Dick Mondell’s Burger Review
GNV Burger Quest (Stop 2: Dick Mondell’s)
I’ve once again dragged my eight-year-old son, Winthrop, into the heat with the promise of meat. This time, we’re checking out Dick Mondell’s, a drive thru/walk up burger joint over on 4th Ave. I parked across the street at the Food Park, and away we went. Please be prepared for unintentional double entendres throughout this post… I didn’t try to do it, but I also didn’t not try to do it.
We ordered at 1:09 PM. I got the Original Dick (yes, that’s what it’s called), and a Dick Junior with cheese for the kid. Price tag: about $20. A couple of folks who ordered after us got their food first (mysterious… possibly burger karma?), but by 1:19 PM, we had our brown bag of business. Not a long wait, just enough time to stand under the overhang by the pickup window and realize it was way cooler than the seating areas. A quite obvious tip: stay in your car and use the drive thru.
The Burger
The Original Dick comes with two patties, which I now understand is for people with a runner’s calorie requirements or a different meat-to-topping tolerance than me. Three seconds longer on the grill and it would’ve wandered into dry territory but they like to live dangerously, I suppose.
As I prefer a better ratio of bun to meat to condiments, two bites in, I removed a patty and suddenly the burger made sense to me. The Dick Sauce is thin, mayo-based, and high on the slip factor. Flavorwise, it was good, just a little messy. The lettuce, pickles, and white onion were fresh and standard, and the lightly toasted potato bun did its job: held things together, didn’t hog the spotlight.
The burger needed a pinch of salt. Once I added a bit, the flavor clicked. Always wild how one little fix can change the whole equation. If I were to be picky, I’d want it on the grill a tad less or want a ground beef with a bit more fat in it.
We ended up walking back to the 4th Ave Food Park to eat because of the heat at Dick’s outdoor seating.
Winthrop’s Take
Asking an eight-year-old to eat a burger two days in a row in Florida summer heat is testing the limits of parental influence. He grumbled his way through it, declared the sauce “good,” and stared longingly at the car and the promise of AC therein. Still, he ate half, which I count as a small victory in the diplomatic art of meal-time parenting.
Final Thoughts
Dick Mondell’s is doing something different than Goldie’s, and comparing the two is a bit of an apples-to-oranges situation: thick, diner style patties versus thin, smash burgers. Dick’s has solid ingredients, a retro fast-food aesthetic, and a loyal following.
For me, next time it’s the Dick Junior—with a little added salt and maybe a big ol’ strawed drink to wash it down. I say "big strawed drink" because the straws they gave us had the diameter of a medium sized drain pipe. Also, I appreciate the thought behind paper straws, but they tend to melt if I take too long to drink.
The burger was good. Dick’s isn’t the holy grail, but it’s definitely worth a visit, especially if you like your burgers thick, your straws enormous, and your Dick Sauce plentiful.
Do you have a different take? Let me know HERE.