There was In N Out. There was Five Guys… and then, there was White Hut. White Hut, hidden just off of North Pleasant Street in Amherst, is a new addition to the quaint set of eateries accessible to the Five College town.
I made my first visit on a Friday, for one of my weekly lunch dates with my friends. Everybody had been raving about how cheap and delicious this new hamburger place was, but I was hesitant. The one type of food I choose not to eat (which is saying something because I love eating), is American food. Fries, hamburgers, and hot dogs are just not my cup of tea. The only exception to that rule was In N Out, but it’s In N Out: it’s always an exception to the rule. So from the fact that I don’t like hamburgers and fast food to the fact that I wanted to remain faithful to my West Coast hub, In N Out, I just wasn’t really into the idea of White Hut. But when I got there, my whole life was turned upside down.
I stepped in and was greeted by a diner-like interior, but with clean white walls and counters, and minimalist-style design. Already, I didn’t feel like I was drowning in a grease-ridden middle American hell. I looked up at the menu and saw a menu with few choices in terms of main dishes, but an endless array of condiments and sides: milk shakes, fried onions…
I chose to go with a chocolate milk shake (after much debate), a cheeseburger with all of the toppings available, and the especially bolded and star-ridden (literally) fried onions.
Imagine taking a sip of melted chocolate—but cold and refreshing. Apart from the momentary brain freeze considering the below freezing weather outside, the smooth milkshake was like a velvety chocolate avalanche that melted in my mouth and cooled my body as it flowed down. But that was only the preview of the cheeseburger that was to be inhaled in less than three seconds. The cheeseburger was the best thing I had had in a very long time. I must admit that I felt a little sorry for my friends who were probably very embarrassed by my constant exclamations of how delicious each and every bite was. But every word I said was true (whether or not it was coherent). The fried onions were so delicately fried that the rough texture was replaced by the succulent oil, which combined perfectly with the tender patty and fresh tomatoes and lettuce. And if things were getting too greasy, I could just take another sip from my chocolate milkshake and then go back to this savory goodness.
I’m probably going to have to stop there and let you taste what White Hut has to provide for yourself, but moral of the story is, go to White Hut. It’s super underrated, super cheap (you can get a burger with toppings and fries for under $5!) and super good. And no, it’s not a combination of Pizza Hut and White Castle.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Amherst chapter.