Chubby’s Cafe in Vineyard serving mouthwatering burgers, fries and shakes
A Bacon Ranch Cheeseburger with a side of french fries at Chubby's Cafe in Vineyard.
A Guacamole Bacon Cheeseburger with steak fries at Chubby's Cafe in Vineyard.
Scones with honey butter at Chubby's Cafe in Vineyard.
A cookie dough milkshake at Chubby's Cafe in Vineyard.
I first thought both the name of the restaurant, Chubby’s Cafe, and the perfectly rotund mascot adorning the cafe’s signage and advertising was a little off-putting.
I don’t particularly enjoy feeling chubby after eating, nor was the little circular kid what I consider to be #bodygoals.
But ever since the latest Chubby’s Cafe restaurant opened just a few minutes from my house in Vineyard, I’ve been intrigued. The burgers have always looked tantalizing in promotional material online and I’d heard so many good things about the other restaurants of the franchise in Pleasant Grove and Saratoga Springs. So, my wife and I decided to venture to this new eatery, and even though I did feel a little (pleasantly) chubby after my meal, I must say I enjoyed every bite I had from Chubby’s Cafe.
The fast-casual eatery is very obviously a newer structure, with a sort of farmhouse/quarry feel throughout the dining area. A lot of the restaurants and shops around the Megaplex in Vineyard draw from the styles of the old Geneva refineries and mills, with a lot of exposed steel and obvious connections to the industrial influences of the area.
The menu is typical diner fare, with burgers and fries the most prominent and noteworthy menu items. After all, you’re not going to get chubby on salads.
I ordered a Guacamole Bacon Burger, while my wife ordered a Bacon Ranch Burger. Each entree comes with a side, so I ordered beer-battered fries, while my wife, unsure if she was ready to commit to a new style of french fry, ordered a regular basket of fries. We also asked for an order of scones on the side and a cookie dough milkshake. We heard the milkshakes were to die for, and we knew we had to check them out.
We went fairly early in the evening on Friday, so it wasn’t too busy, nor was the service particularly slow. Our food was on the table in about 15-20 minutes, still steaming and obviously hot off the grill.
My Guacamole Bacon Burger was excellently cooked, with a perfect, medium well patty still leaking out a little bit of juice. Not too dry, not too juicy, just perfect. That patty was then topped with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, onions, tomato, bacon and guacamole. The cheese was melted and stringy, as burger cheese should be. The bacon added a smoky taste and crispy texture that complemented the smooth and mild taste of guacamole.
My wife’s Bacon Ranch Burger had nearly the same toppings, just ranch instead of guacamole. The creamy ranch dripped over the peppery bacon to create a very satisfying burger.
I was particularly impressed that each burger was served on a fluffy, quality bun, not just your run-of-the-mill burger joint buns that are usually flatter than the meat itself. It demonstrated to me a true priority on quality. I guess quality buns are needed to hold together such tremendous burgers.
My wife was very pleased with her french fries. She said that even for a basket of typical french fries, they were perfectly crispy and excellent vehicles for fry sauce.
But she was a little disappointed she didn’t order the beer-battered fries as I did. These were french fries taken to the next level. Each fry was cut thick like a steak fry and was extra crispy, with obvious extra breading and seasoning. Even though I know it had no redeeming health qualities (it’s not called Chubby’s without reason), I gladly downed every fry in the basket. It’s a true mark of excellence if you can enjoy a fry without any added sauce, and these were definitely of that caliber.
A basket of perfectly fried scones was the perfect addition to our meal. They were coated in powdered sugar and served with a sinfully sweet honey butter.
We wrapped it all up with a cookie dough milkshake. Spoons were definitely required when eating this dense dessert. But each bite was smooth and filled with bits of chocolate and cookie dough. Even a small shake was extremely filling after every mouthwatering morsel we’d had to that point.
I felt ready to be rolled out in a fashion similar to the little Chubby’s mascot. What I wasn’t ready for was how full my wallet felt as well. I expected with this quality of food to pay at least $30 for two people. But even with the portions we ordered to get a better gauge of the restaurant’s offerings, it was still right around the $25 mark. Each entree comes with a side, and extra sides are just $3.29.
I can guarantee I’ll be back to Chubby’s Cafe, thanks to the mouthwatering, monstrous burgers at truly affordable prices. Don’t let the name deter you. Have a meal and embrace that chubby feeling.
CHUBBY’S CAFE
Where: 576 N. Mill Road, Vineyard
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday
Prices: $3.29-$11.99
Info: (801) 922-5254, https://www.chubbyscafeut.com