big man burger

Introduced by, believe it or not, Navy guys in about the 1950's, the Sasebo Burger has become a reason for eating in our city. There are multiple restaurants that each pay homage the wonderful sector of the very small type of cuisine that is labeled "American". You can spot them all over the city because of their proudly displayed Sasebo Burger Man, that's right, the burger has a mascot.

We went ahead and tried it out yesterday. Actually, we tried it out the second day we were in Sasebo, but were left pretty mystified at how something with a soggy bun, soggy bacon, a 1/4" thick patty, and and 1" of mayonnaise could give a city bragging rights. Well, it turns out that we just had a bad version and have long put that experience behind us.

So, here we are almost 2 months later, standing in line at Big Man. We have been observing the line at Big Man for sometime now. It often wraps around the building and you watch locals diligently holding their numbers waiting to be called. This line can go on for hours. Just like the line at the restaurant right next to our apartment-which we have yet to try, since every time we try to go now, it's closed-but that's another story.

We finally decided to brave the line and give this burger a second chance! We ordered two different versions, including one without mayonnaise for Jewell the mayonnaise wimp, and some hand cut fries that looked amazing.

So, here is what the burger is. A hand made bun, lettuce-lots of lettuce, thick cut bacon-that this time tasted more like the ham we get at Christmas, the same 1/4" patty, cheddar cheese, tomato, mustard, a fried egg, and for Brandon a 1/4" of mayonnaise. So, this burger was much, much more satisfying. Not only because the burger-to-mayo ratio was more appropriate, but because it was put together in a way that said, "my kitchen deserves it's Sasebo Burger Man mascot". Oh, and the fries, were awesome. They were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned with salt and pepper, just the way you want them.

So, get ready America. When the Willett's return, we hope you aren't expecting a sushi party. . .because you are getting a Sasebo Burger Party. Where the eggs will be fried, the bacon will be like ham, the mayonnaise will be optional, and the patties will be, well we will make the patties bigger. Hope you're in for one heck of a time!