Chubby's Burger Shack

Chubby's Burger Shack is in a gloomy part of Fort Worth surrounded by auto repair shops and 99 cent stores. The building is easy to miss. When you pull in it is never clear whether you're going to get a lube job or a fantastic meal. Chubby's is one of the many great restaurants in Fort Worth that is hidden in plain sight in a neighborhood you wouldn't expect to have anything more than an Applebees or a Chili's.

Chubby's projects the atmosphere of a small-town saloon. The people sitting at the bar all seem to know one another, a Texas variation on Cheers. After having a great meal, customers can ring a cowbell on the way out, an action that invokes a cheer from everyone else inside.

The menu has a bunch of choices, but I've never been able to see past the Big Nasty, a half-pound burger with chili, bacon, grilled jalapenos, onions, Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese. The Big Nasty is easily one of the best burgers in Fort Worth, and certainly the biggest of the best. The toppings compliment well the flavorful beef, and combined with a side of french fries or onion rings (both are really tasty) the Big Nasty is one heck of a meal.

Having recently become concerned with my health, I can tell you that Chubby's lives up to its name. My pants never quite fit right the day after I've eaten a Big Nasty. You should definitely check out Chubby's, but you probably shouldn't make it a habit. Chubby's goes well with a rigorous exercise regime.

I liked Chubby's Burger Shack enough that I've invented an advertising slogan: "Chubby's Burger Shack - I've got a Chubby just thinking about it!"

Chubby's Burger Shack

7618 Camp Bowie West

Fort Worth, TX 76116

Jonny B'z

Grand Rapids, Michigan is a one hot dog stand kind of town. I'm not saying that it is a small town. Quite the opposite, in fact - there are several Starbucks in Grand Rapids. But for my entire life the question of where to get great hot dogs has always been answered, Yesterdog. Yesterdog is a simple, anti-chain, hip, local hot dog eatery, but I've seen it run its fair share of hot doggeries out of business.

I was skeptical when I saw Jonny B'z pop up next to the Winchester, not because I thought the food would be bad, but because I doubted that the restaurant would stay in business long enough for me to even visit. Jonny B'z has been in business now for at least half of a year and I've been there four or five times in the last month alone. The hot dogs are great and I expect Jonny B'z to, as Arnold Schwarzenegger would say, "stick around."

Here's why: Jonny B'z does not pretend to be the local taste of the people. In many ways it is just another hot dog restaurant. It has no single reason for being. It is clear, however, that the hot dogs are inspired by a careful study of the many cultures of dogs across the United States and then some. The hot dogs are flat top grilled and placed in a European-style grilled bun, available Chicago-style, Carolina-style with slaw, Cajun-style with a sausage, or even German-style with kraut. You can get gumbo or even a brisket sandwich there. Whereas Yesterdog is a local delicacy, Jonny B'z is a traveling sideshow of hot dog wonders. What it lacks in a single solitary hot dog identity, it makes up for in diversity.

I haven't had a dog at Jonny B'z that I didn't like. The Jonny Dog, topped with catsup, mustard, pickle, onion and chili is pretty fantastic. The Hampton Meeks is a personal favorite, garnished with mustard, chili and slaw. The Kraut Dog is self explanatory and satisfying, balancing kraut with mustard and onion. The Chicago Dog impressed my girlfriend, a hot dog connoisseur with specialties in Hotdogus chicagosis, a delicacy with mustard, pickles, relish, tomato, onion, sport peppers and celery salt. But if ever there were an uber-dog, it would be the Cajon dog (cleverly mixing "Cajun" and "Jonny"), a spicy sausage available any way you want it. I had a Cajon with the same toppings as the Hampton Meeks and it was quite delicious. The french fries are off the hook, and there are four different flavors of salt that you can use on them, celery, vinegar, bacon cheddar and Mediterranean.

If you're in the neighborhood, make sure you stop by Jonny B'z. Grand Rapids, Michigan is a two hot dog stand kind of town after all.

Jonny B'z

638 Wealthy St.

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

The story of my visit to Five Guys is first and foremost a mathematical story problem. On Sunday evenings, I play Dungeons and Dragons with a group of buddies. On one particular Sunday I had the idea that we could share some fellowship around a different table, a table at Five Guys Burger and Fries on Hulen by the mall. I invited my six friends, Josh, Adam, David, Dustin, Chad and Randy to accompany me on my first voyage to this particular burger joint. Dustin had to work and Chad had a previous dinner engagement, but the rest of us hopped in a car and drove on out to Five Guys. How many people, including myself, went to eat at Five Guys?

The answer is five guys. Five guys went that day to eat at Five Guys.

I'm writing this blog today not for the sake of promoting arithmetic to a population that finds story problems annoying, but to tell you that the five guys that went out to dinner that evening found themselves incredibly satisfied with their Five Guys experience.

Prior to arriving at Five Guys I did some research online. This is because I found it difficult to believe that a fast food restaurant could be anywhere near as good as my buddy Josh boasted. I came across a ranking of the best fast food by Zagat Survey and Five Guys was rated number one in fast food hamburgers and number two in fast food french fries behind McDonalds. In-N-Out Burger, the only fast food burger place I'd ever heard anyone rave about prior to the Five Guys hubbub was ranked right behind Five Guys for both burgers and fries. I also came across possibly the most creative review I've ever read of any restaurant ever: "Willy Wonka's of Burgercraft" (Washingtonpost.com 2000).

The normal Hamburger at Five Guys is what would be called a double at other restaurants, equipped with two beef patties and your choice of toppings. If two beef patties is two much (PUN!) then you should order the Little Hamburger, which is more like a single at other restaurants than it is like a kid's hamburger. I ordered a cheeseburger with mayo, lettuce, pickles, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup and mustard (this is the standard Five Guys "everything" or "all the way" only I asked them to hold the tomatoes). It was probably the best fast food burger I had ever eaten, and not only that, but it was probably the second or third best burger I've eaten in Fort Worth, and I've eaten at some of the most respected gourmet burger restaurants in the city. The burger was huge and dense and the meat tasted fantastic. The grilled onions, mushrooms, and pickles really complemented the taste.

As for french fries, there are two choices, Five Guys style or Cajun style. Both are fantastic. The Five Guys style fries are the ones that are pictured below, but I really think that the Cajun style fries are the best choice. All french fries are hand cut and cooked in peanut oil, but the Cajun style is covered in Cajun seasoning, and that's what makes the difference. Another thing that separates Five Guys from other burger restaurants is the huge serving sizes for the french fries. A regular sized fries is enough to feed two normal-sized people (or one and a half Justin Tiemeyers - I'm kind of a big dude), and though I don't know how many the large will feed, because I've never ordered one myself, I would imagine that it feeds one and a half Cloverfields.

I've been to Five Guys twice now, and I keep forgetting to order The Obama. While doing my research, I stumbled across an article where President Barack Obama was seen ordering burgers for him and his staff in a Washington DC Five Guys. I really enjoyed this article because it answered the question I would like to know if I saw President Obama at Five Guys, namely, what's Obama's favorite burger? To answer this question, the article explains that Obama prefers his Five Guys cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, jalapeno peppers and mustard. While I have yet to order The Obama, my friend Gabe managed to order one when I took him to Five Guys this week. He took one bite and told me that the burger tasted like change.

I never thought chain food could taste this good. Five Guys Burgers and Fries can be found in forty US states and five Canadian provinces. I can't vouch for every single location, but I can vouch for the following location(s):

Five Guys Burgers and Fries - Fishers
11670 Commercial Dr. Suite 600
Fishers, IN 46038

Five Guys Burgers and Fries - Hulen Corner

4833 S. Hulen Street

Fort Worth, TX 76132