Out to Lunch: Broiler Bay

An unexpected burger shack delivers just what it promises

There are plenty of great burgers in town—you know, the ones that come with adjectives like Kobe and grass-fed. But sometimes you just want a classic beach-shack burger from a place where the menu is displayed on a black wallboard with white plastic letters arranged unevenly. I found such a quintessential spot in downtown Bellevue, in a strip mall about half a mile from the shores of Meydenbauer Bay.

Broiler Bay exists out of time. It opened 20 years ago, and I’d be surprised if anything about the menu has changed since. There’s no local-seasonal anything here, except in the sense that it’s always burger season in my world. Hell, there’s not even a veggie burger. Business is pretty evenly divided between eat-in and takeout.

I perused the short list of burgers (there are also chicken sandwiches and subs) and sides (fried zucchini is about as wild as it gets), and ordered the grilled-onion cheeseburger ($4). It was exactly as I knew it would be: a sesame seed bun, a thin, nicely charred patty, a slice of American cheese and a heap of thick-cut grilled onions. And the chocolate malt ($3) was ultrasmooth and malty. Chocolaty and thick, yes, but not one of those shakes where a chef is trying to cram the entire Valrhona chocolate factory into a cup. (Although those are good, too.)

It’s rare to find a restaurant that so precisely delivers what it promises. Next time the craving for an old-fashioned beach burger hits, I’m going to dock at Broiler Bay.

BOTTOM LINE: Old-school burgers and shakes at old-school prices.

Broiler Bay: Bellevue, 10636 Main St; 425.646.3474