Engine No. 9

Not only is it hard to get a seat in this hipster hotspot, most of the drinks on the menu are sold out. Thanks, nerds.
How were we finally able to get a table here?
Well, we arrived Early Bird style, like the old couple we are— around 5:00pm.
You know, as the youngsters were just waking up and applying their bacon scented beard oil and having their first glass of bourbon.
Burgers are good’ish. A little exaggerated, toppings are a bit much. Don’t even know what the meat tasted like. Remember the fries being better than the burger. The wings being better than anything in the whole joint. For being called Sriracha Wings, they were more sweet than spicy, yet fried to perfection and sent me on an emotional texture-​coaster.
I recommend dining here as a group of 4, try to grab a low top in the back room. Good luck getting a beer. Everyone order a different burger, and cut it into 4 pieces, you know like a pie. Then each person tries a different kind of burger that way.

This is a great place and it was fantastic for my first time going. Friendly greetings as soon as me and my buddy walked in. I heard wonderful things about this place so today I decided to try it out.
The menu is pretty good. Kinda pricey for burgers but it’s all worth it. The service was well and fast. My server was nice, cute, and generous. I ordered the Demi God burger that was pretty delicious with a side of sweet potato fries witch I didn’t enjoy too much so I switched them out for the tots instead. My server didn’t have no problem dealing with the few request I randomly but typically do at restaurants.
E9 is a great place for outings with friends, family, dates and even going out solo. They have a cool bar as soon as you walk in with LCD TVs to accommodate. If you head further back where it’s more tables that come with personal mini TVs.
Enjoyed it and will be back

My sister, mother, and I were visiting our grandmother who was in the hospital, and after we’d had two days of fast food, my sister and I put our feet down and demanded to try something new. Engine No. 9 had AMAZING reviews and it was close to the hospital, so we decided to try it.
Walking in, it wasn’t quite what I expected, but it had a nice unique feeling to it. We had to wait about 10 minutes for a table (because there really aren’t many!) but once we were seated, the wait was well worth it.
I’ve never had such a good burger in my entire life! I ordered what I think is called their Blackhawk burger, which is a double-​decker burger with beef on the bottom and buffalo chicken on the top. I cannot recommend this burger highly enough. Not only was it delicious, but it wasn’t «too much» or «too little.» The fries were pretty darned tasty as well. My sister ordered the NOLA style burger and she said it was incredibly good — better than she’d expected, and that’s saying something.
Mom was less impressed, but I also think that’s because she wasn’t really in the mood for food overall. It’s also probably because the demographic aim of this place is 20 – 40 years old. The music wasn’t overly loud, nor were the games they had on the TVs. The service was prompt and you could tell they had pride in their service level.
Things that went wrong/​could have been detrimental: The wait (but it wasn’t because the food was SO good), the price (But it wasn’t because the food was SO GOOD and worth it!), and the fact that the glass they brought my mom’s drink in had a crack on the bottom (but it wasn’t because the server fixed it and made a joke that smoothed it all over).
Try Engine No. 9– we liked it!

We went to tonight. Ordered shiracha crusted hot wings and macho tater tots. Wings are so good finger licking good! Tots are ok nothing special.
We share jeak braised short ribs very good. Stuff are friendly and good service but very noisy we can’t hear each other. But will go back!

We visited this establishment when it first opened and it was packed full of people! Its a bit tight but boy is it worth it! The service was very friendly and moderately quick, considering the amount of people that were there. My eyes popped out of my head when the food came to the table… I’ve never seen such a HUGE burger in all my 45 years! I got the atomic bomb burger or something like that… and it was delicious! The sweet potato fries are super yummy too! Definitely a place to visit again.

When you first walk in to Engine No. 9, you are greeted by a large rectangular bar area with high tops located all around. A small amount of tables are available in the back, but you usually have to put your name on the chalkboard upfront because this place gets busy!
I always prefer to sit at the bar and look at the tap handles. Engine No. 9 always delivers a large variety of local craft beer. They have a huge selection of beer styles from all the local favorites (Six Ten, Angry Chair, Cycle, Cigar City, you name it). I can always rely on them to pair a stout or porter with whatever burger I decide on for the day.
The front of their food menu looks like standard sports bar fare, but when you take a look on the back with their large selection of hamburgers, you are instantly stunned. Make sure you have a handkerchief on hand to wipe the drool from the corner of your gaping mouth. Each menu item is an 8 oz burger patty topped with whatever you see listed. I’ve had a large variety and each one is amazing.
The 504 comes with bacon, cheese and peanut butter. A seemingly weird idea at first thought, but a well executed flavor mixture at first bite. There are numerous spicy options available that all hit the mark. The Lower 9^th include jalapenos and ghost pepper cheese. Not the spiciest thing I’ve ever eaten, but definitely my favorite burger so far. The Resurrection will also satisfy your spicy tooth with jalapeño’s, mashed habaneros and thai chili sauce in addition to three different kinds of blue cheese and bacon. My mouth was burning by the end of it, but my stomach was pleased and filled to capacity.
One day I will try one of their regular entrees, but I still have a few more unique burgers to cross off my list. I will come back again and again anytime I feel the need for locally handcrafted premium burger.

One the best burger joints in town. With funky burgers like «Alice in pain» or «Heart attack». Popular burgers are «Demi God“and «Wine-​o». The fries have some sort of bacon dust on them which puts them on top of the best-​fries-​I-​had list.

I read about this place this week in The Times and I have to admit that I was drawn here because they had a peanut butter burger. I like a good eclectic burger menu but also some pared-​down ones where you can really enjoy the meat. The place was pretty small and really loud, but that’s to be expected on a Saturday night after a good paper write-​up. You seat yourself and they have little wall-​bound TV sets and we found Bob’s Burgers syndicated on a local channel, which was awesome. They have a solid craft beer list on tap. I got a scrumptious Cycle Brewing coffee-​based beer called Cream and A Little Sugar, or something like that. I think I might be developing a coffee-​brewed beer fetish after having one at Ella’s a while back.
I ordered the Goat Head Burger and not the peanut butter burger as I’d planned but was more than pleased with it. It was just smothered with goat cheese, always a plus in my book. I could eat goat cheese off a dead toad’s arse. It was nice, creamy goat cheese too. The beef patty was expertly cooked to medium and good quality. If you go to a burger joint and order it well done to a hockey puck, well, I just feel all kinds of sorry for you. It came with roasted red peppers and a nice sorta fluffy bun. I got it with baked beans which were a little ho-​hum and not sure if they were from scratch or not but they were decent. My husband had the The Black Flag burger with jalapeño bacon, roasted red peppers that came with cheese but he ordered without. He enjoyed it and said it was a little spicier than he thought but he likes spicy, so that’s a good thing. He had really crisp, hot tater tots he enjoyed.
I will say they did mess up our order but it was so busy and loud in there that it was understandable and they were nice about it. They made it all good and we were happy. The staff is quite nice. I think they got the right idea with good burgers and brews, which is formulaic for success if you ask me.

Cool little place with excellent burgers. Sports bar with great selection of beers to chose from.
Seating is limited. Only a handful of tables outside of the bar area (which is 21 & up). Each table has its own tv with remote. Incredible burger menu. I tried the heart attack and it was awesome. They are not limited to only burgers, my daughter had the ahi tuna and was pleased. A little on the pricey side for a hamburger, but we will come back for more. There are definitely a few other items I look forward to trying.
This place is a must try if you are in the downtown St Pete area.

I had the Heartattack! and it was absolutely delicious, the hamburger it self had a rich grill flavor, and a over easy eggs on top, loads of bacon and it was perfectly season (not salty) I asked for extra roasted garlic and it was amazing, the burgers are huge and their sweet potato fries were crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Cant wait to go back.

It’s fine — not a bad choice in St Pete, but I’ve never really been blown away. The Alice in Pain and Windy City are both good (among other things), and the prices are reasonable, but while they definitely get some points for creativity, I never feel a great need to recommend the place to others.
I should add that I’m not a beer drinker, and maybe that disqualifies me to some extent from writing a full review. But as far as their food goes, I’d say it’s good but not great.

I’m clearly in the minority opinion, but I find their burgers mediocre.
My boyfriend and I actually left another restaurant and came here on someone’s very strong recommendation that this is the best burger in St Pete. Then seeing the stellar Unilocal reviews set my expectations sky high. The restaurant was packed on a Thursday night, too. Maybe that’s why I found our meal to be a let down.
We ordered the 504 burger, which is topped with bacon and peanut butter (two of my favorite things). The burger came out really quick which made me wonder if the burgers aren’t made to order. I definitely think the burger patties are preformed (and yes, this makes a difference!)
I’ve had a bacon pb burger before and it worked. This didn’t. For one, the peanut butter was not high quality and there was WAY too much. I kept taking globs of pb off the burger but still had to chug water after every bite since the thick pb was getting stuck in my throat. Once I scraped off enough pb, I was able to actually taste the medium cooked burger. The burger itself was mediocre: too dense and kinda dry. I also found the bun too dry. So between the peanut butter, dry burger and bun, you can imagine how hard it was to swallow a bite.
While I do find their selection of toppings interesting and fun, I think burger snobs may be let down like I was. I would much rather have a Five Guys burger. Granted, I may have ordered the wrong thing and should have gone with a less over the top choice to get a true taste for their burgers.

Just outstanding burgers!
I’ve been here a few times and have never been disappointed. All the burgers are unique… some spicy, some decadent, and some are on the middle, but all are very good.
They have a very comprehensive beer menu as well, which I appreciate.

My girlfriend got me a gift card to engine9. Not a groupon, not a livingsocial. She paid cash for a gift card. We failed to realized it expired 45days later and we never used it. Cash just gone. Seems ridiculous. I’ll stick with other places in town.

After reading about the uhmaaazing burgers here we finally stopped in to give it a try. Unfortunately, wife and I were both a bit less than impressed. There are some excellent burgers in St Pete and Tampa, and this was pretty much at the bottom of the list.
I will agree that the burger toppings and combinations are well thought out and fairly innovative. However, the burger itself was nothing special. I couldn’t really tell if it was a frozen patty or was hand pressed. Usually hand pressed have a lighter quality, this was fairly dense and seemed a bit more ‘pre-​made.’ You would also think a luxury burger would have toasted buns, but no, ours weren’t. I would place it in the appleby’s or tgi Friday’s class of burgers.
The fries and beans were also ok, but pretty standard and nothing special compared to some of the better places we have had upscale burger fare.
The service was good, and the atmosphere of the place was ok. If you are really into looking at screens while you eat you are in luck as there is a tv at every table and a multitude of screens hanging on every wall. So the good news is that if you perhaps forgot your phone you should still be able to find something to do besides talk to the people you came with.
So let’s not wax too poetically about a bar that serves a standard burger patty with an innovative set of toppings. The food was edible, but for the price should probably have been a little better. I doubt we will return.

YAAAAAAAAS!
I got the Demi-​God and there couldn’t have been a more accurate name. Swiss and cheddar (?) cheese, mushrooms, caramelized onions with horseradish mayo and skinny french fries were absolutely divine!
I stopped myself from eating to the point of a stomach ache but it was so, so hard.
Love the laid back vibe also, lots of interesting looking craft beers on the walls and lots of TVs, but somehow they managed to avoid the «sports bar» feel.
LOOOOOOOVE!

Some of the best burgers in town. Combinations you’d have never thought would work. I have tried a few of them and so far my favorite is XXX burger… jalapeño bacon and BBQ sauce on a pretzel roll! Incredible. The Resurrection was a heat bomb but so good too! Make sure to keep the beer topped off. A quick hats off to the wings as well. They rock! The dressing has unique flavors and really adds to the wings. Put your name on the chalkboard when you go in so you can get a table or sit at the bar. It is all good!

This place is extremely BUSY on a Friday night. There was a long waiting list for seating so my boyfriend and I chose to sit at a high top in the bar area. Service was a little slow but its expected when they’re so busy.
I ordered the Saint burger and it was delicious! The crispy potato pancake added a great crunch to every bite. There was a generous portion of meat and the gravy tasted pretty light. I didn’t care much for the beer battered chicken though; the chicken was a bit dry and the batter wasn’t crispy. I’ll definitely be back to try out a different burger!

Do not come here if you are indecisive! So many mouthwatering burgers I had to flip a coin to pick what I wanted to try. Heads? Ok, I guess I’ll get the shrimp burger!
Burgers are priced $ 10-​$ 15. $ 10 if you have the veggie *COUGH WHY COME HERE IF U R GONNA EAT A VEGGIE BURGER COUGH* $ 15 if you go all out and get The Saint which is beef, pork, BACON, battered chicken, potato pancake… all dunked in gravy.
Shrimp burger was good. But it made me feel less of a man *cries* eating a measly shrimp/​avocado burger next to the girlfriend chowing down a MANLY beef/​pork/​chicken/​gravy MONSTER burger. On top of that, I had freakin’ sweet potato fries. WTF was I thinking? Sweet potato fries!!! I am not a man. *sobs and turns in his man card* Friendly advice for all dudes out there — DO NOT get the shrimp burger if you are on a date… especially if your date is getting a big black Angus beef.
I’ll be back. To redeem myself.

With Creative Loafing’s readers choice best burger award, how could I not try this out?
I drove 40 minutes just to have lunch at Engine No. 9. It was worth every minute. With 27 prime burgers on the menu, I have many reasons to make the trip again & again.
We started with the Macho Tater Tots, and shared the bacon cheeseburger, black flag, and shrimp burger. All three burgers were cooked to perfection and super delicious. Surprisingly, my favorite was the shrimp burger! TV’s at every table was an added bonus.
Though they have great food, they are not very flexible. All the tables in the dining area are set with five chairs. They are adamant about not moving anything; they will not do it. They advertise being kid friendly, yet don’t have a kids menu, nor highchairs. The restaurant is small, with more of a bar feel than a prime burger joint.
It is on the pricy side, but for the quality, it’s worth the price tag in my opinion. Mad props for the super creative menu, and making a burger more than just a piece of meat between two pieces of bread!

Hubs gets the credit for finding this place. You can sit at the bar or at a table, many of which have your own personal tv. Great assortment of crafts beers and wine.
The burgers are where it’s at! Hubs got the Demi God and I got the one w/​guac (can’t recall the name). Both had amazing flavor down to the bun! I swapped the tots for cucumber salad.
Waitress was super friendly, atmosphere was casual, and food came out promptly. We will definitely return!

Tried for the first time today. Winner! Will be back. Tried the black flag and borderline. Both were greats. I got the borderline «dressed» and the chipotle mayo was delicious. It would probably be yummy on any burger. One burger came with tater tots and one with fries. Only «ok» item was the fries. Not bad, just ok.
Service was great and they had plenty of drink options. We will be back. Lots of menu items (even besides a burger) that we want to try.

Five stars for the best wings in recent memory, creative burgers and abundant tap selection.
The Sriracha Wings were to die for. These jumbo wings were meaty, juicy and crispy. We expected the sauce to be a bit spicier, but it was mellow and the heat came through at the end. The glaze was outstanding. We even asked for a side of wing sauce for our burgers. And the seaweed slaw that came with the wings was an innovative pairing instead of carrots or celery. Add some blue cheese to the wings and you’ve got yourself a five star appetizer.
The One Bad Pig burger was an explosion of flavor. Pulled pork on top, pickled red onions and aioli were incredible. All while cooked to a perfect medium rare. This is a man’s burger. It was difficult to make a decision on which burger to choose, because the menu was vast and nearly never ending. But I highly recommend the One Bad Pig. It’s one of the most succulent burgers I’ve discovered in Florida.
When I’m in St. Pete again, I will undoubtedly visit Engine No. 9. Our server was awesome too. Funny, personable and a seasoned vet. Here you’ll find the classic dive vibe with TV’s all around. Beer taps from Ballast Point, Left Hand, Southern Tier and everything in between. Highly recommend.
**And remember, order the Sriracha Wings. I’ll bet my reputation on them!