Eastside Big Tom - Olympia, WA

I've been shopping on Craigslist lately for an upright/double bass to start taking lessons on. I found a teacher and have been missing playing jazz. Oh, sweet jazz.. I took a quick little drive down to Olympia to check out a bass that was made in the Czech Republic and was bought from the mother of one of the members of the Pixies. Crazy story! I've checked out a couple though and haven't decided on one yet.

It was a reasonable drive and I hadn't eaten yet, so I decided to explore the options of where I could grub down in good ol' Oly. After unsatisfied with what I found on yelp, I googled.. Wait, I'm not supposed to tell you my secrets. Yes, of course I google. And after googling "cheap eats olympia, wa", I found Eastside Big Tom.. "All day drive thru (and mind you, walk up) burger landmark." The word LANDMARK caught my attention. I knew this was I place I needed to visit.


I arrived to a large gravel parking lot with many signs labeled "BIG TOM". There was a sign with an arrow leading me to the "Garden of Eatin'." A strange food court littered with dinosaurs, Star Wars figurines, and murals of prehistoric proportions. There they have a stand just for sundaes, scoops, milkshakes, and malts. I walked up and asked if that was the case and he said "yeah, for food orders just walk up to the back door of of the drive thru and they'll take your order." So I did just that..


The fare was typical drive in fare - burgers, shakes, fries.. with a few other options fish 'n chips, fried prawns, and other greasy, gooey goodness. It seemed like I had to order the Big Tom and got some tots with Goop® and tartar on the side. Goop® is their trademarked custom condiment, which seems as though it's a mix of mustard, mayo, and sweet relish. The service was friendly and prompt and they seemed to take pride in their strange establishment. Side note: 
If you do visit, like a lot of local places.. it is cash only. But they do have an ATM.







The burger was totally messy- which, in my opinion, is how it should be. I really appreciated that they gave me like ten napkins.. because I honestly needed most of them. And for everyone who doesn't know me, I'm a messy freakin' eater. Tots were hot and crispy, and I also liked that they provided salt on the side. I was watched by one of the largest squirrels I've ever seen. He probably lives off of the scraps there. I'm not worried about him at all..

Everything about this place was odd. But it was home-y and quirky and I liked it a lot.. and I told them after I ate in the Garden of Eatin'. This restaurant was a real piece of art.
A placed imagined in the mind of the owner. Unfortunately because it's still freezing cold out, I didn't have a milkshake or malt but I'll be back when our lovely state defrosts..