Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Clever Name

8 January 2008-
Hegenburger's Hamburger Restaurant:
280 Hegenberger Road in Oakland
Cost: $4.95 (bacon cheeseburger, fries extra)

Image Source: blogger's own

It was a rainy Tuesday in January. I was in the area taking care of some errands, and since it was daytime, and hence, still light out - it seemed safe enough to park my car in the Coliseum / East Oakland area and get a quick bite to eat before heading out to work. Now, I've passed by 'Hegenburger' many times to and from the Oakland airport; but since I'm usually riding in a taxi or an airport shuttle, have never had the opportunity to stop and survey this burger joint, until now.

Like I mentioned, it was kind of damp outside, but it also smelled "kind of damp" inside. The smell was very similar to the times when I lived in this warehouse / storefront in the East Oakland / Lake Merritt area that was lodged into a hillside. Everytime it rained, the moisture from the hill would seep into the walls and into the space - often leaving a puddle of rain inside that had to be wet-vac'ed and squeegeed. Not fun. Anyway, while I was waiting for my bacon cheeseburger (no grilling preference option, although the guy at the register said they usually do medium-well) I was pondering the smells and trying to decipher whether it was carpet glue that was oozing out beneath the stairs of the warehouse when I was vacuuming underneath them one day, or whether it was mushroom shaped glue - or maybe they were in fact mushrooms or some other fungi.

My order arrived, and I dove right in. Nothing extra-ordinary, although a bit dry like a medium-well supposes. I don't imagine I'll ever come back, but have to give props to the name. Hegenburger / Hegenberger - the name will always remind me of Homebase / Rave Central - always so dear to my heart.

1 comment:

Charlie said...

Next time we're in the Bay Area, we'll have to go get a Hegenburger! Michelle and I enjoy your blog. As soon as Sophia is old enough to eat burgers, she will read it, too.