Late November
After a long work day, the Bur-gal and I needed a quick bite of some comfort food to unwind. We biked on over to bypass a a parade of cars lined up for Burger Boy on St. Mary's.
Service and Setting
With its iconic rotating sign and flashing lights, Burger Boy is the unofficial welcome to the St. Mary's strip (sorry Hi-Tones). It is a bit of a shack serving more of drive-up customers than walk-ins. There are a few counter seats and some picnic tables outside. Service has always been attentive. They are not as fast as McDonald's, but I'd like to think you're getting some extra quality with those couple of minutes.
They have a second location on the west side.
Menu
The menu could fit on both sides of a business card. The burger is ordered by number of patty's. You can add Kraft American cheese, jalapeno's or bacon. Otherwise, they have corn and hot dogs, chicken and fish sandwiches, and a grilled cheese. Only available side is crinkle-cut fries.
Beverage
No adult beverages. Standard soft drinks. The shake was too tempting to resist. Nine flavor options for just $2.59. We went with Oreo. It really rounded out the experience.
Sides
Crinkle-cut fries may be my least favorite french-fry cut. Clearly coming out of the freezer and into the fryer, I'm pretty sure they come from the same purveyor as one of my favorite SA burgers, Papa's Burgers. They are just flavorless. It feels more like a potato-based product than a french fry. The crinkle theoretically adds surface area for crisping in the fryer, but I don't think they carry ketchup as well. Clearly the waffle fry is superior in that regard. We can debate the finer points of thin-cut, steak, and dutch at a later date. At risk of alienating readers, I will take a stand on what I'll dub #RetireTheTot with burgers. Tater tots are a breakfast food at best.
Patty
A thin griddle patty. Pretty good grease flavor and juiciness. Perhaps a little low on flavor compared to Chester's and Papa's. Good but not great. I think the way all the ingredients gel together on the pallet give it a nice savory experience in the gullet. Is that gross or appetizing?
Dress and Bun
An extra-buttery bun that is well-proportioned with the rest of the ingredients. I think the grease stain on the burger wrapper is as much from the bun as it is from the burger. The rest of the produce is passable. Kraft cheese also adds a dose of nostalgia.
The Verdict
Burger Boy consistently delivers a good burger experience. If you are on the St. Mary's strip, it's a great option. The burger is slightly better than average, but aside from a buttery bun, they don't do much to distinguish themselves. I almost broke my whole-spur-only rating rule, but ultimately rounded down to a strong 3 Spurs.
