Restaurant Review: Wild Willies

Wild Willies (13355 Belcher Rd S, Largo, FL 33773-1669, (727) 533-2203) is a lot of things, depending on the time of day and the kind of person you are. By day, it’s a place to get a good burger or other pub food and a beer with your lunch. As the day wears on, it’s part honkytonk and part club. The crowd changes, but Willies stays the same fun place where people go to be fulfilled, be it by spirits or monster burgers.

I’m partial to this pub and grill, if only because one of my co-workers owns it with her husband. At the urging of Courtney, I went there for lunch one day to try their hamburgers. I had all but written off the premium hamburger scene, as it’s so overdone, overpriced and under-delivered. Every time I hear about another premium burger joint coming up with something, I think, “I can make this at home…” and it’s true. Willies broke that barrier for me, as their hamburger is really something to talk about.

While I was waiting for my burger, I tried their cajun peanuts. Imagine a cajun stew or sauce that slow cooks a peanut until it’s shell is so soft that you eat it whole. It’s spicy, but not so spicy that you’ll be running for the water. The texture is very surprising and there’s still a definitive taste of peanut within, though it’s a taste and texture experience I didn’t expect.

The service is quick, especially because we sat at the bar. Burger was out within a few minutes and the sheer scale of this thing is ridiculous. Imagine a big, big patty. I’d say the patty was at least half a pound. Then imagine a fresh kaiser roll, cheese and stacks upon stacks of vegetables. The burger stands taller than it does round, and it’s definitely a handful.

Quality is very high on the burger, owing that quality to fresh meat and cheese. I’d grown so used to eating crappy drive through burgers that I forgot what a real homemade burger tastes like. This one was exceptional. They use just enough cheese too, and it’s piled high with fresh onions, tomatoes and lettuce. Throw in some hot sauce and jalapenos and you have a burger that bites back. Even when compressed down, the burger is too big to put in your mouth.

The burger is incredibly fulfilling, but I forced the fries down too. They were good, but I was so full by the time I got done with the peanuts and burger that I barely got them down.

If you’re looking for more than just food, Willies is the kind of place that you’ll have a good time drinking. The crowd is diverse and everyone is friendly, laced with a soundtrack from Country Classics to the Sex Pistols to new rock. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone there that wasn’t having a good time.

The owner isn’t an absentee landlord. You’ll see him (and his wife Courtney) slinging drinks and mingling with the crowd. They run the kind of joint that keeps the regulars coming back and you can see that in how they react with everyone.

Here’s some photos from a typical Friday night at Wild Willies:

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