Friesenburgers Review

Jason here. On a trip south to Tacoma, Kayleigh surprised me with a quick stop at Friesenburgers for lunch. In case it was not obvious from the name, Friesenburgers specializes in fries and burgers. What is not so obvious is that they also have hot dogs, and milkshakes which looked delicious.

It is a small mom and pop burger shop, just off of i5. The atmosphere was very friendly, with man behind the counter always smiling. It also felt someone laid back, which a nice change to the hustle and bustle of some other places. What struck me most though was how gluten free friendly the restaurant is. As soon as you walk in there are gluten free cookbooks on a rack for anyone to read, and gluten free flyers on the napkin holders. Without a doubt, this is one of the safest places you could eat gluten free.

For my meal I ordered a cheeseburger with bacon, and a side of fries. The burger was absolutely bursting with flavor. The bacon was cooked just right so it was crispy, but not burnt. The cheese was nicely melted, and there was the perfect amount of lettuce and pickles added. While I ordered a single, you can also order a double burger or even triple burger if that is more your style.

The fries were not at all what I expected. I’m used to either smaller cut fries, or the very large home fries. I tend to find the smaller fries lacking in flavor, and the larger fries not crispy enough. These were somewhere right in the middle. They were larger fries, but still crispy. I would have liked a bit more seasoning, but apparently it was done on purpose- there was a large selection of salts and sauces on the condiment counter. I missed seeing them on our visit, but I will definitely try them next time we drop by.

Kayleigh here. For my meal, I went with the Jalapeno and Pepper Jack burger. Just as I had hoped, it came loaded with jalapenos, with the mayo being a pleasant counterpoint. I found it to be just the right level of spicy without drowning out the other flavors in the burger, and even enjoyed the burger patty itself (usually, I just think of them as a vehicle for the toppings). Plus, I could not help but notice a peanut butter milkshake on the menu- my biggest weakness! The milkshakes, though, were not specifically labeled gluten free, so I would ask before ordering. But this burger made me feel like we could go to a fast food restaurant again, and just get a regular, fast food- tier burger. It surprising the sort of stuff you miss when it is gone!

If we lived a little closer, we would be eating here far more often. As it is, Friesenburgers will definitely become a regular stop whenever we need to head south. If you are in the area, or lucky enough to live nearby, we highly recommend you check out Friesenburgers. The meals are excellently priced, bursting with flavor, and guaranteed gluten free.

Americana Review

Jason here. We recently wanted to go out on a nice date somewhere. We found a great restaurant called Americana (warning site has sound). The restaurant is located on Capitol Hill, and has plenty of places to walk to nearby if the weather is nice.

To start, the restaurant is very gluten friendly. Everything is clearly marked on their menu which you can find online. The wait staff was friendly, and reassured us the gluten free items were definitely safe. They were also knowledgeable for what drinks were safe to order.

We had some time to kill before they started serving dinner, so we both ordered some adult milkshakes. Finally a milkshake I could order, and not feel like I was over paying. They were nice and think, and came in a large serving. I ordered a Vivace Liqueur Milkshake which makes the whole thing have a rich coffee taste to it. The milkshake drowned out any strong alcohol taste, so it was perfect for me and for anyone else that finds alcohol a bit grating to the tongue.

The food. Oh wow the food. I ordered the Fried Cornish Game Hen. It is extremely rare to find fried food which is gluten free, so there was no way I was going to pass up that opportunity. The game hen was extremely succulent, and the fried bits were extremely crunchy and seasoned to perfection. It was salty, but also a taste of pepper to it for spice. Furthermore, it came with a side of the best grits I have ever had. The best part, it came with more than enough for leftover for lunch at work the next day.

Kayleigh here. I started off with their Bourbon Maple milkshake, which came recommended by the waiter. And boy, the sweet notes of the milkshake paired perfectly with the deep flavors of the bourbon- why hadn’t I gotten to try that before now? It should be a restaurant staple everywhere! The entrée I ordered- the Wild Boar Enchiladas- was absolutely fantastic. Heavily spiced ground boar, covered in a delicious red sauce and plenty of broiling hot cheese, making my mouth water just from the smell.

Oh, and did we mention that they serve a bowl truffle popcorn instead of a basket of bread while you wait for your meal? And that it is gluten free?

This is definitely one of the best restaurants we have dined at, since moving to Washington about a year ago. They are very gluten intolerant friendly, have a decently priced menu, and an excellent selection of unique entrees which is especially rare for gluten free options.  As a caution, the restaurant is very small, so it may be best to hit it up outside towards the beginning of service, or on less busy days of the week. But even if there is a full house when you go, just go window shopping around the block- the food is well worth the wait.

Lunchbox Laboratory Review

Jason here. We decided to check out Lunchbox Laboratory in downtown Bellevue. I passed this place many times, and always assumed it made little lunchbox’s of random assorted food for people to take out and back to work. While I am still interested in such a place, I was also looking for a nice gluten free burger, that I could get closer to home.

Now if you are imaging a bunch of waiters dressed in lab coats, and serving you in a very medical looking room, that could not be further from the truth. Instead of very straight lined, white look I was expecting, it was instead a very hipster looking place with tons of nick-naks everywhere. The menu itself had clippings of Star Wars, and other pop culture references. To get a feel of the fun atmosphere, just check out their website.

So where do they get their name you might ask. Well every week they create a couple recipes that after the week is up, disappear forever. If you are looking for somewhere that has something new to try each time you go, look no further.

For my meal I ordered the Truffle Love burger, substituting the bun for a gluten free one, and substituting the side with a salad. The burger was absolutely delicious. It was juicy, but not undercooked. The black truffle mayo, onions, Swiss cheese, and bacon all added together to make for a very unique taste. I must say this was a messy burger, and I enjoyed every bite of it. The side was good, but nothing out of the ordinary.

The wait staff is very friendly, and made sure to check everything was gluten free. I was informed that none of the sides are gluten free, as they are made in the same deep fryer as other items which may contain gluten. Hence, my substitution of fries for a side salad.

I would love to go back here every week on a lunch break, but there is one thing holding me back. That would be the price. The burgers themselves are already on the more expensive side, and both the salad substitution, and the gluten free bun substitution cost extra. After tallying everything up, it came to what I would expect to pay at a much more formal sit down restaurant, then a burger place.

Kayleigh here. I ordered the Tear Jerker burger, with the same substitutions as Jason, plus changing out the beef for a veggie patty. I will say, the flavors were lovely, and the spice level was spot-on for what I wanted, but the veggie patty was extremely…dense. Great flavor, but extremely filling, and almost felt like I was eating more bread in-between bread. It probably did not help that I had to remove the toppings and eat them with a fork just to fit the burger in my mouth- man, do they pile it on! The side salad was nice and fresh, with shaved Parmesan and house-made Cesar dressing- better than expected! I also got a milkshake with my meal, and will say that they definitely did that right- thick, creamy, and the perfect amount of sweetness without being too overwhelming.

Overall I would recommend Blue Moon burgers as I felt they were more gluten friendly, the price was much better, and the food was equally good if not better. However, if you are in Bellevue and really craving a good burger check out Lunchbox Laboratory.