Walk into Chubby's -- hell, just consider the name, really -- and you'll wonder if the restaurant's owners believe all the hype about America's burgeoning obesity rate. The insignia features an adorably corpulent chef -- think Santa Claus with a rolling pin -- and many of the prototypical burger joint elements are firmly in place. There's a Wall of Fame, for instance, featuring pictures and letters by those who have managed to devour Chubby's largest burger (that's two whole pounds for you gluttons), and kids are given crayons to color the weight-challenged chef on their menus, which are then hung neatly near the entrance.
When I stepped in on a Saturday afternoon, Chubby's three TVs were showing three different football games, and I'm told they have specials on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights -- all for football. The TVs were muted, so as to better hear the classic rock playing in the background.
Chubby's, if you want the short and long of it, is more all-American than a slice of apple pie traveling in an SUV to a war in the Middle East with a Bible in the glove compartment.
Don't consider this a strike against Chubby's, to be sure. The employees at Chubby's aren't chubby at all, but they do radiate that genuine joviality stereotypically attributed to the overweight. They do their best to dress up the place, too -- every table ornamented with a vase of fake red flowers, and, when I visited, the whole restaurant was spotless. Most importantly, however, they make a damn fine burger.
Though the majority of the restaurant's business may be done through its carry-out service, I found my dine-in experience to be both filling and fulfilling. My waiter talked me into trying the Carolina Burger, a monstrosity that adds grilled ham and tangy barbecue sauce to a burger already loaded with a hefty slab of beef. Just ordering it made me feel like more of a man. By the end, my heart rate had nearly reached a standstill and I was sweating bullets. I, too, was one of them. I was a Chubby. And, oh, was it wonderful.
The restaurant is a big draw for college kids, and it's easy to see why. Chubby's offers all three meals -- yes, even breakfast, kids -- and a tantalizing array of desserts, including deadly deep-fried Oreos. The number of potential calories per square inch could probably break a few world records. Its location makes it easy to miss -- tucked snugly next to a hair salon in one of Towson's nearly identical strip malls -- but if you're seriously considering going to, say, Applebee's when this place is so near, you ought to be ashamed. Just ask yourself: WWCD?
Well, he would eat at his own place. That's what.
Dish: There are a lot of classic diner favorites here, but the burgers are obviously the highlight. Chubby's appetizer list is almost exhaustive -- there's even a crab pretzel. The menu's lone literary reference, "The Old Man & the Sea Burger," is somewhat marred by the misspelling of "Quessadillas" one column over, but, hey, I give them credit for trying.
Damage: My gigantic and satisfying Carolina Burger was something of a steal at $7.49; it came with a batch of freshly-cooked fries, as any good burger must. If you opt to drink water, you can tip 20 percent and still escape without spending more than $10.
Decision: Portliness be damned -- it's burger time! To those binging at franchises instead of this local gem, Chubby says, "Let them eat beef!"
Editor's note: Chubby's Grill in Towson has closed. To wrap your lips around a two-pound Chubby Burger or some deep-fried Oreos, head to the restaurant's other location in Perry Hall.
When I stepped in on a Saturday afternoon, Chubby's three TVs were showing three different football games, and I'm told they have specials on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights -- all for football. The TVs were muted, so as to better hear the classic rock playing in the background.
Don't consider this a strike against Chubby's, to be sure. The employees at Chubby's aren't chubby at all, but they do radiate that genuine joviality stereotypically attributed to the overweight. They do their best to dress up the place, too -- every table ornamented with a vase of fake red flowers, and, when I visited, the whole restaurant was spotless. Most importantly, however, they make a damn fine burger.
Though the majority of the restaurant's business may be done through its carry-out service, I found my dine-in experience to be both filling and fulfilling. My waiter talked me into trying the Carolina Burger, a monstrosity that adds grilled ham and tangy barbecue sauce to a burger already loaded with a hefty slab of beef. Just ordering it made me feel like more of a man. By the end, my heart rate had nearly reached a standstill and I was sweating bullets. I, too, was one of them. I was a Chubby. And, oh, was it wonderful.
The restaurant is a big draw for college kids, and it's easy to see why. Chubby's offers all three meals -- yes, even breakfast, kids -- and a tantalizing array of desserts, including deadly deep-fried Oreos. The number of potential calories per square inch could probably break a few world records. Its location makes it easy to miss -- tucked snugly next to a hair salon in one of Towson's nearly identical strip malls -- but if you're seriously considering going to, say, Applebee's when this place is so near, you ought to be ashamed. Just ask yourself: WWCD?
Well, he would eat at his own place. That's what.
Dish: There are a lot of classic diner favorites here, but the burgers are obviously the highlight. Chubby's appetizer list is almost exhaustive -- there's even a crab pretzel. The menu's lone literary reference, "The Old Man & the Sea Burger," is somewhat marred by the misspelling of "Quessadillas" one column over, but, hey, I give them credit for trying.
Damage: My gigantic and satisfying Carolina Burger was something of a steal at $7.49; it came with a batch of freshly-cooked fries, as any good burger must. If you opt to drink water, you can tip 20 percent and still escape without spending more than $10.
Decision: Portliness be damned -- it's burger time! To those binging at franchises instead of this local gem, Chubby says, "Let them eat beef!"
Editor's note: Chubby's Grill in Towson has closed. To wrap your lips around a two-pound Chubby Burger or some deep-fried Oreos, head to the restaurant's other location in Perry Hall.
