A Truly Local Burger

Stony’s, the newest addition to downtown Madison offers isn’t exactly a feast for the eyes. Its location, tucked away in a corner of an office building, is almost impossible to see from the sidewalk on Waverly Place, and its first impression is unassuming. The food, though, might turn it into a regular lunch-and-dinner staple for those who live and work along Rte. 124.

Three basic burgers are available at first: hamburger ($3.89), bacon burger ($4.29) and bacon cheeseburger ($4.89). They come with limited toppings, but more can be added: most for free, but bacon, pineapple and extra cheese cost 50 cents. The bacon cheeseburger ($4.89) was light on the grease, and honestly I had forgotten that burgers could be delicious without requiring you to go through a dozen napkins.

The tomato basil Soup of the Day was advertised as containing arugula. I thought that meant maybe a couple of leaves shredded beyond recognition, but instead it came with thick chunks that added flavor and color to an otherwise predictable staple. Instead of croutons or crackers, the soup came with large slices of toasted bread covered with garlic salt, and the pair made for a filling meal on its own.

The sweet potato fries (regular $3.29, large $4.49) were not overly sweet, but crunchy and served with salt but better paired with a modest amount of the ginger mayonnaise. I ordered the mayonnaise as a side for my burger, but ended up eating my burger mayo-less. The pairing with the sweet potato fries was a much better combination.

The big surprise, though, was the milkshake (regular $3.49, large $3.99). I was a little surprised to see that they were made with syrup flavoring instead of flavored ice cream, but the end result was still delicious. Later, when I talked to owner Stonewall “Stony” Johnson (he said his father was a Civil War buff and a football fan, and therefore thought Stonewall would be a good name), I came to appreciate the syrup.

Johnson told me about the coffee ice cream he used to make in an ice cream shop he ran in South Orange. “For the first few months, everybody really loved our coffee ice cream, but then we started getting complaints from parents that when their kids ate it they’d be up all night or bouncing off the walls,” Johnson said.

The reason why, it turned out, was because the recipe called for one-fourth of a cup of freeze-dried ground coffee beans. “We were using four cups,” he said.

There were more items on the menu that I will have to journey back to try, like the fish tacos ($8.95) and the grilled marinated chicken sandwich ($6.69), and maybe to see what some of their other Soup of the Day options are. I might even be tempted to try something healthy and order a Stony’s Salad ($6.99).

Or I might just order another burger.

Stony's is located at 20 Waverly Pl. in Madison.