Pickle Time eateries in Everett, Duvall good at different things

Call this the tale of two Pickle Times.

Pickle Time is a small franchise operated by local business owners in Duvall and Everett. Though they share a name and inexpensive prices — you can grab lunch with a drink for about $10 — they are barely similar.

Let’s start with the Pickle Time in Duvall.

This Pickle Time is in a large strip mall just outside of the core of downtown Duvall.

When you go in, the first thing you notice is all the pickle renderings done by customers. When my family and I entered, the bubbly lady behind the counter encouraged us to take crayons and paper to make our own pickle drawing. Fun!

On the menu are at least 20 different burgers, 10 different wraps and milk shakes. Burgers come with fries, and wraps come with corn chips. Onion rings are available for an extra charge.

There is a kids menu also with corn dogs, hot dogs, chicken nuggets or hamburger. You can also order a giant pickle for $1. It comes sliced to order in a basket alongside your food.

I ordered the blue cheese burger ($7.29), my husband got the Texas burger ($6.99) and my son ordered chicken nuggets ($4.49).

When our food came, I could tell they know how to make a proper burger. My bun was substantial and underneath was fresh romaine lettuce, good-tasting tomato, thin sliced red onion, pickle and a generous flame-grilled beef patty. My burger had crumbled blue cheese on it and mayo. It was served with a handful of crisp fries. It tasted just like a great burger should be. It was cooked well done but was still juicy.

My husband’s burger was equally delicious with added heat from jalapenos. My son’s meal was a little bit of a letdown. His chicken nuggets were clearly frozen before they hit the fryer and were average tasting. His meal came with fries but lacked any fruit or veggies; I wished there were apple slices or baby carrots included in the meal. My son was happy though.

I would definitely come back here again if we are in the area for a day trip. My whole experience was fun, very tasty and reasonably priced.

Now to Pickle Time Deli and Market in Everett.

When I pulled up, I was disappointed. The location is in a group of restaurants in the middle of the industrial area in Everett. Also, I was expecting burgers and fries like in Duvall, but I soon found out their menu was completely different.

This is a deli that is inside a mini-mart, complete with beer, lottery, smokes, chips and soda. But in my disappointment I was missing the point of this Pickle Time.

This location servers a different crowd. All the people who were dining here seemed to be doing business in the area or worked at Boeing. These patrons need a nice place to grab a great sandwich, a pack of gum or a sugary drink for the afternoon.

And despite their locale, their menu was pretty impressive and includes about every kind of deli sandwich you can think of: hot grinders, wraps, burritos, breakfast items, soup, salads, coffee drinks and smoothies.

I ordered a steak and blue cheese wrap ($7.99) and a strawberry smoothie ($3.55). My wrap consisted of iceberg lettuce, chunks of blue cheese, grilled steak, red onion and a mayolike sauce. The size was huge. I could eat only half but it was good tasting wrap.

I watched them make my smoothie. It was made from a jug of smoothie mix and ice. It was OK but a little too sweet for me.

As I looked around I saw lots of people enjoying what looked like really well made sandwiches. This place was busy. Clearly my first impressions were unwarranted.

I would recommend Pickle Time if you need to find a place in south Everett to have a quick and reasonably priced sandwich done right, and the Duvall location if you have more time and are craving a burger.

Pickle Time Duvall

14142 Main St. NE, Duvall, 425-788-8605.

Specialty: Burgers, wraps and shakes.

Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Pickle Time Deli and Market Everett

7405 Hardeson Road, Suite A, Everett, 425-710-0108.

Specialty: Deli sandwiches, wraps, smoothies.

Hours: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.