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| Willy's Burgers & Shakes in Old Town Cottonwood |
"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" in Old Town Cottonwood
By Beverly Lehnhardt | Sedona.biz
Cottonwood, AZ - 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 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 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.
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 Burgers & Shakes