James A.
Yelp
Putting 'Fast' into the term Fast Food: Dick's is a local hamburger institution in Seattle with a focused menu, having a cult-like following for folks who grew up in the area, but a bewildering 'meh' for out-of-towners and transplants who can't understand what the fuss is about. My wife and I had to try it for the first time during our 4th visit to Bellevue, even with the warning not to expect too much. Both of us like McDonald's and In-Out, so have a nice basis to compare it to...Verdict: we liked the burgers and fries.
As everyone knows, everything is prepared beforehand and is sitting under heat lamps. It is a Drive-in (vs a Drive Thru), so you need to place your order on foot, and the same order taker will grab your food, come back, and then you pay, all under a minute. Thus you can ONLY order what is already prepared, just like pizza slices. I got the Dick's deluxe, which is two 1/8 lb fresh (never frozen) beef patties with lettuce (not allowed to get extra) and a combo of ingredients (mayo, pickle relish) that actually makes it taste like tartar sauce as the condiment. The chopped lettuce was wilted because of the heat....the taste actually reminded me of a Filet-o-Fish sandwich if the fish was replaced by beef. The bread is the white bread from your childhood, and infinitely squishable, with the cheese tasting like processed cheese spread. Put it all together compacted, and put under a heat lamp...result is a meld of different ingredients that strangely is tasty together. It does help that the beef is of quality, but note it's only 1/8 of a pound so not particularly juicy.
The fries remind me of the homemade fries served at hot dog carts and shops across the midwest. It probably resembles the fries at Five Guys and is definitely better than In-Out Fries. But ketchup is extra (0.20), which is the first time I've seen that at any restaurant in the U.S. Most of the fries were crispy and went well with the burger.
There is no seating here, so you would either eat it in your car or just find a place to sit down and eat outside, hobo-style.
This is not good food, but I understand how it could be a source of regional pride, because it is unique (similar to how White Castle sliders are admired). No, I won't be having this again, but there is something to be said for a well executed vision of a process that is clearly articulated...there is no fooling here, and in this day and age, it's very refreshing.