When is the last time you had to face down a burger as tall as a shake?
Fifty-seven years ago Lovie Yancy started serving late-night burgers to musicians out of her Los Angeles home. The demand for these burgers outgrew her kitchen and so she bought the vacant lot next door and put up a hamburger stand and dubbed it “Fatburger.”
Last week Fatburger arrived in the Inland Northwest thanks to the Kalispel Tribe and the Northern Quest Casino and Resort. Fatburger bills itself as “the last great hamburger stand” and boasts a huge cult following across the country and locations in Hong Kong, Macao, and Dubai.
Step up to the counter and order, and you’ll hear the staff member waiting on you call out each item aloud and the rest of the crew yell back the order in unison. Ask for onion rings and the call out and response will be “Homemade!” since they slice and batter Fatburger rings daily on the premises. The shakes are also the real deal with hand-dipped hard ice cream and milk topped with whipped cream.
Yet the ultimate reason to drive to Airway Heights is for a Fatburger itself. Possibly the most customizable burger in the nation, it is made with real pride by the crew and built around fresh lean beef, seven standard ingredients (mustard, relish, onions, tomato, lettuce, and mayo), and four premium add-ons (cheese, bacon, chili, and… yes… and egg).
Order it the way you like it and pick your size. The medium is the standard burger with a 1/3 pound of beef for $4.25. But the obscene wonder on the menu is the monstrous XXXL with its giant bun and four ½ pound patties for $9.50. It almost needs to be classified as the eighth wonder of the world and must be seen to be believed. Eat a whole one, and the crew will take your picture and post it on the wall.
Yet even if you have no interest in an XXXL protein coma, take a risk at Fatburger and order yours with the egg. As strange as it sounds, it works. I’m not a big hamburger relish fan so I leave off the relish, and next time I plan to order my Fatburger with grilled onions. Note that ketchup is not an option at the counter. While you an add it yourself at the table, Lovie thought ketchup was too strong a flavor and hid the taste of her great beef. For my money, if anything is going to overpower the tastebuds it would be the mustard, but they have yet to consult me on this. A second note: Fatburger does have its own secret recipes for its mayo and mustard.
Most fast food outlets have target service times for people in the drive-through lane. McDonald’s, rumor has it, aims to have your food in your hand one minute and thirty seconds after your order is placed. Fatburger goes the other direction. They don’t start cooking your burger until the person at the counter yells over their shoulder “Medium!” or “Double X!” So expect to wait a bit: 6-8 minutes is the Fatburger target time.
But if you can live with slightly-less-than fast food, you will be in for a truly memorable meal from a hamburger stand that has retained a unique feel even in franchise form. A strange, added bonus for Spokane burger fans: since the Fatburger is in the casino and keeps casino hours, it is open 24 hours a day every weekend. Lovie Yancy would be proud.
[caption id="attachment_431" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="That would be mayo and mustard up the nose."]
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Fatburger @ Northern Quest Casino
100 N Hayford Rd
Spokane, WA 99224
(509) 242-7000
