There’s a nasty legend that Ted Turner and Jane Fonda once went into a busy steakhouse in Montana and demanded to jump the 45-minute wait by playing the “Do you know who I am?” card. It’s not true, and people shouldn’t drag Ted Turner’s good name through the mud like that.

I don’t really know much about him personally, mind you, but he’s on Team Ted and he created pretty much the best place to go for lunch meetings near our office, and it happens to be named Ted’s, so he’s cool with me.

Oh, and lunch meetings are amazing. Seriously, meetings are one of my least favorite things about having a job, and lunch meetings are one of my very favorite things about having a job. Meetings are often awkward and conducted in cold conference rooms with harsh fluorescent lighting. There’s always plenty to talk about at lunch meetings because there’s food about, and you get to eat it.

Also, I’ve been to the Montana steakhouse in question. It’s called Sir Scott’s Oasis and it’s completely amazing. I can’t even begin to describe it, and to attempt to do so now would be to undercut or overshadow the sandwich I am about to review. But trust me, if you ever find yourself within 100 miles of Manhattan, Montana, go to Sir Scott’s Oasis. Just go.

The sandwich: The Spikebox Bison Burger from Ted’s Montana Grill, many locations.

The construction: Toasted hamburger bun with bison burger, jack cheese, bacon and fresh jalapenos.

Important background information: I want to try all the meats that people eat. I think I’ve probably made this clear before, and look: I mean no disrespect to the pig, cow and chicken, which do great work. I’m just always concerned that there’s some amazing meat out there that I haven’t tried yet, something like elk or ostrich or bear, and it’s going to completely blow my mind, totally open up my perspective to whole new meat things, stuff I can’t even describe because I haven’t tasted the meat yet. Only I know it’s not elk or ostrich because I’ve had those and they’re only OK. Holding out hope for bear.

Bison depends on the preparation, I’ve found. It’s beefy, a little bit gamey — what does gamey mean, really? Just meatier tasting than the standard meats, right? That’s what I mean when I say gamey — and it could be tough if overcooked.

What it looks like (in a dark, dark restaurant):

How it tastes: I am consistently impressed with the bison burgers at Ted’s. There’s not a lot to distinguish the bison meat from beef, but I’m not certain it matters. The burgers are tasty, tender, juicy, everything you’d expect from a top-of-the-line restaurant burger. There’s nothing in particular that distinguishes this burger from others, so it’s not really something to write home about (though technically I’m doing that here, since my parents will probably read this), but really solid all around. And they get your order right, too — medium is medium, not over- or under-cooked.

The Spikebox, in particular, is a good choice because of the bacon and jalapenos, obviously. I don’t think I need to sing the praises of these toppings any more than I already have here. Bacon adds bacon. Jalapenos add spice and some additional crunch.

Throw on a little ketchup and you’ve got a rich, full-bodied burger with a breadth of flavors. Good show. You’re doing the Teds proud, Mr. Turner.

What it’s worth: Ted’s is in Midtown so these things aren’t cheap. Plus bison will run you a few extra bucks, about $16. But what do you want? You’re eating out in Midtown. It’s a struggle to find any lunch for less than $10, and certainly one this good. You could get a slightly cheaper burger at Heartland across the street, but it won’t be as big or as tasty.

How it rates: 82 out of 100. No one’s calling this burger a Hall of Famer, but it would probably make a few All-Star Games in it’s career since it’s about as good as you could reasonably expect a burger to be, and consistent. There aren’t very many baseball players from Montana, but conveniently enough, former Orioles lefty, the late Dave McNally seems like a good fit.