Chuckles Restaurant

Perhaps we’ve been dining at a different class of restaurant because we haven’t noticed too many covered tables at lunch recently. But when we strolled into Chuckles Restaurant for a business lunch, the fabric tablecloths and place mats were the first thing we noticed. It’s definitely a nice touch.

But we quickly put aesthetics aside because we were hungry. Having been told by previous diners that Chuckles served the world’s best hamburgers, that’s exactly what we opted for. Despite our gourmand tastes (some people call us finicky), we weren’t disappointed.

The burgers came on toasted buns, served with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions on the side. We chose the fries as our side dish (burger and fries together sell for $5) and what a whopping serving we got. And these fries were hot, right out of the delicious (and, we’re sure, so healthful) hot grease. None of those soggy, heated-over – or, worse yet, cold – fries that so often show up on our plates.

But then, we digress from the burgers, which, indeed, were delicious – the closest we’ve ever gotten in a restaurant to those that we grill for ourselves over the coals at home. We’ve long suspected that restaurants (and school cafeterias) usually serve “mystery meat” instead of top-grade ground beef. The only mystery here is, if Chuckles can do it right, why can’t other restaurants?

Afterwards we lingered long enough to sample the strawberry cheesecake. Despite our success with the main part of the meal, we were hesitant when the cake was served. We expected the usual fluffy, white filling topped by a couple of berries. In this case, the filling was flatter and brown seemed to be the most prevalent color on the plate – perhaps because the graham cracker crust was so thick.

But not to worry. The cheesecake was every bit as good as the burgers and fries – and, at $2.50 a generous slice, a comparative bargain compared with other establishments.

One more note about the restaurant itself. Long-time residents may remember that the building for years housed Gage Liquor, the city’s lone independent spirit shop. Gage Liquor is gone now, and the building has been expanded. Yet touches of those earlier days remain – block walls and sheet metal are visible at various points.

Still, Chuckles is comfortable and, so long as it’s dishing up delectable lunchtime meals, it’ll surely be a success.