Burger Hut - Forest Ave — Restaurant in Chico

I have been going to Burger Hut for nearly 30 years, and, until recently, it was great. Sadly, I would recommend almost any place in Chico as a better choice for burgers now.

We were really hungry after swimming this week, so we ordered a medium size order of fries. The fries portion has always been legendary at Burger Hut! When the fries were delivered to our table, the order consisted of a less than half-full basket of fries that were not even hot. And the price, $7.89. EIGHT bucks for a meager order of warmish fries?! That's absurd.

I asked for my burger to be "lettuce wrap" style, without a bun. The lettuce was so incredibly wilted and meager. I mean, it's almost as if the employees did this as a joke. Take a look at the picture!

We asked for one burger to be cooked well done. Guess what? It arrived sorta medium, pinkish.

We also noted that the floors were pretty dirty - lots of little bits of trash, food, etc. throughout the place. The condiment bar - formerly pristine with fresh, cold produce - was a mess, too.

Lastly, there were no hours posted, but they were open at 6:15pm when we arrived. We got our food in about 10 minutes and prepped our burgers from the condiment bar by maybe 6:30 or 6:35. I went back for more onions at 6:40, and the condiment bar was completed emptied, cleaned up, closed. I asked what time they closed - again, no hours posted anywhere now - and they told me 7:00. So you close the condiments down 20 minutes before the actual closing hours?

The last straw? 3 burgers + 3 sodas + 1 "medium" order of fries? Over...

I remember the great fresh taste of old Burger Hut. I remember their patties, thick juicy patties. The beef taste as if they ground the hamburger fresh that day. I remember the lettuce crisp as if plucked from their secret vegetable garden. They must have grew their tomatoes their also. The employees felt like family. It was in this place I first tasted pickle relish. It was a love that would follow me for the rest of my life. My entire family felt the heartbreak of learning Burger But was changing their meat. We, along with other local families, refused to eat there again. Boy where we wrong.

The family feel is still there, though the smiling faces have changed. The burger, while it isn't thick and juicy like before, still delighted my palate with a dance of flavorful beefy juice. It was the size of my bun and paired well with my relish. Yes they still had the impeccable vegetables. The magical green leafy lettuce that danced in the garden with the tomatoes. My pickles burst with delight as they found a happy place in the red delicate tomato. The cheddar cheese was melted perfectly holding the perfect dollop of barbeque sauce against the patty. The fries, again I knew they were once frozen, held the perfect crisp as I dipped it in time. The fry sauce hadn't change during all those years of boycotting. As I left, thoroughly encapsed in my taste journey, I thought "I just rekindled an old flame." Thank...

It used to be a go to for my wife and I as well as the kiddos. Unfortunately, a regular hamburger and fries cost 16.00 now. The hamburgers are competent and at the once reasonable price of 8.95, one wouldn't complain about their mediocrity. I know inflation is hitting everyone hard right now, but I could go around the corner to In-and-Out (similar style burger) and pay half the price for a similarly mediocre meal.

The two stars are in regards to the music played on the overhead while waiting, as well as inside the restaurant. With all my kids in tow, our ears were subject to obnoxious profanity ridden music. The venue's cleanliness has gone downhill in the last ten years (its decline began right around the same time the dialysis clinic went in next door.)

My recommendation, go around the corner to the Handlebar on 20th x Norte Dame. Better food at more reasonable prices. Sad to see Chico icons like Burger...