The Green Beetle

Changing Up Lunch

On Valentine’s Day, my supervisor treated the office to lunch. For me, that’s music to my ears, because it usually means a delivery of cheeseburgers from Roxie’s Grocery. However, a co-worker who I only see during events at the FedExForum wasn’t thrilled about that. For whatever reason, she feels that Roxie’s is “dirty.” By that, I didn’t know if she was referring to its hygiene or its location in a poor neighborhood. Regardless of her reason, I suggested a few alternatives that might appeal to her. Eventually, she settled on The Green Beetle, one of Memphis’ oldest bars/taverns. With the choice made, I grabbed the menu off our break room’s bulletin board (one of many that we have) for her to peruse. Surprisingly, it turns out that my co-worker is a vegetarian, so she obviously chose the Veggie Plate. My supervisor, who sprung for our lunch, got the Beetle Burger. I decided to put aside my dieting for a Sausage and Pepper Po’ Boy sandwich. I might have to work a little harder to burn off the extra calories, but I believed it was worth it. As it turned out, most of our expectations were met.

The picture displayed above is a Beetle Burger that I got in November 2011. I thought about getting a picture of my supervisor's burger, but I didn't want to be an annoying tool. By the way, the last two words in the previous sentence will likely be quoted in another blog (or on Twitter & Facebook) by someone who hates me. I'm starting to wonder if he has a man-crush on me. After all, he lets his hair down whenever he sees me (just kidding; it's always down).

It didn’t take long (about twenty minutes) for The Green Beetle to deliver our order. I was anxious to dig into my lunch as well as my co-workers. My boss’ major concern about her order was the size of her burger. After getting a Double Roxie Burger the last time, she hoped the Beetle Burger would be more conservative. Although I thought the burger featuring a third-pound of ground beef was a decent size, my boss didn’t agree. It seems that sliders are more her speed (maybe we should order from Bardog Tavern next time). Although the size was her biggest gripe, she also didn’t like the burger’s honey-flavored wheat bun. She thought it was too sweet for her taste, something that I agree with. With the burger having the typical seasoning and accoutrements such as lettuce and tomato, a honey-flavored bun doesn’t seem suitable for it. It would have been helpful if The Green Beetle offered a more traditional bun for my boss, but she seemed content with what she had. From what I remember, I believe the burger is decent yet unremarkable, other than the bun. Although it will never be a favorite, I can see myself ordering it again if I’m hanging out at The Green Beetle’s bar.



The Veggie Plate that my co-worker got seemed okay, according to her. For her plate, she got collard greens, mashed potatoes and something from America’s favorite cash crop, Mac ‘n Cheese (this, along with the pork-seasoned greens, disqualifies the plate as vegetarian/vegan). While my co-worker liked her lunch, she pointed out that the mashed potatoes’ flavor was unique. She believed that the seasoning in it was sage or something similar (a reviewer on Urbanspoon pegged it as horseradish). I wished I could’ve gotten a taste so I could judge it, but I left her alone and focused on my lunch.

SIDE NOTE: Because the Veggie Plate wasn't mine, I decided against opening the food containers. I didn't want anyone accusing me of doing something "funny" with my co-worker's lunch, even though most of the Box Office staff is aware of this blog.

The Sausage and Pepper Po’ Boy sandwich was pretty decent. It consisted of a patty of Italian sausage that had the fennel flavor that most would expect. The sautéed mix of red and green peppers and onions was the perfect match for the sausage, for the combined taste was quite pleasant. I particularly liked the onions, for they retained some tartness despite being grilled. The hoagie bun, unlike its honey-flavored counterpart, worked well for the sandwich that I’m likely ordering again.

Overall, it seemed that everyone was at least content with what they got from The Green Beetle. Is it good enough to get us to switch from Roxie’s? Personally, I’m more of a burger guy so I’ll favor Roxie’s. However, I’m not a one trick pony when it comes to food so I’m open to anything. That said, I’ll just say the FedExForum Box Office has two good options to order lunch from. Maybe next time, we might mix it up and order from both (with Bardog sliders for my boss). It could get interesting.

Website: www.TheGreenBeetleMemphis.com