Posted -- 3:15 p.m.

It's a time of heartbreak at the Texas Tavern.

Things have wrapped up around 3:06 p.m. The egg may have been sunburned, but it wasn’t cooked. In the end, the burger has some texture and was even looking a little crispy -- other than that, no dice.

Mike Witt, who works the grill at the Texas Tavern, did have a tip for the next heat wave. "Next time I’d use a black hood," he said. 

Witt also noted that the pickles were perfect.

But with temperature dropping, it seemed unlikely the egg would firm. Temperature was below 107 degrees on the hood and the temperature of the burger was 90 degrees. 

"I would have given at least another minute and a half for the egg," Witt said. "I think it was very unfortunate the sun going down on you."

---

Posted -- 3:00 p.m.

This is a very rare Cheesy Western, and not because it's one-of-a-kind either.

"Health department regulations prevent me from serving it from the hood of the car and at an unsafe temperature," Bullington said. Of the three things other items cooking -- the scrambled egg, cheese and a patty -- he said the cheese is almost up to Texas Tavern standards.

“I guess that’s what you would call egg-over-Saturn,” he said referring to his Saturn car being used as a grill.

Temperature has dropped to about 110 degrees on the hood. The probe thermometer only read 90 degrees.

Bullington said the temperature reading for the burger was "looking like 90 degrees." It also appears to have produced a delicious-looking oil.

Fingers are still crossed...

---

Posted -- 2:40 p.m

The temperature seems to have leveled out around 120 degrees on the hood of Bullington's car. It's hot, but perhaps not enough for cooking.

The cheese of the Cheesy Western could be considered melting, and the egg has congealed. The burger is unresponsive, however. Diners preferring their meat rare might enough it. But Bullington said he couldn't serve it to a customer unless it's cooked to "well-done."

The other staple items of a Cheesy Western -- bun, onion and pickles -- remain at the ready.

"Once the sun comes out, I'm optimistic," Bullington said.

---

Posted -- 2:25 p.m.

The hood of Texas Tavern owner Matt Bullington’s red Saturn sports car is now a grill.

The temperature in the parking lot had been 107 degrees; the hood of bullington’s car for the moment is 137 degrees. But after the sun became blocked by the clouds, it dropped to 127 degrees.

Everyone is hoping the sun will come out again and all the fixings for the Cheesy Western are ready. The egg has been scrambled and it’s about to be placed on the hood.

The sun is peeking out from behind the clouds and hopefully the temperature will be rising. Right now the temperature’s climbing to 129 degrees...

---

Posted -- 2:09 p.m.

With the temperature cresting 102.7 at downtown Roanoke's Texas Tavern, customers are taking bets on the possibility of frying a Cheesy Western on the sidewalk outside.

"I got five drinks on it," said one customer eating lunch in the Tavern. Others were more anxious as some predicted the heat to subside before getting to a suitable temperature for cooking.

A check on the surface temperature will be needed to confirm.

Read a history of the Texas Tavern.