And, though I did have to fend off disaster as soon as my fries arrived (thankfully the two blobs of ketchup landed on my pants rather than my yellow shirt), the experience of eating a meal while the car wasn’t moving was a winner. That’s thanks to the food at Fat Boy — and the price.
When we pulled in just after 12:30 on a foggy Wednesday, parking spots were hard to come by. We flipped on our lights and turned off 97.9 in favor of the classic rock (Van Halen & Pink Floyd) coming from the outdoor speakers. We expected the waitress to be awhile getting to us, what with the slew of cars in the lot, but when she finally arrived she was pleasant and happy to hand out menus to the newbies.
The prices floored us.
Hamburger basket, $2.90; Whoperburger basket, $4.45; thick Western frappes, $2.65; “House Specialty” Canadian bacon BLT with O-rings, $4.65; lobster roll basket, $7.30.
(Was it just the music or was this really the ‘80s?)
It’d be tough to find decent food for less, and Fat Boy’s is definitely decent food — as long as you’re not hankering for veggies or anything that isn’t fried. Even the dinners (which come with fries, coleslaw and rolls that are buttered and grilled to perfection) are more than reasonable: scallops, $10.45, chicken fingers, $5.60, clams, $11.25.
We munched on clam cakes ($1.60 for one or a basket with two cakes and fries for $4.10), which were hot, crispy and very flavorful. The Whoperburger was a quarter-pound giant, grilled the old-fashioned way rather than char-broiled (like that other Whopper). The hot dog, grilled and settled into a toasted roll with mustard, ketchup and relish, was a rare find in this day of steaming the wieners and tossing them into soggy buns.
The fries were average as most of the frozen variety are, but what do you expect for a couple bucks? The frappes, which Fat Boy claims to be known coast to coast for, were of the right consistency for straw usage but the coffee could have used a little more flavor.
Overall, the meal was a hit with the wallet and the palate: Lunch and frappes for two for less than $15.
The pants cost a lot more.
Fat Boy is located on Bath Rd. in Brunswick and is open seasonally for lunch and dinner. Make sure you have cash because credit cards are not welcome.