Burgers done right

Restaurants do justice to American classic

Stacee Sledge

Jun 19, 2003 — Last summer when I did a roundup of area burger joints, I got a slew of reader mail.

"How could you not try Win's?" several readers lamented.

"Burger Me has the best burger I've tasted since In-N-Out in Los Angeles," wrote another.

So it seems it's time to revisit the all-American hamburger.

I'll use the same disclaimer this year as last. I'm not singling out any of these eateries as offering the best burger in the area, just giving you an idea of what's available. Most places do it very differently, but almost everyone does it justice.

Burger Me

Regular reader and e-mail pal Robert Johannesen was one of the people who took me to task last summer for not trying Burger Me.

Easy to spot just down Lakeway Drive from Fred Meyer, Burger Me looks like a chain fast-food restaurant on the outside but inside offers a distinct, independent eatery.

Burger places

Burger Me 1220 Lakeway Drive  Phone: 715-1843  Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily Serving: A simple menu of fresh fast food, focused on hamburgers, fries, salads and chicken strips.  Menu items sampled:  Combo No.3 $4.87   Win's Drive-In  1315 12th St.  Phone: 734-5226  Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday  Serving: American staples, from hamburgers to hot dogs, soups to salads.  Menu items sampled: Yummy Burger combo $3.80 Medium soda 95 cents   Morrie's Drive-In  2601 Birchwood Ave.  Phone: 733-8812  Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday  Serving: Burgers, fries and Chinese fast food.  Menu items sampled:  Super Triple Decker $3.35  Deluxe cheeseburger $2.05  French fries $1.20

The decor is crisp and uncluttered, from the checked black-and- white floors and wall tiles to the vibrant red booths and chrome details that give the place a decidedly 1950s twist.

Rather than an overwhelming menu board listing dozens of items, Burger Me lists only a couple of burger options, a chicken burger, chicken strips, veggie burger and a few salads. For a side, choose from french fries or onion rings.

That's it. Simplicity that equals satisfying eats.

I've been to Burger Me several times with co-workers for lunch, and each visit has satisfied our craving for tasty burgers and fries.

It's easy to order one of Burger Me's four combos for a quick, affordable lunch. Three combinations come with a variation on the burger, while one offers a Caesar salad. Fresh-cut fries and a soft drink round out the deal.

I tend toward Combo No. 3 with the "Double Me," a double-patty burger sandwiched between a grilled sesame seed bun and accompanied by the works: cheese, lettuce, onion, pickle, mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard.

The fries at Burger Me almost always blow me away. My last visit featured fries that were a bit on the floppy side, but they're usually top-notch. I especially appreciate that the potato skins are left on, for additional flavor and crunch.

Burger Me also offers a drive-thru, making for a good meal on the go.

Win's Drive-In

This Fairhaven staple has been around for years, yet I'd never tried it. So my co-worker Aaron and I recently hopped in his new car and made the quick drive to the charming, historic district.

There's nothing fancy about Win's, but it's sure comfortable. My eye was drawn to the Yummy Burger. When I asked about it, the young woman behind the counter said it was their biggest burger, and then rattled off the zillion things that were on it. The first thing I heard was "on a french roll," and I was sold.

For the ridiculously low price of $3.80, plus 95 cents for a soda, I had a lunch that actually proved too filling. Aaron ordered the same thing, deviating from his usual deluxe burger.

We grabbed a table in the front dining room and waited for a server to walk through the kitchen door, yelling our number. The place was a bit on the packed side, but it didn't take too long for our orders to arrive.

Two of the thinnest patties I've ever seen were served on a springy french roll, accompanied by mustard, ketchup, mayo, pickle chips, thick slices of ripe tomato, onion, shredded lettuce and a special sauce of some kind.

The size of the patties proved just right, as they balanced nicely with the overabundance of condiments.

Crunchy french fries were served alongside the foil-wrapped burger in a paper envelope.

What a delightful mess of a meal.

Win's offers other tempting lunch items, ranging from grilled cheese, turkey burger, fishwich, chicken sandwich, french dip, garden burger, salads, soups and more. Wheat buns can be ordered for 45 cents more.

Morrie's Drive-In

A charming sign — which obviously harkens back to the heyday of drive-ins — sits at the corner of Birchwood and Northwest avenues, advertising Morrie's Drive In. Then a colorful sign painted on the front of the building beckons you to try Morrie's Super Triple Decker for just $3.35.

But a closer look also shows a sign for Chinese fast food. The unconventional pairing caught my eye and my curiosity. A recent hot Saturday night scorched any interest my husband and I had in cooking, so I made the short drive to Morrie's and ordered two burgers and two orders of fries to go.

The friendly woman behind the counter made small talk as I paid for my order. A counter regular for 18 years, she explained that the contrasting menus have always been popular with Morrie regulars, as adults can order Chinese cuisine, while kids are happy with all-American burgers and fries.

In a flash, I was sent on my way with a large bag of fresh, hot food.

My husband and I sat down at our dining table and happily scarfed down the tasty, uncomplicated meal.

He was brave enough to tackle the triple-decker burger — a soft sesame-seed bun sandwiching three thin patties piled one atop the other. All the fixings were there, including melted cheese, onion, tomato, ketchup, mustard, lettuce and pickle chips.

My deluxe burger, a smaller version of the triple decker with just one patty, proved quite satisfying.

The crinkle-cut fries impressed me the most, served in white paper sleeves. Even packed up and driven back home, they stayed hot enough to taste fresh-from-the-fryer crunchy.

There's probably another summertime burger roundup in my future. Please continue to let me know where the best ones can be found.