Dressing up the all-American hamburger is the idea of the moment in the restaurant industry.
Dressing up the all-American hamburger is the idea of the moment in the restaurant industry, and Plan B Burger Bar, a growing Connecticut-based chain of burger emporiums, has brought its own slant on beef-and-bread creativity to Springfield.
In doing so, Plan B, which is housed in the Basketball Hall of Fame complex, has quickly established itself as one of the area's most popular dining venues.
Quite understandably the menu focus at Plan B is on the hamburger, a term that's broadly defined to incorporate a number of bun-based creations.
The Tavern Classic ($10.79) is Plan B's baseline effort; variations include an egg-and-avocado-topped West Coast ($11.29) and a New Englander ($15.29) garnished with lobster and smoked Gouda.
Non-beef choices range from a Salmon Burger ($12.49) and ground pork Cuban Burger ($11.49) to a Homemade Veggie ($10.49).
Supplementing the sandwich fare is an array of hearty appetizers. Wings ($9.49), Beef Wellington Bites ($9.49), and New England Style Mussels ($11.49) are representative of the variety.
Plan B makes much of its burger provenance; the menu reminds patrons that the beef is never frozen and "hand ground" daily.
The Blue Cheese ($12.49) burger we enjoyed illustrated the difference those preparation efforts make -- the burger (nearly an inch thick) has a loose, tender texture and a pleasantly moist character, with none of the tallow nuances that can afflict commercial ground beef.
Topped with caramelized onions, blue cheese crumbles, and barbecue sauce, the sandwich was a satisfying sassy-sweet experience.
A non-beef option, the Buffalo Chicken ($10.99), featured a natural breast filet given a hot sauce treatment. Garnished with julienned carrots, thin-cut celery, and melted blue cheese, it effectively recreated the "wings" experience in a between-bun format.
The default side for Plan B Burger plates is an order of shoestring fries; mesclun salad can be substituted at no extra charge. There's also a selection of extra cost add-ons that includes Onion Rings ($4.59), Tater Tots ($3.79), and a Tomato-Cucumber Salad ($3.99).
Starter choices we sampled -- Barking Dogs ($8.89) and Portabella Fries ($8.49) -- won us over right away.
The three mini-dogs came topped with a mild, meaty chili; the mushroom-slice "fries" included a spicy chipotle dip and a more subdued horseradish cream.
In addition to the appetizer and burger repertoire, Plan B's served-all-day menu incorporates nine entree choices. Lobster Mac & Cheese ($19.99), Horseradish Salmon ($15.99), and Shepherd's Pie ($13.99) are representative of what's available.
A plate of Country Meatloaf ($13.99) did credit to that blue-plate classic, incorporating green "fries" (flash-fried green beans), smoked Gouda mashed potato, and two thick slices of meatloaf.
The last of those, made from a blend of beef and ground pork, was topped with robustly flavorful brown gravy; the loaf itself we thought just a little on the bland side.
Buttery, crunchy, and cooked "just enough," the beans were a hit, while the Gouda-enriched potatoes proved to be enticingly rich.
Beer and bourbon are the beverage side of the Plan B equation, with connoisseur-focused assortments of both in stock. A credible wine list is also maintained.
While the burgers at Plan B are the primary attraction, the restaurant's dessert offerings are nothing less than extraordinary.
All made in-house (and priced at $5.99), they include options like a Crispy Apple-Cinnamon Pie and a Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Parfait.
A Plan B FunniBone recast a snack cake classic as a first-rate finale, partnering tender chocolate cake with peanut butter mousse and a ganache icing.
Equally delightfully, the Log Cabin Fever Roll was a banana cake roll-up filled with maple mousse. Topped with caramel sauce and whole candied walnuts, it, too, won us over.
Our reaction to the end-of-meal experience at Plan B is easy to sum up -- if for no other reason, go just for dessert.
Plan B has a luxurious look and feel to its public spaces, although we did have one dining experience grumble -- the noise level. When the restaurant's busy (which is most of the time) we found it necessary to nearly shout in order to be heard.
Name: Plan B Burger Bar
Address: 1000 West Columbus Ave., Springfield
Phone: (413) 285-8296
Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m. daily; kitchen open until midnight.
Entree prices: $10.49 - $19.99
Credit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Handicapped access: Accessible, with rest rooms equipped for wheelchairs
Reservations: Not taken