Too many joints ...

... not enough time.
I started this quest too late, and now I ran out of time. I read about those burger joints in November 2013, and now in June 2014 I am moving back to Germany. But at least I managed to visit all those joints in Northern Alabama, and a few in other parts of the state as well. And keep in mind that I still had another quest ongoing at the same time - the Great Northern Alabama BBQ Quest, which clearly took precedence over everything else. But I am truly satisfied with what I have accomplished on the Burger front - I have broadened my horizon, ate some great burgers, met many interesting, friendly, and sweet people, and had a ton of fun doing it.

Dub’s Burgers

Athens, Limestone County

This joint is on the original AL.com list of 22 (plus 35 submitted by the readers) Greasy Spoon Burger Joints in Alabama you have to visit before you die. 

This is a very nice old style restaurant in a somewhat decrepit strip mall near downtown Athens. There are a dozen or so tables, and a counter with a dozen or so low bar stools. I had to wait for my two cheeseburgers all-the-way for about twenty minutes, but only because they were freshly prepared and the process just takes some time. All-the-way at Dub’s means lettuce, onions, tomato, ketchup, mustard, and cole slaw on a slug burger patty between a standard bun. They enhance the standard bun by sliding it briefly through the grease on the griddle, which gives it a very nice crispy bite – and a lot of flavor. The aroma of the burger is definitely on the sour side, which is to be expected because of the mustard and the cole slaw. This is definitely not your standard taste, but it is certainly very delicious. 

And for eight bucks and a quarter, including a sweet tea, that is also a very fair deal. This is one of those places that are hidden gems for outsiders like me, but probably nothing special for the locals – it has been there for over 50 years, and it probably will be still there in another 50 years. 

Big Spring Cafe

Big Spring Café

Huntsville, Madison County

This joint is on the original AL.com list of 22 (plus 35 submitted by the readers) Greasy Spoon Burger Joints in Alabama you have to visit before you die. 

This place is the epitome of a Southern Burger place, the embodiment of the Greasy Spoon concept, a joint in the pure sense of that meaning.

The building is located in a part of Huntsville that has clearly seen better days – although probably only for a short time. It is reminiscent of a single-wide trailer, with a tiny worn out gravel parking lot in front of it, and a weather beaten sign that lost all its colors except for beige.

On the inside, you are stepping into a world were grease is King and the smell alone would give any serious vegetarian an immediate heart attack. There is a counter with maybe a dozen chrome and red-leather bar stools, and if you don’t get a place right away, you just stand at the wall and patiently wait your turn. Which can easily happen anytime, because the place is usually packed come lunchtime. So I arrived shortly after they open at 10 in the morning and got a good seat in the middle of the counter. From there, I could easily observe how the cook would grab some beef out of a big plastic roll, form it into a burger patty, and place it on the sizzling griddle – all with his bare hands. Latex gloves are for health inspectors and sissys. In between patties, he cleans his hands on a towel that hangs from his pants pocket. Old style, truly old style.

I ordered two cheeseburgers all the way, which is a beef patty with cheese, lettuce, tomato, mustard, and mayonnaise, between a bun that is a bit crumbly, a little bit like a biscuit. The size of the burger resembles that of a slider, not of a Big Mac – but for under six bucks for two cheeseburgers and a bottle of Pepsi, one can easily afford an additional burger or two if so required.

The flavor of the burger is very typical, nothing special, and definitely awesome. The ingredients are all fresh, and there is enough grease involved to give the burger a delicious aroma.

And then there is the staff, which is extremely friendly and helpful. The whole joint is just old fashioned, very southern, and very original. This is were the locals go, and where they don’t mind strangers at all.