Courtesy of Chubbies

Chubbies, a classic burger joint located on the Delmar Loop, opened in early February of this year. The restaurant serves build-your-own hamburger options, in addition to classic burgers.

I admit that in the six months I’ve been at Wash. U., I have remained relatively ensconced inside the Bear bubble, only leaving campus for a few Cardinals games and late-night apple fritter runs to John’s Donuts. But, feeling a bit adventurous Saturday night, I decided to accompany two friends to the Delmar Loop for dinner, and in that daring spirit, we forwent the usual Loop fare—Fitz’s, Blueberry Hill—and chain restaurants—Noodles & Company, Chipotle—in lieu of the Loop’s newest tenant: Chubbies.

Open for only two weeks so far, Chubbies is “a classic burger joint,” according to Wally, its owner. “There’s nothing fancy about us. We don’t have no servers, you don’t have to tip us.”

With a variety of options, from a classic hamburger to a Philly cheesesteak-style chaser, the menu appears designed for the burger connoisseur. Evidently, my adventurous streak did not extend to my actual order, though, as I stuck to the simple chicken burger and fries.

I was initially hesitant to include the mayonnaise-based “Chubbies sauce” with my burger, but Wally persuaded me to try it with the promise that it would complement the meat well. Lucky for me, it did—the sauce was arguably the best part of my meal, keeping the chicken moist and imbuing it with a uniquely pleasant taste.

My friends ordered a Chubbie cheddar and Chubbie burger along with fries and were also impressed by their meals. If they had one complaint, it was that the buttered buns—a restaurant specialty—may have been a tad too buttery, but as one said, “that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing” in adding to the taste.

Between the burgers and fries, we all had our appetites completely sated, so much so that we scrapped our plan to go out for dessert following the meal. Yes, Chubbies filled me up so much that I no longer wanted dessert—and like my friend that I quoted above, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

What stood out about the joint apart from the quality of its food was the atmosphere. When asked for his last name, Wally drolly responded, “To me, having a last name, that’s how identity theft gets out there,” and that laid-back tone was evident in our time there.

Because we wandered in after 9:30 at night, the place wasn’t crowded—for much of our meal, we were the only diners, and Wally made sure we had the best possible environment in which to enjoy our meal.

Classic rock music piped in through speakers, and when the three of us started singing along, he emerged from behind the counter and joked with us about it. He offered to change the TV channel to whatever we wanted—it was showing college basketball overtime, though, so I was most eager to keep it where it was—and generally exuded a jovial personality.

“I just like that college atmosphere,” he said, “and the Delmar Loop and Wash. U. go firsthand.”

As we were leaving to our no-longer-dessert-filled night, three more customers entered, one of whom sat down to make a meal out of the “heartstopper,” a one-pound monster of a burger filled with four patties and “everything but the kitchen sink,” Wally said.

While my companions and I were far too full by that point even to contemplate downing a meal of that magnitude, maybe next time I eat at Chubbies, it will be with someone more hungry—and more adventurous—than I. Because I will be returning—the burger, atmosphere and cheery owner combined to give me a first-rate experience, and I encourage all you carnivores (or veggie-burger lovers) out there to check out the newest addition to dining on the Loop.

With additional reporting by Michael Tabb.