Vallejo: Bud's Giant Burgers - $4.94 burger, large fries, large drink combo

[rworange]

Other than marginal price increases probably nothing has changed since Bud’s opened decades ago.

The menu is simple; burgers, fries, Bulls-eye steak sandwich ($4.14), chicken sandwich ($4.29), corn dogs, apple turnover ($1.70), soda and coffee. There are various combos of these with the option of adding more cheese and burgers.

Bud’s is all about that $4.94 burger combo … there are coupons in the local paper that give discounts on that price.

For me, the big thing at Bud’s is what I like to think of as beach boardwalk fries.

The fries come in a large Styrofoam cup. They are obviously cut from fresh potatoes with the skin left on. The shapes are very irregular ... from long potato centers with skins on the tips to tiny almost all skin edges, little crispy bits and everything in-between. They are a little on the, uh, lubricated side. Pump your catsup into little paper cups.

They remind me of summer at the beach where ocean-side amusement parks like the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk served up similar fries. In my case it was places like Old Orchard Beach, ME, Savin Rock, CT, and Jones Beach, NJ. So the fries make me nostalgic.

The burger is griddled. The buns constantly fed into a toaster. It comes with mayo, mustard, catsup, a thin slice of white onion, two slices of tomato and shredded lettuce. The bun, while not gourmet, is above the average hamburger bun. There’s a little more substance to it.

The burgers are medium unless otherwise specified. I’ve read they really do cook to order. My medium was juicy with a faint touch of pink.

I didn’t have the turnover, but they are the triangular flaky type … a real turnover … not the fried pies at most fast food joints.

Place your order at the counter.Take a number and a cup. Go over to the soda dispensers to fill your cup. The coffee at the end of the counter looked neglected. Take a seat on one of the stools at the plastic tables (circa mid-60’s, I’m guessing). A picture of an older couple (Bud and wife?) is on the counter.

Bud’s is a filling taste of the past … not in a bad way and not in a great way. Good enough so that there’s always a line at Bud’s and the griddle is always covered with burgers, with a new batch of fries replacing the most recently fried up batch. No need for heat lamps here. No need for drawers to keep pre-cooked burgers. Everything is made to order. Business is brisk

[ML8000]

I have a close friend that grew up around there. He took me to Bud's and if I recall properly, we had a quick but dead serious conversation about french fries with Bud Jr. Those fries were killer...figuratively and perhaps literally. I think they used beef tallow at the time (10 years ago?). The burger was good but the fries were great. A bit of a hole in the wall but that only adds to the charm.

[rworange]

I forgot to mention that I read that the beef for the burgers is ground at the restaurant. Don't know how true that is.

Also, onions are grilled on request. Someone said you can ask for a grilled cheese with grilled onions. Didn't see that on the menu though.

If I stop by when it isn't a rush, I'll ask about what fat is used. I want to try the steak sandwich ... and maybe a turnover ... ok ... maybe the chicken sandwich ... I'l bet it is real chicken and not the chemical-laden stuff at the fast food chains

[Melanie Wong]

I love Bud's and am glad to have an update! When I was last there four years ago, the fries were still cooked in a mix of beef fat and cottonseed oil. That's the magic.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/2156...

[rworange]

I'm going to paste and cut your post about Bud's from that thread, because it seems little has changed (except the prices slightly), people rarely follow links, and it was such a terrific write up. From what I've been reading this is the only location left. Anything else with Bud's name on it has different owners.

Maybe they read your post and took corrective measures (g). The onion wasn't as thick and the tomatoes were decent ... but then again I've been eating at Wendy's a lot lately ... so by comparison, rather good.

I'll bet those are Pepperidge Farm turnovers still. They had that look.

Dang, wish I knew the fries held up cold. Fearing for my arteries, I shared some with the seagulls hanging out in the parking lot. It turned ugly ... like something from "The Birds". They liked the fries also.

Anyway, there's a lot more good info in Melanie's link, but here's the description

"BUD'S BURGERS (3849 Sonoma Blvd., 707-642-3252) had first caught my eye not only because of the faded retro "Giant Burger" street sign, but for the folks waiting outside before the doors open at 10:30AM - pretty impressive considering Carl's Jr. is on the same block. Then I noticed it was included as a classic on the Cheeseburger in Paradise site (linked below), which sealed the deal. Stepping inside and reading the notices posted prominently saying that all burgers are cooked "medium" unless specified otherwise, I immediately had a good feeling about the place.

Photos of the late founder with this store's staff (some of whom are still working here) and his obit are displayed. The original Bud's was in Sacramento. There is another Vallejo location at 1339 Springs Road, 707-642-1012.

A number of combo "specials" are offered, including one with an apple turnover which I
I'm told is Pepperidge Farms. My first time here I went with the Giant cheeseburger special, $3.79, which is a cheeseburger, fries and fountain soda.

The cheeseburger here was less "giant" than Nation's, but lower priced too. While not showing much pink in the middle, the patty was moist and greasy with richer beef flavor. Cooking it a bit harder might have been better. Shredded lettuce was used which melted into the hot patty and the tomatoes were somewhat mealy. The onions were cut thickly and some had to be removed to not dominate the burger. The bread was more substantial in texture and toasted darker to contain the burger and its juices, but was too big a component of the whole. This was a good burger, but not that distinctive.

On a return visit, I went for the Giant cheeseburger special #1, $4.79, which is a double cheeseburger, fries and soda. My rationale was that I should try something that was closer to the price range of the Nation's burger to make a fair comparison. I;m glad I did because the double size rang my chimes. This is the burger to order here. The bun is meant to have a bigger serving of meat, the amount of onions is right, and all the other proportions snap into step. It was too much for me to finish, but was much more impressive for an inexpensive production-line burger.

The other reason I came back is that the fries are awesome. Regular cut with skins on, they're served upright in a Styrofoam cup. These fries are so greasy, it would be impossible to contain them in anything made of mere paper. With an added dash of salt, they're great as is and even taste good cold. They are golden brown and blistered with tiny bubbles that make a crackly crunch. The interior texture feels firm and smooth. They have a deep, deep flavor that tastes very bad for you and leaves an animal fat film on the inside of your mouth. I asked and found out that they're fried in a combination of beef fat and cottonseed oil. Well worth a try for your next saturated fat and calorie splurge."

[kc72]

wow.. haven't heard Bud's Burgers in a long time. IIRC, there used to be one in Richmond (where the 'closed for remodeling/renovation La Bamba is) and one in Pleasant Hill/Concord.

[rworange]

Yeah. This is the last one left.

[P. Punko]

Thanks, rw- that style of fry is my favorite. I like most kinds of fries, but this is definitely the tops. I'll try next time we're up that way.