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[restaurant review]
Fuddruckers
Herndon, VA
Fuddruckers is a national chain that specializes in enormous hamburgers on fresh-baked buns. The location in Herndon, VA is not one of their best; the restaurant itself shows considerable wear, and the butcher shop that's visible through great big windows as you wait in line (another Fuddrucker's trademark) looks dirty, unappealing, and worn. On this visit, the restaurant was fairly clean, though; tables were being bused regularly, and there was not a lot of debris around.
Time
Fuddruckers is modeled somewhat after a fast-food restaurant; you stand in line and place your order. They give you a pager, which you take to your table. When the pager goes off, you fetch your food from the counter. Therefore, time to be seated, to have orders taken, etc. does not apply. The service was fairly speedy, though.
Cleanliness
The restrooms were not visited. The restaurant was free of gross dirt and debris, but it looked like there was a lot of ground-in dirt. They need to clean their windows more often, and to give the entire inside of this place a good scrubbing generally. Improved lighting, tile, and carpet could also help to minimize the appearance of dirtiness.
The ketchup bottles had horrible rings of filth around the top, under the cap.
Food
Accuracy: A burger ordered "medium" came out very well-done instead. A small order of fries was delivered instead of a large one (price difference: about $1.00).
The food was hot and fresh. The burger toppings bar was well-stocked with fresh ingredients.
The food itself was nothing special; it is easy to find both worse and better burgers nearby.
Ineffables
Value: Fuddruckers does not deliver particularly good value; a burger, large fries, and a drink costs over $10. The burgers and fries are unusual ones, though not necessarily better than others. The perceived value might be better if it were not for other factors (see above and below).
Atmosphere: The restaurant had the general appearance of being dirty. The place was quite noisy, with loud '50s rock-and-roll playing. Vinyl tablecloths on the tables and damaged sports memorabilia (deflated footballs, etc.) on the walls did not improve matters.
Give-a-damn quotient: Both incorrectly-delivered orders were corrected, but no apology was offered in either case. No offer was made to bring the re-cooked burger to our table; it had to be fetched from the counter by the customer (in response to an inaudible announcement). The ketchup dispenser (a pump) was empty, and remained so for the entire visit, which necessitated the use of the (incredibly foul) ketchup bottles, which were themselves nearly empty.
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