Carmichael restaurant features industrial theme, typical service, but confusing menu

If In-N-Out is the “gold standard” for burgers, Willie’s Burgers and Chiliburgers take the bronze.

This restaurant is a very typical counter-ordering restaurant. Willie’s Burgers has an industrial theme to it, with stainless steel walls and countertops. The front of this Mexican American joint is glass so you can immediately see if it’s busy or not.

There is minimal ordering space and the menu is expansive in size and price. With a variety of foods to choose from, ordering became confusing for me. Right next to the ordering counter is a huge window with the main grill behind it so everyone can see how the cooks make the orders as they come in.

They didn’t have any combos to make choosing an item easier. I ordered a “Hammer 4,” which is a double cheeseburger and comes with lettuce, tomato, thousand-island dressing and onions.

I was given a number and took a seat.

The service, for me, was typical. There was one employee that was courteous and even talkative toward some people. Televisions are set up around the front of the room for people to watch while they enjoy their food.

The burger was well cooked and seasoned. The lettuce was crisp and tasted fresh. The onions were flavorful, while the cheese was perfectly melted on both patties and the thousand-island dressing added an interesting flavor to the burger.

I ordered a side of garlic fries with my burger for only $3.50 and although they were pretty messy, they were filling and delicious. The fries were topped with garlic, cilantro and Parmesan cheese.

Even though the food altogether was average, the price seemed to be fair (total of $10.78), which isn’t bad. They are also open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, so I might be back for a late night meal.

Willie’s Hamburgers and Chiliburgers
5050 Arden Way
Carmichael, Calif.
Price Range: $$
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
*Meal for 1 $10-$15