Lunchbox Laboratory

Was really expecting a lot more from this place but was disappointed. For some reason I thought this was a place with gourmet burgers and experimental things I had sent tried before but in reality it was much different than going to Red Robin. Everything was just a bit overdone.
The Dork burger was a bit over seasoned and had way too much sauce. The party was ok but the bun was super greasy.
The tarter tot nacho things were swimming in cheese sauce and ketchup that it wasn’t worth finishing.
Tried couple drinks which were weak and bland.
Tried a shake too but like everything else it was overdone.

The burgers here are amazingly good. Service was great. Drinks were great. If only I lived closer

Average burgers. average fries… the fried cheese sticks were delish though.
but just too average to bother with a second trip.

Pricy for the portion size! Had the dork (duck and pork) burger and the sauce was really runny. It still tastes great, just wasn’t worth the price. The sides are on the small side.
Also this place is pretty packed constantly so out waiter was kind of rushing us to leave.

On a cold and rainy day in Seattle, my husband and I ventured out of the house in search of a filling meal. He had been talking about wanting burgers for some time and I had read wonderful things about Lunchbox Laboratory. The decision was easy. Here is the thing, is this the best burger in Seattle? I am not convinced. Did it fix my burger craving? It sure did. I did not leave disappointed, but I have for sure had better.
I ordered the burger of the gods with garlic tots and my husband got the tear jerker with sweet potato fries and we shared the Boston Crème doughnut milkshake. Lets start with the important info, the milkshake was legit, OMG it was so good. It had wonderful flavor, good mouth-​feel, and really paid homage to the doughnut that inspired it. My tots were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and they got the garlic perfect. You know how most places just mound garlic on top of fries or tots? Not here, every bite had garlic flavor deep down in every nook and cranny. The sweet potato fries were also pretty good, nothing special, but a solid sweet potato fry.
Lastly the burger, I will say the burger was on the heavier and richer side, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I personally think the candied balsamic onions should be a staple on pretty much everything. The Gorgonzola sauce was rich and creamy and a good counterpoint to the burger. The burger was cooked to medium which was great, although I was surprised that they didn’t ask how I liked my burger. It was a delicious bun as well. I got to try a bite of my husbands burger and I happen to be a huge fan of spicy food but holy hell it packs a punch.
Lunchbox Laboratory may not hold the title of Best burger in my book but it was by no means bad and deserves a visit if you are in the neighborhood and looking for a bite.

I came with the expectation that this would be an incredibly greasy, carb overload dinner… and that was exactly what I got. I ordered one of the spicy burgers and it was just predictably sloppy and way too big of a portion. The concept of lunchboxes and science experiments is cool and sort of comes through but not enough to merit the steeper prices, IMO… I did enjoy the little test tubes of alcohol for our boozy shake though! Service is fine and the space is a little cramped so be prepared to sit on your jackets and put your purse on the floor if you’re seated at the bar. If burgers and fries is your jam and you’re able to find good parking, give this place a shot.

I Freaken love this place! The food is good and atmosphere too. Very cute nerdy burger place. The only thing I would say is the dork burger is overrated. It was not impressive just like a sausage patty with fancy bread. The Burger of the Gods is very good though.
I wish you guys would have mini sliders so we can taste all the cool creations!
# El Centro de la raza brought me here :) I was there procurement coordinator for years. Thanks for the support ^_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​^

I almost always visit Lunchbox when I go up to Seattle. Their burgers are large and do not disappoint! The menu has a good amount of selection as well. The atmosphere is nice and casual. I’m always super satisfied after I leave here, it’s difficult to finish all your food in one sitting. I would definately recommend this place!

Best Burger ive ever had! I got the dicks deluxe and I was not disappointed. The flavors were divine! I also got onion rings, i could lie and say they were like any onion ring ive had. BUT NO these were also just amazing and the mixture of ranch dipping sauce they provided is the perfect combo. … i also asked my waiter for the best shake they have … literally the beat shake I’ve had … it was cinnamon toast crunch flavor… soooo good!

I’ve waited a while to write a review for Lunchbox Lab; I’ve been going to the Thomas St location for some time now and I have never been disappointed. I’ve eaten burgers across the US — even Gordon Ramsay’s «Burgr» in Vegas — the Lunchbox «Burger of the Gods» tops them all. Hands down the best burger I have ever eaten — consistently.
Being Gluten intolerant I appreciate the Gluten free bun option and the Gluten free beer that is available. Sweet potato fries are a plus. The service has always been fast and friendly. If you are into spicy — try the «Tear Jerker» Burger Wow! Super Beef indeed.

Had lunch here today. First impression was different than I expected, this place is very «hip», and that’s not typically something I like, but it was a nice place.
The menu was very busy and somewhat distracting to read, especially for a first timer trying to get a feeling for the food.
The food was great though, no complaints there!
Lunchbox labs is definitely on the more expensive side for a mid week lunch.
All and all it was a good experience, seemed to be a cool place and I’m sure they do well at this location. I’d like to come back and eat here again, but it might be a little too expensive for what it is.

Great food, fun neighborhood feel, service was unobtrusive. I had a burger called the «tear Jerker «
With a sauce called «Satan’s Tears» you know it was spicy

Ok but not great. I prefer the Gig Harbor location of this one for sure.
The good:
The server. Service got off to a rocky start but once our server got into his groove it was pretty great. Very kid friendly! The kiddo menu is great… Crayons and coloring page are provided… And some sort of wax sticks that the older kid loved.
The kiddos loved their food… Grilled cheese and a cheeseburger with tots. Doesn’t get much easier than that!
The lunchboxer salad was pretty awesome… Extremely filling! The candied onions were a bit off at first but once really combined with the elements of the salad they were delicious!
Not so good:
The order of service was a bit out of sorts. I am not even sure how to describe the confusion.
The place was a bit busy when we arrived (around 1pm)… But there were tables open. I was really disappointed that they didn’t have the bacon dip for the pork rinds that I’ve been able to get at the Gig Harbor location.
I would probably recommend not coming during the weekday lunch hour. If you have patient kiddos it is definitely a great spot to play eye-​spy while you wait for your foods!

I’ve been here twice, and I REALLY want to like this place more than I do. The location kind of sucks — but that’s mostly because each time I’ve been here, there is some kind of road closure, construction, or community gathering mucking up the roads in the area. And, even though I don’t mind it all the time, paying to park EVERYWHERE in Seattle sucks too and especially when you can’t even park within a block or two of where you’re going.
I’ve never had to wait long to be seated, and the service has been pretty good overall. Everything seems clean as well.
However, the place is SMALL! And, usually packed, so it wouldn’t be surprising if you’re waiting a while for a table if you’re not old enough to sit in the bar.
The first time I came, I created my own burger with Swiss cheese, grilled mushrooms and all the other standard toppings with no bun. I do this at burger places, because I want to taste the burger. It was overcooked, dry, and lacked overall seasoning. However, it did come out hot — which was nice.
The second time I came, I ordered the Churken (a patty created with a mix of chicken and turkey) — it was delicious. Moist and well-​seasoned. The only thing that was a little off-​putting about it was the ‘lunchbox onions’ — they seem like grilled onions… but, they have a weird flavor — almost bitter. I peeled the burger apart to see them, and some were white onions and some were red onions… so, I really have no idea how they make them, or what they make them with — but, something is weird here. Note: I usually LOVE grilled onions.
Also, if you’re going to serve huge burgers (with a knife and fork!), please give us something to put them on where the cheese/​sauce isn’t melting off the sides making a huge mess when we try to eat them.
Something else that bothered me was the bowls they served the fries/​tots in. Why would you serve deep fried potatoes in a bowl where the steam makes it impossible to stay crispy? They were greasy and limp, lacked any kind of salt and were topped with what seemed to be chopped up bagged mixed greens. I can understand parsley (MAYBE), but this was definitely some kind of lettuce.
These salad clippings were also served on the buffalo chicken egg roll appetizer we ordered. Just stop it… it’s not fancy, and even fancy places don’t even do that anymore!
So, we got two burgers, two sodas, and an appetizer. For $ 46.00 — no thanks. It was good, but, being cramped into a tiny bar with a tiny bar table not nearly large enough for sodas, waters, and food plates — and soggy under-​seasoned salad/​fries — and having to pay for parking and walk a couple blocks to get there… it was not worth it in my opinion. We can get a similar-​quality meal at Red Robin for nearly half the price.
Not sure I’d be back again.

I’ve been to Lunchbox Laboratory many times and have never been disappointed. Located behind the REI in Lake Union area of Downtown Seattle, Lunchbox Laboratory is a burger place to go if you want to revisit your childhood and also get an amazing burger and drinks. Here at Lunchbox Laboratory, there is the standard menu as well as the Chef’s «Laboratory» Specials where they create burgers that could be a mixture of many different meats and toppings. They even have experimental shakes!
Now in terms of the drinks, like I mentioned above there are shakes. And each of these shakes can be paired with a lovely test tube filled with booze. But if you’re not a boozy shake type of person, ask for the 2 Skool 4 Kool. It is almost the equivalent of a Long Island Ice Tea but with Kool Aid… yes, Kool Aid. Many of their drinks are mixed with Kool Aid, Tang, Root Beer, and Grape Soda. There is definitely something for everyone. And their Happy Hour prices are very reasonable!
Ultimately the food and quality here is amazing. It is a great place to bring kids or even to have a party. With a party room upstairs that has many different old video games, everyone is sure to have a blast.
If you are in the area, or want to check out a great experimental burger, definitely check out Lunchbox, you won’t be disappointed!

Lunchbox laboratory offers a pretty solid selection of burgers and craft beer. There’s plenty of seating and a nice little dog friendly patio area. The interior has a fairly wide open floor plan with a lot of dark wood accents, but it doesn’t come off as fancy, more like a neighborhood bar.
For food, we ordered the Gavacho’s totchos, the Tearjerker and the James West burgers. The burgers are a bit pricey for what they are but still good, and I like the variety of side options available. The tearjerker wasn’t nearly as spicy as I’d hoped it would be, but still a decent, if messy, burger.
Overall, the experience wasn’t bad. I wasn’t blown away by the menu, but it’s a decent place to grab a burger. It’s like a step up from a Chili’s, I suppose.

I was up here for the second time, about 3 weeks ago. Yeah I know, I always write my reviews later than I should.
Anyways, the first time I ate here, about 11 months ago I absolutely loved the food and my shake. I had the Smoker (beef burger with smoked meats) that time. My daughter had the Dork (duck and pork) burger which she could not stop raving about. In fact, that’s why we came back when we got to Seattle.
Fast forward 11 mos. and we are back. I ordered the western style burger, forgot the name. My daughter got the dork again. My burger was very good but incredibly greasy. I had already eaten bad during this trip so that was the final blow. Oh maybe not, the gavachos totchos were probably the final blow. They were tater tots done like nachos, very good but heavy. It also don’t help that I had a Cinnamon Toast Crunk either. That would be the very tasty milkshake with a double test tube shot of Fireball whiskey in it.
I might return but it was so very heavy this last time that I’m possibly over it. Really good if you eat in moderation. Besides I usually don’t go out and splurge on burgers and fries.

The search for the best burger in Seattle is on… But sadly it’s not here. Lunchbox Laboratory shows up on just about every «Best Burger» list I looked at but honestly I’m just not seeing it. Not a terrible place, just not that great a burger. The long and short of it:
1. Burger. The reason I came, and with fairly high expectations. I thought it was weird that they didn’t ask how we wanted our burgers cooked, but when we got them I realized why. There just wasn’t that much meat there, not enough to cook it any less than medium. The buns were also pretty bland. I got The Hot Head, it was ok, mainly because the pepper jack cheese masked most of the other tastes.
2. Atmosphere. Lunch boxes. Lunch boxes everywhere. The old school lunch boxes give this place kind of a 50s diner feel, a little gimmicky but still fun. They have a pretty great outdoor patio and fire pit for when the weather is nice.
3. Drinks. They have a pretty extensive cocktail menu, that’s a bit on the pricy side, check in on Unilocal and get happy hour pricing on some of their signature drinks (happy hour is still $ 6).
4. Price. A mediocre burger and a drink will put you north of $ 20. Not the worst thing that’s ever happened but you can do better elsewhere.
I wasn’t impressed with Lunchbox Laboratory, and don’t see myself coming back anytime soon. There was nothing glaringly wrong with it, but in Seattle you can do better without looking too hard. Unless you’re a huge fan of looking at vintage lunch boxes, I’d pass on this one.
Overall Grade: C

Lunchbox Labratory has all the markings of an enterprise that’s going to be successful for a long, long time.
It’s got a scalable theme that could exist in every city across America, but unlike other Big Box restaurants, their food is actually good. While staring at rows upon rows of nostalgic lunch boxes, you’re able to dive into equally nostalgic food and drinks. Tons of shakes, burgers, sandwiches, et al. It seems the portions were designed to feed someone as ravenous as Adam Richman from Man Vs. Food, so if you’re hungry, you’re in luck. I got the Classic ‘MeriCAN with a lettuce wrap (watching those carbs and all…) and it was enough food for two people. It featured Super Beef (whatever that means), American cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, bacon and Billion Island Sauce. You have the option to add avocado and fried egg if you’d like. I did and highly recommend it.
It’s huge so you should have little trouble trying to nab a seat during even the busiest of hours (lunch rush being one of those times). If you’re craving a classic American lunch, you should check it out.

I came here for lunch on a Friday with my team, hoping it’d be an easy, fast, and awesome experience, like all of my other restaurant experiences in Seattle thus far. Boy, was I disappointed. I think I finally found the one place I disliked *entirely* out of every place I’ve been to so far.
We get to the front and are told we’ll be seated in 5 – 10 minutes (there are three of us). Whatever, that’s cool, we’ll just stand around and wait. This is while FREE TABLES that have not been CLEANED UP are idle, and other parties (like us) are waiting around.
Well, 23 minutes later, we’re seated, and handed menus. We know pretty much what we’re getting, so we’re trying to flag down a waiter. One sees us to acknowledge, then does something completely different for 10 minutes while we wait to place our order.
Everyone else orders, then I order, since I have the allergy. Oh, I should avoid eating anything fried? Well, that’s silly. I have to wait while the waiter checks to see if I can safely consume the mac & cheese side. I can, but he takes another 15 minutes to come back.
We order, expecting the food to come within a half hour…
Well, 45 minutes after we place our order, the food shows up. We devour it all within 15 – 20 minutes, because damnit, we’re hungry, and it’s now been almost two hours since we got here. We try to get the bill, but nobody bothers to come to our area of the now-​deserted restaurant for ~15 minutes.
We pay our bill and leave, but spending 2.5 hours in a restaurant is not my idea of a good lunchtime experience. You can definitely find better places in the immediate vicinity — even McDonald’s quality burgers were better than the stuff I ate here, and at least they can serve it quickly!
I don’t recommend this place to anyone who has any kind of dietary restriction, nor do I recommend it to anyone who wants a good customer experience.
If you enjoy being neglected, ignored, or treated like you were second-​class, then by all means, this may be the place for you — but it definitely wasn’t for me!