LUBBOCK, Texas – In the shadows of Texas Tech University there’s a Lubbock burger joint known for their rascally ways. Aptly named after a character in The Little Rascals, this burger joint is known as Spanky’s.
Lisa West bought Spanky’s in 1987. At just 21 years old, the budding entrepreneur has turned her burger business into a Texas Tech institution.
“Prior to my buying it they had never hired a girl,” Lisa informed us. “I mean, it was a boys club here.”
Back in the 80’s Spanky’s was small 15 by 15 room that sat 15 people. Today it’s a bit bigger, taking up just about a whole block with an upstairs to boot.
“It’s one of those whole-in-the-wall’s that kind of grew up, but we still have that whole-in-the-wall feel,” Lisa said.
So what brings in a rampant amount of red raiders? Burgers and cheese sticks the size of Twinkies of course.
“There’s a line out the door and around the building to get fried cheese,” Lisa said.
After getting crazy with queso, we found out about our burger, The He-Man Woman Hater. As you can imagine, the name draws a bit of attention to Spanky’s.
“Well it was already on the menu,” Lisa informed us before adding, “I loved it. I think it’s fun.”
With 12 years of service at Spanky’s, J.R. Pacheco got things started with 2, 1/3 pound patties topped with homemade seasoning.
With 12 years of service at Spanky’s, J.R. Pacheco got things started with 2, 1/3 pound patties topped with homemade seasoning. Three buns are a put on the grill as the bacon crisps to perfection.
After the patties get a layer of Swiss and American cheese and the bottom bun is topped with mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions it’s time to stack!
With a knife through the middle holding this monstrosity of a burger in place it’s time to try the He-Man-Woman-Hater.
Let me tell you, it is a huge burger.
“It’s bigger than my head,” said Spanky’s regular Austin when describing the He-Man-Woman-Hater. “I don’t think I can finish it.”
Size isn’t the only thing that makes this burger worth the stop. It’s a meaty treat for any rascal brave enough to take it on one bite at a time, and might even leave you singing, ‘I’ve got a burger. I’ve got a burger. I’ve got a burger. Hey, hey, hey!’
“Aww it’s just a Lubbock staple,” Austin said. “If you’re up here you can’t miss out on it.”