Wild Willy’s in “Wistah”

I realize this won’t help the more far flung folks who read this blog, but if you live anywhere near Worcester, Massachusetts you are in luck. Recently, Jeff of Wormtowm Taxi waxed rhapsodic about a new burger joint in Worcester called Wild Willy’s. He and his wife Kathy of Stitches & Samplers both raved about the burgers and the fried sides at this small chain of restaurants. Since we’ve been on the hunt for a really good burger around here, we had to check it out.

We went this evening about quarter of seven. The parking lot was way too small to handle the crowd, even though inside there was still plenty of seating. The line to place your order was long, but moved very quickly. Chuck and I each ordered the “Bubba BBQ Burger”. With Jeff and Kathy’s endorsement we also ordered a small order of fries and a small order of onion rings. Once Chuck spotted the “Steak Chili” he had to give it a whirl. Our order placed, we were given an oversized playing card. We took it to an available (and clean) booth by a bank of windows and placed the card in a holder on the table. This allowed the staff to find us easily and deliver our order to the table. Wild Willy’s cooks everything to order and proudly states that theirs is not a “fast food” restaurant. But it didn’t take long for the food and drinks to arrive.

The burgers did not disappoint! Chuck ordered his medium and it arrived with just the right amount of pink in the center. I ordered my burger well done, which in many restaurants is considered an insult to the cook and therefore can be difficult to get one prepared correctly - not tonight! The burger was well done, still juicy and very tender! Both burgers had just the right amount of char on them and were very flavorful. The buns were grilled, but a little too white bread for me. (I’m still hooked on the sourdough rolls up at Geddy’s in Bar Harbor, Maine.) The fries were tasty. I had hoped for something more akin to the legendary Al’s French Frys in South Burlington, Vermont. (They were a staple of mine all through college!) Chuck noted that the flavor and inside texture were perfect, but he would have liked the fries a little crispier on the outside. On our way out, he checked with the gal at the counter who said no problem, next time just ask for the fries “extra crisp”. On the other hand, the onion rings were superb. They even had malt vinegar on the table for them! But perhaps the biggest revelation was the Steak Chili. It was terrific! It had just the right flavor balance of sour, sweet and spicy heat - along with peppers and black beans. Chuck added a little Tabasco to kick it up a bit, but it started out just-fine-thank-you.

A big thank you goes to Jeff and Kathy for their recommendation. And another big thank you goes to Wild Willy’s on West Boylston Street! We’ll be back...


Update, February 21, 2008: You can see another post about Wild Willy’s by clicking here.

Update, February 20, 2009: You can see my most recent post about Wild Willy’s by clicking here.