To try and decide each week where and what to eat around the basin can be a challenge – there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next.

I once had a chef tell me that if you want to find out just how good a restaurant really is, order the burger on the menu. He didn’t tell me what to do in the case that restaurant is actually a burger restaurant, but if you were to order this week’s feature, I think you’d learn really quick that Chico’s is serving up some great food.

This new menu item has a lot going on in between the buns, starting with their always freshly formed burger patty. It’s joined by ham, grilled onions and pineapple, mozzarella cheese, ketchup, and you have the option to make it spicy by adding fresh jalapenos. I don’t know why you’d want to live a boring life so of course I added in the peppers.

This is one of those burgers where when you start, you just have to keep going and accept the fact that you might need a few napkins to get through the effort. The flavors are insanely addicting. The heat from the jalapenos (if going spicy) is balanced out by the sweetness from the pineapple and onions. The ketchup adds just the right amount of tangy punch and the ham a salty punctuation. The mozzarella is large and in charge and with each bite you get a huge pull of melted gooiness.

There are so many flavors that are pinging around on the palette that if you’re not ready, it could take you by surprise. It’ll be like waking up from a dead sleep in the middle of a raging party. You won’t know what’s going on at first, but you’re going to be in for a real good time.

Chico’s Burger is located at 1070 Emerald Bay Rd. in South Lake Tahoe. For menu items and additional information, you can reach them online at chicos-burger.com or by phone at 530-600-0480.