I first visited Jerome, Arizona, on a hot day last July. Jerome was once a mining boom town, dubbed “the wickedest town in the West” by a New York newspaper in the early 1900s. the mines long closed, Jerome now has a new life as a funky artists’ hangout and tourist town. Jerome has eateries with character.

We moseyed into the Mile High Grill for lunch. This is, after all, a part of the West where moseying is expected. The Muma burger on the menu caught my eye.

I asked the waitress if the Muma was just another burger or potentially, as it seemed, a life changing experience. She assured me the potential was there, so I ordered one up.

A mammoth tasty burger to be sure, and it miraculously escaped destruction by overcooking, a fate that universally spoils fast food burgers. The small pepper embedded inside did add a little interest, but there was, sadly, nothing transcendental there. Possibly that is too much to expect from a burger.

A normal person could not finish so gargantuan a burger, and even for me it left no room for dessert. Fortunately, I had a chance to make up for the missing dessert when I visited the Mile High again recently.

Now I ask you, does this look like a dessert place? White walls with colorful polka dots are conspicuous by their absence.

Appearances can be deceiving. Our pierced and tattooed waitress was quite pleasant, and the Pumpkin Mousse Pie was a life changing experience. Close enough, anyway.