Lunch @ Miner's Drive-In, Union Gap, Washington

Miner's Drive-In
2415 S. First St.
Union Gap, Washington 98903
509 (457-8194)
Google Map

Miner's Drive-In is a fast food burger place in Union Gap, Washington, about 2 1/2 hours East from Seattle and Portland, and the town just outside of Yakima. This is a burger place that is celebrated by many people in Eastern Washington and apparently some call it a great burger getaway. Some people I know of swear by this place, and for many people in the last 61 years, it still reigns supreme, even as McDonald's and Subway lurk nearby. I've passed and have visited Union Gap many times, but never made a stop here (Union Gap does have a great Japanese restaurant called New York Teriyaki & Hamburger, hopefully when I come back to Union Gap I'll go there). My mom felt like heading out of town and asked me if I could take her there so I did.

After reading a review, I was made aware that Miner's was very roomy, but it's a Saturday, it's almost summer, which means it probably would be packed. It was. I got in there and saw the menu, and lots of choices. Many different burger varieties, with the most basic one being about $4. I guess their Big Miner's is their specialty, so I went for that. It had a hamburger pattie, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and lettuce. They also had a teriyaki hamburger with ham. HAM! Chicken sandwiches, fish sandwiches, hot dogs, salads, taco infused something or other, and many other things that looked good. It was not as hectic as when I visited the great Varsity in Atlanta, Georgia, but it had that vibe in the back where everyone was hard at work, knowing the pattern of the kitchen. Miner's also sold combos, which was a burger, fries, and a soft drink, and there was one that was a whopping $10.99.

My sweet tooth started going when I saw the list of milk shakes and malts. They had all of the regular flavors, plus peach, pina colada, chocolate mint, and many others, at least 30. I wanted a milk shake but wanted to hold back so my mom ordered a chocolate one.

We were given our number and was told that the food would be delivered to us. We wanted to sit outside because a seat could not be found inside, but it was windy and slightly chilly. Nonetheless, I looked at the burger and it was big. Well, it was big in circumference but it was a thin patty, surrounded by lots of toppings. The bun is bigger than the hamburger, but after taking out what I didn't like, I went in. It was actually good as is, but I then decided to put some BBQ sauce on there. Not a good plan. It then seemed as if I didn't have a burger left, either that or the buns were soaking up the toppings. The fries were okay but maybe a bit overcooked. In the end, the burger was filling but it left me thinking "what did I just eat?" Maybe I needed to try a double burger, because it seemed like I was getting a lot of nothing. Or I could low-carb it (ha!) and just eat one bun.

As for my mom's milkshake, she couldn't take the sweet but I felt it was really good, it tasted like some nice chocolate syrup. Next time I'll try their pina colada milkshake.

To be honest, Miner's is not that bad for an independent burger shack, it's very old school and the people who work there are very nice, they make you feel at home. I will go back one day and try something else.

HISTORY: When Miner's started in 1948, their original name was Miner's In-N-Out, to describe the drive-thru they had and still have. But when a California burger chain started up in the 1960's, they didn't want to be confused with them so they changed the name to Miner's Drive-In. With the help of the internet and food shows, more people know about the Cali In-N-Out than the Union Gap Miner's, but if you're visiting the Pacific Northwest and want something quick and tasty with a pinch of history, plan on visiting Miner's.

Article of interest:
Local hamburger joint celebrates 60 year history (from YakimaHerald.com.