Lunchbox Laboratory with Calvin

Calvin is back in town for the holidays and his birthday. On Friday I took the day off from work to celebrate his birthday with him. We started the day off by going to Lunchbox Laboratory in Ballard. For those of you unfamiliar with Lunchbox Laboratory it's basically a gourmet hamburger hole in the wall type of restaurant. They have two busted up communal tables that everyone crams into and you definitely leave the place smelling like a greasy burger, but the experience is awesome and the food is inspiring. Where else can you buy a Dork (duck+pork) burger or order a side of fries and have over 5 different salt options to accompany them.

A few words of warning, their hours are sort of random, they always have a line out the door, and gourmet means expensive so expect your meal to be between $15-$20 per person for a burger, side, and a drink. Also drink lots of water afterwards.

I ordered a Mexican Coke (made with cane sugar), skinny fries (I was boring and opted for plain ol Kosher salt, but it was very tasty), and my "Homage to the Dick's Deluxe". For those of you not from Seattle, Dick's is like Seattle's In N Out. My burger consisted of ground beef, tons of bacon, a sweet onion relish, American cheese, and special sauce on an awesome greasy tasty bun.

A close up of the bad boy. I was stuffed after the meal, but happy I was able to try something new on their menu. Obviously not the healthiest of meals, but after one giant burger you'll probably need to take a break for a little while before you're ready to go back.

Calvin got the tater tots with the Asian salt (smoky, Green tea salt), and the White Trash Burger. I'm pretty sure his burger was dork, American cheese, bacon, and a few other things that I don't remember.

We definitely had a great, filling meal and enjoyed the quirkiness of the establishment that you should experience at least once along with the food. I highly recommend this spot to anyone with visitors from out of town who are looking for a unique Seattle experience.

Also check out this random Flickr account I found that documents someone who made twenty trips to Lunchbox Laboratory in one month and all of the different burgers he ate.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suomynona/sets/72157612880184094/



-Kyle