Hamburger celebrated in many ways at Flamingo

The hamburger may well be America's all-time favorite sandwich. And, at Burger Joint Sports Bar and Grill at the Flamingo Las Vegas, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South, the all-American burger is served up in ways both familiar and novel.

The restaurant, off of the hotel's wildlife habitat, is the former home of Voga. Now, in its newest incarnation, the circular room features seating for 167, a foyer-based bar, a private party room and a collection of large-screen plasma TVs.

"It's fun," says Dan Mykovich, the Flamingo's food and beverage director. "It's a casual dining experience, and people (wear) shorts all the way to suits and ties."

The menu offers almost a dozen varieties of burger, including a Hawaiian burger, a turkey burger, a Philly burger, a salmon burger, a buffalo chicken burger and, even, baskets of sliders.

But, Mykovich notes, add in Burger Joint's multiple build-your-own-burger options and the total count becomes nearly limitless.

The beef burgers are Angus and cooked to order. The buns are large and homemade and come in wheat, kaiser, pesto or plain. And the add-ons include just about everything a burger fancier could desire.

Burger Joint also offers a roster of sandwiches that includes a club sandwich and a fried fish po' boy.

A kids' menu features such favorites as chicken fingers, grilled cheese and kid-sized sliders, and even deep-dish pizza is an option for diners whose tastes run to something other than a burger.

At the bar, drinks include everything from bloody marys and apple martinis to beers, while abstainers can enjoy milkshakes, malts and floats. And, to conclude a meal, Burger Joint's dessert menu includes gelato and monster sundaes.

Mykovich says Burger Joint also aspires to bring back classic Vegas value with such features as $2 burgers and a $5.99 steak and eggs special from midnight to 6 a.m.

Burger Joint Sports Bar and Grill is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Starters: Pizza pan nachos, $10; cheeseburger calzone, $14

Soups and salads: New England clam chowder, $6; chili, $6; avocado-pear salad, $10; Caesar salad, $10 (add chicken for $3)

Burgers: Blue Moon Burger with melted bleu cheese and A-1 mayonnaise, $12; turkey burger with applewood bacon and havarti cheese, $12; Kobe burger, $16

Sandwiches: Grilled chicken club, $13; fried fish po' boy, $13; flatiron steak sandwich, $15

Extras: Batter-blasted onion rings, $4; waffle fries, $4; sweet potato fries, $4

Desserts: Gelato, $3; milkshakes and malts, $6; root beer floats, $6

Information: 733-3111