Where not to eat

It has been a long time since I've written. Not sure why, just haven't taken the time I guess. I splurged on a hamburger the other day. There is a Fuddruckers here in Hermiston, I have never been to a Fuddruckers, so I thought why not?
I like the build your own burger part of the place, but the fries and bacon cheese burger were probably the worst I have ever had. No, really, quite nasty. I was still tasting it the next day, even after I brushed my teeth. I love a good juicy burger and this wasn't it. The meat was dry and the bacon tasted as if it was cooked a few hours before. I had to settle for pepper jack cheese because they were out of cheddar. Interesting, since it was only like 1 pm. As I said I liked the do it yourself bar thing where I could put on what I wanted, unfortunately, that was the only good thing about the place. I will give the place, well not the one in Hermiston, another chance if I ever am hungry and happen to pass by another store in another town.
This has been the only place where I have eaten here in Hermiston that I would tell my family to stay away from. I am going to take Andrew to Hales for lunch one day next week. It is a local place and I prefer local to chain. La Palma is a Mexican food place and they make a fine Chili Relleno. The other Mexican place I have gone to makes a nice Relleno too, just don't order ahead and then show up late. I've also eaten a few times at the Panda something buffet, it is good and I really like the buffet thing. The outside is sort of creepy, but the food is good. The Fortune something is also supposed to be good place to get Chinese, but I haven't tried it yet. Ye Olde Pizza  Shoppe is a good pizza place, nothing to write home about, but it is good and it isn't Pizza Hut. Oh, went to Shari's not so good and Denny's also not so good. I was surprised by both as they are chains and you'd think their quality control would be better. Even Pizza Hut and McDonalds were good examples of their type of food. I guess the cooks at Shari's and Denny's, I call them cooks because they certainly weren't chefs, don't give a rat's ass whether people come back. I certainly won't go back or take my family there if they ever visit me here.
I have high hopes for Hale's, not just because a former student works there, but because it truly is a local place. Though winter eating is always a dice throw because there is so little fresh veggies and fruits. Which brings up another point that I really haven't figured out, why the heck is the produce here of such an inferior quality to the produce I am used to in Salem? Even the local produce stand sucks as a place to go find that perfect veggie or piece of fruit, I just don't get it.