Thurman's Cafe: A burger that (almost) left me speechless

Thurman Cafe, located in the heart of the German Village district of Columbus, Ohio, has long been a Central Ohio landmark. And once upon a time, not that long ago, it was a locally well known but unassuming spot that had terrific food and a loyal following. And, then, food oriented television came along.

Now don't get me wrong, my wife and I love food shows. It's one television concept we can agree wholeheartedly on. But this place was rated one of the top 30 places to "chow down" on The Travel Channel. It has been featured on Man v Food, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and many other lesser known shows. And when a place gets pub like that, it can only lead to one thing: enormous popularity. And that leads to something else....lonnng waits for a seat.

This is great for an owner of one of the "chosen" places. However, it turns the average patron's experience from one of visiting a local diner into something resembling waiting to get into a popular Manhattan night club. Crowded wait areas, lots of noise, and long periods of patient waiting. That being said, if the food lives up to it's rep, it is worth the wait. And that was certainly the case here.

We met another couple, who are definitely "foodies" as well, at about 2pm on a Monday, The wait was still 45 minutes, even at possibly the most off time of the week for a restaurant, We decided ro hang and rock with it. Literally. A Rolling Stones pinball machine, internet jukebox, and a cold draft or two made time fly by. After about 40 minutes, we were seated.

Despite the crowd, the service was prompt. We all had cold drafts in front of us within 2 minutes. I perused the menu and decided that onion straws and Chicken Cordon Bleu Balls (insert joke here) sounded like a great start. We ordered and and enjoyed our brews.

As we grooved to The Clash rocking out some "Rudie Can't Fail" (sorry, really irritated looking old couple in the corner), our apps arrived. They did not disappoint. The Bleu Balls were awesome, deep fried goodness. Especially with hot sauce. And the straws we delicious, crispy and savory with a subtle spicy kick, Great start.

I stepped outside for a smoke, came back in,and grabbed another draft. My girl and I rocked out to a little Suicidal Tendencies, and then it arrived. Apt choice of music, because upon seeing this behomoth burger on my plate, I realized that eating it would contribute to my slow suicide. Nonetheless, I dug in.