Restaurant Spotlight: Ugly American- Fall River

Kicking off the new blog the right way. Ugly.

The Ugly American is a small, quirky, fun burger joint on New Boston Road (right near the Robeson intersection) in Fall River.

It's a hard place to describe. New Boston Road (especially this section) is well known for its traditional homes and storefronts (including New Boston Bakery- we'll get to that at a later date); but there's nothing "traditional" about the Ugly American.The exterior is bright orange and hugs the sidewalk. A trash can out front is decorated "Ugly" style and a telephone pole has potato chip bags stapled all around. The interior is no different. An eclectic mix of mismatched chairs and about 6 or 7 tables make up the small dining space. It appears that there are some old end tables and dressers taking up space, but looks can be deceiving. Those old pieces of furniture are modified for different uses. The end table is a recycle bin for bottles and the dresser holds the utensils (no plastic here), napkins, ketchup and other items. The ceiling has two displays with various famous (and not so famous) quotes. Other decor of note includes Marlon Brando memorabilia and children's artwork.

(Poppers- photo from the Ugly American Website)

When you go to the counter to order (there is no hostess or server), you'll notice the big glass display which has your basic sodas and juices as well as some interesting extras. Ugly American serves Frosty flavored sodas (made in Fall River) and has some interesting dessert options (they change) including chocolate covered bacon. You'll also notice that on the chalkboard behind the counter alerting customers about their beef. The sign warns that they use high quality beef that retains its [pinkish] color well. It continues to mention that if the customer is concerned about the color of their burger, they might try chicken.

Of course, the burgers are the signature item. There are a number of different types with different names as well as a "create your own" option. In addition to burgers, they also make premium chicken sandwiches, gourmet hot dogs, gourmet grilled cheese and a variety of other, less common dishes.

The food quality is excellent. Everything is of the highest caliber. The beef is extremely fresh, the vegetables are all carefully selected (and fresh), and the fries are hand cut and never frozen. In fact, to assure satisfaction, they won't cook the fries until after you arrive even to pick up a to-go order.

(Chicken Sandwich- photo from the Ugly American website)

My favorite items are the following:

The Cheese- A 7oz burger with what feels like 7oz of cheese on top. The mountain of cheese is obviously too large to sit on top of the burger and it falls down around the side while cooking forming a "ring" of crispy, cooked cheese that skirts the entire circumference of the burger. I like to peel it off and place it on top of the burger for a little extra "crunch." Just extraordinary. A very unique item.

Mac and Cheese Poppers- Deep Fried Mac and Cheese. Not the Kraft stuff either. High quality batter and even better mac and cheese fried to perfection with a home made dipping sauce that I can't describe (it's good).

The WENDoLA SANDWICHe (their font, not mine)- A thin, tasty chicken breast grilled and topped with sweet potato fries, pepper jack cheese and honey mustard. An outrageously good blend of flavor.

Perhaps the best thing is the price. It's cheap. You can get a quality, fresh meal at the Ugly American for about the same price as a number 7 at Burger King. Rest assured, this is 100 times better.

Here is the link to the Ugly American's website where you'll find a full menu as well as pictures and descriptions.