Burger Quest

On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Reddit user friijoles left The Sloop Tavern in Ballard on foot, bound for a burger at Frisko Freeze in Tacoma: nearly forty miles, two ferry rides, and a 13.7-mile walk down the spine of Vashon Island from the north-end dock to Tahlequah. His post in r/Seattle, “Walking from Seattle to Tacoma for a burger,” turned Burger Quest into an instant local legend.

So Episode 14 of Classic Rock and Beyond, “The Burger Quest King,” opened its Weird News with a special hometown feature. Drew and Doug tracked down friijoles (Neal) for an exclusive phone interview about the origins of Burger Quest, now his fourth annual pilgrimage, how many pairs of shoes he has worn out, his favorite places on Vashon, and much, much more.

The quest, condensed

Neal set off at six in the morning, hiked the waterfront, crossed the Spokane Street Bridge, and caught the Fauntleroy ferry to Vashon. He walked the highway from the north end, through town, to Tahlequah, missed the 7 o’clock boat but made the 8 o’clock, then climbed another 4.7 miles uphill from Point Defiance to the promised land of burgers and fries. He reached Frisko Freeze, just outside Tacoma’s Stadium District, around 10 p.m., after nearly 16 hours on the move.

Fuel for the day, as he listed it: $7.45 for the ferry, three slices of Big Mario’s pizza, three bottles of water, three pulparindos, a bubu lubu bar, and one lonely piece of mazapán. The burger and fries were “great,” and a celebratory beer at The Parkway Tavern followed (“Beer selection at The Parkway is always amazing”). He even found a ride home after The Parkway closed at midnight; normally it is a bus-and-light-rail haul back north.

Locals on Reddit chimed in with support and amazement: “walking up Vashon is hardcore,” “This rules,” and “I think we can all agree that you’ve earned the XL fries and a shake.”

The original post

Walking from Seattle to Tacoma for a burger
by u/friijoles in Seattle

Read the original post on Reddit