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(2 votes, average: 7.50 out of 10, )  Loading ...

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Washington State Burger Tyme #3 – Parental Advisory: Delicious Content-

Oh sweet vacation. TIME OFF is what I’m talking about! and it was sadly coming to an end. Of the few things left to look forward to experience while in Washington, one stood out in my mind high above the rest. Triple XXX Root Beer. In my preliminary research I found that XXX Root Beer ranked as high or higher than Red Mill Burgers in Seattle. Nestled in the outskirts of Seattle in a little place called Issaquah sits a gigantic root beer barrel atop a classic looking restaurant a midst a very well kept boulevard that looks straight out of the 50′s. The sun was shining and the weather felt fantastic. It was a good indication of the Burger Tyme to come. We walked up looking for the entrance and met our first challenge… Where was the entrance? Sure there were plenty of doors to enter in but we could not make out any discernible shape of a counter for ordering due to the amazing amount of memorabilia that covered every inch of the inside. It looked as if TGI Friday’s, Apple-bee’s, Chili’s, Bennigan’s, and Ruby Tuesday’s were all having a garage sale and XXX Root Beer was the garage… After much searching we were able to make our way to where we would place our order. The menu was the next challenge. The names. “58 Impala” “Chevelle SS 396″ “49 Woody”. These were all names of classic muscle cars that my friends and I would talk about in high school. How does this convert into a Burger? Well, I was hungry and didn’t want to try to figure it out. Fortunately in big bold letters at the top of the menu read “Famous ‘Incredible’ XXX Burger”. The topping sounded amazing, special fresh baked XXX bun: lots of beef, grilled onions, three cheeses, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, and XXX dressing. I asked the girl behind the counter how big it was. “Three quarters pound” was all she replied. I asked if it cam in a smaller size to which she only shook her head. This will eventually lead me to my next challenge. THE LARGEST BURGER IN BURGER TYME HISTORY!!!!!!!!

Larger than the average burger-

So I did it. I ordered the FAMOUS INCREDIBLE XXX BURGER. My wife was borderline mad at me, I’m sure out of concern for my poor, normal sized heart that was about to be introduced to an abnormal amount of Burger Tyme goodness. So I placed the order with everything on it because I couldn’t possibly add any more than it already came with.  It came with fries and I also ordered the signature XXX large root beer. There were many pictures on the wall of people trying to eat the burger that I just ordered and few seemed successful.  Our wait was brief but our anticipation great! After about 10 minutes my name was called over the intercom.  I approached the counter and couldn’t believe what I was about to attempt to eat. This burger was HUGE!!! The girl behind the counter told me the burger was 3/4 pound but it had to be 1 1/2 pounds at least! It had what looked like five quarter pound patties lining the muffaletta style toasted bun. It was loaded with lots of veggies and the special XXX dressing. This burger took all of my two hands to manage. My first bite, though messy, was delicious! For being such a huge burger the flavors came together well. I couldn’t really discern how each component was contributing to the overall taste but I knew it was good. Was it juicy? Yes. Was it messy? Yes. Was it a typical burger? No. Everything combined to a very juicy, flavorful burger. The fries were just OK. They really seemed to be an afterthought. The root beer was probably about 64oz. It was quite good though not as good as the root beer at Frost Top in Baton Rouge.

The Wrap it Up-

So what is the verdict? This was one burger that I wasn’t able to finish. I got about half-way through it (which is saying a lot) and about half-way through the gallon pitcher of root beer before my stomach could take no more! This was the biggest burger but was it the best? Well, I think it was very good. Would I recommend XXX Root Beer for Burger Tymers around the Seattle area? Absolutely. Of all the places I ate burgers during the Washington State Burger Tyme, XXX was my favorite. The flavor was good, the root beer was better, and the summer weather of Washington State was the best. The nostalgia of the giant root beer barrel was cool too. This was a great Burger Tyme. I would recommend, however, trying a smaller version of this burger combined with the original XXX Root Beer.

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(4 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10, )  Loading ...

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Top of the World-

When I think back to my first memories of a burger joint, I think of Frost Top on the corner of Range and Florida in Denham Springs, LA. I remember the chocolate dipped ice cream cones. I remember the super, huge cookies. I remember root beer floats. Most of all I remember their amazing color changing jukebox that played 7″ vinyl records. Unfortunately that Frost Top location is now a Walgreen’s but one still remains in Baton Rouge! On the last day of my Easter Vacation, I managed to gather four Burger Tymers from our Baton Rouge chapter to join me in experiencing nostalgia in its fullest. The location in downtown Baton Rouge has been around since the 50′s. Now, Frost Top’s claim to fame is their root beer, which I will talk about later, but we were there for a burger! The interior of this location was not as childhood, dreamy as I remember the other one being but it had it’s own appeal. From the big root beer mugs on the side of the road to the the black and white checkered tile, this place is classic! It was reassuring that when we arrived a little after noon that the parking lot was full. We walked in and got in line to place our order. There are a few options at Frost Top including poboys, burgers, sandwiches, and even gumbo. Frost Top classifies their burgers as “Lotaburger” and “Wholotaburger”. That translates in to 1/4 lb and 1/2 lb respectively.

The Frosting on the Cake-

So we made it through the line and I placed my order for the “Lotaburger” with cheese and everything on it. I also ordered a side of fries and of course, the Frost Top Root Beer. While paying for the order I inquired as to whether they made their own beef patties and was informed that in fact they do. While waiting for our order I enjoyed the frosty mug of root beer that I ordered (more on this later). Our number was called after a few minutes and we sat down to a very good looking burger spread. Every element of the burger was pretty good. The bun was fresh as were the veggies. The 1/4 lb patty was a not particularly flavorful or juicy. The cheese was not as melted on the patty as I like. As you can see, it was placed under the patty on the burger which is not that big of a deal, but I like to see the cheese slice draped on top of the patty, like a burger patty shirt. The fries were adequate. They were freshly fried which was good but were of the frozen, not fresh cut variety.

The Wrap it up -

Everything combined at Frost Top to a good burger but not a great one. The atmosphere and the history of Frost Top were very cool and make it worth checking out. While there was nothing wrong with the burger, nothing quite stood out to make it great. The 1/4 lb patty was a little thinner than I would have liked. Perhaps I should have opted for the “Wholotaburger”. All in all it was a good Burger Tyme for around $6 including burger, fries, and a drink. Oh, and what a drink. The Root Beer at Frost Top is AMAZING!!!! They keep the mugs chilled in a freezer which as the root beer leaves the tap and hits the glass, begins to frost up in the mug. It creates a thick layer of root beer ice around the mug which I loved! It was like drinking candy! I may return to Frost Top if only for the burger but I will DEFINITELY return to Frost Top for the Root Beer. It’s that good!

Hint – Frost top also had great milkshakes. My wife and I ordered a large chocolate shake to split which was about $4. It was HUGE! Between the two of us we could only drink about half. My sixteen year old, high school football player younger brother, however, was able to drink the whole thing.