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Bison, lamb join great beef in ’60s tribute joint

It’s out with the pig, in with the beef at Burger Culture, a Southtown burger joint that has been on the scene since 2017.

Owners Randy and Julie Vrana transformed the former South Presa Pig Stand location into a temple of 1960s groove. Artistic portraits of Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles canvas the walls as their famous tunes blast a soundtrack that makes you want to stay awhile.

You can snag a fried catfish platter, slurp down a shake or munch on an order of nachos, but the 10-burger lineup features a wide assortment of handpressed meats and buns, and they are the unquestioned stars of the show.

Burger Culture borrows from the barbecue bible a tad, offering cups of simmering pinto beans free of charge to its customers. And if you want a unique Instagram shot, the 20foot pig sculpture from past days continues to stand proud in the parking lot.

Best burger: The Rye Bison ($12.25) burger is the way to go. It comes with a mighty halfpound patty of the good stuff, cooked to a perfect medium well and with juice oozing out of the brioche bun. As if that weren’t enough, sweet and smoky rye whiskey sauce as thick as marmalade holds it all together for one of the best burger experiences in the city.

Other burgers: The Bombay Lamb ($11.35) burger is a good beef alternative, and it comes smothered with an avocado curry sauce that will tickle your taste buds in a good way.

The Oishii Burger ($11.65) wins the award for best menu description, featuring Japanese-style Akaushi beef and roasted seaweed. But this is a case of buyer beware: When tasted side by side with the traditional house burger ($6.15), there isn’t enough difference to justify the added cost.

But also take that as a testament to the quality of the standard house beef sourced from Bolner’s Meat Co.

There are places to go vegan. Burger Culture isn’t one of them. The Veggie ($6.65) burger had a soggy texture and smelled like it

Maverick:

cblount@express-news.net | Twitter: @chuck_blount | Instagram: @bbqdiver

Photos by Chuck Blount / Staff A sweet and smoky rye whiskey sauce tops the excellent half-pound Rye Bison burger.

Jalapeño hush puppies are light and fluffy, with a hint of heat.