Marysville residents: If you’re in the mood for a burger, but you need a break from your not-so-local drive-through, you might want to check out Bleachers.
It doesn’t get more hometown than this place.
Giant, screaming plastic banners invite you to turn off State Avenue into this restaurant-filled strip mall, also home to Alfy’s Pizza.
Once inside, you’ll find a super-casual atmosphere. Sports-team T-shirts from second-hand stores adorn the walls. Pieces of sports equipment — a golf driver, a tennis racquet and ski poles — protrude from the acoustic-tile paneled ceiling.
Parents whose kids play team sports might take note of the large team party room, equipped with pinball machines and video games.
It seats more than 60 people and kids’ teams eat for free (ages 10 and younger) if you reserve the party room, which is free. Kids older than 10 pay $2.99 each when you reserve the room.
Now, onto the food.
You walk up to the counter, order, then fill your own drink at the soda fountain and find a table.
We waited less than 10 minutes for the crew to bring out our burger baskets and wings.
My friend and I decided to try this restaurant, which opened about two years ago, after reading about the owner, Jeff Darrah, who recently opened a second, slightly different Bleachers at the restaurant at Cedarcrest Golf Course.
We had high expectations after reading many positive reviews online.
Mostly, for me, those high hopes were met.
Our meal, however, started on a low note: Bleachers’ house spicy wings ($7.99), which were perfectly and deliciously seasoned — I might even say exceptionally well seasoned — were severely freezer burned.
I really hope we caught the place on a bad day. I think most customers would have sent them back or asked for a refund, despite the good spice flavor.
Things dramatically improved, fortunately, when I peeled back the white wrapping paper that contained my entree, the Master Burger, topped with double-grilled onions and mushrooms and hearty bacon, plus Swiss and American cheese ($6.99 for a single, $7.99 for a double).
I had them hold the Swiss. I also made it a value meal, which gave me, for an extra $2.89, a huge order of fries to share and a free-refill soda.
One word: Yum.
Could I eat this every day for lunch? Yes, God forbid.
They aren’t skimpy with the ingredients or portions here.
My burger’s beef patty was well-sized, juicy and tasty. It paired well with the bacon, which was thickly cut yet crisp-crunchy.
My American cheese wasn’t the processed kind. In fact, it looked more like Tillamook cheddar.
My mushrooms, though there were only half a dozen under the basic white bun, were fresh and nicely browned. They went beautifully with the grilled onions, which were caramelized.
Lettuce, rough-chopped iceberg, was present but almost unnoticeable, along with a squeeze of mayo and a fresh tomato slice.
Our fries, though not house-cut, were hot, crisp and covered with a salty seasoning mix. I wouldn’t drive across town for them, but they were most definitely addictive.
My friend ordered the Western bacon burger ($5.99 for a single, $6.99 for a double), served with a single breaded and fried onion ring, barbecue sauce and cheddar.
She was satisfied and ate every bite, but said it only made her long for her favorite burger from another place.
Bleachers, which serves kids meals with popsicles ($4.99), fresh-cut salads with house-made dressings, and fish and chicken dishes, also has a long list of reportedly popular hot grilled sandwiches, including a French dip, pastrami on rye and Philly cheese steaks made with thin-sliced ribeye.
Since it was a workday, I also grabbed the avocado BLT sandwich for a co-worker.
It was served on a basic, sub-style bun with giant pieces of fresh avocado, the same aforementioned bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo.
It had serious case of Fall Apart Syndrome, thanks to those giant ingredients so decadently employed.
You see, this is a place for indulgence. The Farmer Burger, for example, features a fresh fried egg sandwiched between a double bacon cheeseburger ($7.99).
And our chocolate shake ($2.99), made with Darigold ice cream, was so thick it was hard to drink it through the straw.
You get the idea.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
Bleachers
9414 State Ave., Marysville; 360-657-7783.
Specialties: Burgers, sandwiches and fries
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; noon to 7 p.m. Sundays.
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