Hempstead off FM 395 is the Thirsty Parrot Bar & Grill. It is like most bars you will find anywhere else.
You can shoot pool, throw some money in the jukebox or have a beer or cocktail at the bar. You might be wondering why I would bother writing this review of a run-of-the-mill bar out in the middle of nowhere (no offense to those of you from Hempstead) — quite simply, it is all about the burger.
As I stated before, the bar appears to be as average as they come — it’s housed in a large plain white building with typical neon beer signs adorning the walls.
However, among the bland bar monotony is the Parrot Burger, which is named after the bar, not because the patty is of avian variety. It’s truly a miracle that something so good can come out of a place like this — the entire time I was eating I felt as though a camera crew was going to come out and let me in on some kind of culinary prank at any given moment.
It is not the condiments or the toppings, but the flavor and texture combination of the meat and bread that is something that should raise burger standards.
The first thing you realize is how juicy, soft and full of flavor the meat is. When combined with the sweetness brought on by the broken down starches from the jalapeño sourdough bread, the rush of flavor and texture from the fried jalapeños just overwhelms the senses.
The jalapeños were mild and perfectly accented the burger, rather than dominating the flavors and ruining the burger.
It was Plato who believed that all man-made things were only poor imitations of their perfect ideal forms, but let me tell you this, my burger hungry brothers and sisters.
If the Thirsty Parrot doesn’t have a perfect burger, then it is an incredible imitation, especially when paired with your favorite beer.