63 reader comments so far ↓

• 1 RH // Sep 21, 2009 at 4:56 pm

  OMG NOT ANOTHER <insert cuisine here> PLACE!!! THERE'S ALREADY SO MANY OF THOSE!!! WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS A <insert cuisine here> OR A <insert cuisine here> RESTAURANT!!!!1

• 2 Observant // Sep 21, 2009 at 5:08 pm

  Yeah, we needed another multi-state chain. Yawn.

• 3 gurple // Sep 21, 2009 at 5:21 pm

  Hey, guys, I think we all need to just calm down the hate and the knee-jerk reactions, and just try the place out. If it's good, go back. If it's not good, don't go back. Simple!

  So, you guys do that. Me, I'm not going near it because, honestly, another burger joint? Really? ;)

• 4 ballardrocksnow // Sep 21, 2009 at 5:21 pm

  Nothing. Nothing will ever get me to associate myself with the horror that is twitter.

• 5 NoraBell // Sep 21, 2009 at 5:23 pm

  OMG! A multi-state chain!
  So is Trader Joes. Get over it. Anywhere that let's me add favor to a veggie burger is okay with me.

• 6 59thandBlake // Sep 21, 2009 at 5:37 pm

  I thought new businesses, chain or not, and new jobs were a good thing to get out of the economic situation we are in?

• 7 gurple // Sep 21, 2009 at 5:40 pm

  That's a common misconception. Not many people know that, in actuality, whenever a chain store opens in a neighborhood, five toddlers are required to be summarily executed. State law.

• 8 Lars // Sep 21, 2009 at 6:05 pm

  A fine place to be sure, but why does West Seattle get this:

  http://www.swinerymeats.com/

  and we don't? Boo. Hiss.

• 9 Edog // Sep 21, 2009 at 6:17 pm

  Oh, crap, I thought it was six…. I let you call his mother and break the news. “Well the good news is we did not have to kill your son, the bad news is we already did.”

• 10 C W // Sep 21, 2009 at 6:31 pm

  priceless.

• 11 Ballardmom // Sep 21, 2009 at 7:42 pm

  Wow – that place in West Seattle does look neat! Bacon … yuuuuum.

  I don't know, I think this new burger places sounds kind of cool. I like the idea of getting to put tons of whatever on my burger – stuff I doubt I'd have on hand readily at my house. I like the whole “buffet” thing. Although anything with Twitter makes me cringe. But then Twitter is just an ugly reality of life now it seems like.

• 12 Ballardmom // Sep 21, 2009 at 7:46 pm

  Somebody's coffee machine was apparently broken this morning …

• 13 gooner // Sep 21, 2009 at 8:04 pm

  bacon is good for me

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGz9xSP_SA

• 14 NoraBell // Sep 21, 2009 at 8:17 pm

  With ya on Twitter. I'm hoping, though, specials and monthly burgers will also be on their web site.
  I shall never Tweet!

• 15 Balmont // Sep 21, 2009 at 8:59 pm

  Don't forget the puppies. They sacrifice puppies, too.

• 16 stopthebuzz // Sep 21, 2009 at 9:10 pm

  the really cool thing about Twitter is that it's an opt in kind of thing.

  don't like it? don't use it? But it would be silly of a business to not take advantage of every tool available to advertise. Especially the free ones.

  but then again, it wouldn't be myballard if someone didn't find something to complain about.

• 17 gurple // Sep 21, 2009 at 9:27 pm

  <pedant>
  No one shall. “Tweet” is the noun.
  </pedant>

• 18 NoraBell // Sep 21, 2009 at 9:45 pm

  Didn't I use it as the noun, Professor Gurple? :-)

• 19 Jason Bobcat Harrison // Sep 21, 2009 at 9:53 pm

  I think “Twat” is the past-participle.

• 20 shelterwood // Sep 21, 2009 at 10:01 pm

  Too funny.

• 21 NoraBell // Sep 21, 2009 at 10:09 pm

  Very funny. But I don't know any women who would put THAT word in writing.

• 22 angelatini // Sep 21, 2009 at 10:17 pm

  Twat. Sorry, I just had to.

• 23 ballardrocksnow // Sep 21, 2009 at 10:35 pm

  Then again, it wouldn't be my ballard if someone didn't state the obvious. No. There is no way to put “the really cool thing” and “twitter” in the same sentence…unless you watch Oprah.

• 24 ballardrocksnow // Sep 21, 2009 at 10:35 pm

  So is twatting a gerund?

• 25 Black_Sheep // Sep 21, 2009 at 10:52 pm

  Of COURSE it would be Angelatini. LOL

• 26 stopthebuzz // Sep 21, 2009 at 11:00 pm

  I see those as words and understand you're stringing them together to make sentences and yet you still make no sense at all.

• 27 outerballard // Sep 21, 2009 at 11:24 pm

  Had a great burger there. Excellent quality burgers. The meat was perfectly cooked, and the sides (onion rings and sweet potato fries) and other ingredients were all fresh and high quality. I thought the chocolate malt was a little too sweet, but thoroughly enjoyable.

• 28 ballardbystander // Sep 21, 2009 at 11:53 pm

  Thank you outerballard for actually contributing something useful to this post.

• 29 SeattleRichardson // Sep 22, 2009 at 12:55 am

  Ditto on the swinery, looks amazing!!! ….this cracked me up on their site:

  “FOIE GRAS: We carry it. It isn't local, it is from Hudson Valley, NY. Why? Because we love it and believe in it. And we are giving the finger to those who don't. By focusing hate on foie gras producers and chefs who serve it, protestors have effectively given permission for the cruelty that takes place in the rest of the meat industry. Our products are cruelty free… and we say this with a strait face. Hudson Valley is humane and sane way to raise ducks. We have been there, and seen it with our own eyes. When someone opens a local foie gras farm, we will switch, but we will always carry foie gras. Protestors are welcome to come any time, but we recommend Fridays… nothing sells the foie like some idiot with a bullhorn spouting things they have read on the internet. Anytime there are protestors, we start sampling free foie and sauternes…bring it.”

• 30 wendi1 // Sep 22, 2009 at 1:22 am

  Yes, thank you outerballard for posting your experience of the restaurant. This thread was funny at times, but really started feeling like the threads of the past when people insulted each other rather than focusing on the point of the original post. Ugh. Go somewhere else if all you feel like doing is insulting one another.

• 31 pants // Sep 22, 2009 at 2:10 am

  Those darn bike riders!

  Oh, sorry – wrong complaint.

• 32 mia // Sep 22, 2009 at 3:05 am

  This entire thread just about exemplifies everyhting I hate about living in Ballard.

• 33 Louise // Sep 22, 2009 at 3:50 am

  Mia, I agree :) 32 comments and one person has gone to the restaurant.

  I went tonight and had the veggie burger. I liked choosing my toppings and I appreciate that they make their own patties, but it was was falling apart and kind of mushy. $8.25 for the smallest 1/3 lb. burger is kind of pricey. But I will give them another shot.

• 34 kelleyra // Sep 22, 2009 at 6:10 am

  I so wanted to like it, but alas it sucked. It is really bad this new burger place. Overcooked burger, dry bun, no moisture, too thick. I'm sad about this, but it only validates that Lunchbox Labratory is the best place to get a burger. What's really sad is that it's the same price as a burger at LL, only not even comparable. Bah.

• 35 TomK // Sep 22, 2009 at 6:20 am

  If their burgers taste anything like they LOOK on their website…I don't think I'll ever eat there. They just don't look all that appetizing.

  I think I'll stick with LOCAL (and delicious) Lunchbox Laboratory, thank you very much.

• 36 gooner // Sep 22, 2009 at 7:02 am

  can some math geek please correct me where i am sure i am making an error. the whole 312k options is not impressive at all is it?

  if i am not mistaken, 9 factorial is already 362k but clearly there are more than 9 “yes/no's” on the menue.

  what am i doing wrong?

• 37 Buddy // Sep 22, 2009 at 2:36 pm

  I have a question for long time Ballard residents. Does anyone remember the name of the restaurant that was once at the Blockbuster location on 15th and 60th? This was around 15-20 years ago……..thanks.

• 38 angelatini // Sep 22, 2009 at 3:02 pm

  Well, DUH, BlackSheep! hahaha

• 39 59thandBlake // Sep 22, 2009 at 3:39 pm

  The only restaurants I remember were Jacks and Godfather's Pizza

• 40 NoraBell // Sep 22, 2009 at 4:18 pm

  I think Godfather's used to be where the US Bank is now.

• 41 stopthebuzz // Sep 22, 2009 at 4:19 pm

  That's the internet. Not Ballard. But really, you should leave if you hate it.

• 42 Lars // Sep 22, 2009 at 4:21 pm

  Don't hate Ballard, hate these comment sections on blogs. I think this blog would be better served by disabling the comment feature and sending all discussion to the forum section.

  That being said, bring Ballard the Swinery!

• 43 Robert // Sep 22, 2009 at 4:23 pm

  Was it Skippers? I remember one of them somewhere around there, back when there was one of every fast-food franchise in that area.

• 44 gurple // Sep 22, 2009 at 4:44 pm

  Seriously. If all you absolute cretins can do is sit around flinging poo at each other like the base animals you all clearly are, then clearly you don't belong here and you should really get your ugly butt out of… wait, sorry, why am I posting this?

• 45 gurple // Sep 22, 2009 at 4:45 pm

  I'm legitimately curious, Lars… why did you come to the comment section, right here, and post about how there shouldn't be a comment section?

• 46 gurple // Sep 22, 2009 at 4:48 pm

  Pickles and roasted red peppers both wink out of existence when placed on the same burger, to spare the universe the abomination. You get that kind of problem a lot more than you might think. It's hell for keeping up your inventory, if you're not careful.

• 47 stopthebuzz // Sep 22, 2009 at 5:05 pm

  If you want restaurant reviews: yelp.com or the restaurant section of this website. Sniping and trolling is the way of the internet. The more you comment on it, the more it'll happen.

• 48 ZephyrV2 // Sep 22, 2009 at 5:26 pm

  I thought Skippers was where Ballard Bros. now is.

• 49 NoraBell // Sep 22, 2009 at 5:38 pm

  I think you're right.

• 50 Lars // Sep 22, 2009 at 6:19 pm

  I know, it's a terrible thing. But I find these comments to be addicting. It's a cry for help:)

  Honestly, don't we have jobs? If we don't, it's a beautiful day out. Must stop commenting………

• 51 mag98199 // Sep 22, 2009 at 7:25 pm

  Country Kitchen?

• 52 Dee // Sep 22, 2009 at 7:32 pm

  I think that Counter Burger is fun because, like you said, the topping and sauce choices include stuff that I might not have on hand at home. I have only had the turkey burger there so far and it was a total meal in itself. Yum! Will try the vegie burger next because the 12 vegie ingredients of it intrigues me…has anyone on this post tried it yet?……..I'm curious.

• 53 Fonteeni // Sep 22, 2009 at 8:30 pm

  I was wondering when those folks would resurface.

  But reading their website was a bit painful. They need to buy a few commas.

• 54 Fonteeni // Sep 22, 2009 at 8:40 pm

  I think Mag is right. If it wasn't a Country Kitchen, it was one just like it.

• 55 GTS // Sep 23, 2009 at 12:38 am

  And there was Farmer Dan's run by Dany Mitchell (aka Papa Mitchelli) in about 1992-3

• 56 gtotherady // Sep 23, 2009 at 3:23 am

  The use of just n! is only for permutations, which are an ordered set of elements. In other words, you are counting a burger where you first put on pickles and THEN put on roasted peppers as different from a burger where you first put on roasted peppers and THEN add pickles. Seems like the same burger to me, unless you have an incredibly sensitive tongue.

  You are instead looking for combinations — an unordered collection of distinct elements. The formula for the number of distinct combinations of size k (the number of toppings I can choose) from an overall set of size n (the total number of available toppings) is (n!/(k! * (n-k)!)).

  hope that helps :)

• 57 gooner // Sep 23, 2009 at 3:26 am

  i knew i was wrong, but couldn't figure out how…. and i knew someone out there knew why. thanks.

  can you finish your equation and deduce how many ingredients they have then to create that number of combinations?

• 58 angelatini // Sep 23, 2009 at 3:41 pm

  Skippers WAS where Ballard Bros currently is…just as confirmation. :)

• 59 Kat // Sep 23, 2009 at 9:06 pm

  Jacks. It was an american fare sit down restaurant. It was the best! Their milkshakes were so good! I miss that place!

• 60 zdw // Sep 23, 2009 at 9:22 pm

  I went on Saturday night for their soft opening, just for something to do (plus it was free..can't beat that) and I enjoyed it. I like being able to have a large number choices, since I am kind of picky about what I want on a burger. The burger was decent enough, but the fried pickles and sweet potato fries were definitely the stars of the show, and the guys I went with agreed. I guess I'd say I would go back again, it wasn't bad, our server/bartender was awesome, but overall it wasn't my favorite. The Spinach Chicken burger at Hamburger Harry's beat my Mushroom Swiss from Counter hands down, and I have yet to try Lunchbox Lab. I'd go back for the apps, and drinks, since it's right by my work, but that's probably it.

• 61 kim // Sep 23, 2009 at 9:23 pm

  everyone has their opinion. i wouldn't necessarily call it complaining, just a personal opinion.

• 62 dewey206 // Sep 24, 2009 at 8:14 pm

  Tried it. Bland burgers; cold, corporate atmosphere. Don't plan on going back.

  The strawberry shake was good, though.

• 63 Jack Tar // Sep 26, 2009 at 8:22 pm

  Great food, good service, to expensive.

Leave a Comment (read our comment rules)