Hole in the Wall Report: Stump's Steak House Grill...

The name of the place sounded familiar and based on where it was on the map, I was certain we had at least driven by it a few times, but I just wasn't sure. So I called the number and the phone rang at least five times before I started to just hang up, thinking it was an old listing. Just then, some guy answered and I was sure he said "Stump's" but I didn't catch much more.I asked the man, "Are you open?" which I have to admit is sort of a silly question considering that he had answered, but you just never know. The man on the other end laughed and said, "Is that a trick question? What is this? Am I on Candid Camera?" And with that, my wife and I knew that we had to check out Stump's Steak House Grill for lunch.The outside of the place does not have the flash of some of the fancier places we have been to. Seriously, I recognized it as soon as Garmin told us we had arrived at our destination, as a place we had driven by on the way to Medina Lake. Honestly, without the man on the other end of the phone and the cars parked in front, I would have assumed it to be an abandoned hardware store.Inside, 'Mando as the regulars called him, was taking orders over the phone for people who would be by to pick up lunch in a while. Next time I'll make use of that. It turns out, the same guy who answers the phone and takes your order is also the guy who cooks the food. This might result in a slight wait.The place is certainly Hole in the Wall-ish. I especially liked the remodeled chairs.It has a homey feel to it though my wife and I both agreed that there was almost a McDonald's grill area smell to it. If you have ever worked at Mickey D's, you know that smell when you get home and your uniform smells of seared Quarter Pounders, golden brown fries and a hint of reconstituted onions. Okay, well maybe you don't know the smell. This is not something to worry about. You won't yak or anything, but it just smells like a place where fried food is served.My wife ordered a combo plate that included a 1/4 pound cheeseburger, fries and a drink. I like a place that will ask you how you want your burger cooked. Most places these days are so afraid of Mad Cow or some sort a salmonella that they insist on burning everything. The fries looked a little overdone to me, but they were actually good.I had the 1/2 pound Angus Cheese Burger (cooked Medium, thanks) and fries. This guy adds some seasoning to the patty that must be scientifically formulated to hit the taste buds in the right areas, because for what I assume was a processed patty (not handmade in the kitchen), it was mighty tasty. The bun was excellent, the lettuce, tomato, and everything else worked perfectly. And it wasn't just my imagination. A table of good ol' boys next to us were going on and on about how good the burgers were to a pardner there for his first time.

Stump's isn't some place you need to load up the family and travel all the way from Las Vegas to come and visit. But for us, this little place is only about 7 or 8 miles down the road and for a change of pace, it was certainly a good burger at a reasonable price and, an interesting venue.
Off the top of my head, I can think of several places that are supposed to be so special, but burger to burger, I'd be happy with this one. And that makes Stump's a Tasty Treat.

Need to see all the pictures of Stump's? Head to Flickr.