The Quest for the Perfect Cheeseburger

January 22, 2005

Norma's Revisited

Yesterday we found ourselves in the Lacey area in need of some lunch, so I suggested returning to Norma's to see if their burgers were still yummy. They are!

Pooky got the shrimp basket, I tried the bacon cheddar with ranch sauce added. My burger was loaded with yummy bacon and the ranch sauce perked up the flavor to a wonderful, tastebud savoring degree of excellency. I also opted for tater tots which were cooked to an ideal crunch.

Making this even more impressive is we were there during their lunch hour rush, and the food was still good. Some places during a rush hurry their food out to you and it shows.

My only weirdness about Norma's is that they are strong GW Bush supporters. I'm just thankful that they don't do a political affiliation test before serving you, otherwise I'd fail miserably. But in this country I've noticed that liberal and conservative alike will do business with anyone who is a paying customer, regardless of their personal and political beliefs.

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August 20, 2004

A Fortunate Mistake

We had originally intended to visit Mrs. Beesley's Burgers in Toledo, but instead we wound up at Rick's Place. Now considering that Exit 59 off of I-5 isn't very big, it's kind of interesting that we made this silly mistake. See, I thought Mrs. Beesley's went away and that Rick's Place was what took over. When I went outside to take pictures of the restaurant I then saw that Mrs. Beesley's is across the freeway! It wasn't obvious while traveling southbound, but it's apparent while heading north.

Despite our error in where we stopped, we found that Rick's Place has a good burger. The freeway burger that Pooky ordered had ham, bacon, and two kinds of cheese, on a ½ patty, plus the usual toppings of pickle, tomato, onion, lettuce, etc. I ordered their version of a cheeseburger (you get to pick your type of cheese) which was a third-pound patty.

Each burger came with a ton of fries and the large drink was truly large. A great value for the price and taste!

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Dairy Dan

The local fair is underway and we decided we'd pay a visit. The fair isn't what it used to be, but we did manage to quest for a cheeseburger at Dairy Dan's. Though the service was poor, the burger was good.

Posted by Lori at 07:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 12, 2004

Pibb & Pip Quest in Seattle

On Tuesday I went up to the Seattle area to spend a few days with my dear friend, Pibb*. I told her that she was obligated to quest for cheeseburgers with me. She wasn't reluctant in the least to quest as she attends naturopathic school and is surrounded by assorted vegans and vegetarians who are quite emphatic in their disgust for meat, meat-eating, and meat-eaters. She also understands the sublime spiritual qualities of the cheeseburger, and its therapeutic qualities that soothe body and soul.

Our first quest was at The Ranch Drive-In. Located a quick drive from her residence, we enjoyed our meal of delicious cheeseburgers as our dinner. I was highly impressed with the size and taste of the burger. We both agreed that we'd have to take our respective spouses there to eat.

The next day our adventures took us to Bellevue as Pibb needed to buy some professional career clothes. She enlisted my fashion sense to help her dress appropriately for her upcoming preceptorship. For lunch we went to the Burgermaster of Bellevue. We both agreed that their French fries are oustanding.

*Her real name has been changed to protect her from the wrath of her fellow ND students. Pibb is her official cheeseburger questing persona, and is named in honor of Mr. Pibb, the legendary soda magnate.

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August 09, 2004

Eagan's Big Tom

Over a month ago we were riding the Chehalis-Western rail-to-trail when after our 90 minute ride I realized that I needed a cheeseburger. So we decided we'd try something from our list of burger stands to review. Only I didn't have my camera with me.

Eagan's Big Tom has multiple locations in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater area. We stopped at the 4th Ave location. I think the fact that everyone was wanting to get a burger detracted from our experience, so I hope to return (perhaps at a less busy location) and re-review this burger.

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June 20, 2004

Skyline Restaurant

Yesterday we went to Portland, Oregon, and while visiting the city we took a drive to try out another hamburger stand, the Skyline Restaurant.

No doubt steeped in local history, this little drive-in is one spot worth taking the extra time to visit.

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June 12, 2004

Burger on Top

This week's burger quest took us to Lacey, Washington, in which we visited Norma's Burger. Even though a large burger rests atop the little building, you may drive past it if you aren't looking for it. This little stand seems to have been around awhile—and for good reason.

The owner proudly displays their support of John Wayne and our nation's troops. A special burger is named for John Wayne as well as one for George W. Bush. I wonder if the GWB burger gets renamed if he isn't re-elected in November? Anyhow, burgers named for conservatives aside, the menu sports a variety of burgers, seafood baskets, sandwiches, and side orders. Breakfast is served, too. A large menu of milkshake flavors is a bonus. Fried mushrooms and tater tots are also offered in addition to fries. Even a veggie and Boca burger are available for meat-free folks.

A curious sign at the order window proclaims that anyone acting grouchy, cranky, or annoying will be charged $20 extra. Lots of John Wayne pictures adorn the walls. Made me wonder if the owner has visited Winterset, Iowa, to see the birthplace house of John Wayne? Pooky and I stopped there by accident and had a good burger at the local beanery.

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June 10, 2004

Nipp's

Our visit to Nipp's in Longview, Washington, occurred on June 4th, but due to some health issues, I'm now just getting to post of our cheeseburger experience.

Pooky and I differed in our opinion of this cheeseburger, but we do agree on the fries being great!

If seating gets too crowded in the restaurant Lake Sacajawea Park is just a quick drive away. Stroll around the perimeter of this tranquil lake and spot wild life. Every 4th of July the park becomes crowded with spectators awaiting the wonderful pyrotechnic display after dark.

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June 01, 2004

Is there really a Harold?

Yesterday we biked over to Harold's Burger Bar to check out this little mom and pop stand. What we found surprised us!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera to get an updated picture of the restaurant, plus one of the cheeseburger. The photo comes from a couple of years ago, but the place hasn't changed.

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May 29, 2004

Frisko Freeze

Maybe once upon a time this drive-in that has been around for awhile had a good burger, but not anymore. The irony is, as we were driving away wishing we could somehow erase our mistake, we passed a fairly new burger drive-in called Fantastic Burger that looked promising. The next time we're in Tacoma I'll see about checking it out.

Frisko Freeze review is available for your reading pleasure.

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