Bleu Burger on Blue Parkway wants to stuff you

The servers at the four-month-old Bleu Burger at 320 S.W. Blue Parkway in Lee’s Summit wear T-shirts printed with the words “Get Stuffed.” And they mean it. You can really do some dietary damage at this saloon, particularly on Monday nights when the signature sandwich here, stuffed hamburgers, are half-price.

It’s a really good deal. I was there last night, enjoying an oversized All-American Burger with a center already filled up with cheese and condiments (ketchup, mustard, pickles) before it even hit the grill.

The servers don’t ask for directions on the temperature of the burger because, says general manager Jen Miles, they’re all supposed to be cooked at medium well – the better to hold all that stuffing inside the burger. That’s the concept anyway. My burger was undeniably on the rare side of the spectrum, and my friend’s Black and Bleu Burger (stuffed with bleu cheese and blackened in a spicy Cajun rub) was actually cooked until it was medium well.
The stuffed selection is a motley group. There’s a Mediterranean burger filled with green olives, red onion, artichokes, pepperoni, and feta cheese. The “Cali” Burger – named for the Golden State – has a center filled with avocado, red onion, poblano chilies, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Don’t confuse it with the Baja Burger (cheddar cheese, onions and cilantro) or the Figgy Burger (dried dates, figs, goat cheese). A Buffalo Burger has bacon, blue cheese and Buffalo sauce in the middle. There are also two stuffed turkey burgers with fillings completely different from the beef variety (including a Caprese version stuffed with fresh mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes).

There’s no stuffed veggie burger yet (“We’re still trying to perfect that,” Miles says), but there are meatless options: macaroni and cheese, hummus and three meat-free baked flatbreads. And customers who just want a regular, unstuffed burger can get one. They’re not on the menu, but the kitchen will accommodate most requests.

Located in the former Bullfrog Saloon – Tony Olson, one of the partner-owners of Bullfrogs, is the sole owner of this venue – the bar and grill is nearly as spacious as a warehouse. “Bullfrogs had more of a focus on the drinks,” Miles says. “We’re putting a lot more attention on our food.”

Olson, who also operates Chubby’s on Broadway, the Longbranch Steakhouse in Lenexa, and the Neighborhood Cafe in Lee’s Summit, says the decision to change Bullfrogs into Bleu Burger came “after knocking around all kinds of ideas, and this one seemed to be the most fun.” His customers, he says, agree.

Bleu Burger serves food from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.