Zippy's Giant Burgers

http://zippysgiantburgers.com/

Actually went to Zippy's a couple of months ago and am only now getting around to posting.  I kept hearing about this place in West Seattle and I finally went on a Saturday afternoon.  The Burger joint is in a non-description strip center.  From the outside I was not sure what to expect.  Didn't look great.
But inside it was super fun.  Lot's of cool burger stuff to look at.  I ordered the basic burger with cheese, fries and an orange soda. 
The burger was delicious.  The meat was really tasty and well cooked.  The bun held together nicely and had a cornmeal topping.   All of the toppings were all fresh and yummy.  The fries were good but nothing special.  Overall a good choice and a burger place I would give thumbs up to.  Not sure I would drive back over the bridge every weekend since I have so many other choices in my own backyard but still a good choice if you are in West Seattle.

Before the first bite



Up for a challenge?  I think John could do it!



Love this burger!

Vegas Baby!

Sorry I've been away.  Things have been very very busy.  Early in September I took a quick 3 day trip to Vegas.  Just needed sometime in warm weather.  I sat by the pool and drank and gambled and read and enjoyed life.  While I was there I had a couple of things that are worth posting about.
1st- I was shopping and saw a Pub by Todd English in the Aria hotel.  I figured how could I go wrong.  I thought I would have a burger since it was a pub but instead I got sucked into the Lobster Roll.  It was heaven.  I love a good lobster roll.  Big chunks of lobster, butter, a little mayo and delicious bread.  Plus, homemade chips.  I could have gone back again that night because it was so good.


Lobster roll



Vegas

The next day I ate at the bistro in the Paris Hotel.  This time I got a hamburger.  It was pretty good.  It had brie cheese and a buttery bun.  Everything is delicious with Brie Cheese.  It's hard to compare it with the burgers from the burger joints I go to because this was a $15 burger not a $5 burger.  It was thick and juicy and the fries were skinny and crispy.  Overall it was a delightful few days out of town.

Paris Burger

9/2- Kangaroo and Kiwi- Ballard

http://kangarooandkiwi.com/
I had not planned on eating a burger on Sunday.  I have picked up the habit of eating one after my long run/walks over the weekend.  I use the excuse that I just exercised for 1-2 hours and I can eat whatever I want.  My pants would say otherwise.  I might need to spread out the burger stops to every other week.
But, I was in Ballard at the farmers market and I was starving.  It was 1pm and hot outside and I thought it would be really nice to have an ice cold beer and a burger. Surprise...  I was standing in front of a pub called Kangaroo and Kiwi when I had this thought.  So, I popped in and ordered.  It's an Aussie pub which is pretty interesting so everything on the menu had that Aussie flavor- Vegemite, New Zealand lamb, NZ sharp cheddar, etc.  The building is very cool and the outside patio is great for a summer day.
The burger was called the Back Shed Burger.  It might just be the craziest burger I've ever had.

Beef patty, fried egg, pineapple, grilled onions.  Not sure that the pineapple really went with the rest of it but that's how they list it so that's how I ordered it.
My complaint was that there was so much stuff on it that I couldn't taste the burger.  Plus, it was extremely messy.  No bun in the world could hold together with that much runny stuff on it.
It was interesting and I didn't dislike it, but I'm not sure I run back for the burger.  I love a fried egg so that part got a thumbs up.  I think holding the pineapple would have been a plus.   It ended up falling all apart and becoming a crazy salad.  Next time I think I'll try one of their other offerings.
On the plus side, it came with yummy chips and the beer was perfect.

Dick's Hamburger

I have picked up a bad habit!  Every Saturday after my run with Team in Training, I've been eating a Hamburger.  There was Red Mill, Claim Jumper and a couple of runs to 5 Guys.  I can't seem to help it.  Running makes me want a burger and fries.
This past week I went to Dick's hamburgers.  It is a classic in Seattle and a lot of people argue that it is the best.  I have to admit it was pretty darn good.  First thing, they will not let you change what comes on it.  I choose the cheese burger and asked them to hold the pickle and they said no.  So no brownie points for customer service but I think that's part of the charm.  You walk up and you either take what they have or you don't.  So, I got the pickle.  The burger was really good.  Meat was really tasty, bun was perfect and even the pickle was good. It had that burger dive, greasy grill taste.   It wasn't anything different but it was just a good satisfying burger.  Believe it or not but I didn't get the fries.  I went with the chocolate shake because everyone said the shakes are to die for.  The shake was good.  Creamy and the perfect amount of chocolate.  I will definitely return.

Going to Hell

Ray's Hell Burger!  
http://rayshellburger.com/

I was in Virginia last week visiting the family and we decided to hit a burger joint.  I did a little research and one burger joint kept coming  up-  Ray's Hell Burger.  Since it wasn't far out of the way, we decided to visit it after a day at the National Cathedral.  The Cathedral was pretty darn fabulous but a bit hot and exhausting.  A burger and a shake were just what was needed. 
The place is definitely a hole in the wall.  Nothing fancy about this place.  You walk up and place your order and then they bring it out to you.  No frills.  I got the basic Cheese burger, my usual.

The burger was pretty  great.  It tasted just like the kind you prepare at home.  Really thick and juicy.  The meat was very tasty.  So big I could hardly bite into it and what I loved was it was not all the toppings that made it so big, it was the actual burger.  The bun was a nice sweet egg bun which held together nicely.
I decided to go with the chocolate milkshake instead of fries.  Good choice.  Really good and creamy.
If you are looking for a great environment or something other than a burger, this is probably not the place for you.  But if you are looking for a great burger and you don't care so much about the decorations of the locations,  Ray's Hell Burger is perfect.  Yum!

extra burger photo's

Willie Burger

As I was going through photo's on my phone recently, I realized I had some burger photo's that I didn't write about and that I honestly can't remember if I even liked them.  Both were from May.








John and his prom date

This first one I know is from Willie Burger in Sacramento.   The burger on the right is mine and the one on the left is John's.  Jane and I took him out for a burger on Prom day.  It was fun because he was preparing for a full night of dancing and dining and agreed to spend the day with us.  We talked about the prom and then went and picked up the flowers for his date.  I know the burger was good but honestly I couldn't tell you much else about it.  Not a good thing for a blogger.  What I do remember is the great conversation and a little sadness as I realized he is so grown up and at some point might not want to hang out with his mom and his aunt.  But for now, we pay for the burgers and he seems to still enjoy the time so I'll take what I can get.   Willie Burgers is a definite dive so this is no gourmet burger!  This next photo I know is from a lunch with Jane.  I believe it was on Mothers day weekend but I can't even remember the restaurant.  Must not have been that great.  So... I'm sharing the photo but have no recommendations.  Just didn't want the photo's to go to waste. 

Unknown burger

Serious Eats

Found this article on Serious Eats- A Hamburger a Day.  I've had Tom's burger at Palace Kitchen and it is pretty darn good.  Of his 5, I've only had Redmill.  I drive by Dick's all the time but have never stopped.  I think I need to get there!

With 10+ restaurants and a James Beard award for Best Northwest Chef under his belt, Tom Douglas is a staple of the Seattle dining scene. And if there's one thing Tom does best, it's burgers. Chefs city-wide source their buns from his bakery, Dahlia Bakery, and diners come to his restaurants Palace Kitchen and Brave Horse Tavern to experience his elevated renditions of the fast-food classic. Since it's hard to imagine a burger that sounds better than his—using beef hand-ground on the premises, crisped over an applewood grill, and nestled into a Dahlia onion bun—we've left it to the master to enlighten us.


Here are Tom's top five Seattle burgers:

1. The burgers at Dick's Drive-In are a great balance of fat, special sauce, meat and bun. But what really makes them taste great is when they are paired with a shake. They were just voted by Esquire readers as the "most life-changing burger joint." Multiple locations listed at dicksdrivein.com




2. Red Mill's Verde Veg is the best veggie burger in Seattle. The combo of the mill sauce with the roasted peppers is unique and delicious. Multiple locations listed at redmillburgers.com‎



3. Ma'ono does the classic bacon cheeseburger, but executed perfectly (and on a Dahlia Bakery bun!). 4437 California Ave SW, Seattle WA 98116 (map); 206-935-1075; maono.springhillnorthwest.com



4. Zippy's Giant Burgers grinds their beef fresh daily, which makes this meat stand out. They also keep their menu fresh with out-of-the-box tastes like a Mama Lil's peppers and chipotle mayo combo. 9614 14th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106 (map); 206-763-1347; zippysgiantburgers.com



5. Loretta's Northwesterner in South Park is such a hidden gem, I'm tempted not to advertise it. You can't get more bang for your buck than their $3 tavern burger, made with a buttery toasted bun and special sauce. Wash it down with a $2.50 draft...and then get another one. And you can't miss the hand-cut fries! 8617 14th Avenue South, Seattle WA 98108 (map); 206-327-9649; lorettasnorthwesterner.com‎