The Fat Boy Summer Road Trip 2014 Part 2: On the Road Day 6

My view for 4 hours while waiting for Coop to finish getting his Jeep inspected for shipping.

Today started of OK, then got bogged down for hours before a great finish.  We got moving this morning, checked out of our hotel in Towson, MD and planned to get to the Port of Baltimore around 1300 for Coop's appointment to ship his Jeep before a six hour drive to Raleigh, NC.  Unfortunately, what we hoped was going to be a quick process dropping off the Jeep ended up keeping us there until after 1800, making getting to the Raleigh area and Ft. Bragg impossible.

what it did do was have us ending the night just south of Richmond, VA after a great meal and evenin catching up with an old friend for Coop and meeting a new friend for me when we met Art at Honey Whyte's. 

When Art found out we were coming through late hetold us he had just the place for us to get the best burger in Richmond, and he was underselling what we found.

Located on Historic Tobacco Row in the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond, VA Honey Whyte's boldly proclaims on assign out front "best burger", and they back it up convincingly.  The only entrees on the menu are burgers.  They have turkey burgers for the healthy eaters and even a black bean patty for the vegetarians in the crowd but what they really do is beef.  You start by choosing either a 1/4 pound or 1/2 pound patty and then the type of burger.

Fried pickles, the perfect appetizer

We started with an order of fried pickles, and they were perfect.  Thickly battered and evenly coated, they were crispy and delicious.  Back home fried pickles often are cooked at too low a tempature and end up a soggy mess, it's good to be in The South again.

Honey Whyte's "1/2lb Heart Attack" stands by itself, no sides needed!

The signature burger at Honey Whyte's is the 1/2 pound Heart Attack.  A 1/2 pound fresh beef patty between two grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches.  Presentation was simple, a giant burger in the center of a clean white plate with a knife stuck in the center.  No sides like fries to detract from the mountainous burger.  The individual sandwiches were grilled crispy and perfectly browned, and the beef was one of the best burgers I've ever eaten.  This goes in my top 5 list along with burgers like The Boncat Bite's Green Chile Burger in Sante Fe, NM and the Hot Brown Burger from Wallace Station in Versailles, KY.

The cross section of the 1/2lb Heart Attack shows off the bacon and cheese in those great sandwiches it uses as buns

It was great to meet Art and a great chance for he and Coop to catch up, but it was also an amazing burger experience.  Serendipity to be sure on this Fat Boy Summer Road Trip.

Coop and Art at the end of the night as we headed out to find our hotel.

On The Road Review: Skip's Diner

Skip's Diner

When I asked locals where to find the best burger in Green Bay I received two answers consistently, Kroll's West and Skip's Diner. I was then told that if I wanted to try Skip's to go early and bring cash.

When I arrived at Skip's Diner I was greeted by a sign informing me that debit and credit cards were not welcome. While it may seem old fashioned and out of touch, this told me that I was in the right kind of place. Skip's has great prices and a classic lunch counter menu.

Skip's Burger - 1/3lb angus patty, cheese, brat patty, and fried onions. With fries $5.85

Cheese curds - the Wisconsin national food, $2

This burger was amazing. I had never before had a brat patty, but I came to find the brat burger is found on many menus in Green Bay. The burger was perfectly cooked, and one of the five best I've ever eaten. Juicy and full of flavor, without all of the over seasoning so commonly found in small restaurants.

The cheese curds were perfectly fried and not greasy, a difficult accomplishment when breaking and frying cheddar cheese.

If you find yourself in Green Bay, Skip's Diner deserves a place on your dining schedule. This IS Fat Boy Heaven folks.

Ben & Jeff's Burgers and Tacos

We stopped after some time in Pacific City for some ice cream, and I decided to head across the street for a burger at Ben & Jeff's.
A classic beach front burger place, the restaurant is something straight from a California boardwalk. A menu that is exactly that what one would expect in this type of place. A very simple selection of burgers, tacos and burritos leave selections quick and easy.
I opted for the "Double Cheese with Bacon", and was pleased with my selection. The burger was seasoned with a properly light touch to prevent obstruction of the meats flavor. Nice and juicy without soaking through the bun, and topped with onions, pickles, and their own sauce, it is an order I will make again. The fries were perfectly crisp without being over salted like I would have expected, and have found in similar burger joints.
I you find yourself in Pacific City, OR this summer you'll want to stop in.

Restaurant Review - 60's Diner, Lincoln City, OR

The family went in to town today for lunch and decided to try the 60s diner. It actually was pretty good and they got a couple pretty large burgers on the menu I went with the three-quarter pound belly buster burger and I can tell you that it was plenty of food for me. The burger is three quarters of a pound of ground beef on a very large bun with all the toppings including Hanincot red onions lettuce tomato and her special sauce. As you can see from the pictures I was able to demolish it but the fries were just too much for me. Flavor of the burger was very very well prepared. Salt pepper and a little bit of seasoning was all that was needed to make this the perfect burger. So many times little restaurant like this try and add too much to the meat itself, and you wind up with a crumbly mess. To really put the size of this burger in proportion, behind it you'll see Carrie's double mushroom burger being dwarfed. The kids and in-laws raved about their hand dipped shakes, but Carrie wouldn't let me eat desert after that giant burger.
Next time you are out here, give this place a try if you are looking for a great burger. It is another little slice of Fat Boy Heaven!