Vinnie's Stock Pot, Bay City

I spent a significant portion of this past spring living in Bay City, Michigan.  While I was there, I spent a great deal of time at Vinnie's Stock Pot, a place where everyone knows your name.  Maybe not your name, but they certainly knew my name by the time I left.

The Stock Pot's Interior.

Of the many diners I've been in, the Stock Pot was the second most diner-y.  Besides the tables, chairs, benches and coat rack, many of decorations were very reminiscent of the 50's and 60's, or some other decade that can be accurately called ancient history.

This picture was taken in a mirror.  Read the sign backwards, and it says "Route 66," which you may have learned about in a 90's jeans commercial.

The Stock Pot delivered a good, hot burger.  There was no extraneous tastes to it, just straight, grilled beef.  It's a hefty burger to eat at lunch (as I was doing), but it definitely keeps you full all afternoon.  The meat retains the heat from the grill well, for lunch which was probably a nice warm-up in winter, but which is a bit much for early summer.  This didn't stop me from eating it, it just meant I was quite hot at the end.

The bun was toasted, but still soft.  It was moist enough to not crumble, but not so moist that it took away from the burger experience (a wet burger can be unpleasant).

The fries, like the burger, were delivered hot from the kitchen.  They were simple square cut fries, with a lot of surface area, but  also a lot of potato at the center.  The surface was fairly well done, and there generally was not much to the fries besides simple fry taste.

I also have to mention the price: a half pound burger was just under $4, and the fries were not much on top of that.  A very reasonable price for a meal that doesn't leave you hungry later.

I honestly can't say enough nice things about the Stock Pot's wait staff.  The burger wasn't exactly special, but it was cheap, and it was filling.  I don't know how often I'll be back in Bay City, but I know that I'll stop by Vinnie's every time.

Vinnie's Stock Pot