Somebody ‘smack yo mamma’ because we’re on the hunt for the area’s best burger

We’re on a quest to find the best burger in the Potomac Local coverage area, which includes Prince William and Stafford counties, as well as the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. Tell us your favorite burger joint in the comments and I’ll check it out.

To get started on this journey, my wife Jocelyn and I met our friends Rod and Jenn from One Degree Capital at Mason Dixon Cafe in Stafford on a Thursday afternoon. Mason Dixon is one of my favorites because it’s a diner in the heart of Stafford County that doesn’t have a diner feel.

The colors on the wall are a bright cheery orange. The lunch counter and full bar are always packed every time I come in there. Luckily, on this visit (Rod and Jenn’s first at Mason Dixon) we didn’t have to wait for a table.

When it comes to drinks, the beer list is extensive. Jocelyn and I drank blonde ales from 6 Bears and a Goat Brewery in Stafford, while Rod ordered a beer that looked and tasted like a caramel macchiato.

Then it came time for business: Burger time.

Jocelyn ordered what has to be my favorite-named burger on Mason-Dixon’s menu — the “smack yo mamma burger” topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, chipotle mayo, and, wait for it, grilled macaroni and cheese.

It’s got enough mac to smack you momma, I guess.

Jocelyn, who is a big fan of mac and cheese loved it.

I ordered the blackened blue burger with bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, and bleu cheese dressing. Each savory bite of the burger melted in my mouth. And the barbecue chips on the side went nicely with the burger.

Jenn ordered a less adventurous sandwich — a plain cheeseburger with no toppings. Her favorite part of the meal was the side dish: the sweet potato tots.

Rod, the most adventurous of all, told our server to have the chef surprise him with the best burger on the menu. Out came the farmhouse burger topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and one egg sunny side up.

While he wasn’t a fan of the egg (he removed it to a small place and used his lettuce to cover it up as if it was never there) he did enjoy scarfing down the rest of the sandwich.

Mason-Dixon took a chance when it decided to expand from its first location on Princess Anne Street in Fredericksburg and open a second in Stafford, and so far it seems the move has paid off.

The restaurant has quickly become a gathering place for good food and good friends and has lived up to its motto: Where the locals really eat.

Mason-Dixon Stafford is located at 11 Hope Road just off Route 1, across from the courthouse. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

They’re open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.