Review: Tucker Duke’s

Tucker Duke’s. Best known for their insane Tucker Duke’s burger with fried onion rings, american cheese, special “tucker” sauce, lettuce and tomato. It’s so huge that you have to squish it down to fit it in your mouth. So loved, that Tucker Duke’s will never make any changes or substitutions on it no matter who asks. So, you may be wondering why I’d be eating at a place known for its meaty burgers when you all know I don’t eat meat…

…Because there is SO much more to Tucker Duke’s than “meats” the eye, that’s why! (See what I did there?)

Tucker Duke’s opened in Deerfield Beach a few years back and has finally opened shop right here in Boca Raton. There have been some additions to the Boca menu that speak to me and my Pescatarian ways. Fish dip! Conch fritters! Tuna poke! Of course, there are some of the same vegetarian-friendly items that are also on the Deerfield menu such as the portobello fries and the chickpea burger affectionately known as “Sami.”

As for the portobello fries, they are great for sharing — but I’d order them all for myself! Meaty portobello mushrooms are coated in Panko breadcrumbs and parmesan and served with what Tucker Duke’s calls their “horsey” sauce — a thick, aioli-like spread that complemented the saltiness of the parmesan very well.

As I mentioned, the Boca location has plenty of Pescatarian-friendly options. As a fish dip lover, I had to try it. Chef Brian smokes his fish in-house and serves the dip with perfectly spiced (a.k.a addicting) tortilla chips. There’s a little bit of heat from the Sriracha aioli that keeps you going back for more.

Since Tucker Duke’s IS known for its burgers, I obviously had to taste the veggie burger. I tried a slider version of the Sami, a chickpea burger served with pickled vegetables, cilantro mayo, whipped feta, spring mix and tomato. I really liked the whipped feta spread; it added a nice texture and salty flavor to the burger. The burger was thick and on the denser side, giving it a meaty-feel in texture, but definitely not in taste. The chickpeas were prominent, and I loved the crunch of the pickled veggies.

Chef Brian Cartenuto and the Boca location’s head chef, Dominic, are experimenting more and more with different kinds of cuisines and ingredients. Case in the point: the Elotes. I love Mexican street corn, and the chefs did an excellent job on their version. An ear of chipotle-charred corn with queso fresco, guajillo lime mayo is topped with beer-braised shrimp. (FYI the dish also comes with pork rinds if you’re a meat-eater). Just use a knife to cut off all the corn kernels, discard the ear, and go to town! It is out of this world. The flavors are intense, and each bite smacks you right in the face.

Another new and not-so-typical-Tucker-Duke’s item is an Israeli-style preparation of falafel. Made with peas and mint, the Mediterranean flavors really shone through. I loved the summer squash ragu it was served over, the chimichurri sauce poured delicately over top and the micro beets that garnished just so. It was a beautiful, elevated dish that one would never ever ever think they could get at a restaurant like Tucker Duke’s. Chef Brian is changing the game. Sure, you can get a burger that’s the size of your head and a plate of nacho tots with a menu description that says “drunk people love these,” but you can also sit down to a delicious seafood dinner made with sustainable ingredients sourced locally, or a vegetarian appetizer influenced by the popular flavors of another country.