By Stephanie DeSantis
Staff Reporter
Wahlburger’s, a popular casual dining- chain owned by the Wahlberg brothers, recently opened a location in Trumbull, on Oct. 27.
The restaurant replaced its prior location, Ruby Tuesday’s, in the Westfield Trumbull mall.
Paul Wahlberg, the owner and chef of the chain’s original location in Hingham, MA, is partnered with his brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg.
The restaurant is the center of the well known A&E television series, “Wahlburger’s.” The televsion series gives a direct inside-look into the chain that the Wahlberg brothers have created.
Wahlburger’s is mostly known for their burgers. If you’re looking for a taste other than burgers, the menu also offers an assortment of foods ranging from sandwiches, to salads, to milkshakes, to frappes, and much more.
When I looked up the menu online, the selections appeared to mirror a menu closer to a fast-food chain, as opposed to that of a restaurant chain.
Therefore, I was surprised to find that Wahlburger’s is actually a sit-down type restaurant.
Once inside, everyone is given a menu, and their order is taken down. I found the whole layout to be quite unique.
As for the interior, the restaurant follows the same green color scheme that the chain is known for.
In addition to dining-in, Wahlburger’s also offers it’s customers take-out and has a designated bar area.
Since the restaurant just opened in Trumbull, CT, and is a popular chain, I pressumed that going at night was not an option for me, because the wait would most-likely be too long. So, my friend and I went during the day on a Thursday, and there was no wait at all.
The staff was very friendly right off-the-bat, which always makes for a more pleasant dining experience.
After being seated with no wait, I took a look at the menu. The food selection is small, but definitely offers something for everyone. Prices range between $5 to $10, and is very affordable.
Although Wahlburger’s is known for their burgers, I personally am not a huge burger person. When ordering, I opted for “Jenn’s Chicken Sandwich,” instead.
The quick amount of time it took to get our food out to us, is proof of the fast-food vibe that the place holds. Our food probably only took around ten minutes to come out, which could also be attributed to the fact that the restaurant wasn’t busy that Thursday night.
Even so, I was pleased that the food came so quickly.
However, I was disappointed to see that when I got my food, there was only the sandwich. French fries were not included with my order.
Obviously, this was not a huge deal, but I wish the waitress told me that fries were to be ordered separately.
Nevertheless, my sandwich looked extremely good, and I was ready to try this popular chain’s food.
In the end, I found that liked my sandwich, but I can’t say that I loved it.
“Jenn’s Chicken Sandwich” comes with both caramelized onions and crispy onions, along with lettuce, topped with Wahlburger’s housemade honey-garlic mayo.
I really liked the crispy onions and the sauce, but in general, the sandwich lacked some flavor for me.
My friend, who did get fries, said that they were good, but did not stand-out to her.
For me, Wahlburger’s seems-to-be more about experience, than the food. I found the restaurant to be a bit overhyped.
However, I could understand the appeal in the eyes of someone who is a fan of the Wahlberg brothers in being able to say that “you’ve been to a Wahlburger’s.
I would recommend this place to other people, but would tell them not to hype it up too much. The atmosphere is nice, but the food falls a bit short.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience of Wahlburger’s and liked my food, but probably won’t go back there.
