I went up to Sundance to do a little skiing recently and decided to stop off at Parker's on the way home. This gives me a chance to compare American Fork's two hamburger institutions: Parker's and JCW's.
A recent article from the Daily Herald breaks down the burger scene valley wide. JCW's came out on top, but there were plenty of good comments for Parker's too.
JCW's always brings in a crowd. They offer a wide variety of hamburgers and other grilled sandwiches. I usually order the All-American burger. AnneMarie usually gets the avacado bacon burger. I also like the pastrami burger and the bacon blue cheese. (Bacon is a pretty common feature here.) The steak sandwich is pretty good, too. The meat they use tastes to me like flank steak. They have good fries (including cheese fries), onion rings, and over-the-top shakes. None of this is health food, but they do offer soup and salad, too. And the two-piece fish and chips (with halibut--the prince of white fish) at least feels a little healthier than a burger.
Parker's Drive-Inn is a more traditional drive-in, reminicient of the old Arctic Circle. This connection is no accident. Parker's used to be an Arctic Circle. The Range Burger is a little like the Arctic Circle Ranch burger. But Parker's has put its own twist on everything. They buy all of their beef locally and mix up their own fry sauce fresh every day. They offer some classics like the lime squeeze and the brown topper (a soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate sauce, forming a hard chocolate shell). Fans of Artic Circle will recognize all of these as AC specialities. There is definitely an influence there, but Parker's is what Arctic Circle was like 50 years ago before AC turned into a fast-food chain. (Parker's doesn't have a "play place," and the only setting is outside.) Parker's also offers the "stake sandwich," which could answer either of the following questions: "What does a vampire never order at the restaurant?" or "What should we order for the high priests social?" Their burgers are better than their spelling.
If I had to choose one or the other, I would choose JCW's for the hamburgers and shakes. Both have good fries. Parker's might be the place to stop if you just want to pick up a bag of cheeseburgers on the way home from work. Both have loyal followings here in American Fork. With JCW's, Parker's and Chadder's, could we say that American Fork is the burger capitol of Utah Valley?
2 comments:
I can also vouch for JCW's chicken wings. You can choose spicy (my favorite) or sweet. We had both kinds recently at a family reunion and they were a big hit. Fortunately we over ordered and HAD to take some home.
We still need to get you out to Brand X. Unfortunately, when I last drove by it looked like it was closed down. I drove up to the entrance and was dismayed to find a sign that said it was closed for the winter. So disappointing since half of the adventure was sitting out in the sheltered cold to eat the tasty burgers. I hope they aren't slipping - that would be a tragic loss. I need to give JCW's and Parker's a try. I'm going to have to leave my loop.
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