Van's: Can a burger be pretty?

Since, I have decided to dedicate my blog content to all things pretty and today I want to talk about Van's Burger, I have to contemplate what makes a Van's burger pretty. For those of you who haven't been to Van's, it is two little drive through stands out on Yelm Highway in Olympia. They are only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and only for part of the year. They have an absolute cult following and it is not unheard of to wait 45 minutes to get a hot burger and creamy shake. This is also the place of hand dipped corn dog legend. See my blog post from last year.

One of the things I like about Van's is the venue. The cute little "huts" are right by a driving range and after you get your burger you can pull your car up and watch people shank balls. They also have some kids toys that I am quite certain were the product of a mid-nineties, late-night heist at Burger King. (Think Hamburglar.) Pretty might be a stretch, but Van's is darn cute.



Another pretty thing at Van's is the burgers. I went out on a limb and forewent my beloved corn dog to give the burgers a shot. Crisp lettuce, a fluffy bun, and that unidentifiable milky pink sauce made for an eye-appealing meal. And tasty too! They even gave me a complimentary half order of fries. (I was trying to be good and didn't order them, I swear. Of course, I ate them. Children in China are starving.)



There are lots of pretty things about Van's from the people to the food to the place. But my favorite thing is the "puppy patties." They save their extra burger and cook it up for your dog. How cute is that? This is Dolce patiently waiting to eat his. Quite pretty, if I do say so myself.

Can a burger be pretty, you ask? When you head to Van's it can. And supporting local businesses is pretty awesome. Hope to see you there!

Van's Burger (But more importantly, the corn dog)

It is Sunday morning. It is raining outside. Yesterday, I wanted to go to Van's Burger for a corn dog and a milkshake. (For those of you who have never been to Van's, it is like eating bliss on a stick or a bun, depending on whether you go for the hand dipped corn dogs or the never frozen hamburgers.) Van's has weird hours. And they are only open seasonally. I didn't have time to go yesterday, because I had an afternoon trunk show, but I was pretty confident they were open on Sundays, and I would be able to get my hand dipped corn dog and fresh hot fudge banana shake fix on the sabbath.

I have been drooling about it since last night. We went to a fun auction with mediocre food. I drooled about it then. I came home and had a fig newton and a chai. I drooled about it then. And I woke up this morning wondering if I could forego breakfast so I could add the tater tots to my corn dog/milkshake "breakfast" order.

6 Par Farmer was so kind to set up my wireless internet yesterday. (I am a tech idiot.) So I decided I would grab the laptop and check Van's hours to see what time I needed to arrive to be the first in line to get my delicious "breakfast." Van's is closing for the winter next week and we are heading to Scottsdale, so this is my very last opportunity to enjoy this unbelievable, calorie laden delight. So, I get on the computer, but as per usual, I have to look at Rue La La, Gilt Groupe, Ideeli, Facebook, and Gmail before I can possibly do anything else. (I figure I have time, because the earliest I can imagine Van's Burger being open is 10:30.)

I finally logged on to check Van's hours. And a bomb is dropped. Not like a little cherry bomb. We are talking Hiroshima up in here. Van's is not open on Sunday. WTF! No corn dog? No hand dipped shake? No tater tots? I almost started to cry. Then my lovely boyfriend, 6 Par Farmer informed me that the burger he had yesterday at Van's (insert profanity) was quite delicious. They put just the right amount of special sauce and it was cooked to perfection. I quickly looked for a blunt object.

So to the millions of people who read my blog religiously everyday, you now know, Van's is not open on Sundays. I hope I can prevent you from feeling the same earth shattering disappointment I felt on this rainy Sunday. You also know, 6 Par Farmer has no heart. (6 Par Farmer says he does have a heart, he just likes burgers. Mmmm.) I will be eating something with much fewer calories this morning. It will be much less satisfying. Next year Van's corn dog. Next year.

http://www.vansburger.com