John H.
Yelp
So it's been two years and this is our first time back camping since kid #5 was born. Burgers night at the campsite but I forgot to bring a key piece of my grill and we couldn't grill out. I was HEART broken. Short version, we drive to Cloverdale and land at Pick's...and I love burgers. I have had the joy of eating amazing burgers all across the country - the Hell Burger at 50/50 in Chicago is one of my all time favs, and Los Angeles - where we're from originally - is a burger paradise. I was so discouraged because I wasn't cooking at the campsite, and a truism in our family is that our kids never remember camping meals we eat at a restaurant. They never recall them in a conversation later. But the kids somehow remember every meal we eat at a campsite, weird but true, and that's why I was just so bummed to be in town grabbing food.
And then we get these burgers served to us - on a 95 degree day, mind you - and I got the R.W.B. burger...and, folks, just listen. I was not ready for how amazing this burger was going to be. It was the best burger I have had in years and years. I couldn't believe it. Amazingly simple and big and fresh and the onions were bonkers, and the fries were better than IN N OUT by miles. And I love IN N OUT fries, so don't spend time hating on IN N OUT fries because I like fries that were still potatoes seconds before they were cooked and I eat them, and while I didn't see the couple inside cook them up, I am sure the fries were potatoes minutes before I ate them - BOOOOOM.
Saw the cashier help out an under-served disabled gentleman and she treated him with tremendous respect and discretion. Bearded dude in an apron came out and blessed my kids with sidewalk chalk while they waited for their food! Food and atmosphere was so stinking good that we didn't want to leave, and even the two year old demolished his cheese burger. So we got ice cream and WHAT IN THE WORLD?? Who are these people?? I got this peanut butter cup in chocolate ice cream 'thing' - my wife ordered it - served in a humble plastic cup, and not like a ton of it either, and I took a bite and holy moly it was decadent. That's the word - decadent ice cream at a picnic table at a walk up hamburger stand in Northern California, home of the best cheeseburger I may have ever eaten. It made me love the town. And the kids talked about it on the ride home, and so this will def be the first 'restaurant' meal they will remember. Thank you, Pick's!! Keep doing this beautiful thing you do.