Super Cheap Eats at Above Fast Food Quality

September 20th, 2007
By: Bryan R

It's cheap... like super cheap... $3 burger cheap. And that's it. The end.

Alright, there's a bit more to it.

Wibbley's, an well-known local favorite for a quick bite, draws a constant crowd ranging from students to local businesspeople (mostly the Microsoft crowd). And during the lunch rush, Wibbley's attracts such a swarm of people that find a table can be tough. Fortunately, meals are quick and the table turnover is high so the wait is never long. It's perfect for a speedy lunch on a busy workday.

After visiting Wibbley's, it is pretty clear that the Wibbley's philosophy is to offer food and service a step above fast food while keeping the prices dirt cheap. Ordering food is simple; look at the posted menu and decide what you'd like, then place the order with the friendly cashier. Unlike a fast-food joint, at this point you're free to take a seat and look around a bit and wait for your food and water to be brought to the table. Wibbley's, somewhat oddly, has chosen to go with an English pub theme. This means dark, mahogany wood paneled walls, tall wooden tables with stools, diffuse lighting, plenty of hanging mirrors, and a couple of wood carvings here and there. It's a little aged, but pleasant. For the price and type of cuisine, you'd never expect this level of ambiance but it's a nice touch to have a cheap eats place where the goal isn't to make you as uncomfortable as possible so you'll get out fast.

In the true spirit of fast food, Wibbley's had our meal out in record time. Most of the burgers were a bit on the small side, but with fries on the side, each was a reasonably filling meal. Steve went for the Onion Burger, a beef patty served with lettuce, tomatoes, and plenty of grilled onions. Although the patties are all pre-made, they're freshly grilled and are satisfying (for the price). Grant opted for the Fish Patty and found that the fish was flaky, soft and surprisingly tasty. A bit on the small side, but good. Last up was the Chicken Sandwich; like the fish sandwich the patty was a little modest in size but the chicken itself was moist and tasty. The persistent theme were tasty little burgers and impressive prices.

To round out the meal, we ordered a side of fries and onion rings. The thin but slightly fluffy fries were good but obviously pre-frozen. But to their credit, the fries at Wibbley's lacked the usual abundance of fry grease seen at so many cheap eateries. Thickly battered, the onion rings were tastier than the fries and had that satisfying onion ring crunch; we'd definitely recommend them.

Wibbley's doesn't succeed by offering outstandingly tasty food; instead, Wibbley's shines by offering decent eats at remarkable prices. This winning combination earns Wibbley's our "Cheap Eats" award.