lunch at mckraut's.

a couple of weeks ago, we somehow ended up visiting talofofo falls, in the southern part of guam. the south is less populated than the rest of the island, gorgeously scenic, and relatively unspoiled. however, one's choices of eating establishments are severely limited, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a little shack named mckraut's just down the road.



face it, you're not going to mistake this for a fine dining establishment--it's a burger and 'dog shack just a few feet off the main road, in front of the owner's front yard, with two plastic picnic tables and a few chairs under canvas canopies off to one side.



despite the simple but sweet appearance, there are a few surprises on the menu as alternatives to the typical burger and chili dog fare--a grilled salmon or marlin filet sandwich, ground chicken burgers, bratwurst on a basil topped bread loaf, and
a bratwurst with curry ketchup, which i'm told is very popular.



i honestly don't know what the qualities of a good bratwurst are, but this one wasn't bad--juicy, flavourful in a meaty way but not a spicy way, and tender in that way that only processed meats can be. springy. is that good? i feel like that should be good. it was a little smothered by the curry ketchup, but luckily the condiment went well with the surprisingly fantastic french fries. nenes, mckraut's is 26 miles away from the center of town, which is a big deal on an island only 32 miles long; however, as i am typing this, i am considering making that journey just for these french fries--piping hot, with a crispy outside that snaps to a tender fluffy inside, and actually tastes like potatoes. so very, very, very good and quite reasonably priced at $2.50 for a double order, which was like a small haystack. the chicken burger was tasty as well, fresh and juicy, with a homemade vinegar-based cabbage slaw on the side. i'm told the hot dogs were excellent, just a standard all-beef dog, but i can't give any other details as the teenagers with me scarfed down four of them in under 2 minutes, so there aren't any photos, but that has to be some sort of ringing endorsement.


see sweaty kid with the half-eaten pastry? that's anthony, he was our chef for the day. he wasn't sweating when he cooked our food, and he's really nice, so say hi next time you're in the village.

mckraut's (how crazy is that name?) is also a little ice cream stand, with prepackaged ice cream treats--in fact, when i was there, little kids from throughout the village would bike over for a soda or an itzakadoozie (my personal fave), cornetto or sundae bar, which i found rather charming, as i don't ever see that sort of thing anymore. just like the south in the mainland, life goes at a slower pace, and is far more relaxed. in fact, you can't really call mckraut's "fast" food, as you'd be lucky to get your order in under 15 minutes. but if you are going to be strolling on a fine sunday afternoon, or need a little repast after spending time at the falls, you can do no better than this little hot dog stand in the south.

mckraut's
route 4, about a half mile from the talofofo falls turn off
malojloj
671.828.4248.