Road Tripping
While visiting Tampa, FL, this weekend for the Chicago Bears v. Tampa Buccaneers game, one of the top activities on my to-do list was to dine at Wahlburgers. The LA location hasn’t opened yet, but I’ve been dying to get my hands on one of their burgers for quite a few reasons: 1) I have watched all six seasons of A&E’s Wahlburgers (season 7 premiered on 11/16/16). 2) Burgers are usually pretty easily adjusted to meet my food allergy needs. 3) On television, their burgers look like heaven in a bun.
Because the closest Wahlburgers location was in Orlando, my mom and I set out on an 88-mile journey to burgers. Yep, we happily drove 88 miles for this! To be honest, I was slightly nervous because any time I am really excited about dining somewhere new, it rarely lives up to the expectations and hype surrounding it, but Wahlburgers exceeded my expectations. And, trust me, I am not saying this just because I admire their sense of family and the empire that they’ve built.
As soon as you walk through the doors of the restaurant, you are immediately greeted by a pleasant host. One of the cool things about Wahlburgers that many other nicer fast food chains lack is that there are three dining options — you can either dine at the bar, have table service, or go to the counter to order and then sit in a self-service area. We chose full service because obviously I wanted the total experience.
As soon as we sat down at the table, we were greeted by a very friendly waiter. When ordering, I explained my food allergies, and he didn’t even flinch (most waiters do). He attentively took the information and ensured me that they would be careful when making my meal. I ordered Dad’s Basic Burger, which consists of a ⅓ lb. burger, onions, chef Paul Wahlberg’s signature wahl sauce, and housemade pickles. I wasn’t able to partake in the wahl sauce due to my food allergies, but I was able to adjust the burger to my liking. I added caramelized onions, “government cheese,” and extra pickles. I also ordered a side of the Yukon Gold fries.
I wouldn’t consider myself a burger enthusiast like some people, but this one is definitely at the top of my list. One of the added benefits of Wahlburgers is that all of the ingredients are fresh and high-quality, so that certainly helped in making this meal memorable. It was so good in fact that my mom and I went back to Wahlburgers, with my dad, the day we were flying out. Yep, we drove 88 miles AGAIN. So, if you’re near a Wahlburgers or simply feel like taking a road trip, check it out!
