Shouldn't Sparkles Make Me Happy

Hi, my name is Sharon and I'm a bacon cheeseburgeraholic. There, I said it. People might chuckle when I tell them that I can't go 2 weeks without a bacon cheeseburger but they don't realize that I'm telling the truth. My brain is constantly awake and alert to hear of a new or new to me burger joint. Todays joint in question is Sparkles on Dowling St.

This is the kind of place I LOVE. Walk up to a window, place your order with the sweet woman inside, play a game of "meow" with the cat hiding under the building, watch the people come and go and smell the meat cooking. Back when the Axiom still existed I drove by Sparkles all the time in the middle of the night and used to wonder "hmmm, that place looks interesting" but I never came back during the day. Then recently I read a blog post that was so glowing I wanted to run outside in my robe and head straight there. Well, another blog follow up mentioned the Fried Pork Chop Sandwich and the deal was sealed.

Luckily I have a wonderful husband who both shares and indulges my love of all things in moderation. The husband spends Saturday mornings running around the fields at U of H so we've taken to meeting afterwards to explore food in that area. Well, Sparkles is right around the corner so we decided to head on over. The food took about 30 minutes from the time we ordered (no prob, I had been warned and was expecting that.) What I wasn't expecting was that the burger just wasn't good. The burger was overcooked (again, I had been warned but also assured that it wasn't dry in that condition) and really, really dry. The bun was a little stale and the meat had no spice (I'm just asking for a little salt and pepper). Yes it was cheap, but no it wasn't worth it even for the price.

The Fried Pork Sandwich was exactly what I was expecting and it was yummy. White Bread, Fried Pig, Lettuce, Tomato and Mayo. By the second bite it was falling apart and the bread had turned clear from the grease - just like the CFS sandwich I grew up on in High School. We also had a Chocolate Shake that wasn't too sweet or so thick that my head imploded. I'll go back and give Sparkles another try, because it has personality and they could have been having an off day. Let's hope next time Sparkles makes me happy.