Rogue States

Just noticed that it was CLOSED. But I’ll still post my review!
For a mediocre late night burger lounge, the service was incredibly slow for a slow night
Roommate Lauren: «Old MacDonald» — $ 7.50
The sandwich consists of portabella mushroom, grilled vegetables, olives, chopped lettuce, hazelnut dressing alfalfa sprouts, hot cherry peppers, and goat cheese on ciabatta bread. It looked mouthwatering right when I saw it. The combination sounds so unique and the vegetables looked so fresh! This was totally a great deal compared to mine.
My ¼ pound «Ciao Down” — $ 5.50
This MINIATURE burger had the usual burger ingredients plus garlic and basil. I even asked for the meat to be medium rare.
First of all, the meat was definitely not medium rare but overdone– it was dry and not tasty. The burger is not unique at all; actually all the «special» burgers look the same
I think what disappointed me the most is how bite-​sized the burger was. This is definitely DEFINITELY not worth the price or going back for.
Overall: I think we were all incredibly disappointed.

After having a pink burger with cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato and grilled onions and pickles with wasabi mayo, i cannot understand why people wait in line at Shake Shack down the street. This was a great honking juicy burger, the fries were wonderful too.
Look forward to going back and trying some of their other combinations.

Rogue States has great burgers! I got a cheeseburger with bacon and avocado. They have different flavors of mayo and a whole little sauce bar. I got some honey mustard and some flavored ketchup for my sweet potato fries. Everything was delicious!
The bun was a roll sliced in half, and all the veggies looked and tasted really fresh. I asked for the meat to be cooked «pink,» and it was well done when I bit it open. :-/​
The place was a bit smokey and really, really crowded. I actually thought they had an accident inside, and had the front door propped open to air it out — nope, that’s just how it is in there. I ended up taking the order to go and eating it at the hotel. It did take quite a while for the burger to be ready, too. I was sitting there long enough that I refilled my soda.

BEST BURGER I have EVER tried! The sweet potato fries are great with the Wasabi mayo. I hate mayo, but Wasabi mayo? That’s a different story! I love how they’re open so late everyday and right off of Connecticut Ave.
So you may be wondering why I am posting this even while it states that Rogue is closed? Because my friends… THEY ARE RE-​OPENING ON JUNE 27^th! YES!!! The world can now continue as normal because this place is going back in business! They may re-​open under a different name but the location and the ownership including the delicious recipes will be the same! YAY!!!

This was the first place I ate on my first night in DC, and it was one of my favorite places to eat right up until the point that the law offices above them drove them out. Never fear, they’re supposed to be back soon elsewhere… just going to have to wait it out until they do.
Moving on, this isn’t Ray’s quality– I suppose that’s the standard yardstick in the DMV-​but it sure comes close. I’d almost argue the meat is SUPERIOR to that which Ray’s has, they definitely care about the patties here. Not that Ray’s doesn’t, but Rogue States’ meat quality is off the charts. Delicious. Bread was a bit thick, might want to make the patties either softer or thinner after the reopening.
Fries were good. Service was prompt. Mayo came in many flavors. What more do you want?
Also, it was open late. Very late. Which made it awesome.
Five stars, for a late-​night, well-​located burger joint that needs to reopen ASAP!

After hearing from friends in the area that this is one of the best, I had to stop by. Unfortunately, the lofty expectations fell short for me.
First off, if you say we have the option of «pink or no pink», I’d like to actually get «pink» when I ask for it. Instead, I got a regular cooked burger.
Secondly, the bread that is freshly baked. TO me, the bread is too thick and dense. IMHO, burgers are not make or break by the bread, I’m usually pretty happy with a slightly toasted supermarket loaf, hell I’ll even eat it on white wonder bread. But, seriously, the sheen was nice, and the taste was a bit different, but I found myself overwhelmed with bread. Maybe they should go Potbelly route and have «skinnys».
The toppings were pretty good. I opted for the grilled onions, basil, and tomato. However, what I didn’t realize is that I specifically have to ask for lettuce, pickles, cheese etc. To me, a burger should just default with some cold lettuce, a crisp pickle, and hot cheese. If you don’t want it, THEN ask to leave it out.
Anyways, pricing isn’t to bad, the old bay mayo is delicious, and service is quick. Overall, pretty meh. I’d even go as far as to agree with Christine R and say Five Guys is better.
But In-​N-​Out is still my favorite (can’t take the California out of the Californian).

As far as burger joints go, this place is good. The burgers themselves are delicious and the quirky pink or no pink order style is fun and straight forward. I went pink and my burger was perfectly cooked and wonderfully juicy.
The menu is really easy to follow plus being open until 5am makes this the perfect end to any night out.
The fries were nothing special and under seasoned, but the huge variety of sauces certainly compensate.

The Good:
Simple menu
Turkey burger!
Lots of seating
Late night eating — 5am close!
Location
The Bad:
overcooked burger
No Ugly

If you want «just a burger» go to McDonald’s, if you want a «burger» go to Five Guys. but if you want a «health conscious, don’t sit like a rock in your stomach real meat burger» go to Rogue States. while a friend and I were roaming through Dupont Circle after a wrenching outside Yoga session we came across Rogue Burgers. We had to decide between $ 10 for some grassy salad choices or the $ 7.00 sign for stick to your ribs burgers. Ok we decide on the $ 7.00 option and it could have not been a better choice! The bun was lightly toasted, the meat tender and juicy and flavored oh so well. I have had plenty of burgers which is my beef addiction and this has outweighed any other burger ever! They certainly tout on this blackboard wall all «grass-​feed» beef never frozen or over processed and they have lived up to that standard!
I promise you will not go wrong with this «burger joint»
**Note glad I do not let previous reviews sway my judgement!

3.5 Stars
I am three months pregnant. With a Food Baby. That’s how full I was after coming here.
— — — — — — — — — — — — —
Because I’m so S-​M-​R-​T, I recommended to my friend that when she came up to visit, we should forgo a traditional sit down dinner and opt instead to do a burger crawl.
I should learn to keep my mouth shut.
Rogue States was our second stop and between three of us, we shared two burgers and sweet potato fries.
All burgers are $ 7.00, except the «Pardon My French» which has a $ 3.00 supplemental. L, T, O’s are complimentary. Bacon, Cheese, Roasted red peppers are extra charges.
Tried «Curried Away» and «Pardon My French» (with Brie added to it).
Burger patties are 8 oz.– ½ a pound of beefiness. ½ a pound is TWICE the recommended serving size of meat for any given meal.
Needless to say, this burger was huge! And come out towering.
Curried Away had curry spices and peppers mixed directly into the ground beef and was quite delicious.
Pardon my French was spike with Truffle oil and Thyme. A delicate flavor, I made it lux with a slab of Brie. Was it worth the extra $ 3.50? YES.
In the interest of being more sustainable they do not offer plates (disposable or otherwise) but will give you extra sheets of the foil wrap they use to wrap their burgers in for you to use as an eating surface.
I WOULD GO BACK!

After leaving Madhatter, totally irritated by being unable to get a drink or breathe, we came here for a shnack, to get some air, and to hear each other. What a nice surprise — we found great food, plenty of seating, and beer/​wine. The burger was perfect. We shared the square one burger — just salt/​pepper and ordered it pink… it was basic but perfectly cooked and very flavorful. My sister doesn’t usually do red meat but she was chowin down. The fries were tasty, too.

These types of places are far and few to come by in Washington, DC. When it comes to late night, no-​frills cuisine, Rogue States hits the nail on the head.
I read that other Unilocalers complained about the lack of variety on the menu — but hello?! It’s a burger joint! Not a TGIFridays. If anything, Rogue States has an impressive selection of flavorful, creative burgers that you won’t see anywhere else for $ 7.
My only ‘beef’ would be with the slooow service. Although I appreciated the fresh, straight-​off-​the-​grill flavor of my «Now and Zen» burger, my $ 3.50 sweet potato fries were lukewarm. :(bummer
I highly recommend Rogue States, especially if you’re barhopping
in the area!

Rouge States easily ranks as one of the best burger joints around DC (caveat: I haven’t tried BGR yet). In terms of gourmet burgers, few places match the quality and value of this restaurant. You’ll complain about paying $ 7 for a burger but then you’ll find that the same burger would cost you at least $ 12-​$ 15 at a comparable «upscale» restaurant. By comparison, Rouge States is a bargain. The brioche buns are buttery, soft, and with a thin egg shell-​like exterior. The half-​pound patties are just dripping with juice and light pink just the way a medium raw burger ought to be. These burgers are massive when compared to Good Stuff Eatery (which always seems mashed together like a kids meal sandwich). When compared to Five Guys, Rouge States comes out as the fresher and less greasy sandwich. Any other sit down restaurant is just unnecessarily expensive (when you include tip).
Open until 5 AM? Extra Bonus Points. When going to Rogue States, I say go for the No Cry burger. [Original Visit: June 16, 2010]

I didn’t like it here but it could be because I’m really not much of a cook and I was given entirely too much freedom in making my burger.
The concept behind this place is that you can choose from 6 seasoned differently ground beef patties, then cook and top to order.
My issue: I know when something sounds like I would like it but I am not really good at coming up with an amazing dish on my own. «What was that? Would I like a fried egg on my burger? Well what kind of cheese would you put on there… I’ve never thought of that before but it sounds fantastic…» I know my shortcomings and when it comes to creating I need you to hold my hand.
Unlike other burger joints, the Rogue State doesn’t have any creative (or uncreative) burgers of their own; it’s just you, the ingredients, and uncertainty.
I am one of those people that needs guidance and here you get zilch.

I dont know if it was because I was there at 2 am that or what, but I thought the Burgers were really well crafted except that the burgers were lacking something… SALT!
Maybe I am a salt addict, but the burgers had no taste. Overall the patty was really juicy and I love how the only way you can get ur burger is PINK or NOT. I also ike their bread, soo soft and buttery just like it should be.
oh and $ 7 for a burger of that kind is really awesome and their hours are just perfect especially when you are partying in DC late night hours. ;)

Every time I hear Rogue States, I keep thinking that Tom Clancy decided to open up a chain of Ops Center-​themed restaurants with burgers called «The I.R. Hooray!» or «The Big Belarus» or «The Moscow Monsterburger.» Quirky name for a restaurant, but I gotta tell you… they serve up a solid burger.
Moreover, they have a lunch special that can’t be beat. $ 9 plus tax gets you a choice of one of three burgers, fries (sweet or regular) and a fountain soda.
My friend and I opted for the Square One, which was just your basic burger with sea salt and black pepper. While all their choices sounded really good, it being our first visit, we just wanted a basic burger so we could taste the largely unadulterated meat! I opted for the regular fries and a root beer on draft.
I like the fact that they keep the menu simple. There’s about seven choices, plus you can build your own. No hot dogs, roast beef, or any crap like that. I’m always a fan of a place that keeps things simple, a place that believes in the concept of «do one thing, and do it well.»
Your basic toppings are free, and you’ll pay a buck more for bacon or cheese. You only have two choices as far as done-​ness: «pink» or «no pink.» This is where they lose a star from me. I like my meat medium rare as it honestly tastes better. I understand it’s easier for them in terms of consistency and health code minutiae, but I honestly believe medium rare meat gives you a better flavor. But it’s not the end of the world.
They also have a mayo bar by the soda fountain. Love the wasabi mayo, though as others have noted, it could certainly pack just a tad more of a kick. Awesome for dipping your fries in, though. The chipotle flavored mayo was good too.
Fries were fresh and amazingly hot. It took me about a good 20 minutes to finish up the fries that went with my meal, and the first bite of fry was just as piping hot as the last, but not scalding hot. Very nice.
The burger tasted pretty good, but it was honestly the bun and the fresh ingredients that really stood out. Like I said, I think the burger would have a bit more zest if it were redder, but it was still a damn tasty burger, far better than what you’d get at most bar and grills. And the freshness of the ingredients (the onions in particular) really complimented the burger.
The verdict: frankly, I think they serve up good food at a competitive price. And it’s far and away tastier than most of the lunch joints in the area. I’ll definitely be back.

I’ve been here twice now, so I can’t chalk it up to one mediocre experience. Overall the place seems to be impersonating Good Stuff on the Hill with the dipping sauces for the fries and the Asian inspired flavors, but it really isn’t on par taste wise. That being said, I love the sweet potato fries. Combined with the dipping sauces (the wasabi inparticular, yum), these are worth the price of admission alone.
Aside from them, both burgers I have gotten have been extremely underwhelming. They aren’t cheap (Cheese is extra for instance), and both burgers I have gotten have been very bland, dry, and unmemorable, and these are burgers with very exotic and flavorful ingredients. I like the location and everything about it except the prices and the burger itself, which is a pretty big downside. Love love love the sweet potato fries though.

Excellent, fresh burgers. Everything screams fresh. Bun is delicious and holds together well. This is important because the burger is very juicy. Decent fries. Kudos for the flavored mayos — wasabi, Old Bay, etc.
A word of caution — burgers are offered in two choices of doneness, pink and not pink. I ordered my to go burger pink. It was rare not medium rare. So, if you like your burgers medium rare forget about asking for a pink middle and order it not pink.

The other day I was walking down Connecticut when I noticed this strange new place opened up. Naturally, I decided I had to check it out at some point. A week later, I did. I’ll preface this by saying it’s more like 4.5 stars.
The burgers here are pretty great in my humble opinion. The staff is very friendly as well. But anyway, Rogue States offers a variety of different patties. You pick which kind you want, how you want it cooked («pink» or «not pink»), and which condiments you want on top. Cheese is, sadly, one of the not-​free condiments. As for how to cook it, if you like your burgers medium-​rare to medium, get it pink. Otherwise, get it not pink.
I ordered the Rogue States burger with all the free toppings (lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion) as well as brie cheese and it was delicious. The first thing I noticed was that the burger is HUGE. I’ve heard people refer to sliders as «belly bombs»… well this burger is a belly nuke. The majority of that heftiness comes from the bun, though. The bun itself is tasty and very sturdy, but it’s just a bit too big. My first few bites were more like a salad with bread rather than a burger. If they could shrink it in diameter just a tad it’d be fine. But other than that, the burger kicked ass. The meat was juicy and flavorful, the toppings tasted fresh, and the brie cheese was creamy and nutty. Really a great combination.
The other winning food here is the sweet potato fries. The normal fries are good too, but the sweet potato fries are the bee’s knees. The cat’s pyjamas. They’re big, thick, crispy-​outside-​fluffy-​inside style fries. Much like Good Stuff Eatery, these folks offer a variety of flavored mayonnaises for dippin’. The three varieties are chipotle (my favorite), old bay (decent), and wasabi (great on the sweet potato fries). The wasabi isn’t spicy, but it does taste good. The chipotle also isn’t spicy despite the name, in fact it’s almost a bit sweet. But it works, it works well, and you’ll be doing your taste buds a favor by dipping the delicious fries in this fantastic sauce.
Overall I had a great experience here. The prices aren’t too bad, especially for what you get. I would definitely come here again, and strongly recommend this restaurant.

The burgers are ok. Decent meat. Good bread. Good Veggies. The thing is the menu says they come with all these condiments and I just couldn’t really taste chipotle anything in my burger. On the other hand they give you a ton of sauces on the side like chipotle, mayo, wasabi mayo, and old bay mayo so you can sauce it up on your own. I feel like that’s not really the goal of these places though. I want my burger presauced.
The sweet potato fries are legit though. Get those. Even if you don’t get a burger i’d get those.