Worth Leaving Town For: Nutty's Junkyard Grill

Every August I head to Mt. Baker to hike the Chain Lakes Loop, and every year I always have lunch somewhere I've never been on the way up. This year I stopped at Nutty's Junkyard Grill in Arlington and was pretty excited when this tray of food came out.

That's the Green Torino, their burger with Anaheim pepper, jack cheese, cilantro mayo, lettuce, tomato, and bacon. Plus a huge side of hand cut fries. I didn't really enjoy it, though. It was a hot day and the air quality was terrible again, and the restaurant is an open-air setup.

I really should have done better research that day and gone somewhere with good air conditioning. But I posted that picture and got tons of comments from friends who love Nutty's, so I knew I needed to give it another shot. I picked up my lunch buddy (and owner of Vertical Gardens Northwest + Live in Everett podcast guest episode #23) Kristen Keenan at her newly-remodeled shop in Lake Stevens and we took the easy, scenic drive up Highway 9 to 204th in Arlington.

Nutty’s is a vintage gearhead’s paradise. // Christopher Bragg

Normally I like to read a menu online before going anywhere so I know what to order unless a special calls out to me, but work was really busy and I practically ran out the door. All I knew when I walked in was that I'd for sure order something with bacon.

Check that bacon pile! // Christopher Bragg

I'm a sucker for blue cheese, so I had the Shelby Blue. Those crumbles melted beautifully into their house sauce, perfect with that bacon and generous burger patty. Kristen wanted to know if the chicken was good, so she had the Chicken Club. It was an expertly-charred, real piece of chicken (no formed patties here) with more of the bacon, Swiss cheese, and basil mayo.

Both of our sandwiches had lettuce and tomato, but those are almost afterthoughts when so much good stuff is piled on. We split an order of fries and the best onion rings I've had in years.

I mean, seriously. Huge, perfectly fried, completely delicious onion rings.

A very large onion ring. // Christopher Bragg

My main regret after visiting twice is that I still haven't tried their shakes, which sound amazing. I agree with other reviewers who say that the fries are best for a few minutes right when they come out.

They give you a ton, so by the time you get to most of them, they'll have cooled off. Next time I go, I'll have a sandwich, onion rings, and a shake.

While you're there, be sure to check out the decor throughout. It's a very impressive collection of antique automotive memorabilia, and I love that they've made several pieces functional.

Even the condiment bar looks like a 50’s filling station. // Christopher Bragg

Downtown Arlington's a lot of fun if you're shopping for antiques and hardware. Kristen prepared for her upcoming onslaught of apples with a corer/peeler/slicer from Arlington Hardware & Lumber, and I found some excellent Christmas gifts I have to hide for the next three months at My Favorite Things Antiques.

But food aside, the highlight of the day was finally finding the perfect giant metal rooster for our back yard at Co-Op Supply. My husband agreed immediately that we needed it when I texted him this picture, with Kristen, for scale.