As we stepped through the door, beneath a sign that proclaimed “Home of the Cosmic Burger”, each of us had a problem that we hoped would be eradicated by our visit to Fast Eddie’s Diner. That problem was a very empty stomach. Fast Eddie’s has quite an impressive selection of great home-style meals and each member had on previous occasions eaten here, but now it was time to put their burgers to the test.
The interior is rather colorful, to say the least, and some might call the “every wall a different color” approach to interior decorating, a little annoying. The walls are covered with retro wall art; everything from Betty Boop to the Three Stooges to Cola advertisements to likenesses of pop culture icons of yesteryear. But since the Arizona Burger Tour is not concerned with the looks of an establishment, but rather how good their burgers are, let’s move on to the important stuff.
We each ordered Fast Eddie’s classic cheeseburger which the menu called simply that, “Cheeseburger”; no fancy names here. The burger comes standard with tomato, iceberg lettuce, red onions, dill pickles and your choice of cheese. You can also choose between French fries, potato salad and cole slaw for your side; we all went with the fries. (You can’t eat a burger without fries can you?) There were a couple choices for the signature burger, but the majority ruled in favor of the 5-Star Burger.
The burgers arrived on brightly colored oval plates; each one a different color. (Either Eddie is colorblind or he just likes variety.) The bun was a very soft Kaiser roll that was grilled slightly. There were no complaints at all with this bun; possibly the best bun of the tour thus far.
The meat was a hand-formed 1/3 lb. patty that was cooked well done, but not overly so. It really was nicely prepared for a patty that was not cooked to order; juicy, but not extremely so. The beef was very flavorful, although the absence of seasoning was noted.
All the team members opted for American cheese except for one, who chose cheddar, and the cheese was very good; a thick slice that was melted perfectly over the patty. The produce, which, as mentioned already, included tomato, lettuce, onion and pickle, was very fresh. One member raved about the generous ring of red onions. Another, who is not particularly fond of pickles, said that he actually enjoyed the very crisp dill pickle slices on this burger. You apply your own ketchup and mustard from squeeze bottles at Fast Eddie’s as the burgers are served condiment-free, and if you want mayo they will bring out little containers of it for you as well.
Everyone agreed that this was a very great burger. The flavors of each component blended well to create the ultimate taste of a quality burger. One member commented that the burger had great taste from the very first bite and he didn’t even add any condiments. Overall, the classic cheeseburger at Fast Eddie’s was very well liked by all team members and we would heartily recommend it to you. Stop by Fast Eddie’s soon and give this burger a try.
Final Score: 8.25
Side Notes
As mentioned above, you can choose between French fries, potato salad and cole slaw for your side at Fast Eddie’s. We can’t speak for the cole slaw or potato salad since we all ordered the fries, but we can tell you that the fries are good. There was nothing spectacular about these crinkle-cut fries, but the liberal portion that we were served, along with the fact that they were fried to the perfect crispness, made us quite pleased with them. The waitress also provided ranch upon request, at no extra charge.Signature Spotlight
The 5-Star Burger is comprised of the same patty, bun, and produce as the classic cheeseburger. The difference lies in the Monterey Jack cheese and the so-called “Cosmic Mix” that accompanies it. The “Cosmic Mix”, which is diced jalapeños, tomato and onion, is set atop the patty and then tucked in by a blanket of Monterey Jack cheese that melts over it, effectively sealing it in to prevent it from falling all over you as you devour the burger. The 5-Star Burger has a little kick to it because of the Cosmic Mix, as you might expect, but it had really great flavor. If you like a little spice, then give the 5-Star Burger a go.Note: The signature burger is not "scored" by the team and therefore has no effect on the total score for this stop. Our total score is based solely on the standard burger. (See our 411 page for details.)
