I was down in Bloomington again to coach in the IHSAA State Track Meet. I had driven by Hinkle's Hamburgers numerous times while I was in school, but I had never actually eaten there. It is located southwest of campus off S. Adams St. If you take Kirkwood west past the cemetery, veer to the left and the restaurant is on your right. Hinkle's is the epitome of a dive restaurant. It is not very big and it seems the decor hasn't changed in years. The menu is the same as you would find in a concession stand. I think this is what gives the restaurant its signature "No Frills, Classic Food" flair. It has a couple of seats at the counter, about 7 or so table tops, and a few benches outside. I think only recently they started accepting credit cards. When you walk in, there are about 5 or so employees behind the counter. The place was pretty busy when my brother and I arrived. We were unable to eat inside the dining area, so we went to the picnic tables outside.
We each got a double cheeseburger meal (burger, fries, soda) for $6. I went with grilled onions, lettuce, and tomato on mine. We also ordered a side of the fried pickles ($3). The price couldn't be beat. If you look at the specials menu, you can see the 3 hamburgers for $5. I think they really know the target market of Bloomington townies and college students on a budget. I mean "townies" with the utmost respect. Having to put up with college students 9 months of the year, you deserve great restaurants like Hinkle's. I really wish I would have tried this place out when I was an undergrad, as you can't beat the price. Also, this would have hit the spot for many a hangover. I know when you see these pictures, you will think the burger is pretty unappealing, but tell me the last time you went to a fast food joint and the burger looked like the burger from the commercials. The fries were typical. The fried pickles were spears not chips. I was hoping they were hand breaded, but to my disappointment, they came out of a bag in the freezer. The freshest part of the meal was the burger. The beef is ground fresh daily. It was about the size of a McDonald's patty in thickness and area. The flavor was more along the lines of a White Castle burger, but with much better meat. This can be attributed to the steamed onions. I saw the chef cover the burger with a stainless steel cover to melt the cheese faster. I guess it was a good thing I was only coaching, not running in the meet, because this meal sat heavy. Although on numerous occasions this year, I had to explain how important it was to not eat junk before the meets.
"I want to keep fighting because it is the only thing that keeps me out of the hamburger joints. If I don't fight, I'll EAt this planet." -George Foreman
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