Actually, Zeeburger in Woodbury isn’t good news for fast food lovers, it’s great news! Beloved chef Carole Peck
recently opened this fast food Mecca further back in the same plaza that holds her Good News Café.
Zeeburger has ample patio space to enjoy in good weather.
But on a humid summer day threatening rain, we choose the air-conditioned interior, which is almost empty because we have come well ahead of the dinner rush.
Soon, however, customers begin to wander in,
and by the time we leave, the place has drawn a nice crowd.
Peck has applied her same standards for sourcing high-quality, locally grown ingredients to this fast food concept with spectacular results. Everywhere there are reminders that one is eating healthfully and supporting local growers even as one satisfies one’s craving for fast food. (Click on photographs to enlarge!)
Even in the bathroom.
It’s not easy to make up one’s mind in the face of so many temptations,
which is why it’s not unusual to see this thousand yard stare before the menu boards.
There are refrigerators which contain some above-average offerings like Freaky Dog sodas
and Lipton PureLeaf iced teas.
But it would be hard to pass up some of Zeeburger’s fresh housemade drinks,
unless, that is, one has a hankering for beer or wine.
Orders are placed at this counter.
One can check out the take ’em or leave ’em books during the brief wait for one’s food,
or take salt shakers apart, I suppose.
Soon our food comes out to us,
two trays of fast-food delights.
But Zeeburger is really just fast food in name and speed delivered. I include the prices so that people can see that they drop almost this much money at a McDonald’s and as much or more at the family chains (especially when one factors in a couple of dollars tip per person) than they would at this incredible restaurant. A delicious Zee Veggie Shroom stack ($6.50) contains portobello, zucchini, red pepper and Cheddar cheese with housemade mayonnaise on a Zee roll.
A terrific Zee Slammin’ Salmon burger ($8.50) comes with lettuce, Asian pickle and mayonnaise on a Zee roll.
A Zee Mean Kobe Beef Dog ($6) could be ordered with a sweet or smoked jalapeño relish, so of course we tried it with both.
But the real draw at Zeeburger is, of course, the grass-fed farm beef burgers. A quarter-pound burger is $6.50, while a monster burger is $10.50. Frankly, I find the burgers to be in the same class as those at Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, which is saying something. Pictured is the intermediate size, a six-ounce Zee burger ($8.50) served on a Whole G Baker’s brioche roll.
Mine was a beautiful, luscious, juicy, medium-rare—none of this nonsense that one’s burger has to be cooked to death to protect one, I guess, from one’s own bad judgment.
And the sides? Zee’s hand-cut French fries ($2.50)
and sweet potato fries ($3.25) were simply the best I have ever had,
as was the housemade ketchup.
The Zee Slaw ($1)
and the Greek cucumber salad ($2.50)
were also lovely.
So how does one wind up such a great meal? With small chocolate
and mocha milk shakes ($3.50) from ice cream produced by Arethusa Farm Dairy!
Honestly, I can’t remember ever leaving a fast-food meal with a happier tummy. I had none of the buyer’s remorse that characterizes virtually every fast food meal I eat. I only wish that I lived a little closer to Woodbury, but cravings for this wonderful food will undoubtedly compel me to make the drive from Hamden periodically.
Zeeburger, 670 Main Street South, Woodbury, 203-405-6011
www.zeeburger.com