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Al's Hum Dinger
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
21 reviews for Al's Hum Dinger
Review Highlights
21 reviews in English
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Review from Shawn B.
Aberdeen, WA
5/19/2012 8 photos
What? No 6th star option? This place deserves more than 5 for sure!
Today was my first time here, which is sad since I first moved to Aberdeen 20 years ago (but left and came back a couple times). All I can say is OMG!!! It's a shame I never stopped here in 1992 or even earlier! This place rocks!
So for my review:
To start with, all the Yelpers were correct, the staff here are about as friendly as you would ever expect anyone to be and more! There were 4 gals working and each and every one of them smiled and was polite and friendly.
I ordered their fish & chips, which sell for $7.95 for 4 pieces of fish, fries, coleslaw and that world-famous fry sauce plus tarter sauce (I'm not a lover of anyone's tarter sauce so I replace it with ketchup). I was shocked when they asked me if I wanted Cod or Halibut! I've never been asked that before at a fast-food place! Oh sure, some have both, but it specifies on the menu and they charge a lot different price for each. Not Humdinger. I was super impressed. I ordered the halibut & chips and it was about the flakiest and most moist deep-fried halibut I've had in a long, long time! Cooked to a delicate golden brown, it was perfect and then some! The fries were awesome to. I don't eat coleslaw (not much of a cabbage person personally) so I can't say anything about theirs other than it sure looked tasty! The fries were also cooked to perfection! And then there's their famous fry sauce... people were right, it's freakin' awesome!!!
Another thing that surprised and excited me was their huge menu! I'm not kidding, they sell 10 times more than most little fast-food joints I've been to, and several items you almost never find at a fast food place! Let me give you a few examples of stuff they sell (I asked for and was cheerfully given a paper menu)...
Hamburgers (of course, they're famous for theirs) including bacon burgers but no mushroom burgers (bummer), fish sandwiches, cod or halibut & chips, chicken burgers, steak sandwiches, hot dogs, corn dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, BLT's, burritos, onion rings, chicken nuggets, chicken dinners, gizzards, deep-fried mushrooms, coleslaw, potato salad, prawns, scallops, clam strips, chicken strips, shrimp, banana splits, hard ice cream, farfaits, sundaes, a gazillion flavors of ice cream milkshakes, floats, malts, milk and Pepsi products plus Mountain Dew, Doctor Pepper, even Green River! You could take the entire family and maybe the neighbors and everyone could order something different and you still couldn't scratch the surface of their menu! Holy cow, where do they store all this stuff? Do they have a basement or hidden dungeon? LOL!
Oh, one note: I can't figure out why their sign spells their name "Hum-Dinger" but their menu and stuff have it as one word.
Update: loved their halibut & chips so much I went back the next day for another order! And they even remembered me and what I ordered the day prior! This shows they truly care about and remember their customers. -
Review from Jenna D.
3/1/2012
Yum, yum, yum. Always pleasant employees and good food. Everything I've ever ordered has been delicious. I reserve my 5 star ratings for the very best of the best. Which is why I almost gave the Hum Dinger 4 stars. But I couldn't think of a reason to complain, so 5 stars it is! (Oh, and the price isn't bad either. It's not the cheapest of the cheap, but it's a good value.)
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Review from Kit D.
Olympia, WA
10/20/2011
Best part of working in Hoquiam for sure.
Just tried it out for the first time last month and boy, was I glad I did! For a little place, they sure cook up some good burgers! I had the Humdinger, fries, and a pumpkin shake, coming to about $11, which normally would not be worth it for me if not for the great service. I loved the fry sauce (definitely mixing up my own at home from now on for all of my fries!), and the shake was perfectly mixed, not foamy. These people are the nicest and it is fun to see them knock on the window at you to come get your food. :)
My new lunch spot! -
Review from Jesse C.
Seattle, WA
8/13/2011
This is a delicious hamburger stand on the side of the road. Lovely staff, four friendly women working there. This is still miles better than McDonald's, and next time I will get less sauce and elevate the food to 4 stars:)
I had the HumDinger, husband had the BLT. Lots of sauce on both. BLT was delicious, but a bit too much mayo. Burger was a little overcooked for me and coated in fry sauce.. Fries were standard wavy cut, fry sauce like Big Mac special sauce.
I will return if I need fast food again in the area. Just remember, HALF SAUCE on anything you order - and maybe double fry sauce:) Because it is darn tasty. -
Review from Amanda D.
Aberdeen, WA
3/8/2012
Love this place! Great burgers and have been goin there forever.
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Review from Gabrielle W.
Kirkland, WA
6/24/2011 1 photo
I should start this by saying I only had fries and only because I wanted to know what "fry sauce" was. The waitress told me fry sauce is a proprietary blend of ketchup, mayo, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and Tabasco sauce. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't amazing either. I can definitely see coming back for the fries someday, though I think the style of business would be better suited to a more oceanfront location as it would have appeal to walk up diners.
There is not a ton of parking for a drive up diner, the ordering counter is in this tiny windowed corridor that maybe 8 people can fit in uncomfortably, and there's no place to stand outside to wait for your food. This means that if you're a walk up diner and it's raining, you're pretty much awkwardly in everyone's way.
The only complaint I have is that the simple order of fries took almost 15 minutes. They were exceedingly freshly made, but I'm not sure it's worth the wait. -
Review from John K.
Chehalis, WA
11/15/2010
I've been going to the Hum Dinger from the time it was a Dairy Queen in the 1950's. Located on the Hoquiam River, I spent many an hour as a boy throwing rocks into the river from the Dinger's parking lot. Now I take photos of the shipyard across the way (a poor excuse to drive from Olympia for a milkshake).
But back to the Hum Dinger. This is a classic American home town hamburger stand. No buzzers and bells - just good food. Milk shakes are dee - lish. Burgers done on an old iron grill the way they should be cooked. Sitting in your car, the staff bangs on the Hum Dinger's window to tell you your order is up, as it has been done for decades (how many of those pane windows have been broken over the years??)
Places like this, that reflect an era and the local community are fading away in favor of chain places.
Thank Goodness the Dinger still stands with a loyal following.Listed in: I hate franchises
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Review from Angela H.
People from California have In-N-Out. People from Seattle have Dick's Drive-In. People from Hoquiam have Al's Humdinger. People from everywhere must know of this Humdinger joint, it's just so good, it's bad.
By far THE BEST FAST FOOD IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE. Period. I don't even know the words to describe the tasty goodness that lies within this modest building just off the roadside. Perhaps it's the fry sauce (or crack sauce, as some might call it)? Perhaps it's the hot, perfectly salted fries? Perhaps it's the seasonal flavors of soft serve ice cream? Perhaps it's the burgers with everything you could ever want on it? Perhaps it's just the pure goodness that lies within? I can't say what is it, but I can say it is FANTASTIC.
Go, go, go, my friends. You will not be sorry, down to the last bite, which leaves you wanting more...Listed in: Ode to the Olympic Peninsula, Ode to Grays Harbor -…
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Review from Giggly c.
Portland, OR
9/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good food, cheap, but no bathroom and two picnic benches to sit which we shared outside. NO indoor seating. No good for travelers
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Review from Jon P.
Olympia, WA
7/13/2011
I'm not saying it's worth the drive from my neck of the woods, but if you want an amazing hamburger experience, and you're in Grays Harbor County, you need to go here.
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Review from Wil H.
Seattle, WA
5/25/2010
I've been a local life long fan for 30+ years, and you cannot mistake the smell of Hum Dinger food.
Came through Hoquiam last weekend and just had to have a malted blackberry milkshake, but once I stopped in I couldn't leave without a steak sandwich, some onion rings and some fry sauce. The sandwich was cooked perfectly, but I should have asked for some ketchup and cheese on it. Nevertheless it was tasty. And the onion rings were perfect too, especially paired with the fry sauce. Mmm mm mm...
They also make the best shakes here, I always get a blackberry malted, but I've heard others get something akin to a smores shake... definitely worth looking into...
It may be hard to get to(either crossing traffic as you go South on 101 or having to drive through all the other tasty choices in Aberdeen and Hoquiam), but it's well worth the wait... -
Review from Jason J.
Hoquiam, WA
6/16/2009
Serving: Famously good milk shakes and ice cream, hot dogs, burgers, chicken, Pepsi products.
Very amazing burgers, fries, fry sauce, shakes and ice cream. If you love a good old fashioned burger joint that knows how to make seriously awesome food, this is it. I've lived in the area for 14 years and visited longer than that and never heard a bad comment about their food.
Just down the road a little further west is the Grizzly Den, they also have good food, better fries (the seasoned waffle fries) but Hum-Dinger's burgers and fry sauce are the best.
There is no indoor seating, only two picnic tables outside which are usually not used due to our weather, and less than 10 parking spaces so it can get crowded on a nice day at lunch time. If that is the case I go to Grizzly Den which is a little more expensive but never a disappointment. The Hum-Dinger parking lot is also extremely small and awkward to access from the main road because it sits right at a strange intersection on a very busy highway.
As for being "wayyyyyy over priced" that has got to be a joke. -
Review from kathy m.
1/16/2011
Fast food at its best, prepared in a casual, unhurried manner and made to order. Everything here was absolute perfection! They serve my dream fries, crispy crinkle-cut that are soft and fluffy on the inside. Unlike some of those money-grubbing burger joints the simple tasty fry sauce is complimentary and given out in generous portions. The strawberry shake was made with real berries, a smooth and creamy cup-o-heaven! And the Hum Dinger? The burger! Big and juicy. Generous slices of tomato, and chopped onion that doesn't overpower the symphony of flavor delivered by the secret sauce & relish. The real tragedy of this place is that it is hidden away on a lonesome highway on the Olympic Peninsula. But maybe that's a good thing. If you're ever within fifty miles of Al's Hum Dinger be sure to stop by!
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Review from Cy W.
Sacramento, CA
5/23/2011
Fries & ice cream and I loved every minute of it.
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Review from Ron O.
Olympia, WA
8/31/2010 5 Check-ins Here
Been going to this place for over 30 years. This place rocks! Green River on tap, burgers, fries, oh my! :)
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Review from Kim Y.
Olympia, WA
1/15/2011
Best Drive-in EVER!!!!!
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Review from Ed Y.
Seattle, WA
7/5/2009
Spent the night in Hoquiam at gf's relative's empty house, which was only a stone's throw away from the hum dinger...she tells me "you aint been to Hoquiam until you visit the hum dinger." that's all I needed to put my pants on and walk on over to this burger shack packed with good old american favorites. fish and chips, burgers, malts, ice cream, shakes, fries, you name it, and at very comparable prices. If you're ever in Hoquiam, be sure to check it out
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Review from Quayne G.
Coeur d'Alene, ID
8/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great food, my boy and I went out of our way to try a hum finger, it was worth the effort. Very small place, but a good burger and frys. Fry sauce was great.
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Review from Scott K.
Aberdeen, WA
7/18/2011
What is it with local restaurants out here?! I've always heard great things about Hum dinger. The one time I tried it, it was edible, well mostly. I actually couldn't finish the burger. The fries were good. The "legendary" shakes were also good but far from the best I've had. The burger was a thin layer of meat on on ordinary bun, reminiscent of McDonalds, only more expensive and full of gristle, sand or bone, some sort of solid pieces that felt like rocks in my mouth. After the third crunchy bite, I couldn't eat any more. I think Clark's is the place to go locally for a burger. I might give Hum Dinger another chance but to this point, I haven't been back..
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Review from John R.
Burien, WA
5/18/2011
There are a few amazing drive in burger places around Washington worth a special trip. In Tacoma, it is Frisko Freeze. In Cle Elum it is Twin Pines. In Hoquiam it is the Hum Dinger. True satisfaction for that burger craving!
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Review from Brent C.
Seattle, WA
8/3/2010
Classic drive-in with very friendly service at the walk-up window. Outstanding milkshakes, with a wide list to choose from. Fries were excellent, as was the fry sauce. The burger was very good, while the steak sandwich was good but kind of dull/bland. Seating is limited to a few picnic tables outside. While we got there right before the rush, by the time we received our food the parking lot was completely full, and was still full when we drove by again an hour later.
