New Owner Trying To Bring Big Doug's Back To Old Glory

Restaurant review

Big Doug's Better Burgers, Marketplace in North Creek, 18001 Bothell-Everett Highway S.E., Bothell, 486-0755. Visa, Mastercard, personal checks accepted. Take-out available. No smoking. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Sundays. Senior-citizen discount available on request for those age 60 years or older. -------------------------------------------------------------------

Shelly Hedrick has a message for all the hamburger lovers out there: Big Doug's Better Burgers is back.

No, Doug himself hasn't returned. But all the components that made the Bothell burger joint a success a few years back have.

And who better to do it than Hedrick, a longtime waitress at Big Doug's who purchased the cafe in April.

"I've changed the whole thing," said Hedrick, who is determined to bring back the crowds that stopped coming after Doug sold the place to another proprietor three years ago. "I've brought back the buns. I've brought back the meat. Everything."

The large white and wheat buns, which Hedrick has made for $7 a dozen at a small Snohomish bakery, prove that Big Doug's is serious about its burgers.

Customers will find hearty old-fashioned hamburgers dripping in juices and loaded with condiments of choice. Crisp home-cut fries and homemade potato chips are also available.

Hedrick is trying to restore as much of the old Big Doug's as she can.

But she's also adding her own touch to the place. Gone are the pink walls and table cloths. The place is now done in greens and browns. The atmosphere is cozy and familiar.

The Big Doug's menu certainly isn't limited to burgers. There are specialty sandwiches ranging from the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich to the turkey melt, a couple of different types of salads, soup and chili.

Breakfast, which revolves around a handful of egg combinations and comes accompanied with country-fried potatoes and toast, is served all day.

Big Doug's also offers a few dinner selections, including teriyaki steak, vegetable medley (assorted vegetables sauteed and served over rice) and a prime-rib dinner. An all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner is featured among the dinner specials that change nightly.

But it's the plump, juicy burgers that make the trip to Big Doug's so worthwhile. They come in sizes for every appetite - from the junior burger to the double burger. The quarter-pounder runs $3.75.

All burgers come with a choice of wheat or white bun, mayonnaise, relish, pickles, lettuce, tomato and onion, and are accompanied by a generous portion of hand-cut fries or homemade potato chips. Grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, avocado, salsa, guacamole, teriyaki, fried egg, bacon or ham can all be added at extra cost.

There's also a number of pre-determined creations to choose from, including the Hawaiian burger, the Mexi-burger and the hamdinger (thinly sliced ham, melted swiss and pineapple with choice of hamburger for $4.95, or chicken for $5.95). Vegetarians have their choice of the veggi-sandwich, which consists of grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, cheddar and all the condiments ($4.95), or the garden burger, a vegetarian patty with condiments ($4.95).

The milkshakes at Big Doug's include raspberry, peanut butter, mocha and butterscotch and come served in a huge mug topped with whipped cream. And few can leave the cafe without trying the Ginger Fudge dessert.

The dessert, which draws its own devoted following, is virtually impossible to eat in one sitting. It consists of a huge piece of fresh-baked gingerbread covered in hot fudge, ice cream and whipped cream. The dessert goes for $2.95. Don't worry, Big Doug's has plenty of take-out bags available.

Hedrick, who believes serving size is as important as the quality of the food, shrugs off suggestions that she might be able to get away with serving smaller portions.

After all, said Hedrick, "The whole idea of Big Doug's is `big.' "

Restaurant reviews are a regular Thursday feature of the Seattle Times Eastside Life section. Reviewers visit restaurants unannounced and pay in full for all their meals. When they interview members of the restaurant management and staff, they do so only after the meals and services have been appraised.