EatSeattle Contributor
On a hot late summer day in Seattle my wife and I were craving a good burger. Weighing our options, we decided to go back to Giddy Up Burgers for the first time since around its opening in 2014. It’s not because we didn’t like the food there (we did!) it was just that for one reason or another it never crossed our minds. That all being said, we decided to give it another try.
Upon arriving at Giddy Up you will quickly notice that the décor is a modern Western theme. This is inclusive of the seating, which even allows you to sit on a saddle to eat your food, something that kids (or a big kid like me) certainly would enjoy. It’s a novelty, but it’s great theming for a restaurant, and the overall ambiance is very welcoming.
On the menu there is a multitude of burgers, sandwiches and even salad. There is also a salad bar if that is something more your style, or if you have vegetarian friends. For myself, I opted to go with the Poblano Chili Burger (1/3 lb patty, roasted poblano, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle & chipotle aioli. $10.50) an order of fries, and a vanilla milkshake. Having recently had a poor experience with a watery milkshake, I wanted to see if Giddy Up could restore my faith in Seattle milkshakes and quench my taste buds on a hot summer day. Additionally, there are numerous beers on tap, from mostly local breweries, some hard alcohol drinks (vodka lemonade to name one) and many sodas on tap. The drinks choices are quite vast, and can really satiate any palette.
Within approximately 5 mins, my milkshake was brought to the table. That was quick service! Additionally, the shake was a great consistency, that allowed me to use the straw, but not so watery that is was more of a slushie. I would say, if you are in the mood for a milkshake, I would recommend Giddy Up, as they have quick service, and nothing fancy (Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry) but really do make a good tasting product.
After approximately 10 more mins of waiting, the burger and fries came. The burger looked well put together with a slightly toasted bun. The aioli was very present (so if that’s not your thing, ask them to hold it, or for it to be put on the side), and dripped from the burger. Cheese was well melted on top of both the patty and the peppers, with great coverage of all the fixings. There was nothing extremely fancy about the presentation (except maybe a wood skewer in the middle to hold it together) but also nothing that really detracted either.
The fries came out in a separate container, being held together with a paper cone. You certainly get a good portion of fries when ordering here, so you might want to split them with a friend. Visually the fries looked like a medium steak fry, that was not too thin or too thick, but really the ideal size for a fry in my mind. At first bite the fries crunched in the mouth and we cooked perfectly. A slight salt was also added to them, which helped to bring out the flavor.
A word of warning! If you are particular about your ketchup, you might want to bring your own. Since the first time I had been to Giddy Up, it seems like they changed their ketchup to a more “natural” type. This is one of those types that doesn’t really blend as well, and you get a coarser feel to it. This might be for some, but not for me. When I go back, I will definitely be bringing my own.
Back to that burger! It was everything that I had remembered. A perfectly cooked burger, that had all the flavors melting together with each bite. The bun to burger to cheese to toppings ratio was ideal. Every bite that I took had the right consistency. Overall it was cooked a nice medium to medium-well and was easily devoured.
Being a place for burgers, I would certainly recommend getting a burger here. It’s what they are known for, and how they have made their brand. That being said, if you really want something else, Giddy Up has a great atmosphere for anyone and shouldn’t be overlooked.
TL/DR: Amazing ambiance, good milkshake, great fries, terrible ketchup and a delicious burger.