Restaurant review: Hugos

I've decided to start describing restaurants here in Walmart Country, so that in case anyone ever comes to visit us they can choose where they want to eat.  Also to further commemorate our experience here.

Because I just decided to do this, I'm guessing that for awhile, the reviews will consist of places we've already been, but eventually we'll go somewhere new and then I'll get to describe that.  Though....the distinction probably doesn't matter at all for you, blog-o-sphere, because all of these places are new to you.

First stop, one of Fayetteville's most popular: Hugos!

Hugos is as much about the atmosphere as it is about the food.  Located near downtown, it's in a basement, with the neon Hugos sign barely visible from the street. Businesses on this strip, with some upstairs and some downstairs, have more of a big city feel to them--from the inside of Hugos, you could imagine yourself in New York City, not in Fayetteville (but with cheaper beers).

The place itself isn't large.  It's rectangular in shape, with a bar on one of the long sides and the kitchen at the back.  Tables with plastic checkered tablecloths are crowded together with barely enough room to move between them, and the walls are covered with old dusty portraits and old-timey pictures (think horse-and-carriage day photos).  It seem to be busy pretty much all the time, or else we just happen to go on busy days, but there really isn't room for people to wait, so during nice weather they spill out onto the street.

The menu is based around burgers and sandwiches, though I think they have some "real" entrees as well.  All of the burgers and sandwiches are served with a big handful of chips, but these are best discarded in favor of a basket of fresh-cut fries that come to the table straight from the fryer.

Doug had the swiss and bacon burger, and I had the guacamole burger, with so much guac that squeezing it too hard pushes some delicious green goo out the sides and onto my plate.

Hugos ain't fancy; it's crowded, dark, and loud, and you pay at the cash register at the front.  But the food is good, usually served quickly, and it's a great vibe.  I think this was our third visit to Hugos together, and my fourth: I was introduced to Hugos by a colleague when I came for a househunting visit in April of 2011.  We will most certainly be back.