Sneak eat: We tried The Field’s newest Coach’s Corner burger. It’s already a new favorite

Burgers have always been a dime a dozen in this area. Fast food chains feel like they’re on every block and almost all of them offer a burger. Most of them come greasy and even more of them come hastily made.

Those are just two of the many reasons the burgers at The Field Burger & Tap stand out. They aren’t cheaply-made and they don’t come with the need for a grease trap on the side.

I don’t know that it’s necessary to sell anyone on what is seemingly one of the most popular restaurants in Happy Valley. The 130-seat restaurant is packed on graduation weekends and at various times when Penn State hosts home football games — along with hosting various Penn State teams for group outings like when new men’s basketball coach Mike Rhoades took over his position. But there’s a reason it’s popular and there’s a reason I go so often — the burgers are way too good to pass up.

So when I approached them about writing this story on why it’s my favorite burger joint, I intended to feature my usual favorite, The Juicy Lucy. But when they offered a new creation, one not even on the menu yet, I was all in.

The Field’s specialty is burgers, but even within that there’s a subgroup named the Coach’s Corner that stand out. You can get burgers there named after several coaches at Penn State — including football head coach James Franklin — that come with specialty recipes devised in part by the coaches themselves.

That’s why I didn’t hesitate when offered the Dambach-ery, named after Penn State women’s soccer coach Erica Dambach.

It’s set to join the menu next week and is The Field’s play on a mix between a burger and a Philly cheesesteak.

And it didn’t take long for me to buy in on executive chef Bradley Hansen’s newest creation. The restaurant’s name stared me in the face, branded on the top brioche bun, as the two ounces of provolone cheese melted on the sides.

Those two ounces combined with eight ounces of Wagyu beef from Eleven Oaks Farm, four ounces of shredded ribeye, another four ounces of peppers and onions and a roasted garlic parmesan mayo to make over a pound of melty deliciousness. You see, that’s part of the allure of a cheesesteak. It should feel cohesive, like it’s the one place for all of these ingredients to intertwine. There should be cheese melting into ribeye as it all entangles the onions and peppers.

And on the Dambach-ery, there was. No bite felt like it was missing anything. The slight hint of citrus from the peppers, the saltiness of the cheese and the meat, the roasted garlic parmesan mayo adding a sweetness through it all and the unmistakable taste of onions and the buttery bun that keeps it all together — all of it in each bite. And of course, their house-made chips on the side to add a crunch into the mix.

This was clearly another hit. The creativity of the Coach’s Corner, occasionally chased down with a S’Mores milkshake (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), is as good of a one-two punch as there is in Centre County.

I say that as someone who doesn’t stray too far from his usual orders at restaurants. Generally speaking, I am a creature of habit. I find my favorite meal at a restaurant and I eat it every time I go. At The Field, I was sure to try the other delicious burgers on the menu to make sure I had found the right one. Most recently that has led me to the Juicy Lucy. At times in the past it was the Shrewsburger, which was essentially a bacon cheeseburger with peanut butter on it (don’t knock it until you try it) that will be leaving the menu next week.

Starting next week, it will lead me to the Dambach-ery, too.

The Field Burger & Tap is located at 1 Country Club Lane, State College. Visit its website for hours and menu information.

Jon Sauber

Centre Daily Times

(814) 231-6461

Jon Sauber covers Penn State football and men’s basketball for the Centre Daily Times. He earned his B.A. in digital and print journalism from Penn State and his M.A. in sports journalism from IUPUI. His previous stops include jobs at The Indianapolis Star, the NCAA, and Rivals.