Our latest burger excursion left me sated at best, but now I wanted to be impressed. We’ve had some damn good food during our time in the city, but I still wanted a burger –like a tasty burger. Wife was all about it, but only if it included a beer. I can work with that. A long workday later and we press out toward a place not too far off, The Hubcap Grill. Yelp says we’re doing OK and it has beer!

*Banjos In The Distance

We pull into the dirt parking lot of what comes off as an old-timey, back-woods country bar. The indoor seating area has wooden flooring and is covered with wooden picnic tables, but the outdoor portion is where it’s at! The fenced-in front area looks like someone turned Arnold’s and Al’s Drive-in inside out. There are picnic tables with paper towel rolls, string lighting all around; a walk-up order window and a jukebox. The fenced and walls around the outside are covered with hubcaps, tin oilcan faces, road signs, sheet metal and antique car grills.

We stroll up to the order window and look over the menu. Wife is quick to select the Mushroom and Swiss. It’s kind of her thing. Travis, one of our buddies in town, suggested I have the Sticky Burger, a bacon cheeseburger coupled with crunchy peanut butter. Maybe I’m just not as adventurous as I thought I was. Well… at least not today. Nope! I’m looking for meat! I got the Philly Cheese Steak Burger, a burger covered with grilled peppers and onions, swiss cheese and shaved rib-eye; and I asked for an L-TOP, kitchen-speak for lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. We split an order of Texas Fries, smothered in chili and topped with cheese, jalapenos, onions and something called Krystal hot sauce, which is apparently a thing down here.

I See You, Gurl

We sit down near the wall by the entrance and get settled in. It’s quiet and dark and nice to catch up for a second. I hit the restroom while Wife rinses the taste of the day out of her mouth with a Love Street. I got back and had just enough time to sit before I heard my name called from the pick-up window. Wife retrieved our burgers, which were presented in the classic configuration: lying flat with the top falling off in that sexy, come-hither pose. Yeah… She know what she doin’…

Fries first! They were double fried and crispy, even though they were covered in all that greasy, tasty stuff. The chili was a little bland but held up with the hot sauce. Melted cheese is… Well, it’s melted cheese! You can’t really go wrong with that. They were good! They weren’t the best fries, a little under

seasoned; but they went well as a side. The sandwiches, on the other hand, were lovely. Warm, juicy, greasy meat; fresh not frozen. The bun was terrific, fresh and freshly buttered and toasted. It made the meal. My rib-eye was well seasoned but just a little overdone. The veggies were fresh and crisp. Wife’s was all the same but paired with pungent swiss and buttery mushrooms.

So Now What?

So after our last outing, I have to admit that I was much more impressed! All in all, the Hubcap did a decent job. It was a good burger done pretty well. The bland fries and overcooked rib-eye were easy to overlook with the fresh patty and super tasty bread. I’d say, on a scale of Tip-Of-The-Hat (low) to Shank-The-Chef (high) the Chef is good to fight another day. He’s not gonna get cut. Maybe insulted and kicked down the steps, but definitely left whole. Keep up the good work, guys! Maybe I’ll come back and give the peanut butter burger a whirl… maybe.

Chef Shanker

Keeping the world in balance.
Have you ever eaten something so delicious it made you angry?