The Scoop on Schoop's (est. 1948) Munster IN 03/15/2024

 It was time for a road trip. Four and a half hours to Broad Ripple Indiana. We broke the trip up by stopping in Munster Indiana for some lunch. What could a small town in Indiana have to offer? Schoop's! Classic through and through. Old school booths with a coin operated "remote" for the vintage Wurlitzer Juke Box. There is also a small counter with stools. On the other side of the wall is a throwback ice cream shop. Lunch would start with a banana shake! The burgers come in a couple of different sizes. A single patty is 7 ounces. Not sure why it isn't just 6 or 8. Anyway, you can get a double of that! Whoa. Or order the "Junior". I think that's a 5 ounce patty. I went with the regular cheese burger. Fries are not included so we ordered some fries and onion rings to share. The fries were okay. A bit lacking in flavor or something. The onion rings were delicious. The burger, pretty swell. I thought it tasted a bit "meatloafy". Not to worry, it was okay. The edge of the burger is a crispy curtain of cooked meat. The middle part of the patty is still fairly moist and tasty. The start of the whole composition was the condiments. The combination of mustard, ketchup, onion etc was perfectly balanced and didn't over take the burger but sort of lifted it. Tasty bun, just a little sweet which was also complimentary to the whole thing. All in the meal cost around $30. Not too bad

On the way out of town, we stopped at 3 Floyds Brewery.

Rate it: 4+ of 5

The shake was the star. Onion rings, delicious. The burger is what I expected and a little more. 

 

Schoop's Munster IN

Hello Fatburger! (Issaquah, WA)

11.07.2017
En route from Seatac Airport to Kennewick Washington.
When we left Seatac Airport, we still had a couple of hours of driving ahead of us. The plan was to get on the road for a distance and then stop for some food before heading into the mountain passes.
We kept an eye on the exit signs for something we might like. Hopefully something lighter. The usual food listings for McDonald's, Denny's etc.
Then, a sign listing Fatburger! What? I wasn't even sure that Fatburger was still in business. The one and only time I had Fatburger was in New Orleans, maybe a decade ago. The store was down near the famous Cafe' Du Monde. The staff was interesting and the names for the burgers even more interesting. Baby Burger, Mama Burger and Papa Burger. The burger was decent for "fast food".
The names have been changed but Fatburger is still putting out a decent burger.
The location we went to was part of a cluster of businesses. The store itself was set up to feel like an old time diner or drive-in. Juke box, booths and all.
Burger names are Small, Original(1/3lb), Large(1/2lb), XXL(1lb) and XXXL(1-1/2lb). I'm not sure if back in the day they offer it but now you can have a lettuce wrap instead of bun. Cleaver.
So, you place your order. Because the burgers are cooked for your order and not sitting waiting for you, the cashier gives you a number stand and you pick a booth.
The burger arrives. I start my scrutinizing. Nice bun, fairly thick burger. Decent amount of fries.
First bite. Very good. Fries the same. Very fresh.
It's not gourmet but, I would say in the category where I would include places like Five Guys I might rather go to Fatburger. One problem, they are only out West.
Also, I bought a new shirt to replace the one I got so many years ago. It's not as neat. The original one had the Fatburger logo. This one just has Fatburger with the date. Still cool. Representing the burger!

Rank it already:
4 of 5
It was tasty, fresh and priced right. The fries were very good. Overall, a good value. 

Winter oasis with fries on the side at the Huntley Dairy Mart

It was a cold Sunday morning in February. Wind chills were to be in the sub-zeros. My friend Curt and I were headed to St Charles IL for a auto parts swap meet. The journey would take nearly two hours each way. One of the great things about driving down the road with Curt, he's always looking for an adventure. Interesting buildings, stuff for sale along the way and food. We knew that we would be heading home in the early afternoon so, we made note of the different restaurants along the roadside. There was the usual places, Burger King, McDonald's, Culver's, a Hot Dog place and one place that grabbed our attention, Huntley Dairy Mart. The Dairy Mart looked like it might be closed for the season. They opened their doors in 1955, a day when little drive-ins could make it without having to worry about the McDonald's directly across the street.
It was our lucky day! They were open for business, on a cold winter day! A small heater warms the metal building that's attached to the main building. The menu is incredible. What don't they make? I went classic, Double Cheeseburger and fries. Curt got a Tuna Melt and some Cream of Broccoli soup. It took a couple of minutes to cook up but, came out fresh and hot. To my surprise, the burger is hand-packed. I was guessing they used a frozen patty. I won't say the flavor was off the chart but, it tasted like a burger made fresh and cooked on a griddle. (I'm more of a flame broiled fan) Fries were plentiful and tasty. Curt's Tuna Melt got high ratings also.
I can't remember exact prices but, I didn't feel like it was expensive and once I started eating money didn't matter.
Did I mention that people were stopping in for ice cream? 11 degrees outside, people still have to have their Huntley Dairy Mart ice cream.
I wiped the grease off my face and hit the road back home. By the way, just down the road is another favorite place of mine in Richmond, IL the Dog N Suds.

Here is my take:
I'd go back, if I'm in the area.
Price for what you get, perfect. The scene, especially on a cold winter day, cool place.
3.5-4 stars

Burger was delicious, they had the fishes

Friday Fish Fry night in Milwaukee WI. A special night indeed. I'm not the biggest fan of the food but, I love the opportunity to hang out with friends on a Friday night.
A group from the neighborhood went out for a Fish Fry at the Firefly Urban Bar & Grill in Wauwatosa, WI. (a suburb of Milwaukee) I decided I'd go along with the crowd and just get the fish but, wait... The Firefly Burger? I felt like a dork ordering the burger. They didn't pick on me too much because they know I have a thing for burgers.
I got it cooked medium. I wasn't sure if it was because I adjusted my buds to the taste of fried fish or what but, awesome burger! Hand packed, cooked just right. The fries were peel on and tasty. Some fresh made Asian slaw on the side. $12 seems to be the going rate so, I wasn't too shocked. I took half home and warmed it up for lunch to relive the moment. ;)

4 of 5 stars.
Service was lacking. The waiter was not listening to anything we said. Had to repeat things. $$$ for drinks.

Oscar's on Pierce St, No Garbage.

As you know, I search out places that say they have the greatest or best burger. Then, I take the challenge. Online, they showed up in the Best Burger in Wisconsin.

The 1700 block of W Pierce Street in Milwaukee is one of those streets that people use to bypass the congestion on the main streets. Sort of "back road" through the near Southside of Milwaukee. Along that corridor, is Oscar's. (Don't be confused with the Custard/Jumbo burger joint, it's different)
Ample parking, clean and well lit.

When you first enter, you are hit with all kinds of wonderful spicy smells. A little garlic, onion etc. The staff all say hello as you walk in. You choose the open table you want.

They have a vast choice of beers and my choice, Root Beer. A MKE Brewing Root Beer. Very good. I know, this is a burger blog so, what about the burger?

I got the Classic Cheeseburger. Medium rare. When it arrived, it was just that. The fries are totally homemade and tasty. Unlike most places, they understand that fries aren't the meal. So, just enough fries to keep me happy. The bun is wonderful, buttered and fresh. The burger tasted like one that I might make at home. Very tasty.

All of this and then, the bill came... $20! Wow, quality stuff at a decent price. That rocks!

4.5 of 5.0 The staff, food and price were remarkable. We plan to talk it up and return some day.
http://www.oscarsonpierce.com/

Meaty-ocre

Well, just when I thought it would be a long time between blogging about burgers I'm back on! It was a trip to Madison WI to meet up with a relative. The internet is our friend. It knows where to go for food in just about any city. Madison is no exception. Relative proximity made Morty's Blue Plate a perfect choice. Breakfast all day, dinner style setting. It's an old Texaco station converted. I think the menu had something for everyone. My choice is always pretty simple, how about a burger? It was a busy day at the diner. The wait was almost 20 minutes. Luckily, the place has quite a bit of stuff on display to look at. We watched all the activity. Just about every kind of person. Young, old, hip and square. The neighborhood was there. I can imagine what it might be like when there is a show across the street at the Barrymore. (I saw the Fall play there back in 1989) Back to the food. I took my burger with fries, medium rare. Meanwhile, the guy next to me gets his burger... yummy looking. My burger arrives. Just grab a chunk sans-bun & cheese. Pretty good. The meat looks pre-pattied and tasted a bit smoke flavored. Personally, if it's not cooked over flames, it shouldn't taste like smoke. I didn't see the grill. I should have stuck my nose in! So, what the call? Pretty good. I'm not going out of the way to get another one. I probably would order it at one of their other restaurants. The fries were seasoned and tasty.
Let's go 3.5 of 5

Dasburgereater.