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Tue. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Wed-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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i LOVE burgers.
and this place has the BEST BURGERS IN THE WORLD.
as a kid i was all about dicks, but as i, and my palate, grew up...well... they just fall short. i'm a regular at red mill in interbay, but a girl's gotta have some variety... so when i woke up this morning after a few too many drinks last night and thus craving a big, jucey buger we decided that it was time to give lunchbox laboratory a try. and i am sooooo sooooo glad that we did. i ordered a smoker (1/4 pound) with onion fries and bubble up, the boy snagged a hothead (1/2 pound) with tater tots and cream soda. PERFECTION! i have never had this much bacon served to me on one burger- the cheese was melty and gooy, the perfect combo with the organic smoked pepper sauce. i actually had to cut the thing in half to be able to eat it! the onion fries were amazing, as was the zesty ketchup (spiked with steak sauce, oh my!) that they served with them. i left with half of my burger for later- and i can't wait. next time, i'm going for the homage to the dicks supreme... basiclly, this is the deal: lunchbox laboratory freakin kicks ass and if you don't agree, then you're not a real person.
Now THIS is why Yelp is an awesome tool. Lunchbox Laboratory is a hidden gem! Well .. unless you use Yelp. :)
I've read so many reviews online about this place. People were raving and ranting about the unique menu, the cool lunchbox decor, the milkshakes, the salts, etc. I finally made it in today and wow - I've been missing out!
The place itself is small and unique. Awesome lunchboxes everywhere to look at while they make your tasty food. I forgot all about the 80s show Heathcliff until I saw a lunchbox on the wall! So cool. The menu of course is MASSIVE. You can build your own or choose a burger from their menu. I tried the dork burger.. OBVIOUSLY! Duck and pork? I needed to try it. The name of the burger was called the Lil' Cajun. It was spicy and delicious! One of the best burgers I've ever had. I loved the organic kaiser roll is was served on too.
For a side you get the option of skinny fries, sweet potato fries, and even tater tots! Of course I went with the taters. Get this though ... it doesn't stop there. They offer 8... yes 8 kinds of salt! I opted for the taco flavored salt. Yum! (they even have the local brand, Baconsalt!)
Lastly I asked for a suggestion on my milkshake. I tried the banana cream pie. It was TO DIE FOR! Such an awesome suggestion.
At the end of the meal I managed to snag some handywipes. I love when places offer those. Especially when you're eating sticky, messy food.
I will be back here for sure. I can't stop raving about it! What a gem in this emerald city!
After a morning of exploring Discovery Park, we headed over to Lunchbox Laboratory with hungry stomachs for good burgers. The place was eclectic, with an array of old school lunchboxes and Thermoses tacked onto the wall, and other various kitschy posters/signs. The restaurant space itself is small and dive-y, with wonderful smells smothering us.
You can either pick one of their burger creations (written out on a chalkboard you can peruse upon entrance) or create your own with a mix and match warehouse of ingredients (choose from beef, churken, tuna, etc., plus different fry salts, sauces, and other condiments). I chose the Flying Firebird, which consisted of a chicken/turkey burger, smothered in bacon and a spicy cheese that I can't appropriately name at the moment, along with a side of sweet potato fries. Completely overwhelmed me with the deliciousness of it all. Absolutely delectable! The portion was huge and unlike other big meals I've had, I managed not to finish it all because of the size. Others in my group chose the Burger of the Gods and the tuna melt and raved about their meals as well.
The service was good, although operations seemed tight. We got our meals in a hot minute and so could indulge pretty much as soon as we sat at our table.
Fantastic meal and I'd highly recommend it!
While there's still nowhere to sit (and this sucks when you travel by bus) and the clientele is still very un-Seattle in their manners, there are a few things running in favor of a re-visit to Lunchbox Laboratory...
1)The shakes are really good.
2)The prices remain steep. However, they're now willing to less severely cook the meat AND they have Dublin Dr. Pepper.
3)The people behind the counter have found their "nice" and are no longer "uncomfortable and weird."
4)There's been a clear upgrade in bun. It's fresh, soft, and stays together.
5)The food was much better. The fries were excellent, whereas i do not remember them being excellent.
6) It would just have been nice had there not been three people hogging 10 seats at the table, so i ate my yummy burger from nice people outside in the rain. Grr.
It would behoove LL to do as Prost! and other small places have done; for those who are new to Seattle, point out that sharing table space is customary. Nobody has a problem with this anywhere else in town...again, i have headphones on, i don't smell funny, i'm not gonna talk to you. It would make the standing outside in the rain part of eating here go away and move it up to four stars.
The food's good enough, but for $15, i'm with Tracy Jane; i'd like my beef rare and i'd like… Read more »
The best part about this place is that it has a wide selection of meats. As the name implies a lot of experimentation goes on. The problem is that at $15 a pop you can't really experiment all that often or much unless you're loaded. The sides are, in some sense, much tastier than the burgers themselves. They also stock wonderful sodas (none of which contain high fructose corn syrup) from far and wide. Overall it's a good place, just not something that I can go to often since it's pricey and eating lunch there makes me feel like I'll explode for the next five hours.
Best burger in town. Inventive and fun burger combos with a tater tot option and spices and flavorings to boot. Owners are sweet with a wonderfully quirky sense of humor.
The burger grind is proving Pavlov correct right now...hardly handled the beef is super tender and flavorful, cooked perfectly to temperature and a hefty portion size. In fact I might get a little nutty and request a double. The meat is so good I know I could finish it. The combination's are virtually limitless, the quality of all the ingredients is high along with the price. Yep, worth it.
Did I like it? Did I not like it? Is it 3 stars or is it five stars? I'll put it at 4 for now. All I can say is it was the most overwhelming burger experience I have ever had, I still have a case of sensory overload, not sure what to make of it. I really was blown away by this place and I am still not entirely sure of what to think. Should I be afraid? All I remember at this point was the heavenly Nutella shake served in a beaker and the massive pile of wonderful bacon on my burger. I also remember how I paid over $16 dollars for all that, but that didn't have time to set in before I started eating.
The staff is mostly friendly and you might miss this place just driving down the road. The design was really interesting inside, the lunchboxes all over the wall really gave the place a cool feel. They do use a communal table in side, but if you are a Seattle chowhound you have been to Salumi and Serious Pie and know the "put on a smiley face" drill. All I can say now is wow, this place will surprise you, perhaps even intimidate you like it did me.
P.S. the other Yelpers are right, the Sweet Potato Fried are delish!
One of the best hamburgers I've ever had, and that's saying something.
My GOD. If I lived in Seattle, I would probably come here once a week and try all the various combinations of things - it's unbelievable.
I see some negative reviews on this place, and I really think they're misplaced.
a) don't come here when everyone else is trying to (aka lunch).
b) don't expect 5-star dining - this is a hole-in-the-wall burger joint; it's dirty and dingy, but you're not coming here for the ambiance, YOU'RE COMING FOR THE FOOD
c) it's spendy, presumably because they offer so many different HIGH QUALITY options/combinations but so what? What would you have them do, cut back on their options? Use cheaper quality products?
I think it's pretty obvious to those reading these reviews - if you're turned off by the idea of a bohemian burger joint, this ain't your place. If you don't mind a little rough-and-tumble with a side of adventure, and you really love food, you can't miss this place.
Bottom line: this place gets a very rare 5 stars strictly for the food only.
Beef...ground fresh every day... hand pounded... delicious kaiser rolls... toasted to perfection... highest quality ingredients... when you take a big bite out of this burger the juice runs down your leg... did i say leg! I meant arm. And who makes the best damn burger in Seattle...Scott Simpson @ the lunchbox laboratory... hands down!!!
If there was a Golden Ticket for lovers of either burgers or shakes, that ticket would likely allow them entry to the Lunchbox Laboratory. Lucky thing for lovers of fine burgers and delicious shakes a Golden Ticket is not required to dine here ... merely about $20 for a big ol' half pound burger and shake.
I ordered the Truffle Love burger and it was so loaded with bacon that when I picked it up, half of it fell off the burger and what remained was an amount more vast than what you normally get on a bacon cheeseburger at any other place. I ended up eating the mass of bacon and cheese that fell off my burger with a fork. Yes, there was that much!
The Boston Cream Doughnut shake I ordered was nothing short of divine. The shake tasted like whipped cream and every few sips a gigantic glob of fudge would clog the straw, ending in a blast of chocolaty goodness.
Tiny place but it was nearly vacant when I arrived at 4PM. When I left, I left a little piece of me behind.
A piece of my heart.
Maybe I don't quite get it... don't get me wrong, it was a good burger. Good, BIG, overflowing burger with all kinds of stuff on it. I was hungry and I can eat, but really... this was too much food. THIS is why we are the fattest country on the freakin' planet!! The chances are, in my opinion, that you and a friend could split one item and be just fine...
Eh. My burger was ok - I believe it was called "the burger of the gods". My boyfriend had some sort of spicy burger with bacon which came with at least 20 slices of bacon stacked on top of it. That sounds like a good thing, but really it was basically inedible.
One star added for having Mexican Coke - mmmm.
Two burgers, two fries, two sodas and a shake for $37. I would rather go to Burgermaster.
This was my first time. I've always driven by because it doesn't stand out on 15th as being a place to eat. I've always assumed it was a auto repair shop like every other building on 15th.
Pros:
THE FOOD IS WORTH THE PRICE. Redeeming anything else that could possibly go wrong. I ordered the burger of the gods, it was VERY good. The strawberry milkshake was probably one of the best i've ever had as well and the onion rings were full of flavor.
Cons:
The menu was a little overwhelming for a first timer... so i asked the lady taking orders if she preferred the BBQ BOMBERO or the Burger of the Gods... she got very flustered that I would even ask for help. So thumbs down on the her initial impression. Although she did stop by all the tables and ask if there was anything else she could get for anyone.
One of the tables is held together with ducktape... they might want to consider updating their decor to give a "cleaner" impression.
Bottom Line:
I'm going back to test out every burger and every milkshake. I'm bringing my friends and family with me! But i'll have to make sure I save up... its a pretty penny.
This is a public service announcement for all vegetarians, dragged to Lunchbox Laboratory over and over again by their meat-lovin' SO. Don't put goat cheese on your falafel burger. Don't do it. In fact, don't order the falafel at all. It's got a mildly sweet flavor that I found kind of bizarre.
Here's what's good about LL: The fries. All of them. They kick the ass out of The Counter's fries.
The shakes. Fantastic, and I've only worked my way through the Chocolate Cherry, but having witnessed the others coming out, I'd like to have a different one every week. (Although as Shakira once wisely put it, hips don't lie). It's adorable to put the two straws in, too.
The burgers: According to Hapa Boy, it's a darn good burger. I don't eat cute, so I'll have to take his word for it. I will say it looked greezy.
Also: Lunchboxes on the wall (Nightmare on Elm Street would have been the perfect way to take my mother's horrible lunches to school), the many sauces and combos, the drink menu.
The not so good: The service is kind of "are you here to disturb me from my hipsterishness?" The falafel. The tables. The price.
$30 for two 1/4 pound burger shaped items, fries, and a shake? Really? Really?!
Still on the hunt for my go to burger place in Seattle. This place keeps popping up on the hit list so decided to give it a try. First off, it is TINY. I totally agree with recommendations to avoid the lunch time rush at all costs. I rolled in around 2:45 pm so pretty had the run of the place to myself. The place is adorned with many vintage lunch boxes from back in the day. Some of the highlights are the 'Fall Guy", "Nightmare on Elm street" and "Land of Giants" lunch boxes. The selection is intimidating. They have a bunch of specials (8-10) that are pre-set combinations, most of which included bacon. They also boasted sides like skinny fries and dear lord tater tots!! yum!
Anyhow, went with the truffle mayo burger (sauteed onions/swiss cheese/bacon and truffle mayo). I thought it was odd that they didn't ask how they wanted my burger done (rare, medium rare, etc.). And of course had to go with tater tots w/bacon salt, just in-case I didn't have enough bacon intake yet.
I went with the 1/2 pounde which was a bit much. I can't believe I am saying this but there was actually TOO much bacon on this thing. Admitting this goes against almost every fiber of my being. The bacon was piled so high that it was many orders of magnitude greater than the thickness of the meat and all the other toppings. Actually had to shave a few inches of bacon off. But, the rest of the burger was good, and the truffle mayo made it almost criminally wrong....but so good. The tater tots were nice, crispy and hot. The bacon salt added a nice touch. They have a decent variety of french fry salt to choose from (sea salt, kosher salt and pepper etc...)
A bit more pricey then what you would expect from a hole in the wall burger joint. The 1/2 pound burger + tots+ bottle soda was $18 and some change.
as far as my observation of the service, I had no complaints but then again, I was the only one there. My advice is to stick to off hours to avoid problems in this department.
The burgers are the best, very fresh, great burger meat, great buns. Great side sauces, you will get what you pay for, I have the Burger of the Gods and it was the best.
My jaw still hurts from this place and its been a few hours. We had the Olive Branch Lamb and Truffle Love.... kick ass... Ticks me off that Teddys made it on the Seattle's Mags 13 Best Burgers and not this place... The hell?
And please... you get what you pay for... reviews say its pricy, but I found $14 to be a very FAIR price to pay for a HUGE and Gourmet burger plus Fries/Mac n Cheese OR Drink. Ingredients were fresh, creative sauces and the fries were expertly done. I preferred the Truffle Love (Bacon, Swiss, Carmelized Onions and Black Truffle Mayo) and the sweet potato fries over the Olive Branch and tots, but dont get me wrong, everything was very good. "I cant believe im saying this, but this might be TOO much bacon" - the bf. Bacon is super fatty, on the softer side and i swear there was at least 20 layers of it. So not complaining tho...
Seating is mainly outdoors, no idea how they deal when its raining out. I like the presentation, you get this fancy plate but youre gonna ruff it outside on these raggedy old tables w/ bird poo all over em... Somehow it alllllll works! :)
The Good:
YUM! These burgers are really flavorful and delicious. One of my favorites is the lamb burger with masala sauce. Their sweet potatoe fries are great - and you can choose the salt of your choice for optimal flavor enhancement. The shakes - oh lord, the shakes, are the best of all, and if you are going for the full L.L. experience, DO NOT skip on this, even if you'll end up gassy and lactose intolerantly ill for the rest of the evening.
The Bad:
You may have to wait awhile, so go off hours to avoid long lines and having to smell truffle salt and bacon grease while you drool impatiently for your food. However, you best know what you want when you walk up to the counter, otherwise you'll get the rolling eyes of death from the lady who takes your order. Also be prepped to fork over 10 bucks for the burger - this isn't Dicks.
the Ugly: that sign - man what is up with that creepy looking chef?
It was something of a gamble, coming here with carnivorian friends, as I'm an herbivore. Sure enough, the first menu you see is chalk full of meatastic special burgers (so-called superbeef seems to be quite popular). Luckily, right around the corner is a 'build-yer-own-casket' menu. There are many vegetarian options...and by that, I mean one, which is falafal. So I had that, with some pepper jack cheese and a vanilla shake on the side.
The burger itself was pretty good, though a bit different than what I am used to. The falafel has a different texture and spiciness than other vegetarian 'patties'. The shake was tasty, and served in a neat lab flask.
If you like meat, you're gonna just love this place. If not, well, the fries looked tasty.
PS...this place is very pricey for what it is.
I've been meaning to try their burgers for awhile and finally got my chance this weekend when I met some friends at the Mobile Chowdown. The lines were SOOOO long that we decided to head to LBL instead. It may have been the best decision I've made in a long time!
Ths space is definitely cramped but you've gotta love the lunchboxes on the wall. In fact the superhero lunchbox on the top left-hand side is the same one I had back in 1st grade! Ahhh the memories!
Ok enough about the lunchboxes - I ordered the Jake Locker Blocker with a 1/2 lb patty, sweet potato fries and a boston creme donut milkshake.
Where do I start??
The Burger - The bun was perfect. Light and fluffy yet structurally sound. The pattie, onions, bacon and sauce were all decadent. It was a parade of sweet and savory/smoky flavors.
The Fries - Just the right mix of crispy and lightly seasoned. I love sweet potato fries as much as I like brainy brunettes. These were the Tina Fey of sweet potato fries. Nuff said!
The Shake - In college I played on an ultimate frisbee team where the person who had the most insane play during the weekend was awarded a DD's Boston Creme. If they had this shake instead I'm sure my college team would've made Nationals every year!
Warning - Please don't lead a sedentary lifestyle if you plan to eat here frequently. I'm sure I consumed about 200,000 calories in that sitting. But - It was so worth it.
I really want to try a Dork (Duck/Pork) burger and a Churkin burger next time!
Food was great but the place itself looks like a rundown muffler shop. Ordering is disorderly and people fight over seating. The atmosphere really couldn't be worse. Awesome food though, so get a Dork Burger and sweet potato fries to go!
4.5 stars
Wow! A burger that finally deserves some hype. I think other institutions in this town that start with an R, followed by a ed Mill, are completely overrated. Not the LL...this is a real burger- quality, seasoned beef with great options for dressing up the meaty morsel. Plus, the buns are top notch- soft, yet firm enough to hold up the juicy, meaty goodness. Meaty- it's fun to write AND say out loud. Meaty.
Also, the sweet potato fries are amazing- if you've ever tried to fry up a batch of those sugary, starchy tuberous lovelies- you know it's hard to get them crispy...LL delivers the goods.
Finally, the milkshakes are to DIE for- die, die NOW! Note to self...don't die. But, seriously, Blueberry and Nutella were pretty amazing- and I'd wager it'd stand up to Uma's $5 milkshake any day.
Ballardites/ Crown Hillians rejoice! Our days of slavery to Phinney Ridge/ Interbay mediocrity are over...
FYI- I did not order from the box- but had a friend pick it up for dinner- he sounded frazzled by the experience, but he's a little sensitive...:) I'll make a trip and update my experience.
Well, it finally happened - I went to Lunchbox Laboratory at long last. I was holding off due to the hype, crowds and price, thinking there was no way it could measure up.
And I have never been so happy to be so wrong. I know that $14 for a burger plus side, served in a dive, seems off-putting, but the value per dollar for flavor and orgasmic eating experience was off the charts IMHO. I ordered the "Cajun Black and Bloody", which was a cajun-blacked burger with Bloody Mary mayonnaise (?!?!), sauteed onions, and enough bacon to nearly drown out the beef. It was an unholy mess to eat, but with every bite I was in hog heaven. There was wayyyy too much food for one serving. Oh, and the side? I opted for tater tots with smoked asian salt (there were 7-8 other salt choices, by the way) and ate more than I should've because they were so perfectly done. The unsweetened iced tea was some of the best I've had in a restaurant - perfectly brewed and full of flavor.
My wife ordered the "Burger of the Gods" which was a beef patty topped with Gorgonzola and balsamic caramelized onions. She loved every bite; I found it good but personally felt the amount of Gorgonzola was a bit overpowering. But that's part of what I like about this place - a humongous range of flavors to suit every palate, and they are certainly not afraid to experiment and push the edge.
Staff is friendly, approachable, and they clearly know & love the food. FYI, their default is medium on burger done-ness, so if you want some pink be sure to ask for it. The hard part is knowing when I should go back and what to order next. It's three days later, the meat coma has barely worn off, and yet I'm craving that Cajun burger again. I loved every bite, and yet I know the menu of 12-14 specials will be calling me to test more of the Lab's delicious experiments.
Consider me converted.
Your best bet is to get here on a Saturday - early afternoon. If you go on a Sunday you're risking being turned away because they've run out of food. (Personally, I think that running out of food is a mark of an awesome restaurant. They give enough of a care to make sure things are really fresh and not sitting about in a refridgerator.)
I've been so full from the buffalo and the dork burgers (not on the same visit mind you!) that I haven't tried the shakes yet. But there is a great and very interesting variety of the shakes and the burgers.
They let you pick your own garnish/add ons from a variety of kick ass salts and cheese and sides and etc.
I do have a hard time choosing just because there are so many that are great.
The sweet potato fries are the best. Top of the pile. They are perfectly crisy every single time.
The dork was really interesting - it reminded me a lot of fancy sausages that I've had - YMMV! I already have the churken (chicken & turkey) lined up mentally to get next time.
Oh and the decor is awesome.
Lunch Box Laboratory's menu has so many options that it's almost intimidating. I had read all about it in advance and I still froze up when confronted with so many choices. Since it was my first visit, I went with a fairly basic burger with bacon, cheddar, grilled onions and spicy mayo. I got the smaller burger and it was still massive. I was full for the rest of the day.
The third-worst thing about Lunchbox Laboratory is the bacon. The burger was a serious flavor explosion and had a chance to be good but was ultimately torpedoed by the quality of the bacon. Don't get me wrong, there was a huge pile of hog present, but it was soft and rubbery.
The second-worst thing about Lunchbox Laboratory is the price. My tab for two burgers was $27.05. That didn't include any sides or drinks. Are they joking? Am I at the Four Seasons or a dump mere feet from the roar of 15th Street?
The worst thing about Lunchbox Laboratory is the stench. When I walked up, I was happy to see all the outdoor seating because it was a beautiful day. Before my burger was served, though, I had to face the ugly truth that the dumpsters were overflowing and some garbage was piled on the ground nearby. About halfway through my meal, one of the employees pulled a rickety bamboo screen across the dumpsters in a sad attempt to conceal the mess. It didn't hide the trash and it certainly didn't cover the smell.
I'd like to go back and try some of the zany combinations, but I simply can't. I like to keep my dining and landfill experiences distinctly separate.
A review in list form:
1) After reading thru some reviews and noting the negative comments about the wait staff, this New Yorker has to say "THESE ARE MY PEOPLE" not rude, just acting with purpose. I have to say that I find the lack of a laid back vibe that seems to permeate Seattle made this place a little more excellent.
2) I was totally overwhelmed by the menu and it took me a few seconds to get my bearings...
6 Burger Choices, 12 cheese choices, over 30 toppings, 8 side choices and 9 salt choices for the fries/tots plus an array of non corn syrup sweetened sodas...
HOLY HECK!!!
I went with the Baby (1/4 lb) Super Beef, Havarti and Toasted Onion Mayo, Tater Tots with Sea Salt and Pepper and a beaker of fresh orange, cinnamon spice iced tea. My dining partner in crime had the Baby Super Beef, Gruyere, Brown Sugar Kissed Marsala Glazed Onions, and Maple Smoked Bacon with Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon Salt.
The burgers were both delicious and the Tater Tots and Fries were excellent.
3) The place is small and gets crowded quick...but the staff seemed to have their system down.
The decor, fun, quirky... I liked it!
4) The prices... steep but in my opinion worth it. I was full after half a burger and half my tots...
5) Will I go back: Hell YES!
PS... Did I mention I though the wait staff was actually friendly...just busy as hell.
I love this place. Great food - but it's a pain in the ass to get there when they're open. When they finally sort it out so non Lunch Laboratory fanbois can turn up for a burger dinner I'll upgrade my rating.
Good burgers, served immaculately. Sweet potato fries weren't as good as I thought - I prefer them when they're a bit more chunky.
Highly recommend going, if you can leave work at 2pm for dinner.
The overpriced gourmet / yuppie burger thing is so played.
Good burger - yes. Worth $12 bucks - No freaking way.
Add cheese and a side and just sign over your underwater mortgage
For that price I want to see furburger on the menu
Ozzies has a 10 oz. NY strip special for 9.95 with veg / baker / salad
Skillet - 10 bucks and they come to me
Advice to owners - Picnic tables, get real, ?
You've got a flattop, do something interesting with it
Also consider spending more then $2 on a website. The flash intro thing is also past tense. Why do people go to a restaurant's website. It's spelled M. E. N. U. deal with it .
(I especially like the 'your site title here' titling. Shows real attention to detail. Of course this is a restaurant, not a http://dot.com startup, but really this is Seattle)
Advice to browsers - Go, its good. You only regret it the next day when you wake up and see the receipt. At least you wont have to gnaw your arm off
Summary - If I lived next door this would be a 'once a month' not a 'once a week' place. For the amount of grease these guys generate there should be a biodiesel station next door.
Where to start. I stood in line for over 45 minutes expecting the best burger I have ever eaten. Every burger coming by looked so good, greasy and delish. Once it was finally my turn to navigate the vast menu and build my own burger, it was overwhelming. But... that was mostly my fault being a first timer.
After sitting down on a dirty rotted picnic table I starred at this pile of soggy bacon, cheese, and sauces. I actually decided to go with the Smoker, because I did not want to upset the frazzled lady who was taking the orders.
In short, the burger was an absolute mess. Half pound of bacon that was limper than a straight guy at a gay bar. Yuck. Sorry but this burger was not good. Everything was salted to the max, I struggled with every bite. By the way, I am not a small little health freak. I love nothing more than oversized amounts of beef and pork!!
I just could not enjoy this burger. Way to salty!!! I can not emphasize this enough. The tater tots were cooked perfectly but again way to salty. My wife had the onion fries, again so salty we could not eat them. To prove the point of over-salted, every water container at their establishment was dry. I had to walk 2 blocks back to my car for a bottle of water. People were dying for a drink of H2O.
I have no idea how this place has 4 stars. The menu is fun and very creative but the food is just not done well. One positive note, the shakes were delicious. I would only return again for one of their shakes.
Also it is a pricey place. We spent over $40 for 2 burgers, 2 fries, and 2 shakes. CASH ONLY!
Looks are deceiving. I also checked my blood pressure after eating here and it jumped 20 point to 150 over 85 after eating one of their burgers and tots. Beware!
$37 for two burgers and fries? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!
The food is acceptable, and the portions are HUGE. My dining companion and I didn't leave hungry, but we did leave feeling foolish and absolutely taken for paying so much for a freakin' burger in such a crappy location.
The place is a dive, and not in the good way. The outdoor 'dining room' is 5 feet from a busy road so you get the pleasure of screaming to have a conversation and the taste of exhaust with your meal. The picnic tables are old, uneven, sticky, and in disrepair - I got a splinter when sitting down and the table caught my (now ruined) $60 knit shirt on the edge and tore a hole it in when I got up. You also get to pay for the privilege of self-busings your tables! They also want a tip!
I "get" the quaintness of it all, and the wild-and-crazy selection of burgers and sauces is a little cool, but the rest of the experience left me in a foul mood. It's plain and simply way overpriced.
If I want to treat myself to eating a burger in a parking lot, think I'll stick with the $4 Dick's deluxe and fries, thanks. In fact, I could buy that meal TEN TIMES and get a much better value and dining experience.
THE GOOD:
Ummm...the burgers are second to none (At least ones that I have had)
THE BAD:
Small establishment lack of seating & service when its crowded
THE LOWDOWN:
Damn good tasting burgers. Come hungry and ready for a tastebud explosion. Went with 2 other virgins and they were simply amazed, so its not just me. Simply awesome! However, it is expensive, but worth it! Finally, the burgers are simply too much to make it a frequent place to eat at, but a great place to take friends and out of towners.
I had the Dork Burger and it is the greasiest sandwich I've ever laid my fingers on. I could barely keep the bread from falling apart as the grease disintegrated it. It was O_K_. Perhaps I would be able to appreciate it more if there was less oil. The portion size is decent, and I was definitely full enough not to be able to finish it. If it matters any to you, they actually served Mexican Coke (with that cane sugar stuff).
The interior's old-skool lunchbox collection is fun to peruse, and the menu is in-yo-face massive. There are only about two or three long tables inside. Picnic tables and chairs are available outside. The staff is friendly, so I would consider trying a different sandwich next time.
Oh god it hurts but it TASTE SO GOOD.
I just got back after meaning to wander over for a couple weeks. I wouldn't really recommend riding a bike over like we did as it going home was a bit rough being so full of food. Also there isn't really a place to put bikes, I didn't see anywhere to lock mine up so it just ended up getting leaned against the building.
When you show up it is highly likely there will be a line but it moves pretty fast. Staff seemed nice and was working hard. The place is pretty tiny but we managed to grab a seat outside. The best part is our burgers were out to us in less than 5 minutes after ordering. Hell some fast food joints can't even cook up a burger that fast, these guys are pros.
So when you go in you have two choices, get an "experiment" which is a burger combo they have worked out for $14 with a side or $12 if it is beef and you get a 1/4 pound patty, or build your from there absurd selection of meats, cheeses, toppings, and sauces.
I choose the 1/2 pound truffle love experiment. First off the beef is damn tasty, then it is topped with bacon (and a LOT of it to), cheddar, onions, and BLACK TRUFFLE MAYO. This thing is seriously rich and seriously good but I had to leave the last 1/8 because it was just to much. Next time I'll got for the 1/4 pounder. They also offer sweet potato fries which are pretty damn good.
There are also shakes served up in beakers. I got a Nutella shake which blew my socks off. Highly recommended to check out.
I think the lab is really missing out on a money making opportunity. After that meal I would have gladly paid $20 to curl up on a cot and sleep for an hour. Maybe I'll set up shop on the sidewalk and offer my service.
I am a sauce junkie... sauces and dips make me very happy, as well as being able to customize my order without people getting mad at me for being difficult! Thus, Lunchbox Laboratory is perfect for me because you basically choose your protein and cheese (it automatically comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle) and any 2 sauces from a board chock full of sauces. Their cheeses aren't just your basic cheddar or swiss either- the have havarti, goat cheese, gorgonzola, etc. The sauces range from spicy 5 pepper to balsamic to stoneground mustard or truffle mayo. It is literally a burger laboratory, and I loved it.
The only reason I am giving it four stars instead of five is that my falafel burger was very over-charred, to the point that it was dry and needed to be doused with ketchup to moisten it up. My boyfriend was drooling over his lamb burger with bacon and some kind of goat cheese creation that is one of their specialties.
Indoor seating is extremely limited and be prepared to spend around $15 bucks for your meal... the sweet potato fries with cinnamon salt were heavenly, as were the tater tots with rosemary salt. Yes, they have a variety of salts to choose from for your side as well :)
I think this is just another example of an over-rated Seattle joint. Yes it's small, and endearing for it's dive-ish quality. All those random lunch boxes and postcards add to that cute factor. But the facts come down to this: $15+ for a half-pound messy burger and cup of fries is definitely not worth it. That gets it one minus on price alone.
Then, there's the fact of what you get. An overly salted piece of meat that, ignoring the amount of salt, is quite tasty. It's gooey with all the cheese and toppings, and you get a healthy portion of it. I didn't mind that the entire thing almost explodes in your hands; messy with lots of cheese and grease is a plus for me on many occasions. But it just didn't amount to the feasting adventure so many Seattle-ites hype this up to be.
Seriously, Seattle, you need to get over yourself. You wait in long lines for all those places that get talked about so much. But you should drop your "I'm in the know" hipster attitude and start paying more attention to your taste buds. Paseo's? Not worth it, particularly because it's NOT A REAL CUBAN SANDWICH! Red Mill? Great fries, but again, not worth the long wait for an average burger. And Lunchbox Laboratory? Yeah, it's a good burger, but WAY overpriced. Drop that price down to maybe 10 bucks and I'd be willing to give it four stars. Until then, meet me at Zippy's or Jak's HH special for what a REALLY good burger should taste like and cost.
I went back on a busy weekend and I have to say I was turned off by the experience. First of all, the service was really horrible. The woman taking the orders (who is the owner) seemed like she couldn't have been more angry at the fact that she was getting business, which seemed quite odd to me. Every two minutes she would scream "coming through" to run the food, and she was serving as the real bottleneck in the operation. Once your food was ordered it took a couple of minutes, but she was the only one taking orders and delivering food...they really could have used a food runner or two.
Second, my burger was MUCH greasier than I had remembered from before. I'm assuming that's because they were too busy to clean off the grills, but it was ridiculous. I know to expect grease when I go there...it's part of the reason why I went, but it was just too much to handle.
If you're going to go, don't go on the weekend...it's just too much to handle.
Fantastic food, definitely worth the $15 for a hamburger. I got a "Dork" burger (Duck and Pork)… Read more »
I got a "dork" burger with blue cheese, caramelized onions, and some delicious sauce I can't recall, and the thin fries; I had to pause to savor every bite so I wouldn't forget how good it was. The portions are ample, and they seem to take pride in everything they do.
The real magic here is in the variety of things that are available to create your burger, as well as in the quality of each individual item; I swear to you that I legitimately had a difficult time paying attention to my meal as I was so distracted thinking about what I was going to order next time. Everything they use seems to be top quality: not only are they using grass fed beef in their beef burgers, but the cuts they're using are prime rib and another expensive cut I don't recall.
The negative side is mainly price. I'm not saying the place is unfairly expensive, it's just that it's more money than I want to spend on lunch typically. I would expect these kinds of prices with the quality of the ingredients they use, but the price makes it difficult to eat here frequently.
I would recommend that you don't plan to do anything for several hours after a meal is your body will want you to nap.
OMG.. so lets be clear.. this is a burger joint like none other..
everything is $14 on the menu and will make you feel like you want to vomit when finished.
The portions and calorie/fat content are impressive.. but I say the quality was not very good..
The meat was a bit mealy for my taste and the toppings were not all that exciting..
I would recommend it for the wow factor and the uniqueness of the place.. its one to check off the list, but I do not think I will frequent the place..
This is a review after my first visit to Lunchbox Labs.
What a strange and wonderous place. It's on an awful stretch of 15th Ave. It's a total dump (always a good sign, in my professional eating opinion.) The interior is adorned with hilarious vintage gear; I think I had that Star Wars lunchbox when I was in elementary school. The waitrons are adorned with hilarious tattoos.
The first thing we discovered while waiting to order our food: This is not 'Nam. There are rules. You *will* order from one menu or the other, but not both. Fans of boolean exclusive-or, take note.
The second thing we discovered was that for every option, there is a sub-option. We took the slim fries option, and optioned that with rosemary sea salt, which I would highly recommend.
The third thing we discovered was that the food is really delicious. The churken burgers were very moist and doused in all kinds of intriguing and suitably great sauces, curries, and oddities. The Nutella shake -- served in the only beaker of the day -- was rich and thick; the skinny fries were positively Parisian.
As others have noted, there is a bit of highway robbery here. The ingredients are great, but two of us ate for $41, whereas at Red Mill we'd spend less than $20. I don't want to make you think that Red Mill is anywhere in the same league as Lunchbox Laboratories in terms of the inventiveness of their ingredients (LL wins hands down) but Red Mill is a darned tasty burger too, y'know? They're just different things in the end -- I'll probably hit Red Mill far more often than LL, which will always be a special treat.
I finally got a chance to eat here. It was totally worth the money and hassle of listening to traffic while eating.
Details: since it was my first time, I went with one of the pre-suggested experiments so I didn't have to use so much brain power trying to figure out how to assemble my own burger. My husband had a lamb burger with goat cheese, onions, and some kind of sauce. Mine was "Truffle Love"- beef, bacon, cheddar, onions, and truffle mayo. Yummy but so rich. I could only eat half of it. Between my sister, husband, and I we had the tater tots, fries, and sweet potato fries. I liked the tater tots best. The sweet potato fries were too crispy for me.
Ooh, the peppermint milkshake was really good too.
And kudos to the lady who takes orders, watches the fry clock, and serves the food. Just watching her do all that stressed me out.
My husband and I agree that we will return for sure. But it's not the kind of place you can go to on a regular basis. And next time I am not going to eat anything all day so that I can eat the whole burger!
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