Cheeseburger in Paradise

So, one wouldn’t exactly call anywhere in Texas during the month of August “paradise,” but the greasy, cheeseburger goodness I enjoyed in the East Texas town of Mt. Pleasant had me humming Jimmy Buffet all the same.

When my boyfriend and I pulled up to the small metal building that is Randy’s Burgers a few weeks ago, our stomachs were growling. I had flown in to Dallas right around noon, but we decided to bypass the downtown lunch scene in favor of this wonderful small-town burger joint.

And let me tell you, after three hours in the car, a greasy brown paper sack never looked so good.

I don’t use the term greasy lightly – you can literally see the grease coming through the bag before you manage to carry it back to your table. And it smells delicious. Needless to say, I dug right in: bacon cheeseburger, French fries, and a large sweet tea. It was heavenly.

The burgers at Randy’s are obviously the main attraction – and they are superb – but I tend to focus more on the French fries. Not exactly being well versed in French fry preparation, I have no idea how Randy’s achieves the perfect balance between the crunchy, salty outside and the soft, dense, potato inside, but I like the result. For all the grease I mentioned earlier, these fries manage to escape the soggy fry syndrome that plagues so many cartons of fries.

And what better to wash down all this American fare with than a cup of sweeter-than-sweet iced tea? I have a hunch that ignorance is bliss when it comes to the sugar content. I have to chase it with water, myself. 

Needless to say, Randy’s is not the place to go if you are watching your girlish figure. After I devoured my entire burger, I was craving a long walk and no supper. I had to get back in the car instead – we had a lot of driving to do. Even at that point, with my burger craving satisfied, my stomach full, and a sugar-induced headache on its way, I couldn’t help but wonder when my next Randy’s Burger would be…

Randy’s Burgers is located at 100 S Edwards Ave, Mt Pleasant, TX 75455. (903) 572-2666

Photo courtesy of Tim Rovell, Mt. Pleasant, TX