Sweet Home Chicago
Krazy Jim's Blimpey Burger, the greatest burger joint in Ann Arbor
I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a greasy fast-food snob. See, I come from Chicago, home of some of the best pizza, Italian beef, hot dogs, and burritos that you can find. That being said, I will admit that there are are some categories in which Ann Arbor food trumps that of my beloved home town.
As I said, I’m a Chicago native. So moving to Ann Arbor has been a bit of a culinary disaster for me. I often find myself thinking “You call this pizza?” or “Do people really think BTB is that great?” as I choke down some questionable fast food. But there are some bright (and greasy) spots.
The main area that Ann Arbor manages to produce some quality fast-food is the hamburger industry. Now, in Chicago, we’ve got lot of places, outside of McDonald’s and those sorts of restaurants, where you can find a good, quick burger. In Ann Arbor, though, there are establishments that make burgers into an art form. Of course, the two restaurants I’m talking about are Quickie Burger and Blimpey Burger. Quickie is delicious because it’s got it’s own special sauce that it puts on its burgers, and you can get some of their famous “Dirty Fries” with it too.
Blimpey, on the other hand, I personally like more because you an choose how many patties you want on your burger. The “stacks” as they call them, are pretty small, so a quad is a good sized burger, and anything less is on the small side. Me and my friend have a competition to see who an handle the most stacks in one sitting. We both took down 11 the last time I was there, and he got 13 a couple days ago when I wasn’t with him. Next time, it’s looking like we’ll have to up the ante to 17, so we’ll see how that goes.
Another great part of Blimpey Burger is that there are thousands of burger combinations you can choose. From different buns to different regular toppings to different grilled toppings, including egg or salami, you can order pretty much whatever you can dream up.
Finally, Blimpey Burger has an atmosphere that can’t be beat. The employees are told to be as insane and mean as possible. There is a certain way that have to order, and if you mess it up, they refuse to serve you until you get it right. The food and atmosphere make Blimpey Burger a fun and delicious place to spend a meal.
Finally, Ann Arbor also has a specific restaurant chain that I don’t have near my hometown: Buffalo Wild Wings. I am absolutely in love with this place. Me and my friends go every week for Free Wing Night on Tuesdays, where get double whatever you order for the no extra charge. Eating then makes the normally pricey B-Dubs a great deal, giving me an extra reason to eat at my favorite restaurant. For anyone who’s never been to Wild Wings, they have around 15 different wing sauces of all different flavors and levels of spiciness. In addition, they also have burger, salads, and chicken wraps, so there’s something there for everyone. It’s restaurant like Wild Wings, Blimpey Burger, and Quickey Burger that really help me forget all that I’m missing from back home.
