At a time when burgers are trending more upscale — exotic meats, gourmet cheeses and fancy toppings — there’s something comforting about a good old-fashioned burger.

For the past decade, that’s exactly what the aptly named Giant Hamburgers has been serving.

The cramped strip-mall space on the southwest corner of Lindsay and Broadway roads in Mesa certainly is no-frills. There are six small booths, eight two-person tables and an eight-seat lunch counter.

The décor, such as it is, consists of a mirror, a clock and a couple of inexpensive prints.

The heart of Giant Hamburgers is a large flat-top grill that produces just about everything on menu, whose simplicity is documented on the wall behind the cash register. No table menus or table service here.

The delicious burgers, which start at $4.25, are made with fresh meat — never frozen — and require two hands to handle. Mayo, mustard, lettuce, onion and tomato are the standard, but you can customize to your taste.

There’s no skimping: Cheeseburgers come with two slices of cheese (applied while the patty is cooking, making the cheese extra gooey); bacon cheeseburgers get three slices of bacon.

Fries ($1.50) — wonderfully well-done on the outside yet soft on the inside — are the only side option, unless you consider a bowl of chile ($2.35) a side dish.

Other lunch and dinner choices include a grilled chicken sandwich ($5), a grilled steak sandwich ($6.40), a grilled fish sandwich ($4.75) and a grilled cheese sandwich ($3.20).

No-nonsense breakfast combos start with one egg, hash browns, choice of meat and toast ($3.85) and go up in one-egg increments. Again, nothing fancy. Just basic and good.

For dessert, nine varieties of homemade pies ($2.20 per slice, $11 per pie) range from apple to chocolate cream and are showcased in a case next to the register.

When he’s not working the cash register, friendly owner Don Horne (who almost named the place Horne’s Hamburgers) usually is bussing tables and chatting with diners.

From teenagers to retirees, Giant’s customers seem to enjoy the vibe. No one walks out the door without a genuine “Thanks for coming!” from at least one member of the staff.

Good old-fashioned food. Good old-fashioned prices. Good old-fashioned friendliness.

For me, those three things will never get old or go out of fashion.

Giant Hamburgers
Where: 2753 E. Broadway Road, Mesa (southwest corner of Broadway and Lindsay roads)
Open: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Prices: Burgers $4.25-$6.25, sandwiches $3.20-$6.40, sides $1.50-$3.20, breakfast combos $3.85-$7.95, pie $2.20-$2.95
Info: (480) 733-6542 or gianthamburgers.com

(Photos by Darryl Webb, East Valley Tribune)

Posted in: Mesa • Giant Hamburgers |

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