As I thought about writing this post, I considered the fact that I’ve written about going for burgers pretty much every time I’ve driven out of town since I started this blog (like Burgerville on the way to Portland and Frugals in Port Angeles, you know, in addition to all the burgers we’ve been eating here in Tacoma at Asado and The Hub and Crown Bar and in our own kitchen). Let’s face it: I must plan my road trips based on what fast food is available. Don’t judge.
Al’s Humdinger in Hoquiam was Grandma Edlah‘s favorite restaurant. It’s a great place to load up on carbs and fats, and it has the best fry sauce ever (which is quite possibly just ketchup and mayonnaise*). My sister will tell you that they have the ONLY root beer shakes that actually taste like root beer, but since I always get chocolate, I couldn’t tell you.
In addition to awesome fry sauce and shakes, the Humdinger makes awesome burgers and fries. They put a ton of sauces and ingredients on their burgers, but since they fry their hamburger buns first, the buns don’t get soggy. It’s genius. You get a delicious bun with a lightly crunchy interior, with all the sauces you could want, but the bun doesn’t fall apart. Seriously, every burger joint in America should sit up and take notice.
Oh, and the fries are perfectly… well, fried. They’re not burnt, and not squishy. Crispy and tasty and delicious. I’m pretty sure they’re the standard frozen french fries that lots of independent burger stands serve, but these are always fried to perfection.
Finally, there are lovely views of the river from the picnic tables in the parking lot. Really, what more could you possibly want?
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I was reading the July 2011 issue of Sunset Magazine, and they listed the top road food places along West Coast highways. They missed one. The Humdinger certainly deserves to be on that list, especially since it’s located directly on US-101 North. Maybe they’ll have a chance to go get a Humdinger Burger with a shake and fries next time they’re looking for the best food to eat on the road.
*When I was little, I remember that my father would put both ketchup and mayonnaise on his dinner plate when we had burgers and fries. I thought it was extremely gross that he dipped his fries in mayonnaise. But I learned how to eat from my father, so now I love fry sauce. That’s just the way the world works.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Rootbeer was Grandma Edlah’s shake she always had there, she didn’t eat the fry sauce had her burger was lettuce, tomatoe and mayo only, the fry’s were her favorite she only liked the crinkle cut which is what they serve
I didn’t realize that Heather got the Root Beer shake thing from Grandma Edlah. Or that she had her burgers so plain – I love all the sauces and whatnot they add at the Humdinger, but I know not everyone would. I’m glad you commented with Grandma’s preferences – I always think of her when I go there, but I feel like I probably only got to go with her a couple of times in my memory.