Fatburger delivers value, quality

LYNNWOOD – Mothers with young children and couples filled the main dining room during my recent visit to this hamburger stand that opened a few weeks ago on the west side of Alderwood Mall.

Fatburger is a California-Nevada chain with restaurants in Bellevue, Redmond and Issaquah. It bills itself as “The Last Great Hamburger Stand,” and this motto plus others – “Most onion rings come from freezers. We prefer onions.” – are posted as art in the dining room.

Just inside the door, you’ll find the order counter, tables and chairs. A line of stools provide a complete view of the action around the open grill area. Red vinyl and chrome are the restaurant’s colors, and a jukebox that plays non-stop hits ties everything in to the early days of the hamburger era.

The menu features the anticipated one-third and one-half pound burgers ($3.69 and $4.49). Customers can add cheese, bacon and any combination of mustard, relish, onions, pickles, tomato slices, lettuce and mayo.

Fatburger specialties include adding a fried egg ($4.49) or onion rings ($3.99). Other burgers include barbecue ($5.19) and chili ($5.89).

For those worrying about their cholesterol, Fatburger also makes all these combinations with a turkey burger. For children, there’s a Baby Fatburger ($1.99) and a Baby Fat Deal ($4.29).

If you’re not in the mood for a burger, there are also hot dogs ($2.39) and chili dogs ($3.19) and four sandwiches ($1.59 to $5.99). Sides include onion rings ($2.39), chili cheese fries ($3.29) and regular fries ($1.89).

If you’re not in the mood for a soda, there are shakes and floats ($2.89 for a regular.) At these prices, it’s understandable why mom and kids filled half the booths.

Two of the Fatburger signs boasted that the beef is fresh, never frozen, and the burgers aren’t started until an order is placed. And you can taste the difference that fresh beef makes. There’s also no food sitting under a heat lamp. As soon as your order is ready, servers bring it to your table.

My cheeseburger was hot and the lettuce and tomato cool. By the way, there are two kinds of fries and I selected the “skinny fries.” These are shoestring cut and mine were tooth-burning hot from the fryer. The other fries are “fat fries,” otherwise known as “steak fries.” Every bite was very good.

The only thing I will change the next time I visit is the amount of meat. My one-third pound was a tad overpowered by the vegetables and bun.

Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.

Contact Anna Poole at features@heraldnet.com