Dugarel's

The Cuban burger was juicy and fantastic, the fries not so hot. The sweet chili wings were good and the blue cheese chunky. I would return. Good Food Good Prices. Cheap beer.

Grease is in the heart, Ah-ah-ah-ah

"... No I wouldn't ask for another - I,I,I,I,I,I, No I wouldn't ask for another..." Oh Dee-Lite... while you might be enjoyable to listen to and having people busting out their dancing shoes, Dugarel's Burger's & Wings wasn't much of a delight and man was the food greasy.

Granted, this place is a sports bar and you should expect just that, but your food shouldn't be swimming in grease! While my wife and I have been to what is better known as Duggie's for beers and apps with friends and family before, this was our first time actually sitting down to have one of their actual entree's.

My wife decided to tackle their Baked Ziti with the typical ingredients of onions, peppers, marinara, mozz and sausage than baked. Sounds good and it wasn't half bad, however we both agreed that is was a little greasy for pasta. I decided to go with their Philly and when it arrived, it actually looked like it was going to be really enjoyable and then I picked up a half. What did I find? A sandwich that had been swimming in grease and although I ate my sandwich because the meat actually was pretty tasty, I could hear myself getting fatter and ready for the gym.

Sometimes I feel like sports bars just don't care about serving quality food and it's not that hard, you just have to find quality ingredients and learn how to actually cook properly. I'll even help you out... you don't have to use large quantities of fatty oils and butter with everything you plan on cooking on a flat top or in a pan and sometimes a little can go a long way. Screw it, I'll give you another helpful tip... If you're using a deep frier, let the food sit in the basket and let all that oil drip off before just plopping whatever it is into a basket. I want to taste the food, not the grease!

Not everything is terrible at Duggie's... They actually have some pretty good tasting wings and their onion rings are a nice sweet onion with a light batter, but again need to sit in the basket a little longer. If you want to see more about those items, visit my Flying Buffalo's? blog. No "I wouldn't ask for another" entree at Dugarel's and definitely had "Satisfaction when we were done...". Better bring your favorite heartburn and indigestion medicine with you if you plan on stopping by for a grease pie!

When I told my friends I was going to Minnesota, they told me I had to try a local dish known as a Juicy Lucy. For those who don't know, the Twin Cities has developed a reputation for stuffed hamburgers. Some may call it an inside out cheese burger. The cheese is wedged inside the patties and melts inside during  the cooking process. Seeing several episodes of Man vs Food about these infamous burgers in the past, I asked locals where I could find one without making the 20 minute journey from Hastings.

I was pointed to Dugarel's. My expectations were really low mind you. Several recommendations for other local joints came up shamelessly below par. At first glance, it looks like your typical sports themed bar you would find in any bustling city. For a small town like Hastings, walking through the doors made me feel like I was back on in the OC. There were plenty of LCD TVs mounted on the wall. The island bar was occupied with thirsty patrons. There was even a popcorn machine next to the patio door. While you wait for your beer to come, one could walk over and get a free cup of freshly popped kernels. Locals were drizzling what appeared to be paprika on it. I was not sure. I didn't partake in the popcorn before dinner.

Instead, I ordered some chicken wings. Half Sweet Asian Chili and half Garlic Parmesan. Both absolutely delicious. 6 wings for $4.99. Totally reasonable. The wings were accompanied with a large cold beer, $3.50! You cant get prices like this back home. The selection of beer was nothing to brag about, but Dugarel's held its own in this department.

When the Juicy Lucy came out, it didn't look like what I had saw on television. But after my first bite, that brash disappointment quickly diminished. The bun was soft, the patty was totally moist. It was stuffed with bacon. With each bite... the American cheese was just oozing out of the burger. After 3 bites, it became a little too messy to hold anymore with my hands. The pre-wrapped silverware in the cardboard pack found on each table top came into good use.

The burger is surprisingly priced at only $8.99 for the amount of food one gets. I walked out of the place belly full and totally guilty of the amount of calories I just consumed. But when in Rome...

Hands down, I would totally recommend this place to anyone.