Hundreds of people lined up for first dibs on a burger from the new Whataburger that opened April 16 in Wesley Chapel/Lutz. Cars wrapped around the new burger joint and snaked down Sierra Center Boulevard. The national anthem was sung before two ribbons were cut.
Although Whataburger has a well-deserved loyal following, mostly in Texas, the Wesley Chapel/Lutz location at 25340 Sierra Center Blvd. in the Cypress Creek Town Center is only the second one in Tampa Bay (with a third location in Brandon opening shortly).
So, naturally, folks were there to check out what the big deal was. And the big deal was big burgers, and tasty ones at that.
According to Whataburger lore, founder Harmon Dobson opened a small stand in Corpus Christi, Texas, with a goal of making a burger so big and good, customers would exclaim, “What a burger!”
Judging by the crowd, he succeeded.
First up
Richard Coley, a 74-year-old Zephyrhills resident, showed up at 4 p.m. the day before the opening. First in line, for which he gets a free burger a week for one year.
He was the only one in line for 90 minutes, and then 90 more minutes after that another person showed up with their lawn chair. Soon, the line filled in, and Coley had company. He said he slept for a few hours, but not much.
Coley was taking a leap of faith — he wasn’t a member of the Whataburger cult, who swear by its variety of never-frozen Whataburgers, honey butter chicken biscuits, “legendary” spicy ketchup and customer service.
“I’ve never eaten a Whataburger,” he said. “But I’ve heard about Whataburger for years, and I’ve been looking forward to the opportunity to try it because it comes so highly recommended.”
In fact, Coley’s favorite burger place pre-Whataburger — and he looked around so as not to offend anyone — was In-N-Out, another regional icon, which he once had while visiting friends in California.
But one bite into his Patty Melt, and his verdict was immediate.
“Impressive,” he said, as he reached for a french fry. “It is delicious. Worth waiting 19 hours.”
Pro tip
The spicy ketchup is different but worth the dip, and a chocolate shake exceeded expectations.
Our take
When the well-made cheeseburger is near the top of your list of favorite foods, picking a No. 1 is impossible. We tried the Double Meat Whataburger, a definite two-handed lift (bravo!), as well as the Patty Melt. Both were flawless, as you would expect on opening day. We’re not ready to put in our application to join the Whataburger cult, but we definitely put it on our list of burger favorites for sure and won’t hesitate to come back. When we do, the popular Sweet & Spicy Bacon Burger is a must-try, as well as the highly recommended onion rings. And if we make it in time, a Bacon Steakhouse Double (topped with tangy steak sauce) and banana pudding shake — both are available for a limited time — sound good too.