Most people don't just happen to visit Colchester, Connecticut. It is a small town with a quintessential New England look and feel. It has a beautiful town green with the so typical white church with a tall steeple and at least one upscale antique store. None of these, however, are what brings people to Colchester; Harry's Place is what they come for.
If you are expecting a historic building or a Victorian beauty forget coming here. What you will find is a roadside stand that looks like it has seen better days. It hasn't but it does look that way. It is painted white and the sign that says Harry's Place is red and black. You won't have to worry about finding it, just look for the line snaking out to the road. On a warm summer day, the line can be 30 people long maybe even longer. No matter how long it is, get in it and just let your anticipation rise.
Be careful which line you get in, there is one for the ice cream and one for the cooked items. The food line will be the longest one. While you are waiting you can check out the menu which is posted above the counter. Enjoy typical New England favorites like lobster rolls and fried clams, red hots, hot dogs, French fries and onion rings. While these items may have a slight following, what people stand in line for a half hour for are the hamburgers.
What makes these burgers quite possibly the best burger that you will ever eat? The rolls are special, they come from Nardi Bakery and they are fatter than a normal roll and twice as delicious. But it isn't just those outstanding rolls, it the fact that these are the juiciest hamburgers known to man. Look out for your shoes when you take your first bite, there will be juice everywhere.
When your turn comes to order be sure to tell them everything that you want on it, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. You will be able to have your burger your way. Another tip is to make sure that you order more than you think you can eat because you are going to want more and if you do you will have to wait in that half hour line again.
You pay and then begin to move along the counter. If you watch the cook you will be able to identify your burger as it hits the sizzling grill. The cooks and the servers are all young and change from year to year but the quality of the burgers never changes.
When you get your food you two choices, you can look for a seat at one of the picnic tables that surrounds the building on every side or you can eat in your car. There is no indoor seating, for customers, there is no inside. The only ones in the stand are the help.
Harry's Place is open from late spring to late fall. The opening of Harry's is the harbinger of the summer season fast approaching. For people all over the state of Connecticut, this is the place to come if you want one of the best burgers in the state. Don't take my word for it, come and try them for yourself.
