The other day I had a chance to stop in and try a burger at Cheeburger Cheeburger in Northville. Though I believe its namesake is borrowed the famous SNL sketch, it has no affiliation with the Horny Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago from which the skit was originally based.

Inside is a clean and well designed 50s diner atmosphere. It’s evident that the workers at this location take pride in their job, as the tables and restrooms were spotless and the service was polite and fast.

I ordered a 7oz burger with ‘easy’ shredded lettuce, guacamole, and chopped garlic. (A little goes a long way with shredded lettuce so I always order it ‘easy’ to avoid a messy sandwhich.) They had 20 toppings to choose from, and I was pleasantly surprised to find they do not charge extra for guacamole.

Here is what I was served:

Nice presentation. The patty itself has irregularly shaped sides, which tells me that it has not been pattern cut by a machine. The chopped garlic added a nice zing to the guac, and it was very very tasty.

I also ordered a side onion rings and fries, with their ‘habanero jelly’ sauce.

The onion rings are fresh cut and battered in-house, not frozen. They were pretty good, as they are also fried in peanut oil. There was more than enough for two people to share.

The habenero jelly sauce is surprisingly not hot. Somehow they captured the essence of habenero flavor without any heat, adding a level of sweet that you normally find in a fruit-based jelly. Patrons who are looking for spice may be left disappointed because it is so sweet, but fans of other jellies like lemon curd or marmalaid may enjoy it.

The 7oz burger set me back $5.85, which is a good value considering the quality of the product.

According to their website, you can find Cheeburger Cheeburger in 28 cities in the US. We tend to shy away from corporate franchises because they usually serve overpriced and terrible food. But unlike many of their competitors, Cheeburger Cheeburger actually turns out to be a diamond in the rough.