Lunch @ Big Jim's Drive-In, The Dalles, Oregon

Big Jim's Drive In
2938 E. 2nd St. (Exit 87, Off I-84)
The Dalles, OR 97058
August 7, 2010
(541) 298-5051

In my years living in the Pacific Northwest, The Dalles has been a town in Oregon that I've never made a conscious decision to visit. It had either been the town to stop at either going to or coming back from Portland, as it had a McDonald's, gas stations, a Fred Meyer, and that's it. My sister wanted to get a laptop computer for her son's 13th birthday, and in Oregon you don't have to pay sales tax. Unfortunately, the computer my nephew wanted was available at only one store in Oregon, and the closest one was about 120 miles away. The sale was to end on Saturday. Of course none of this matters, but I wanted to look at what kind of restaurants were in town other than the usual fast food. I spotted a place called Lilo's Hawaiian. Being Hawaiian and also noticing a lot of positive reviews, this was the place I wanted to go. My sister spotted a place called Big Jim's Drive-In, and I hadn't heard of it. It was in a part of The Dalles that I've never been in, so we decided to go there.

I knew ahead of time that it was a burger and fries place. It was easy to find, as signs on Highway I-84 indicate that there's a food choice off of Exit 87. The selection of burgers on the menu looked good, with such things as the Rodeo Burger (1/4 pound beef patty, grilled onion, jalapenos and nacho cheese, dressing, lettuce and tomato) and the behemoth known as the T-Rex Burger (1 pound beef petty, 4 slices of ham, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, 2 slices of cheddar, dressing, lettuce, and tomato on a 6 inch bun). I wanted to try something basic so I chose the Jim Dandy Burger, a simple bacon cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, which went for $5 for the sandwich alone or $8.40 for a combo that came with a soda and fries. That is indeed pricey for a combo, but if it was good, it would be good and I'd be up to come back and try it again.

Everything was cooked fine, but I did not find this burger to be drool-worthy. It was good, it was cooked well, but it tasted like any other independent burger at any other random place, nothing about it stood out. As for the French fries, it tasted as if it was beer battered, the menu doesn't indicate this and I didn't bother asking for one simple reason: it was too salty. If the person lightened the salt overdose, it would have been great.

For those reasons alone, it was a turnoff. I kept on looking at other items on the menu: chili & fries, fish & chips, a cold turkey sandwich (for $5.15, $8.55 as a combo), and they kept pushing their homemade waffle cones for their ice creams. The ice cream was the Umpqua brand from Oregon, which is good. There were too boys who came in ordering a 3-scoop waffle cone and they were going at it. At least they were enjoying the flavors, but as for me, not so much.

If I were to go to this place again, I'd try a burger that I think would be more tasty, maybe a "Deep Fried Chicken Burger". I'd also tell them to not put a lot of salt.

Other than that, the drive-in was tidy and clean, in a nice area of The Dalles that is quiet and humble, the highway is easy to get to and visible outside of their windows, so it's not in a place too obscure.

(You can read the full menu here)

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.

ARTICLE: Dick's Drive-In celebrates 55 years in business

Hip-hop heads know it's the place where the cool hang out, and Seattle-ites know it's still one of the best bargains in town. Of course I'm talking about Dick's Drive-In, and Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Leslie Kelly recently put together an article honoring this Seattle institution.

Here's a link to the article.

Video: McDonald's Breakfast & Lunch? Togetha?

Damn.

Lunch @ Arby's: A Very Bad Idea

(PREFACE: I'm probably setting a bad example by doing a blog where I'm supposed to find good places to eat, and I end up at a place like Arby's. At least I'm honest. Now, we begin.)

I know already, why pick Arby's to eat lunch when I can pick a wide range (I was going to say "myriad" but who am I kidding?) of places, but I had wanted to try their new Chicken Parmesan sandwich. Of course I get there, and I see a Bacon Beef & Cheddar and opted for that instead, in combo form. They ask me if I wanted a large, I say no. The guy then tells me the price, $7.something or other. When did Arby's combos get to 7+ dollars? I don't eat there often, but c'mon.

I eat the sandwich, and it's lousy, and of course it reminds me of that episode of The Simpsons where one of the twin sisters says "I'm so hungry, I could eat at Arby's". But this is no excuse. If I'm going to pay for $7 on anything, I'll get a large Bruchi's Philly cheesesteak sandwich. But this was a lousy roast beef sandwich with liquid cheese, a small, barely-any-flavor piece of bacon, and a cup of soda with way too much ice and barely any carbonation. I was in shock and I wanted to look at the receipt. Of course, there was no receipt in the bag.

I know I should be eating better, but I made a foolish impulse choice and it was crap. The curly fries were crap. All of it was crap. I could have just had bacon, beef and cheddar flavored dryer sheets and I would not have known.

Yes, I did read Fast Food Nation and I did go there for a specific reason (i.e. it was convenient) but it was worth $2, if that.