A Trip to Krazy Jim's That was Intimidating, and Delicious

I mentioned in my Monday blog a burger joint my father and I went to. Today, I am going to talk about that spot.

When I went to Ann Arbor the first time, over a decade ago, we watched a show on the Food Network, and they showed this burger spot in Ann Arbor called Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger. The burgers looked great, and we tried it out. I thought, back then, it was pretty solid. Well, like I have mentioned many times so far this week, I was documenting and soaking in all Ann Arbor Michigan has to offer. We went to Krazy Jim's on game day, about 3 hours prior. When we got there, the line was already starting to get pretty long. We were in the restaurant, but we were closer to the door than the grill. That is always a good sign. We waited, I took a phone call, we talked to other patrons and barely moved in line. But, this was all anticipation building. I was still very excited to fully embrace and enjoy my experience this time around.

We finally made our way to the first spot that you order, the fries/onion rings/fried veggie spot. Now, for those that don't know, Krazy Jim's has a famous story where you need to know how to order correctly, or you get razzed. You better believe that I was practicing this in my head the whole time. So, we got to the fried spot and the kid behind the counter asked an odd question to me. Before I could blurt out my order, he asked who was paying, between my father and I. My dad raised his hand and the kid told him to go behind me. I was confused, but as I thought about it, it made sense. At Krazy Jim's you cannot save seats and your whole party has to be with you when you order. So, they needed my dad behind me so I wouldn't go try and steal a seat or anything. When we got correct in line, I ordered a large fried veggies for my dad and I to share. I remember and have heard since that the fried veggies are far superior to the fires, which are also great. So, we got the veggies ordered, and moved to the next stop, ordering your burger.

This is where you have to be on point. The burgers are on the smaller end, and they smash them on the grill. This means you can order a single, 1 burger, double, 2, triple, 3, quad, 4 and quint, 5. Last time we went I got a quint and I felt sick all night. It wasn't the burger, it was the amount. So this time I got a triple. That's the thing, you need to know how many burgers you want, what grilled items, they have a board that lists them all while you wait in line, the kind of bun you want, and if you want cheese. I, credit due to myself, got it right on the first shot. I ordered my triple on a pumpernickel bun with grilled bacon and onions and cheddar cheese. The grill cook even gave me kudos. My dad got a special, and he ordered his perfectly as well. We both nailed it.

We then got to the register, where the last person puts any condiments you want, and any dips for fries or veggies and then charges your order. When we got to the front, the cashier asked again if my dad was paying, he said yes, and the employee told me "you are free to go". I loved this.

My dad and I retired to an open table and sat down to enjoy our burgers, and they were wonderful. The burgers themselves are small, but they pack a major punch. There is something about burgers being cooked on a flat top that make them so much better, and at Krazy Jim's, they are second to none. The grilled onions were perfectly cooked. They were still a little crunchy, but they had that excellent grease to them. The bacon was exactly how I like it. It was flat, crispy on the outside and had a little chew on the inside. I got ketchup and mustard, which is the best condiments one can get on a burger in my opinion. The bun, pumpernickel, was the second best bread I have ever had, Zingerman's was better. It was a great compliment to the burger I ordered. It was great. I took it down in about 15 minutes, "taking my time", this time around. The fired veggies were also top notch. There was cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini and onion rings. They were so, so, so good. They had a slight amount of breading, which I appreciate and the bowl was plentiful. The broccoli was my favorite. I dipped them in some ranch, and I couldn't have been happier with my order. My dad's special burger was also a triple, and it had their homemade chili in it. The chili was dynamite. They did something I have never seen before, and that was top the chili with fresh tomatoes. It sound small, but it was excellent. It took the chili to a whole other level.

This meal, while not as great as Zingerman's, was a very close second. The burger was the perfect game day food. The veggies are the best fried veggies I have ever eaten. And the atmosphere was great. Krazy Jim's is one of the best burger joints around. It is one of the best burger places I have ever been to. Between Krazy Jim's and Zingerman's, Ann Arbor has a lock on some of the best food in the country. Kudos to Krazy Jim's. This time around I wanted to remember my experience, and I'm so glad I did it. It was awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty believes in the need of pure order when someone is in line at a restaurant. When he is at McDonald’s and someone orders a Whopper, Ty wants that person put in jail for a long, long time.

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