"The Last Great Hamburger Stand": Fatburger

Always ready to try the new restaurant on the block, Mack and I originally planned to visit Fatburger (1755 102 Street) on the weekend. However, deterred by a long line up and a movie showtime, we decided to save our burger stand experience for a less busy occasion.

So although it was out of the way on Tuesday, we made our way there after work. By 6, quite the line started to form - I'm sure this location will be fending off curious customers for a while yet. Upon entry, we ordered a Fat Deal and a Chicken Deal (combos including "skinny" fries and a drink), which were called out, and repeated, Starbucks-barista-style, to the employees stationed at the grill. We were then handed paper cups to fill with soda ourselves, and a number to display on our table so that our food could be delivered to us.

While waiting, I surveyed the decor: friendly and fun, with red-dressed booths, a checkered floor, jukebox, and flat-screen televisions, it was basically a "modernized" retro diner. The washrooms were exceptionally clean, very surprising for a fast-food establishment, with tile pictures of male celebrities on the wall in the women's toilet and vice versa for the men.

A tray was brought to us a few minutes later. My chicken burger wasn't bad, and the fries were reminiscent of Wendy's, but with a combo price ($9.99) and quality comparable to Red Robin's, I think I'd likely choose the latter, if not only for their bottomless baskets of "fat" fries. That said, we will be back at some point to at least try out their homemade onion rings (fresh made every morning, supposedly), and for Mack to garnish a future burger with a fried egg.

Give Fatburger a whirl, but in the end, it really is just a burger.

Interior

Chicken Deal (with a massive cup of ketchup)