Hamburger served med/rare?

Question

This past weekend I took my family out to eat at (RT). Besides a few things that could be overlooked, one thing stuck out to my wife and I. My four year old's hamburger was served to her almost still bleeding from the butcher. I quickly got the waiter and asked for a different burger and to be well cooked. I was told that is how they server the hamburgers and I quote "med/rare".

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't hamburgers suppose to be cooked throughout?

Answer 1

That's odd...I know most places in my area wont serve burgers less than medium-well, for fear of having a law suit on their hands if someone gets sick from undercooked meat.  I have a friend who prefers med-rare, and can hardly ever get it served that way.

Answer 2

There are restaurants serve burgers at different cooked level. However, even that restaurant typically serves med/rare. they should have exchange you one with well done as request because we all know that raw meat is not good. especially serving children. You should complain to the manager.

Answer 3

If I didn't get what I ordered or wanted, I wouldn't have left the store or paid the bill until I talked to the manager.  Hamburgers SHOULD be cooked however the person wants it, but if they DON'T specify...most restaurants cook them medium.  Most people prefer them medium.

Answer 4

Hamburgers are supposed to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.  Medium rare is not up to that temp.  You are corrrect, they are not supposed to serve it like that unless it is specifically requested from the one who is ordering the food.  Especially if the burger is for a child.  I don't blame you for being upset at that.

Answer 5

There is nothing wrong with a medium-rare burger if the restaurant gets quality meet.  Places like Chilis and Applebees, where you see a disclaimer saying they won't cook burgers below medium-well, get lower quality beef and have to cook the h**l out of them to kill the bacteria.  Quality ground beef only needs to be cooked to medium-rare so it will retain its juices.  Beef starts to continually dry out when cooked past this point.  All of this is irrelevant, though.  If you wanted the burger cooked up to well done they should have done it, no questions.