#44: Eat once at Blimpy Burger

Last weekend was my friend’s last weekend in Ann Arbor. As he had never been to Blimpy Burger, and I had never been to Blimpy Burger, it was obvious that we had to go. Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger is an Ann Arbor institution, complete with long lines and tasty burgers. This is not a place for the health-conscious, nor is it a place for people who expect servers to dote upon them. You have to wait in the inevitable line, and be prepared to know exactly what you want when they ask you. This is not always an easy decision. They boast 2,147,483,648 possible combinations, so there are plenty of choices. (They even have a set of instructions about how to correctly place your order. They may make fun of you if you don’t follow their rules.) First, you have to choose how many patties you want. No, you can’t get just one. I ordered a double with a fried egg and grilled onions, while Logan ordered a quad with bacon. You can get a quint if you’re really hungry.

They put your patties on the griddle right when you order them, so you see every step of your burgers preparation. It’s hard to tell exactly what it is that makes these burgers so good, but you can tell that it’s not your standard grilling technique. The patties are pounded flat in the process, and the griddle is extra hot, so the edges get a tad crispy around the edge. Logan’s pretty sure there’s some Worcestershire sauce in there somewhere too. Either way, it’s hard to reproduce the burger at home. Logan’s tried.

All in all, I have to say that it was a tasty treat. Between the onion rings, and the hefty burger though, I can’t let this become a habit. I did find myself wishing they had avocado as one of their many topping choices, but I can see how it’d be hard to do in such an assembly line fashion. I’m pretty sure this was also my first time having egg on a burger. It’s not something I would’ve thought to do on my own, but it worked. Nom.

Nom, indeed.

Photo courtesy of phil dokas and used under a Creative Commons license.