To me a burger minus cheese is naked.

Give me a fantastic cheeseburger with a great side, and pair the before-mentioned with excellent service, and I’m a loyalist to your eatery.

I recently had two such dining outings, both worth detailing here.

My wife and I visited Cheeseburger in Paradise in Wayne (www.cheeseburgerinparadise.com) one evening while our daughter attended a meeting at her nearby school — Montclair State University.

I had my heart set on some sort of grilled chicken sandwich, but my mind said “cheeseburger.” But which one to choose? Our friendly and knowledgeable server Cait (short for Caitlin) sang the praises of a superb pressed burger (she eats it all the time) with salsa ketchup, Velveeta cheese, pickles and mayo, accompanied by teriyaki broccoli.

The side dish option sealed the choice. The burger was prepared just as I wished (medium rare), and the teriyaki broccoli was a complement of perfection in sweetness.

Heaven in the Garden State!

On Saint Patrick’s Day the Famished Frog, adjacent to the historic Morristown Green (www.famishedfrog.com) was the spot; I shed my green and opted for a fantastic eight ounce grilled Angus pretzel burger topped with American cheese, crisp bacon, Russian dressing, served on a toasted soft pretzel roll with french fries.

My wife and daughter had corned beef and cabbage. Would I like to share, trade some of mine for theirs they asked? Nah!

Our server Jeff was outstanding. While Cait at Cheeseburger in Paradise was bubbly, Jeff was more reserved, but the care was there still. He actually went out of his way to search the kitchen for a piece of rye bread for my wife to go along with her meal.

All in all, two fun, “juicy” cheeseburger dining experiences.

Steve Sears is a freelance writer living in Bloomfield. Visit his website at www.SGSWrite.com.

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Tags: Cheeseburger In Paradise, Cheeseburgers, Famished Frog, New Jersey Restaurant Reviews, NJ Restaurant Reviews