Beef-A-Roo

Just went to this place again recently and got food instead of just their cheddar fries. I got a chicken sandwich and it was okay, but not too great. Next time I go here I’m going to just stick with the cheddar fries.

(Sung to «Duke of Earl»):
«Beef Beef, Beef-​a-​roo, roo, roo, Beef-​a-​roo…
Beef Beef, Beef-​a-​roo, roo, roo, Beef-​a-​roo…»
If you ever hear that song from a passing car, it must be me and the family singing it. The tall, fading sign with the cowboy can be seen a mile away on US-​2 coming down the hill towards Iron River. We can’t resist singing the catchy tune every time we see it, even if we have no intention to come in.
But once in a while we do come in. Beef-​a-​roo is a lot like Dairy Queen and there’s a few of them in the Michigan UP. They have burgers, hot dogs, and the usual fast food fare, plus the shakes, malts and cones.
The place is pretty spacious in the dining area and there’s always people, so you know the locals like it. Still, it has this dated feel to it, like it can use some enhancements to its aging menu board or a nicer storefront. The bathroom is clean and there’s even a pair of Lego tables for the kids to play after eating.
My kids like the place somewhat, though it seems they don’t eat as much as they would at other places. The chicken nuggets are about 60% breading. The burgers are OK pan-​fried, but not spectacular.
The shakes are pretty tasty. I tried the blueberry shake and it had real berries in it, not some syrup mixture. Beef-​a-​roo also has the soft-​serve color swirl cones, like the ones made famous by the now-​closed Toots restaurant on Chicago’s NW side.
Still, despite the fancy ice cream cones, my 5 year old preferred to get the hand-​scooped Jilbert’s ice cream down the road at Scott’s Subs instead.
Decent place to stop by occasionally, but don’t forget to sing the song.