Retroflections

I had a hankering for a burger the other day. The choice in Tucson is difficult; the burgers are dry, greasy, too fancy, or too expensive. What is so wrong with wanting a good old fashioned burger? And where can I find one? Of course, I love Lindy’s on 4th Ave; it’s the best bet for five bucks. Not too greasy, not too expensive, just right, but it took me a while to finally find this little, hidden treasure, and it got me thinking….

 As a kid growing up, our choices were easy as to where to find a good burger, and believe me, back then it wasn’t from dad’s grill. It was at one of the fast-food joints. In Tucson, right beyond my street, on Kolb road stood a beautiful lady in a plaid skirt named Sandy, and as a kid, I thought her burgers were the best. You got a thin, grey hamburger patty sitting on small white bun, with a little mustard and ketchup, and something that resembled a pickle. 

Alongside of the burger came french fries and they were long, thin, and hot. I always asked my mom to order them well done because I liked the crunch to them. I would smother those fries in ketchup. Maybe six or seven packs to eat a small fry. I topped that meal off with a rich chocolate shake, and the bill came to about 60 cents. Where else could you go for a meal like that?

 For fancier hamburger dining, I followed the lad in plaid. Bob’s Big Boy. Now there was a great burger. The double-decker burger with their special sauce oozing out the sides was a burger to behold.

It stood tall like a soldier standing at attention awaiting my command to chomp on it. As a child my mouth could barely wrap around that big thick double-layer burger, with not two, but three slices of yummy white bread. The hamburger meat wasn’t grey like Sandy’s; it looked like a real burger and the taste was out of this world.

 Another place for great burgers in Tucson was Shari’s Drive-in which was open for 53years at 1st Avenue and Glenn Street. Here again, we had that double-decker burger and when you bit into it, all sorts of yummy edible fluids leaked from the sides of your mouth, and you would have to take your tongue and lick it all off your face. They had homemade fries that were quite tasty. However, I have to admit, their shakes are what I shall remember them for most.

 They just don’t make burgers like they used to. Sadly, it is rare I go out for a burger anymore. I do not eat fast food, and there are only a couple of places that serve an affordable burger worth sullying the front of your shirt for. So what was your favorite burger joint growing up?