Wiinky’s

My review for the last weekend Wiinky is in business is one star. When I Unilocaled «checked in» this place, I found out they don’t even honor their own Unilocal deal of one free premium topping on their burger. When i presented them the deal on my phone, their response «ooohhh, uhh, yeah we aren’t honoring that anymore, that has expired.» Expired? This isn’t a coupon, this is a check-​in deal that says (which you check in at that very minute), get a free premium topping. I was debating whether to add a fried egg on an already heart cloggin burger, but like usual, temptation got the better of me, and I wanted one.
This was your last weekend Wiinky, you are probably going to have excess supplies, and it’s just an egg! That’s like 10 cents to honor your word. It was their last weekend and they just didn’t give a damn. Oh well, probably better that I didn’t get that fried egg, seeing as how greasy their burgers already are and I had to get back to work afterwards. But It’s not even about the money, I could easily fork over a buck for a fried egg that’s no problem, it’s the principle. Supposedly they are going to open at another location. I will just tell people that they are one of the biggest cheapskates who don’t even honor their own deals…

I like the burgers at Wiinky’s — way better than a few burger places in Arlington. The good thing for me is that it is open late and that works for us!
But on my recent visit to Wiinky’s I found out they are closing March 31.
Looking forward to them opening soon at a nearby location…

You can order your food online, if you want to make changes and you call them and they are always happy to do so.
The food get’s delivered super fast and it’s hot and good comfortable food!

Wiinkys has great food but the service is so incredibly slow. It’s really annoying! Literally takes 35 – 40 minutes to get your order, at least every time we have been there for carryout. Although the food is good enough that my boyfriend and I deal with the slow as a drunk snail service and order from there anyway. The place itself is not anything nice I would pretty much only come here for carryout. I also didn’t like how their hot dog came in a wheat roll instead of a normal hot dog bun. The roll was spongy and ruined the chili dog! Wings are awesome and they are open really late.

Best shit to order after 2:00 AM.
If you don’t actually read the reviews and think you’re gonna get a gourmet 8 dollar burger for lunch or something, well, shit, sorry. Ray’s is probably better. Duh.
But if you come back from the bars early and somehow fucked up getting Jumbo Slice, you can order from here at 2:55 and by 3:45 you’ll be able to eat not only your food, but the food of all the losers that passed out early. I get the Baja Chicken sub, Wiink burger, or Alamo burger + fried egg. Somehow if you order fries they show up still pretty crispy. Only thing to note is that the jalapenos on the Ranchero are not pickled, and vary in spiciness. You might shit fire in the morning or it might be perfect.
You got a problem with Wiinkys, you got a problem with me.

I’d give it closer to a 2.5
The meat was really dry and mealy.
The five guys-​est free toppings were cool, but they couldn’t salvage an other wise dry and over/​poorly seasoned burger.
Chicken sandwich was OK but way too over seasoned.
Onion rings were the pre-​made kinds but were fried correctly and tasted good.
The bathrooms are filthy.
Any burger chain is a better bet.
My $ 22 would have gone WAY farther a lots of better restaurants.

I would give Wiinky’s a 3.5 for flavor and value over the weekends. My husband and I were craving some game-​day wings and didn’t feel like venturing out to get some. Luckily, WIinky’s is closeby and offers delivery service.
We ordered the Blazin’ Lime and Hot Wings — with bone. Wings come with your choice of dipping sauce, so we got one ranch and one blue cheese. We also ordered the curly fries and philly chicken sandwich. The Blazin’ Lime wings were great! Perfectly seasoned and definitely cleared my sinuses on a cold January day.
We both felt the Hot wings were so-​so, considering how flavorful the Blazin’ wings were. Curly fries were crispy and well seasoned.
While we did order delivery, we felt the philly sandwich was a little soggy, which is to be expected considering the time between order and delivery was 45 minutes. Note that food is delivered in styrofoam containers and then packed in hot/​cold containers that maintain the temperature of your food.
I’ve ordered their lunch special before — 8 wings, curly fries, and a drink for $ 8.99. This deal deserves a 4 star for value!

When stuck in downtown Arlington, Wiinky’s is a great find by GMU’s Grad School for late night eats.
Nice sauce selection for the wings and portions are surprisingly awesome. When in Rome, eat at Wiinky’s!

UPDATE:
Decided to give Wiinky’s another shot, since it is in such close proximity to my house.
Ordered online this time, on a Friday night for two around 8:15. AKA not the busy time. Still had to wait about ten minutes for my food past my scheduled pickup time, and I was even five minutes late.
Both burgers were a little burned, and too pink on the inside for the burned outside. Probably rushed it once I walked in for my pickup. Fries were okay. Nothing to write home about. Overall, meh. Probably won’t return again. Not great customer service and food is adequate.
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Terrible experience Friday night. Waited 30 minutes for two burgers before asking about our order, when we saw some customers who ordered after us receive theirs. We were told our order was next.
Fifteen minutes and five OTHER customers later, still no burgers. The excuse? «Our chef has been skipping orders tonight.» That is NO excuse, especially when there had been one inquiry already. 45 minutes for two burgers? Come on. No comp offered at ALL, and our money was only refunded after we asked twice… and no food in sight. Such a shame, especially since the food is good.

WIIIIIINKYS — weird place with cheap prices and good food. GREAT FOOD. i love peanut butter on my wiink burger, who knew. Arlingtron needs more quirky places like this. only criticism is the REGULAR fries are boring — however wiinkys gets my five star rating still, because the CURLY fries are TO DIE FOR!
Bonus = super late night delivery after VA bars close. in case you need the fuel to keep the dance party going in your apartment.

Had a simple cheeseburger with sautéed onions and mushrooms. It didn’t taste.
That’s not a typo. It was flavorless, like the meat hadn’t been seasoned. My boyfriend had the Wiinky burger. He said it was okay but we agreed that the burgers were better at Five Guys.

It’s biggest merit is that it’s open late. They have angus burgers, beef hot dogs, wings, and even subs and salads, with some creative flavors and topping combinations. However, with all the good ingredients, everything seems to be a bit bland. I had high hopes for the avocado dog, with sliced avocado, tomato and chipotle sauce, but even that seemed to have no flavor other than salt. Also, my hot dog was burned both times I ordered one. The burger is a better bet, and I heard their wings are great haven’t tried them yet. The curly fries are good, but nothing special. The food can take a while to prepare, but the workers are really nice and the long wait is probably because of the late night rush and the fact that they cook the food fresh for each order, so I can’t complain there.

I was all set to like this place and was glad that it met my expectations.
Given that it is close proximity of my younger (aka still doing the bar scene, hence being experts in late night eats) brothers places I am kind of late to the party. My brothers have switched their loyalty from Mario’s to this place so I knew I had to give it a try.
The places offers quick service, reasonable prices and very tasty food. I tried the fries the first time but looked longingly at another tables order of onion rings. This places has a great selection of standard American grill food.
I think it is amusing that it right next to Gold’s Gym, it presents the interesting opportunity to perform your pennance for a tasty treat either right before or right after your meal.

I found Wiinky’s on Unilocal a while ago and I don’t know why I didn’t come here sooner!!!
I started a Burger of the Month club for myself (and anyone who wants to participate with me. You’ll be a month behind, but that’s okay.) Basically, I want to try a different burger once a month. easy peasy lemon squeasy.
I had the Alamo, junior, one of Wiinky’s speciality burgers. 6oz burger, lettuce, tomato, avocado, grilled onions, applewood smoked bacon, ketchup and mayo. Delicious! I opted for the combo to try their curly fries. (Who doesn’t do this?) It’s an extra $ 2.99 so my grand total was a bit steep at $ 11.95 but I left with a smile on my face. My order was taken and he said it would take about 10 minutes so I took a seat and soon enough, number 34 was called! The bread looked fresh, and it was. When I picked up the burger, my hands sank into the softness of the bun. The curly fries were tasty and not burnt. The burger itself was juicy and I could taste all of the toppings equally. They put the right amount of everything.
They’re apparently open late and some reviews on foursquare said they take credit cards now. I kinda wish I lived in Ballston so I could come here more often. I want to try the wings next.

Whoa, these burgers are good! This unassuming burger joint make huge, flavorful burgers. Check in with Unilocal and get a free topping, FYI.
I wish they used grass-​fed beef so I don’t have to feel so bad about wolfing down a bacon cheeseburger. OMG, amazing.

Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high based on the reviews I read here.
We took a stroll to Wiinky’s for a late night dinner, hoping this would become a regular neighborhood go-​to. The menu looked very promising, with a unique selection of burgers and sandwiches. After studying the menu, we settled on the Baja Chicken sub and the Ranchero burger (single).
As someone previously noted, we were given the standard 10 minute wait time for our order, which ended up to be closer to a 20 minute wait. Hopes were still high, as I’m willing to wait a reasonable amount of time for good food. It did seem a bit of a wait for a medium-​rare burger, but we dropped by close to their closing time after all.
The baja chicken turned out to be mediocre. It was a bit cold and dry by the time it reached our table (perhaps it had been sitting while we waited 20 minutes for our medium rare burger?). The bread tasted like it would have been good in a previous life, but it was dry and hard on the edges, as if it had been reheated from the fridge. The cheese had congealed onto the chicken. To Wiinky’s credit, the lettuce was very fresh and crisp and the avocados had their original bright green color, so it seemed almost odd that the sandwich as a whole didn’t taste very fresh.
Despite the initial disappointment, we sensed redemption at the sight of the Ranchero burger. The gooey wet egg yolk soaked the burger when we cut through the center, and the sting of the jalepeno when I licked my fingers heightened my anticipation. Then came the first bite. Again, to Wiinky’s credit, the bun was very good. But the burger just failed to come together properly. I tasted the egg; I tasted the beef; I tasted the cheese; and I tasted the peppers. And yet, the combination somehow managed to lack any real flavor.
The curly fries were good but standard. After all, you can’t really go wrong with curly fries, can you? And it was quickly decided that my calories could be better spent than on chili that mostly likely came out of a can.
Our experience at Wiinky’s elicited an extensive discussion of Unilocal’s star rating system on our walk back. I’ve definitely «experienced better» (2 stars), but if it wasn’t for the heightened expectations, there was nothing absolutely bad about the place, placing it in the «A-​OK» range (3 stars). Considering that an establishment shouldn’t be penalized for what we felt were somewhat overrated reviews by patrons, I’m happy to give it an «A-​OK» rating, but I’ll be seeking out alternative options in the area before returning for a repeat visit.

2.5 Stars.
The rave reviews for Wiinky’s made me drop in for the first time tonight since we were in the mood for some local eats and I have a soft spot for hole in the wall style places (especially when they are within walking distance:-) Ordered the Baja Chicken, curly fries, and the Ranchero Burger, medium rare.
I did a Unilocal check-​in and there is a promotion from that where you can get a free extra topping. When I inquired about getting some chili, my request was met with resistance. The gentleman at the register told me that chili was not included in the check-​in deal. I mentioned that it was listed in the app as one of the options. He pointed to the menu and said that only toppings listed in the supplementary section of the menu was ok. Chili was clearly listed in the spot he was pointing at. He begrudgingly accepted after realizing his error.
Food came out and the burger was not medium rare, it was raw. More than half of the patty was pink on the outside and falling apart. It was as if it hadn’t even come in contact with the grill at all. I requested that it be cooked some more and received more stares.
Ate the Baja chicken sub in the meantime. Sub bread was stiff (possibly stale/​reheated), chicken cool and flavorless, but the lettuce was very fresh and crispy. Avocados were good too. Overall, Baja Chicken sub was just ok, but was overpriced for $ 8.49.
Burger came out and was properly cooked this time. As others have mentioned, the bun is perfectly grilled with butter and was by far the highlight. Meat was flavorless, egg was nice and runny however, and the cheese was the only flavoring that separated this burger from being akin to a rice cracker… a very oily and egg yoke soaked rice cracker. As for the free chili topping which I had on the side, it turned out to be nothing more than so-​so canned chili, quite a surprise after the fuss made earlier. Burger was fine, but nothing I would go raving about on the internet, and certainly doesn’t hold a candle to Ray’s. At $ 7.99 for a single patty or $ 8.99 for a double, you’d be doing yourself a favor to look past the charm of the hole in the wall style, and see it for what it is, a mediocre overpriced diner.
Curly fries were fine, frozen food variety. If you’ve ever eaten them at a cafeteria, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
I’d return since it’s down the street and give Wiinky’s a second chance, but my first impression was not particularly positive considering their local following.
**They now take credit cards.

Wiinky’s has delicious burgers! You can stop reading if you’d like, because that’s the main point, but there’s more:
I ordered (takeout) the Black and Blue burger (junior 6 oz. size), fries, and one of the glass bottles of Coke they have (they also have fountain drinks, but the bottle tastes better). The manager was very friendly (and happy when I told him I found out about the place on Unilocal!). Paid in cash (I’ll get to that later), and the food took a reasonable 10 minutes to make.
The Black and Blue burger was delicious! I personally prefer burgers to be cooked medium well, and this was just right. The fries were exactly what they should be: nice and crisp, no sogginess even after I got home to eat. I do wish there was a smaller portion size for the fries, as there are too many for one person to eat (it’s enough for two people). I will return to try out the wings with the citrus chipotle sauce (I’m intrigued).
Someone (I didn’t have my camera on me) needs to get an updated picture of the restaurant. The front has been finished with a cool paint job and there are flags atop the roof. The interior keeps it interesting with a flat screen tv and club music playing through the speakers.
There is a special (one free burger topping) if you check-​in on your smartphone (read below if you have trouble with the wi-​fi).
Important note: after talking with the manager, he told me that they will be able to accept credit/​debit cards within the next week or two!
Another important note: for the wi-​fi, it will not show up if you do a search. You just have to enter it in manually as a WEP-​type connection.
This place has been surviving on its delicious food (which is really the most important thing anyways) while everything else (credit cards, paint job, fountain drinks, etc.) has been catching up. In a week or two when they can accept cards, everything will be perfect!

I was skeptical about this place. It’s in one of those cursed locations where businesses always seem to fail, isn’t much to look at from the outside, and to call the inside spartan is a compliment. Add to that that «Wiinky’s» sounds phallic to me, with the slogan «Grilled Fresh» making me think it was a heath food joint.
None of this matters. Wiinky’s burgers freaking rock the house. They use certified Angus beef, done perfectly on the lighter side of medium well. The 6oz burger is more than enough for an average appetite, but if you want twice as much, 12oz costs you just $ 1 more ($ 7.99 v. $ 8.99). Want 24oz? That’s just $ 2 more ($ 10.99).
But size doesn’t matter; it’s how you work it. And Wiinky’s has some mad technique. The Black and Blue burger was super juicy, seasoned with just the right amount of Cajun, and was topped by a soft, fluffy bun.
The owner clearly has high hopes for his place: he got a trademark last month on the word «Wiink» (serial number 85 291 181, if you’re interested). And while I didn’t have the guts to try it on my first visit, the namesake «Wiink burger» is a cheeseburger topped with peanut butter.
Last couple of points: A sign says Wiinky’s has free wifi, but it wasn’t working when I was there. Don’t be surprised if (at least for now) the place is dead empty. Also, there’s a business-​card sized coupon going around that gets you a free burger. I’ll update this post if I figure out how to score one. And it’s cash only.
The joint is waaay better than Five Guys, at least as good as Ray’s Hell Burger (and I mean that in a good way), and puts up a good fight against Hodad’s in San Diego. Go stuff Wiinky’s in your mouth.

Never mind the rough interior, lack of a sign, and website that’s under construction… Wiinky’s is the best burger in Ballston.
They just opened so you need to take anything negative in this review with a grain of salt, but the food was stellar.
Service left a bit to be desired with the wait being fairly long and some orders going out out of order (that’s a mouthful!) but again, they just opened so we can assume they’ll get the hang of it.
I had the Alamo burger (onions, avocado, two giant patties, cheese, mayo, lettuce, and probably some other things). I didn’t notice on the menu that the speciality burgers ($ 9) had double the beef of a regular burger. It was delicious, but almost too much. I would really like to see a lighter option. I also got the curly fries ($ 3) based on a picture of them I had seen online. They were your typical curly fries.
Coworker had a regular cheeseburger ($ 6), which he was really happy with and regular fries. The regular fries ($ 3) were a notch above the curly in my opinion.
It should be noted that the orders are fries are large enough to share. Also, my prices are approximate to give you an idea of what you’ll end up spending.
Soda machine had yet to be hooked up so options were cans or bottles ($ 1.25). That’ll change soon enough.
I did see a wireless router, but it wasn’t clear whether or not it’s available to customers.
AC was broken, but at 81 it really wasn’t too bad.
They need to begin taking names with orders and put out a few more salt/​pepper/​ketchup/​mustard dispensers (they only had one of each) and I think they’ll likely knock off some of the competition in the area.
The owner took my coworker aside as we were leaving and asked him for some feedback and explained a few things. That’s a good sign.