From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

PLACES TO BE: Cheeburger Cheeburger

By Farin Robinson
Deerfield Beach High

May 1 2008

Florida is usually associated with palm trees, beaches and ... Cheeburger Cheeburger?

The 1950s-style soda-shop restaurant was started in Sanibel Island in 1986, according to cheeburger.com.

"It was started by Bruce Zicari, who got the name from the John Belushi SNL [Saturday Night Live] skit," said Jackie Pace an employee of the Cheeburger Cheeburger restaurant in Coral Springs.

The famed SNL skit depicts a greasy chef calling out "cheeburger, cheeburger" instead of "cheeseburger, cheeseburger."

What made Cheeburger Cheeburger famous was the Pounder burger, a burger that's roughly the size of a pizza but thicker and juicier.

People brave enough to take on the challenge of eating and finishing the 20-ounce Pounder get the honor of getting their pictures on the Wall of Famers, forever immortalized with all the other champions of burger eating.

But the Pounder can be daunting. "I never order a Pounder when I go to Cheeburger Cheeburger, because I know I won't finish it," said Ashley Spry, a senior at Deerfield Beach High. "I'm more of a semi-serious [burger] type girl."

Though Cheeburger Cheeburger is known for its tasty grilled burgers, they aren't the only items bringing customers back. The 73 flavors of ice cream shakes on the menu are also a hit.

"The shakes are the most popular thing on the menu. There are many places to go for burgers, but not for shakes, and there are so many different flavors. The secret ingredient that makes the shakes so good is Edy's ice cream," Pace said.

Unlike most burger restaurants, Cheeburger Cheeburger is not fast food. It's cooked fresh after you order.

"Regular burgers are basically meat and cheese," Pace said. "Cheeburger's [burgers] are meat, cheese and whatever else you want."

That includes special sauces like Texas Horseradish, Creamy Cheese, Creamy Jalapeno, Chile Lime and Habanero Jelly. Even in the side-order department, Cheeburger serves up more than enough.

"I love Cheeburger Cheeburger because when you can't choose between fries and onion rings, you can get both in a Frings basket," Blanche Ely junior Imani Morris said. "That's awesome."

Where: 1853 University Drive, Coral Springs, 954-346-6666

1793 Bell Tower Lane, Weston, 954-659-1115

Info: www.cheeburger.com