Adults of my generation
lament that what separates McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's from the
hamburger chains with which we grew up is certainly not a superior
product. It doesn't take much to figure out that the "big
three" sit atop the lofty burger throne because of aggressive
product innovation and clever marketing that captured the young
demographic.
The big burger threesome (big five if you include
Burger Chef and Tastee Freez) of my generation--A&W, Bob's Big Boy
and Griff's Burger Bar--certainly serve (or served) a better burger by
far.
In the Southwest,
A&W appears to have been relegated to sharing space with Long John
Silver's. Bob's Big Boy is but an enigmatic smile triggered when
you drive by JB's Family Restaurant and remember when that restaurant
space was claimed by the Big Boy. Of the aforementioned
triumvirate of my youth, only the anachronistic Griff's remains, albeit
no longer a gigantic franchise but still serving giant burgers.
At one time, the
Griff's Burger Bar chain was mentioned in the same breath as McDonald's.
The interstate chain owned by the Griffiths family had outposts from
Louisiana to Arizona and was entrenched in some Midwestern states.
While McDonald's had the famous and familiar golden arches, Griff's
trademarks were a steep A-framed architecture with a yellow sign
screaming the word "hamburgers" just above a smaller sign
displaying a cursive-style "Griff's" with a star dotting the
"i."
Alas, while McDonald's
innovated, Griff's stayed pat (make that burger patty) and today, very
few Griff's restaurants dot the fruited plains. Albuquerque once
had two Griff's restaurants (that I know of) with one still going strong
in a Central Avenue location that has been discovered by patrons of all
generations.
Having been stationed
at Kirtland Air Force base in the early 80s meant close proximity to
Griff's giant burgers described as "the size of a table."
In the 80s, you could drive up and pay one buck for four nice-sized
burgers. Inflation has affected not only Griff's, but my once
svelte waistline. Today, a giant green chile cheeseburger will
cost you more than three dollars, but it's still a bargain at that
price.
Griff's giant
cheeseburgers are invariably well-seasoned and always prepared to order
with a mayonnaise base, fresh tomatoes, lettuce and the perfect relish
complement to any other ingredients you may choose.
Each
burger is prepared to order.
Green chile
for your burgers is available in mild and a hot variety that might make
you wish your tongue was coated with asbestos unless you're used to the
hot stuff....and it appears most patrons are. On occasion Griff's
has been known to run out of the hot chile. Offers to substitute
with chopped jalapenos are usually rebuffed.
An Air Force friend of
mine whose legal name should be "Macho" used to chide his male
friends for using straws. With Griff's sizable (32 and 44 ounce)
shakes, you might not have the lung power to suck up the thick, cold
shakes through a straw. Griff's shakes are exceedingly sweet,
but served cold and will cool you off on a sweltering summer day.
There's nothing remarkable about Griff's
French fries, but the onion rings are terrific. They're fried to a
golden hue and when you bit into them, you'll actually bite into sweet,
tasty onion, not excess fried batter.
If budget matters and
you want a great tasting burger, your money certainly goes a long way
here and your taste buds will thank you.
