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| Junkyard Extreme Burgers and Brats near Eugene, Oregon |
Yes, I do!
Or, perhaps more truthfully, "inspired by" might be the better phrase. Junkyard Dogs has the same kitcshy memorabilia adorning the outside and walls, the car hoods, and overall fun mode as Hillbilly Hot Dogs. Both joints offer a variety of hot dogs.How are they different? There are more extreme dogs on the Hillbilly menu, although I prefer the size and taste of the Junkyard dogs. And Junkyard is a much smaller place with a lot less to look at.
But there's room for both places, especially since they are on opposite sides of the country.
Now more about Junkyard Dogs on its own ... (and yes, some of their signs say "Junkyard Dogs" and some say "Junkyard Extreme Burgers and Brats")
The menu is both burgers and dogs. Both are over-sized and served on fresh buns. The buns are heavier than normal, and I wonder if they are made from pizza dough. The hot dog bun is slit along one side so that it forms sort of a pouch to hold all the goodies. (The bun reminds me of Jimmy Buff's in New Jersey.) There's still a big mess as you work your way along, but it tastes great and does a lot better job than a regular hot dog bun.
The burgers are seasoned nicely, with a lot of flavor and fried on a flat grill. Everything is cooked to order.
My friend and I tried a few items. She got the classic burger. It's just a hamburger, but done perfectly. Over-sized fried patty, well-seasoned. Over-sized fresh bun. Just the right amount of lettuce, tomato and thousand island. Fries on the side. |
| Cheeseburger Fries |
I got the cheeseburger fries. Yes, they look disgusting but let me tell you they are incredible. First off, they weigh a lot, maybe close to a pound and a half or more. It's a bed of fries covered by a large ground-up hamburger patty, with cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and thousand island all around. I was full the rest of the day. This is a great twist on chili cheese fries, or sort of like an American version of nachos.
I had to get the Chicago dog. Bright green relish, small peppers, and a delicious dog. As I said above, the bun is larger than a typical hot dog, and I like it better. So you could say Junkyard's Chicago dog is better than the one you get in Chicago! I had to save it for latter since the cheeseburger fries were too much already.
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| Polish Brat |
I heard from a couple of locals that this place was just a hot dog stand a few years ago, and then added a lean-to to offer some coverage to the tables, at which point it became so popular the neighbors complained and the county forced them to add on a permanent building for indoor seating. But there's patio seating, and you can see the original stand which is now the kitchen.
I also heard that the location used to be known as Lancaster, back in the days when the river was the main transportation mode for hauling goods and lumber.
Pro tip: The bathroom is next door on the side of another building. You can't miss the signs from the back of the restaurant.
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| Schnitzel at the drive thru at Junkyard Extreme Burgers & Brats |
Yet another pro top: Don't miss the chance to enjoy the country scenery. Whether you are coming down from Portland or up from nearby Eugene, you can take roads that run along the Willamette River past dairy and other farms.
Even another pro tip: Google Maps might give you the wrong location since the address is along a highway, so here's the correction location: Junkyard Dogs on Google Maps
Overall this was a great find from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Way to go, Guy Fieri! (From the Small Town Standouts episode of Diners Drive Ins and Dives)
See the other places I visited while I was in Eugene: Steve's Been There in Eugene Ore.
Would you try Junkyard Extreme Burgers & Brats if you were in Eugene? Let me know in the comments below.
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Junkyard Extreme Burgers & Brats & Dogs web site is at http://www.thejunkyard.net
Facebook page for Junkyard Dogs is at Junkyard Dogs web site on Facebook
