hamburger heaven

A couple weeks ago Pete said he wanted to take me out for a surprise meal in Ballard. I was intrigued because Pete doesn't often arrange surprises for me. (Though he often surprises me -- and himself -- in ways he hasn't planned.) So one Saturday for lunch he took me to a new place - the Lunchbox Laboratory.

It was delicious! You should go there.

They have hamburgers and other meats, about 20 different special sauces, lots of different sides (including a macaroni and cheese that's a different recipe every day). They have really good milkshakes too, that come in a little beaker sort of thing.

I had a regular hamburger with cheddar cheese and million island dressing (similar to Thousand Island), mac and cheese, and a Nutella shake. Pete had dork (duck + pork - sounds gross to me but he really liked it) and fries and I can't remember his shake.

If you go, you might feel weird at first because the menu can seem overwhelming and you have to stand there and read it and then order, and it's very crowded and hectic. You also might feel weird about the seating arrangements. It's a very small place and the tables aren't that comfortable. They do have seats outside too though.

If you are vegetarian, you could get different sides or they have a vegetarian falafel.

The food is huge and I think I could only manage to eat 1/4 of my burger.

I can't imagine a better surprise. Pete is the best!

If you'd like to read more:
Chef Scott Simpson returns to his first love — comfort food
Lunchbox Laboratory: Lab Coat Necessary