Downtown developments for Nov. 1

Ever since Rally's closed, I've been looking for a burger as good as the original Big Buford. Yes, Checkers has the Big Buford, but something is different, and it is just not as good or as messy or as big and lately just not tasty at all. Wendy's burgers are tasty but too, too expensive, and I guess that is from having fresh beef delivered three or more times a week; wink, wink. Forget Burger King, McDonald's or the other large chains; those burgers are cookie cutter. A new place opened on Washington Road, Five Guys, who have, without a doubt, a very addictive burger, but they are so busy it's hard to get in and out, and it is too far away for a burger fix. Sportsman Bar on Broad Street has yet again a great burger, but I'm not going in there alone to get one. Whistle Stop had a fabulous can't-eat-in-one-sitting burger but they have closed, so when Bull Chicks opened here, I had high hopes.

First thing I noticed at 12:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, when they should have been busy, were two cars and two motorcycles in the parking lot. Upon entering, they have two walls covered in notes from customers, which I somehow think they must have brought most with them or wrote themselves. One nice thing it is a good place to eat if you don't want to be bothered with other people around you. After perusing the menu, I decided on the Bleu Cheese Burger with waffle fries to go and proceeded to give the young lady my order, but since she was the only one manning four registers, she was also on the headset with the drive-thru, which was confusing.

The burgers are "cooked upon order," or so they say, but I think they are precooked to a certain stage laying in wait for finish on the flat top. The meat was 80/20 with good texture but little seasoning, the bun was too thick and too big, the tomatoes were very thinly sliced - you could read through them; the lettuce was a wilted brown mess but the sprinkle of onions was OK. Lots of bleu cheese adorned the burger but they evidently decided bleu cheese went with mustard and mayo; mayo, maybe, but mustard, no. The waffle fries were limp also with no seasoning; no wonder they give you ketchup. I could not eat them even with the ketchup, so they were a waste of money. The Diet Pepsi was good but then Pepsi made that. I have to say unless you just want a bunch of bland food not well cooked stay away from Bull Chicks.

One young man, who I assume was a manger since he acted managerial, thanked me for coming in and that they appreciated my business.

After looking at the lack of customers, I could not help but reply that I bet he did.

I will not be going back.