This Ann Arbor staple has been taking a little gap year for the past 13 months. But, instead of “finding themself” on a “life changing” Euro or Israel trip, they have been moving, rebuilding and revamping their historic establishment. Now finally they are back, stronger and better than ever. Drum roll please… Let me formally reintroduce to you: Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger.
Photo courtesy of James Coller/Michigan Daily
If you haven’t heard of Blimpy Burger then you probably don’t go to Michigan and are therefore a peasant. This iconic burger joint has been serving up fresh handmade burgers since it opened in 1953. They were ranked in the top ten best burgers in Michigan and they were even featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. If Guy Fieri gives his seal of approval then you know it’s bound to be both incredibly tasty and extremely unhealthy.
So flashback about a year when University of Michigan bought the land that used to include Blimpy Burger and they were basically just like, “Bye Blimpy! I’m closing the door now!” But with burger flipping on the mind, they were determined to rise again.
Man vs. Food’s Adam Richman attacks his personalized Blimpy Burger during his Ann Arbor stop. (Photo courtesy of The Travel Channel)
It took the owner, Rich Wagner, quite a while to secure a new location and then get it ready for the hoards of customers they knew would flock to them. People have been waiting patiently for months without any real confirmation of when the fan favorite would reopen. Last week Blimpy casually reopened without warning anyone and it was like the surprise Beyonce album all over again. Blimpy Burger workers called it a “soft opening” since they only notified a few people.
Photo courtesy of seriouseats.com.
Tomorrow, Sept 29, the paper will come off the windows and it will officially reopen to the public sometime this week. Don’t worry, the staff will still (jokingly) harass you like the Soup Nazi if you don’t order the right way or if you try to look at your phone while in line.
More importantly, they’ve maintained the original build-your-own style menu with 30 options of toppings as well as the fried veggies that I personally can’t get enough of. The only major changes are that they will now accept credit cards, there is more seating and the line doesn’t interfere with the seating area. The basic burger price has increased slightly from $2.35 to $2.99 to compensate for food price fluctuations but, to be real, we would all pay 3x that much for a burger this good.
So, get to 304 S. Ashley St. ASAP and inhale as many Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger patties as your little heart (and happy stomach) can take.
GIF courtesy of gifrific.com
But seriously, don’t forget to know your order before you arrive, or the cooks will never let you hear the end of it.
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