The Best Hamburger Ever

In my hometown of Austin, Texas, there is a restaurant called Huts. Huts is famous for their delicious greasy hamburgers and thick shakes. When my husband and I started dating, my family took him to Huts. Huts was already a cornerstone in the Pike family. I had my 18th birthday dinner there, my graduation dinner there, and I tried desperately to have my rehearsal dinner. Unfortunately, my dear mother-in-law has more sense than me the majority of the time. :)

Meanwhile, we had only been dating a month. I loved the infamous "Theta burger": a thick half pound burger smothered in thick mayo and spicy barbecue sauce with cheddar cheese shredded on top. I could inhale one of these burgers in like 2 minutes. The night my husband saw me, I did it in a minute and thirty seconds. He stared at me in disbelief and looked back at his remaining burger, still clutched in his hands. I leaned over and grinned at him.

"Are you going to finish that?" I grinned. After that, it was love at first bite.

So, Huts is the standard by which we judge all hamburgers. Tonight, we found a serious competitor: BJ Hamburgers. Ben took me out on a date night, which was nice because we hadn't had one in a while. When I first walked in, I knew I was in love. It was a small hole in the wall place with license plates covering the wall. The menu was plastered to the counter, and you could smell hamburgers in the air. I was home.

After ordering my usual bacon cheeseburger with mayo, Ben and I relaxed in the dining room. Country music was blaring and a roll of paper towels sat in the middle of the table. I could barely contain my excitement. When we got our food, I tore into my hamburger while Ben tore into his. At first bite, he was exclaiming how wonderful it was.

"Its soo good," he said through a mouthful, spewing crumbs at me. I hastily stuffed a French fry in my mouth and nodded empathetically.

"This is better than Huts," he grunted while chewing.

"It's pretty damn close," I said, savoring my burger by taking smaller bites. I didn't want the goodness to end. "But I don't have any bbq sauce, so it's not a clear comparison."

"You just don't want to admit it," Ben scoffed. "I'm right and you know it."

I just laughed at him. "Whatever you think," I said, crunching my bacon. Our little hamburger date left us full, happy and head over heels for a new barbecue restaurant.

Tonight, I shall dream of bacon cheeseburgers smothered in mayo and toasted buns.

Speaking of which, is any body else hungry? Is it weird I'm craving waffles and hamburgers? I can't help it if the 400 lb woman in my head won't stop. It's just so gooooood.