There is only one person who can whip up a burger exactly the way you like it.
You may enjoy what the fast food places put out. And you may order a certain type of burger in a sit-down restaurant every time you go. But it always lacks something.The only person who can make you the perfect burger would be you. And at Fuddruckers, you have that opportunity. You can concoct your own, to your specific taste, without having to go to the trouble of firing up the grill and doing all the dishes.
Like all mid-range burger joints, this place has a gimmick. And I like the fact that it focuses on the food. Fuddruckers forgoes telephones or servers wearing inline skates for the "produce bar" concept. Every fresh vegetable you can imagine is freshly chopped or sliced and laid out in bins for you to apply yourself. The condiments are self-applicable as well and go beyond mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup. They include honey mustard, barbecue sauce, salsa and melted cheese.
As for the universal ingredients, Fuddruckers bakes all its own bread daily and grinds its meat fresh each morning.
Quarter-pounders are too wimpy for their menu. They offer a 1/3-pounder for $3.69, and a massive half-pounder - roughly the size of a basketball - for $3.99. You tell them how you want your meat cooked, and they do a pretty good job of getting it anywhere from medium rare to well-done. Extras like cheese, sauteed mushrooms and grilled onions are 19 cents to 49 cents extra.
The ambience itself is just a cut above a fast food venue, which disappointed me. I'd been to Fuddruckers in other states where they used to be grand burger emporiums, yuppie domains with lots of polished wood and a centrally located produce bar that resembled an entire produce section in a supermarket. In Utah, it's more like a tiny produce stand, indoor-outdoor carpet has replaced the polished wood, and burgers are served on paper, in large, round plastic trays.
For families, the place is a real bargain. Monday through Thursday after 4 p.m., you get a free kids meal with each adult entree ordered, and the kids meal includes fries, a drink and a cookie. Not a bad deal.
There are also menu items for the non-burger lover, things like chicken sandwiches - plain or with lemon pepper or cajun spices - for $4.99, and there are a few generous salads with garlic bread, like the chicken Caesar, for $5.49. There are also all the trimmings that go along with the burger-type meals. There are fries - plain or chili cheese - onion rings, barbecue beans (the best of the lot), and shakes and malts, which come in about a dozen different flavors, and are a bit pricy at around $2.45.
But they also offer a number of fresh-baked desserts, like chocolate chip and sugar cookies, brownies with or without nuts and pies. These put Fuddruckers a cut above your basic burger bastion.