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Business & Tech

Checkers' Big Buford Disappoints

The signature burger of this Route 22 double drive thru was bland; seasoned fries and service were also a letdown, but the orange cream shake almost saved the meal

Having raved about the burgers at and , we thought we'd give the Big Buford at a try to see how it stacks up. Founded in 1986, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants prides itself in being the largest chain of double drive-thru restaurants in the country. Home of the signature Big Buford burger, Springfield's Checkers location sits in the median of Route 22, not far from the township's border with Union – and right next to a Valvoline Instant Oil Change.

OK it may not be the most appetizing location, but Checkers has some large advertisements outside promoting its food, including a larger-than-life picture of the Big Buford, announcing that it is now served on a bakery-style bun.

This location caters primarily to drive-thru customers. It has a few tables outside, and some awkward seating is available inside. But for the most part, people use the drive-thru, and some, like me, then sit in the parking lot and eat in their cars. I grabbed one of three shady spots facing the Rahway River Park and realized that on either side of me were also people eating in their cars.

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– probably because bacon makes everything better. In March and April, when every fast food joint and grocery store was promoting fish, we tried the – two fillets of fish, with a crisp breading, a slice of cheese in between, with mayo and lettuce on a bun. Again, it's not Marino's, but we enjoyed it. As of this week, it's still on the menu.

On this visit, we were curious to try the signature burger, the “seared and seasoned” Big Buford.

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On the company's website, this looks amazing. In person, in Springfield, it was a real let down. The meat tasted neither seasoned nor seared--nor charred, nor like anything. Like the two patties, the melted cheese, sliced tomato and special sauce offered little flavor as well. The sliced pickles and slice of red onion were the tastiest parts of the burger. And the bakery bun was not memorable. Reading later that this part of my meal was 670 calories with 40 grams of fat added insult to my disappointing lunch.

And the famous seasoned fries? I said it all here last year:

Unfortunately, I expected more of a punch. As I ate them, I was thinking that I would rather have the thin, salty fries served at other fast food chains—the kind that have you scouring the bottom of your paper bag to see if you might have left one behind. These were thicker and more colorful, but after eating half of my order, I was ready to set them aside.

This lunch was not a total letdown. Instead of ordering a soda, an ad promoting a orange cream shake caught my eye. Like a creamsicle, it was cool and refreshing on a day when the mercury topped 90 and humidity levels were high. It was sweet and clearly laden with orange dye. But I enjoyed it. And I cannot find the nutrition information on the website, so I'll go on in ignorant bliss, unaware of how much sugar I consumed in those five minutes.

Lastly, the service was not pleasant. The drive thru speaker had a lot of interference, so the man who took my order had to repeat his words for me several times. When I pulled up to the window, we exchanged food and cash – all without him saying one word or smiling.

When I had finished the whole meal, I was ready to get back to the office and cleanse my palate with some brewed iced green tea.

I know fast food isn't gourmet, and I don't expect the Big Buford to be like the Kobe Sliders from Emeralds Pub. A fast food meal should be enjoyable – a guilty (or not guilty) pleasure. And it can be served with a smile.

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