Biting In: The Gold Standard Burger at Holstein’s

Michael Movestro weighs in on the Gold Standard Burger at Holstein’s Las Vegas

How I ended up at Holstein’s with the Gold Standard burger in my hand is a tale of bittersweet serendipity. Although I knew I would one day try the Gold Standard burger at Holstein’s as it was recommended to me by Matty Ice, I didn’t know that day would be sooner than I thought. I was originally going to Cheeseburger Las Vegas to check out the pulled pork Island Style Cheeseburger. When I discovered that it was closed for good, I was left in a bit of a burger bind. What burger to try now, and where? I heard good things about Gordon Ramsay BURGR and a bunch of other places. Then I remembered Matty Ice’s comment “The Gold Standard is worth a return trip. I promise!”

Sure enough, after posting the sad closure news to social media, I was on my way to Holstein’s. I greeted it like an old friend and noticed the lines next door at Eggslut were very minimal. “Nope, this is gonna be a burger review,” I said to myself, “Eggslut next time.” The waitress brought me the menu and complimentary popcorn.

I’m not sure why they push the free popcorn on people. *shrugs* I knew right away what I wanted, the Gold Standard Burger.

My order showed up in decent time, and there it was….my oh my.

Just look at it!

At first bite, I was very content, but I knew to wait until I was done. A first-to-last bite comparison is a must for a proper review. I’ve said this before; anything could be good for a couple of bites when you’re hungry. The result is this: this burger does not need the bacon. Wait…wait. The burger was delicious, but I felt the bacon was hindering the true flavors from emerging. For me, bacon takes longer to chew than beef, so the flavor of the bacon was dominating the burger. Don’t get me wrong; I love bacon, but my burger-sense told me it wasn’t necessary. So you know what I did? I took off the bacon and put it to the side. Blasphemous you say? Perhaps out of context, yes, but let me explain.

I continued eating the burger as if on some edible adventure. With the bacon gone, this burger really started to shine. The flavors of the goat cheddar cheese and the garlic-chive aioli sprang into action. The baby arugula and tomato confit made their presence known, all while being beautifully blended with the taste of the dry aged beef–now made stronger sans bacon. You know I love me some dry aged beef! As I was eating this burger, I remembered some of the previous burgers I’ve had. I remember lamenting the loss of I <3 Burgers, that tasty Dante Burger. Could it be that I have found a new favorite?

When I was done eating, I felt like that cow in the picture, chillin’ in a water donut. Contentment.

After the meal, Jordan the waitress brought me the check:

I have not tried every burger in Vegas, and there are still some I’d like to try, but with the burger experiences I’ve had in Vegas, I can tell you this. The Gold Standard burger does indeed raise the bar when it comes to gourmet burgers in Vegas. I will indeed be going back for this burger; this is now a Vegas Must.

Breaking: While researching for this article, it turns out Holstein’s has a Turducken Burger until Thanksgiving!

Holstein’s hours: Mon – Thurs: 11AM – Midnight | Fri – Sat: 11AM – 2AM | Sun: 10AM – Midnight

[Photos: Michael Movestro]

Michael Movestro

Michael Movestro founded Vegas Bright to continue the tradition when Vegas Chatter cashed out. Michael pays the bills, maintains the site, writes articles, hosts VBN – Vegas Bright Newscast.