A restaurant is a fantasy–a kind of living fantasy in which diners are the most important members of the cast. – Warner Leroy
Due to the high cost of hotels and gasoline, it was absolutely imperative that I keep my food costs as low as possible on my tour. The great majority of the hotels I chose had free breakfast, and many generous people treated me to dinner (either at restaurants or at their own homes), but that still left quite a few dinners on my own. Obviously, I ate a lot of fast food because it was cheap, but I knew I’d quickly become bored if I ate at the same places too often (even Waffle House or Steak ‘n Shake). So fairly early in the trip, I hit upon the idea of visiting fast food places that were unique to the city (or at least the region) where I was staying; not every city or state has such places, but many do. A few of these have begun to spread out from their native soil, but I did not include any regional chain (like Popeye’s or Sonic) which has become national or at least semi-national. I ate at most of these during the tour, but there are a couple I knew from previous experience:
Braum’s This chain is limited to Oklahoma and a few nearby parts of neighboring states by the fact that all of its dairy products are produced from its own private dairy herd near Oklahoma City. Their hamburgers are good but not outstanding (similar in quality to In-N-Out), but their milk is the best-tasting I’ve ever had and their ice cream products are top-notch. Braum’s restaurants all include a small grocery store.
Bud’s Broiler There are a number of local fast-food chains in the New Orleans area (such as Danny & Clyde’s and the New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company), but Bud’s is the most distinctive with its mixture of sloppy-but-delicious charcoal-broiled burgers, po-boys, fried pies and the like. A local favorite for decades.
Cook-Out This chain is based in North Carolina, but also has locations in South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia. All the food is grilled outdoor style, and though I didn’t find the flavor especially outstanding the portions are generous and the menu is notable both for its extent and the flexibility of combinations allowed. The hand-dipped milkshakes are as good as those at Frostop, though not quite as good as those at Braum’s or Steak ‘n Shake.
Cosmic Pizza & Steak I stumbled upon this unpretentious little place in Warwick, Rhode Island (near Providence Airport) simply because it was close to my hotel, and I’m glad I did; they have a huge menu featuring Italian dishes, fried seafood, Philly-style shaved steak sandwiches and more, and take pride in their ultra-low prices. And they’re so friendly it actually constitutes another reason to visit besides the delicious food and budget-friendly pricing.
Five Guys This Washington, DC chain with an extremely simple menu (burgers, fries, drinks) is spreading along the Eastern seaboard, and will probably be the first one from this list to go national. Some people call it the country’s best burger, and though I wouldn’t go that far I will say it’s exceptional. Five Guys has a similar cult following to In-N-Out, but IMHO is more deserving of the reputation.
Harold’s Chicken Shack This legendary South-Side Chicago chain, praised by many Chicago rappers, is as no-frills as it gets and very inexpensive, but delicious and has a distinct flavor different from the typical American fast-food fried chicken such as Church’s or Kentucky. Wikipedia says there are also franchises in Detroit, Milwaukee, Las Vegas, Madison, Dallas and Atlanta.
In-N-Out Burger Many Southern Californians praise this place to the heavens, but I’ve never quite seen what the fuss is about. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a good burger, but IMHO it can’t hold a candle to the offerings from Frostop, Steak ‘n Shake, Five Guys or Nation’s. One notable feature is the “secret menu” of things one must already know about to order.
Milo’s Hamburgers This Birmingham, Alabama chain is Grace’s favorite, and though I’ve only been there twice I will eat there again next time I’m in Alabama at dinnertime. The chief distinguishing characteristic of Milo’s is its secret sauce, which according to the company’s website was developed by what we would today call “crowdsourcing”.
Nation’s Giant Hamburgers This San Francisco Bay area chain is, as you might expect, noted for the colossal size of its hamburgers; I was incredibly hungry and could only barely finish one. They’re really tasty, too. The chain is also noted for its pies, but I’ve never eaten one so I can’t vouch for them personally.
Prince’s Hot Chicken For such a highly-acclaimed eatery, Prince’s (whose sole location is in Nashville) is amazingly divey; one sidles through the crowd to the window, orders and pays, and then waits. And waits. And waits. But damn, it’s good, and very hot! While waiting I chatted with an older gentleman, and when I told him I had ordered the “hot” (as opposed to mild, medium or extra-hot) he shook his head sadly and told me that he used to be able to eat the hot, but now couldn’t take it any more. Let’s just say it made my nose run, and that I was reminded of it again the next day.
Skyline Chili This Cincinnati chain is unique in that it doesn’t serve burgers, chicken or any other fast-food staple, but rather a thin, homogeneous chili sauce with Greek spices. One can order it atop spaghetti (with lots of grated cheese), hot dogs or even potatoes, but these only serve as carriers for the delicious sauce. Definitely worth going out of one’s way for.
Tops Bar-B-Q Despite the excellence of this Memphis chain’s food, it is surprisingly inexpensive; even their sweet tea is superior. If you like barbecue, you owe it to yourself to try Tops when in Memphis.
This list is not meant to be remotely comprehensive; just the opposite, in fact. If you have a local favorite which isn’t known outside your region, please add it in the comments! Anything from single-city to single-region fast food chains are welcome, but please don’t nominate a chain if it’s known in more than, say, 15 states, or if a basic meal there costs more than about $10 per person. Sit-down casual places are OK if they are in the fast-food price range. I’ll probably be doing a lot of on-a-budget traveling in the next few years, and I’d love suggestions on where to have a yummy, unique but inexpensive dining experience.
… but were originally developed in accordance with Elizabeth Bathory’s traditional crowdsaucing methods.
There’s a popular brand of hot chocolate here call Milo and ever since I read a certain novel I haven’t been able to drink it without thinking I could taste Egyptian cotton. I suspect I’d have a similar reaction to Milo’s secret sauce.
Around Connaught Place in New Delhi in the 1980s there was a small group of outlets doing passable (not extraordinary) renditions of Western junk food – Wenger’s for cream cakes, Wimpy’s for burgers, Keventer’s for milk shakes in glass bottles … – the only outlets of their kind between Goa and Kathmandu (unless you’re into junk whole food like at Pushkar and Manali).
Part of the appeal – along with the overdone Raj era uniforms that were last cleaned for Mountbatten – is queuing up to buy a ticket to queue up to make an order to queue up to … well, let’s just say there was part of the phrase ‘fast food’ that Indians didn’t get.
I can say that Nation’s isn’t half bad; I don’t know how their cheesecake compares to others, but it’s plenty delicious, as are a number of their pies. I’ll admit that I’m less a fan of their burgers than I might have been if I hadn’t grown up down the block from a one-of-a-kind Mom & Pop grease spoon that serves their hamburgers just as big as Nation’s and hasn’t changed much in the in 50+ years they’ve been there… it’s not a chain, but it’s a stop every time I’m back home!
Never understood the appeal of In-N-Out either — the “secret menu” felt like the same kind of “popularity through elitism” that I have always found unappealing. The other strike against them, in my book, is the bible verse references printed on all of their packaging; they’re not in-your-face, unavoidable proselytizing (most people would likely call them “subtle”) but they are definitely promoting their Christian beliefs on every one of their products. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-N-Out_Burger#Bible_verses has specifics…)
Maybe not *quite* in the “budget price” range, but then I haven’t seen much in the way of pizza places that are — is Straw Hat Pizza. ( http://www.strawhatpizza.com/ ) With the slogan “Left Coast, Right Pizza” they’re unsurprisingly limited mostly to California, although there’s apparently one store each in Georgia, Montana, and Texas. Interestingly, their pizzas — while delicious — are not what really keep me coming back; their unique appetizers come in generous portions that can nearly make a meal on their own… things like seasoned potato wedges, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, or bread dough twisted before baking and covered in bacon, cheese, and ranch dressing. They also have “Hot Hats” — not quite calzones, they’re po-boy sized “sandwiches” wrapped in pizza dough and then baked.
They have a Bud’s Broiler about a mile from the bar I work at – and it’s basically the only place open at 4:30 am when I get off. I don’t like to hit it – but if I didn’t get enough to eat the day before – it’s a must.
In San Diego … I don’t know if they still have it … but about 20 years ago they had “El Pollo Loco” … and they served this awesome chicken cooked rotisserie style. They also had a chain called “Soup Plantation” … which is great if you’re a fiber nut (I’m not).
El Pollo Loco is certainly still around in Northern California — I drive past one frequently. Heard plety of good things about the place, I may have to stop in there soon!
I wish it existed in the South. I’m pretty careful about what I eat and I considered that place one of the healthiest fast foods you could buy!
Wen have El Pollo Loco here in Phoenix. They’re a popular brand and I cold eat twenty pieces of chicken at once. Only problem I have with that place is that the meal is over too quickly.
Next time you’re in Memphis (well, NORTH of Memphis anyway) … it’s not a “chain” but …
Gus’s Fried Chicken.
LOL – the Flag Writer I used to work with picked that place to do a going away lunch for the Admiral I worked for.
It was a SHOTGUN SHACK with a black guy in his 80’s (Gus) smiling and frying chicken (that’s the only thing on the menu). There were holes in the floor and the place was full of smoke. I had to go to the head and put my face out the window just to get some fresh air. Great chicken … and the most excellent thing? You literally WORE the scent of it for the rest of the day due to the smoke! I got back to work and a friend of mine said … “BITCH! You went to Gus’s didn’t you?!”
I think Gus is dead now – but apparently the place survives.
http://travelfoodanddrink.com/spicy-success-the-story-behind-guss-world-famous-fried-chicken/
Speaking of “world famous ‘not a chain’ spots where the guy who started the place passed away a few years back but the restaurant is still there” joints…
I grew up down the block from Dave’s Giant Hamburgers. I remember growing up on those incredible burgers (but no french fries) and especially during the winter holiday months seeing folks who were back visiting from other states and even other *countries* who made a point of stopping for a taste of home…
http://www.dailyrepublic.com/projects/secretsofsuccess-2012/daves-giant-hamburgers-has-legacy-and-no-fries/
(I referenced them in my previous post, but not by name, and it’s currently sitting in moderation because silly me put too many links in my comment! Anyway, that’s the spot!)
Now I’m hungry. So glad you liked Harold’s! It’s been way too long since I’ve made a run to them. Five Guys has already spread to the Midwest. There’s a couple here in Chicago and I ate at one when I lived in Minneapolis last year.
Phoenix is apparently the Mecca for chains which are quasi-national.
We have Waffle House (much to my wife’s delight), El Pollo Loco, In-and-Out, and Five Guys.
For fast food hamburgers, I tend to prefer Fatburger, though my kids are enamored of In-and-Out (I suspect this is due to the fries, which I will admit are nummy).
Sorry, I’m generally better at correcting autocorrect than that. Read “Phoenix” for “PhoFoix” (which probably ought to be a Vietnamese fast food restaurant name by all rights).
Second that. Lots of places in Phoenix, and I would like to add Filiberto’s for Mexican, The Good Egg for breakfast, and Chompie’s (I’m breaking your rules on cost, but East Coast delis rock. It has a lot of Jewish traditional food, but the place is not kosher- I did spy a plate that has Boar’s Head ham in it). Downtown I would suggest Los Reyes de la Torta. Tortas are Mexico’s take on sandwiches, which range in size from “That was nice” to “Oh God, *WHY* did I just do that to myself WHYYYYY”. Do not get down there too often, but I stop there when I’m in the area.
Not really “fast” but Maine’s Governor’s restaurants are pretty good.
Lee’s Hamburgers in Slidell and Covington are pretty good. Burger Orleans has good food, but has the same problem as In-&-Out.
I am happy to see a Nashville shoutout to Prince’s. Next time you’re in town, try Rotier’s, the burger that inspired Jimmy Buffett to write Cheeseburger in Paradise.
“Five Guys” is now in NYC, FYI.
Five Guys is also in CA and TX, so at this point they virtually nationwide.
Five Guys has also been in Alberta for several years. So not only national but international as well
There are so many Braum’s around here that it’s always been hard to believe that the rest of the country doesn’t have them.
I’m not sure what to recommend the next time you’re in Stillwater. Hideaway Pizza is out of the price range you mention here, as is Eskimo Joe’s (which isn’t very good anyway– I don’t know why people rave about it).
We do have Shortcakes, which I guess is a traditional-style diner. The food is good enough, but I don’t know if it really matches its reputation. I think one thing that keeps it popular is the fact that it’s open twenty-four hours a day, every day except Christmas.
I know you disqualified Sonic for being too widespread, but you might be interested to know that the one we have on Main Street, next door to Shortcakes, (and just a few blocks from campus), is actually the ORIGINAL. I’ve been eating there all my life and I never knew that until well into adulthood.
Nations has the best pies! When I lived in the Bay Area (for many years), I would go there to get their berry pies (my personal favorite) for any Holiday or other celebration I and my friends were having. They are far better, and cheaper, than Marie Callanders. Delicious!
I’ve been a fan of Braum’s for a long time. I have an aunt who is from Oklahoma but who now live outside of Austin, TX. She has actually contacted Braum’s and offered to manage the store for less than the going rate if they will just open one up there. They didn’t bite.
Tracy swears by In-and-Out, even if she sometimes giggles over the name.
I’ll look into Harold’s Chicken Shack the next time Tracy and I are looking for someplace to eat and can’t afford Ethiopian or (almost certainly can’t afford) Japanese.
If you are ever in the area of El Reno or Yukon, OK, you might try Sid’s, Johnnie’s, Roberts, or other places which serve El Reno style onion burgers. Not a chain exactly, just burger joints copying each other.