To Find Dick's Drive-In in Edmonds, Just Look for This Sign

Dick's Drive-In have announced they're ahead of schedule in the construction of their new Edmonds location. They are now hiring, and estimate they'll be open before Thanksgiving, instead of the original projected opening date in December. This will be the company's first new location in 36 years, and it shares many similarities with the other five Dick's locations. Chief among them is the iconic Dick's Drive-In sign, which was just erected yesterday. Eventually the sign will be illuminated, but not until the Edmonds' Dick's is open for business.

Since opening day is still about two months away, we've been exploring other burger options in the surrounding area. There's Dave's Burgers and Shake 'N Go in Lynnwood, Fatburger at Alderwood Mall, and Time Out Burger in Mountlake Terrace. This month we tried out Herfy's in Edmonds.

Herfy's was a popular burger chain around Seattle in the 1970's. Back then, there was a Herfy's located not far from the current location, in the Aurora Village Shopping Center, which has since been razed for Costco, Home Depot, and the Aurora Village Transit Center.

Nostalgia for Herfy's was not what I experienced when I entered the mid-century modern shack located in the Westgate area of Edmonds. My mind was filled with memories of the last burger establishment at that location--Happy Burger, a long-standing area favorite. The self-serve condiment bar is gone, but the spirit of Happy Burger can still be found in the fresh, char-broiled burgers and crinkle-cut fries being served at Herfy's.

The menu at Herfy's ranges from fish & chips to chicken strips, but we were there for burgers. For just under $4, you get a 1/3 pound, charbroiled cheeseburger, served on a toasted outdoor bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion. The burger is cooked to medium and topped with American cheese. The meat is tender, but gets a nice bit of char around the edges from the grill. While the patty was a little underseasoned, the burger still gets a lot of flavor from the mayo, mustard, and ketchup included in the toppings. $2 gets you a huge basket of hot, crispy crinkle fries that have been sprinkled with coarse salt. It doesn't get much better than crinkle fries.

Despite the mod exterior of the building, the interior of Herfy's is sorely in need of some updates and polish. Heavy wooden chairs screech across the well-worn linoleum floors, and blonde wood tables are nicked and stained. Big bubble letter stick-ons advertise menu offerings on all the windows, and fluorescent lights do nothing to improve the surroundings. The owners of this Herfy's location (each franchised location is individually owned) are doing a good job at using fresh ingredients and cranking out a tasty burger, but next time I'm inclined to just grab it to go.

Herfy's #14, 23029 100th Ave. W., EDMONDS, 425-776-8811. Open Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

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