It's been about a year since I first went to this Red Robin. If you're getting that I go for the free birthday burgers, you're correct!\n\nI remember few details about the first visit. One thing that did stick out is the rather expansive feeling of the restaurant last time. Some time recently, they must have changed their layout. I got seated in a 21+ area with bar seating and stool seats, and it felt more comforting not to have the entire restaurant to my back. I'm not a fan of how some of the bright lighting can get into your eyes if you look around, but I suppose that's better than a dimly lit diner.\n\nYou should know that you should sign up on their web site for their \"royalty rewards\" program, which includes the birthday burger. After providing my phone # to confirm that I had my reward and double-checking which burgers I was eligible for (only the regular menu burgers and chicken burgers, not the expensive specials), I picked the A1 Peppercorn Burger. I asked for pink, but it took a few bites until I started seeing some pinkness. I'm guessing the heat was uneven on the flattop or what have you, but at least I got some medium cooked portions. There was plenty of peppercorn sauce and melted pepper jack cheese to cover for any potential dryness issues, and the crunchy onion strings, savory bacon, and not-too-thick onion bun made this a pretty solid burger.\n\nI would have thrown four stars their way for the burger on its own, but the bottomless steak fries are pretty lacking. It's not just that they need more seasoning, but that a lot of them aren't very crispy at all on the outside. These fries are thick, so they need that textural contrast and some flavor. They become a chore at times, and eating them in the same mouthful as a bite of burger helps a lot. Maybe I should have asked them to cook the fries longer or something. I was thinking of subbing in sweet potato fries for $1.49 more, but I decided not to spend anything more than the gratuity that I would have been responsible for in a full-priced meal (yes, that's a thing... don't shortchange the server just because of a special offer).\n\nSpeaking of which, service was pretty solid. My server (Amanda) checked on me a few times and I got to ask for my second helping of fries when I wanted to. Around the time that I finished eating, she did get carried away with helping a customer at the bar seating and took a while to present my ($0.00) check, but I wasn't in a hurry. I probably could have waved her over easily if I was.\n\nI'd go back here once a year. I can locate better burger joints, chains or local spots alike, for the other 364 days.
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