July 2004

Served on an evenly toasted onion roll, the Whale's burger was medium-rare--pink throughout with a thin strip of cool red beef at its center. But the patty was rubbery from being too firmly packed and contained a lot of gristle. It had a good beefy flavor and some juice, but not the amount one would expect from a patty made from USDA Choice beef. A second burger, sampled two weeks later, was also perfectly cooked but similarly marred by gristle.

At both meals, the Whale's thin fries were fresh from the frier, generously salted, and deliciously crisp.