White Hut - West Springfield, MA

Posted By Michael Stern on February 20, 2010 9:31 PM

There are not a lot of different choices available from the White Hut's brash, open kitchen, but the two for which it is known are unbeatable: cheeseburgers and hot dogs.

The cheeseburger is a modest-sized patty cooked through on a grill and sandwiched in a tender white bun. It is a likeable lunch-counter burger, but what puts it in a class by itself is grilled onions. Look at the grill, next to the frying beef patties and there you see a hill of onions cooked until soft and limp and caramel-sweet. Heaped atop the cheeseburger, they complete a simple but perfect study in burger excellence.

The hot dogs are exemplary, too. Sizzled on the grill alongside the hamburgers, they are medium-sized tube steaks that blossom under a mantle of mustard, relish, and raw onions (applied by the waitress, as you specify); and they are served in a bun that is soft on the inside, but buttered and toasted to a luxurious golden brown on the outside.

Seating inside is limited to a few counter stools; but there is plenty of standing room at a counter that runs around the back of the room, as well as at a broad metal table where the lunch crowd can gather and scarf down weenies by twos and threes.

When finished with this fine feast, walk over to the cash register at the far end of the counter, tell the man what you ate, and he charges you accordingly. It is truly fast food: you can be in and out, and well-fed, in less than five minutes.

Overall Rating

cheeseburger with onions

hot dog

French Fries

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Posted By Stephen Rushmore on April 27, 2005 10:58 PM

When traveling on Interstate 91 through Springfield, MA be sure to stop at the quickest hot dog and burger joint off the highway. The White Hut’s setup ensures a fast and fresh eating experience. The small counter hosts a dozen stools and nearby is a metallic kitchen table to supplement the overage to customers who wish to eat while standing. A friendly sign posted above the counter also reminds people not to read newspapers between 12-2 PM to keep the flow moving. Count on being off and on the highway in 20 minutes flat.

To order, just take a look at the sizzling griddle behind the counter: decide if you fancy a burger or a hot dog and then let the staff know your topping preferences. Don’t look for a menu because the White Hut only servers burgers, dogs and fries. The classic is a cheeseburger (or two) with grilled onions—and if you order a hamburger, the staff will always ask if “you want cheese on that.”

The hamburger is a small, thin and juicy patty served on a butter toasted bun. Be sure to order a cheeseburger with cooked onions. The sweet and soft onions are cooked slowly in a large heap and seem to melt into anything they touch. Combine that with melted cheese and you have a gooey sandwich in your hands. The hotdogs are initially fried and then grilled for a few minutes before served on a New England style buttered bun.

Overall Rating

cheeseburger with onions

hot dog

French Fries

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Posted By Lianna Mika on June 11, 2013 8:38 PM

Everyone I know will make a trip here from anywhere in Western Mass. I love this place. My sister loves their burgers with onions.

Overall Rating

cheeseburger with onions

hot dog

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Posted By Mark on August 29, 2011 2:37 PM

I love this place. It looks like it hasn't changed since it opened in 1939. I stop for a cheeseburger or two with grilled onions whenever I am in the area. Its extensive menu consists of hamburgers and hot dogs. Be sure to ask for those grilled onions.

Overall Rating

cheeseburger with onions

French Fries

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Posted By Mark Evans on January 24, 2011 3:28 AM

While attending a motorcycle show at the Big E, we stayed at a local hotel. On the way to the show Saturday morning, we stopped at the White Hut for breakfast. There is no menu and the only sign posted said "no $100 dollar bills".
You can have eggs, omlettes ,bacon, sausage, ham, toast or rolls, homefries, hamburgers or hot dogs. I'm eating low carb so I ordered 2 double cheeseburgers with onions. I loved them. Done in a few minutes and very tasty.
My companion had a western omlette with bacon, also very good and fast.
It gets busy very quickly but the grill hardly backs up.

Overall Rating

cheeseburger with onions

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Posted By Dave Logan on June 26, 2010 11:40 PM

I currently live in Cebu City, Philippines but before moving here I was visiting my brother from Amherst, MA and he took me to the White Hut in Springfield. I have been a cook in my past and I never had so much fun as I did at White Hut. The burgers were fantastic and I only wish there was a place like that over here in the Philippines. If you ever have "dreams" of expanding out of the US let me know, I would love to promote the "White Hut" menu here!!!! The burgers had a wonderful flavor especially with the fried onions and I want you to know I have a photo of the folks behind the counter frying the burgers as my desktop background so I can see it 24/7!.... Thanks, Dave Logan

Overall Rating

cheeseburger with onions

hot dog

French Fries

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Posted By John Joyce on August 28, 2007 8:24 PM

My wife and I were heading from our suburban Boston home to my in-laws in upstate New York on a recent Saturday. Not wanting to stop for fast food at a rest area, we decided to find some Roadfood along the way. We chose the White Hut based solely on my knowledge of it from Roadfood.com. After sitting in some horrible traffic on the Mass Pike, we finally got to Springfield. And as noted in previous reviews, we were back on the highway in 20 minutes.

We got to White Hut about 2pm. The stools at the counter were all full, but there were no other patrons. Within a minute, we each had a hot dog in-hand. Deliciously buttered and toasted roll, basic yellow mustard, and a dog hot off the grill. Those dogs went down very quickly. A couple minutes later, we had our cheeseburgers in front of us. Hot off the grill, with those delicious grilled onions and a little mustard & ketchup. Not a huge burger, but that's OK with us, as it was delicious. I could've eaten three more, but with a huge family gathering with a ton of food looming in a few hours, I opted not to stuff my belly.

Two dogs, two cheeseburgers, two bottles of Stewart's Root Beer and a small bag of chips: $12.60. Worth every penny and worth enduring that ugly traffic jam.

Overall Rating

cheeseburger with onions

hot dog

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