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Dining
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Willy's Burgers & Shakes in Old Town
Cottonwood |
"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" in Old Town
Cottonwood
By Beverly Lehnhardt
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Sedona.biz
(Cottonwood, Arizona) -
Old Town Cottonwood
has a new 50’s-style diner—Willy’s Burgers & Shakes. Located on Main
Street across from the Civic Center, the diner is a converted gas
station, complete with the gas pumps still out front.
Inside, one entire
wall is ‘papered’ with old license plates—a unique and colorful wall
treatment.
Another wall is a lift-up garage door
painted a bright canary yellow, a great contrast to the light
turquoise of the other walls.
The floor is—what else?!—black and
white checkered tiles, and the booths are a bright blue and silver
vinyl. Shoo bop shoo wadda wadda! You'll feel like you're
stepping back to the time of greasers, poodle skirts, and beehive
hairdos.
Eight bright blue stools front the counter. The gleaming
stainless steel of the kitchen reflects the 50’s tunes blaring from
the jukebox, a new version that spins CDs. Is that "Blueberry
Hill" playing?
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Willy's Burgers & Shakes |
The ambiance is pure
diner; the service impeccable; the atmosphere bright and airy with
lots of sunlight bouncing off the bright colors; with everyone’s
favorite oldies filling the air alongside the tantalizing aroma of
burgers and chips.
The menu is as simple
as you’d expect at a diner with some of the items named after
automobiles: the Rolls Royce, the Cadillac, the Thunderbird, and the
Kids Car Meal. Willy’s Special, the Rolls Royce (a thin-sliced deli
roast beef sandwich) was the most expensive item on the menu at
$8.50.
I ordered the
Cadillac, a 100% Angus Beef burger with lettuce, red onion, cheddar
cheese, and homemade sauce and washed it all down with chocolate
malt. The malt was fantastic—served in a fancy glass with the metal
canister in which it was made on the side so you don’t miss a
drop!—with whipped cream and a cherry.
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Willy's Burgers & Shakes |
The menu proudly proclaims
that all ice cream items are made with Haagen Das ice cream. My meal
was to include hot chips and a pickle for $7.00 but the pickle never
appeared…
Other menu items
include a P.B.J. on a crispy sugar loaf for $4.00; a B.L.T. on a
12-grain loaf for $5.50 (add cheese for $1 more); and a Grilled
Cheese on 12-grain loaf for $4.00. Available sides are onion rings
at $5.50 and a basket of hot chips for $2.75.
The Kids Car Meal
consists of a cheeseburger with hot chips served in a classic car
for $6.00. Cute, but if I was feeding 3 kids it would be a bit
pricey…
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Willy's Burgers & Shakes |
The beverages were my
favorite part of the menu—strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, or banana
shakes and malts; flavored soda pop (Mmmm….remember those cherry
cokes?); and sodas with free refills.
Of course I gave the
dessert list a once-over but after having the malt, I passed on more
sweets. The NY-style cheesecake was tempting, though!
All in all, it was a
very pleasant dining experience with a unique and interesting
atmosphere. But I was a bit disappointed with my dry, somewhat
over-cooked burger and I thought the $12.48 bill a little pricey for
the meal. They are expanding the menu and adjusting prices in the
very near future so I could be persuaded to try it again and see how
the changes affect the bottom line.
Willy’s is open from
11a.m. to 7p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11a.m. to 3p.m. on
Sundays. Take out is available by calling 634-6648.
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