Posted By Erika Gasser & Jon Barber
on
2/25/2008 4:09:00 PM
In a town with many good burger joints, Ford’s stands out. The building itself is little more than a concrete square surrounded by fencing, with a somewhat-glassed-in seating area to protect diners from weather. The menu, though, shows a great deal of care, and during a recent visit we could barely contain our enthusiasm. “It’s like they’ve never seen French fries before,” an elderly customer commented as we snapped our pictures.
The burgers are Ford’s highlight, and for good reason. The patties are thick and hand-packed, and customers may order them from rare to well-done if they choose, and in sizes ranging from the “baby” at three ounces to the one-pound “football.” There are five types of cheese (Cheddar, Swiss, Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack and American), and unless requested otherwise, burgers come with shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, and a homemade sauce described as “like Thousand Island dressing without the pickles.” The cheeseburger with Ortega chile is lovely, as the piquant sauce combines with the sharp onion and smoky pepper. The bacon cheddar burger with grilled mushrooms (no sauce) keeps its crunch even after the cheese melts into all other components. When they first arrive, the cheese on Ford’s burgers is not melted; this may bother some customers, but we appreciate the fact that the cheese seems freshly (or at least recently) sliced, and that as a consequence one can really taste its presence.
Side dishes at Ford’s deserve attention as well. In addition to having their skins, which we like, the fries appear to be freshly cut. With some additional seasoning, they are a very tasty addition to the meal. Ford’s onion rings are encased in a golden brown batter, and most importantly they come with a side of house-made sauce for dipping. This sauce definitely involves mayonnaise, a lot of chili powder, and cumin, and is good enough to make even the mayonnaise-frowner among us completely smitten. The sauce leaves a pleasant burn on the lips, and helps perk up everything from the rings to the fries and stray pieces of burger. The chocolate milkshake, scraped reluctantly from its tall silver glass, is thick and sweetly delicious.
At a recent Saturday lunch hour, Ford’s was busy with clientele of all ages. While Ford’s is not the cheapest burger in town, it’s a local business that turns out an excellent rendition of the classic American meal.
