12:04 pm Eating Out: Hampton restaurant ‘wows’ with burger focus
Burger fans should be pleased to discover a new establishment in Hampton that caters to their favorite food. Wow! Whattaburger (wow! whatta name for a restaurant) has been open for business since August of 2011.
The eatery is located in a building that has housed several restaurants in recent years, but is still known to many locals as the old 7-Eleven. The interior of the restaurant has been given an attractive makeover and looks bright and inviting. With yellow-ochre walls and sheer white fabric over the windows, the dining area is more airy and welcoming. Seating is available at booths and tables draped with white vinyl coverings. There’s also a small lunch counter equipped with several stools. The dining area also features a wall devoted to University of Tennessee memorabilia, including hangings and framed art. There’s also a piece of art bearing the likeness of John “The Duke” Wayne as well as a poster of NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. From just about any seat in the house, patrons can also see burgers and other items being prepared on the restaurant’s large grill.
The menu at Wow! Whattaburger is tightly focused on burgers, but it also includes hot dogs and sandwiches, including Grilled Chicken, Philly Steak and Cheese, Club, BLT and Bologna and Cheese. The menu also offers a few dinner plates, including Hamburger Steak, Grilled Chicken Breast, Chicken Tenders, a Vegetable Plate and Soup Beans with Cornbread. There’s also usually a daily special.
I paid a visit to the restaurant on a Saturday afternoon with my parents and a friend. We were invited to take our choice of seating, and a server soon arrived to take our drink orders and deliver some menus.
The menu cover, just below the restaurant’s name, includes the claim “Home of the Largest Burger in the County.” While I can’t confirm the claim, I can attest that these burgers indeed dwarf those that would be available at local fast-food establishments. The restaurant offers two different sizes of patties — a three-quarter-pound patty and a half-pound patty. The menu describes the patties as Certified Angus Beef, never frozen, hand-patted and seasoned before being grilled. All burgers come with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and onion.
There’s not a selection of various burgers. Rather, patrons can select a range of toppings for various extra costs. To customize your own burger, choose from such extras as cheese, chili, bacon and grilled mushrooms.
Wanting the full “wow” of the experience, I chose the three-fourth pound burger. I added cheese but otherwise let the lettuce, tomato, onion and mayonnaise suffice as toppings for my burger.
My friend decided to try the Philly Steak and Cheese, which came with a recommendation by the server. My mother chose the Grilled Cajun Chicken Sandwich while my father followed my example and chose the large burger.
Side dishes can be paired with burgers and sandwiches for an extra charge. I paired my burger with a large order of Onion Rings. My friend chose Chili-Cheese Fries, while my parents chose small orders of French Fries. Other sides available on most days include Green Beans, Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw and Mashed Potatoes.
We didn’t have a long wait for our burgers and sandwiches. I admit to being impressed by the size of my burger. Better yet, it had also been seasoned well and tasted firm and flavorful. The only trouble was that, despite a two-handed approach, the burger and toppings kept trying to slide out of the bun.
I got to sample bites of the Cajun Chicken and Philly Steak sandwiches as well. I enjoyed the grilled chicken, which had been seasoned with some zesty Cajun spices, as well as the Philly Steak and Cheese, a generous mound of grilled beef steak served on a hoagie roll smothered with provolone cheese, grilled peppers and onions.
There are no desserts listed on the menu, but I doubted my capacity to add on a sweet after tackling this hearty lunch.
The burgers at Wow! Whattaburger aren’t gourmet or fancy. They’re solid, old-fashioned hamburgers, grilled to order, and served with some traditional sides.
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AT A GLANCE: Wow! Whattaburger, corner of Highway 321 and First Avenue, Hampton. 725-2828. Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Menu items $7.99 and under. Credit cards accepted. Carryout available.
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