Redartz: One facet of Bronze Age life (and life today, as well) that loomed large for kids was the phenomenon of Fast Food. Few of us were immune to the appeal of a cheeseburger and french fries, courtesy of Ronald McDonald, the Burger King, or some other purveyor of prefab cuisine. It may have been a weekly family meal. It may have been a trip to get a cone after a ball game. It may even have been an afterschool job (my first real job was flipping burgers at McDonalds). Whatever the origin, most of us have some experience, and hence some memories, of these restaurants.
Most prominent, and most frequently visited by our family, was McDonald's. I couldn't resist those fries. And to this day I've a fondness for the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Just keep Ronald at a distance, please; clowns can be...discomforting.
One standout memory of McDonald's for me actually stems from my brief period of employment therein. One summer's day I went out with a friend to play tennis all afternoon, foolishly forgetting about any sunscreen. That night I was scheduled to work the grill, and all was fine at first. But as the evening wore on, my sunburn became more and more evident, and painful. It got to the point I was almost feverish standing in front of that grill, so I found some relief by ducking back into the freezer repeatedly until my shift ended. Not a pleasant night.
Another chain that we patronized fairly often was Burger Chef: pretty similar to McD's overall, but with a more local flavor. "Burger Chef and Jeff" were the animated spokesmen who enticed kids to drag their families in for a "Fun Meal". This combo of a sandwich, fries and drink also included a toy, which MeDonald's soon 'borrowed' in the form of the "Happy Meal". One fond memory of Burger Chef is the sight across the midwest of birdhouses in the shape of a Burger Chef store. They can still be seen on occasion, usually with the old logo long faded away. Burger Chef itself faded away in the 1980's, as it was absorbed by Hardee's.
That's two stories from two fast food places. How many more stories await from you, and how many other such restaurants attracted your patronage? Did you go for the big national chains, or prefer smaller local outfits? Who made the best burgers? Who had the worst commercials? Who watered down the Cokes ? It's all to go this week...
24 comments:
I can relate, Red: back in my childhood and adolescence McDonald's eventually became my favorite fast food place, and now, if I do eat fast food (which I rarely do), it'll probably be at McDonald's. You're right about the fries, I find them irresistible.
But I only first went to McDonald's in the late '70s, when I was about 9 or 10 - that was because, believe it or not, there weren't as many of them around back then, and one only opened up in the nearest town, Woodburn, OR, in 1979 or 1980 I think.
Before that, I'd say my two favorites were Dairy Queen (before McD's and KFC moved in, that was the only fast food joint in that same town) and a place called Bob's - a small chain that only had a few locations in Salem, OR. The latter in particular I used to absolutely *love* and was always happy when, at the end of a shopping trip in Salem, one or both parents treated us kids to a meal there.
We had a Burger Chef a couple of blocks away so just a bike ride away for us kids.
I think they were also the first with a condiment bar. Used to buy a .35 burger and pile it high!
By the way, Bob's still exists. Here's a pic of their typical offerings (cheeseburger, fries and a Coke). That photo is from a recent ad, but it's the exact same logo the place had back in the '70s and '80s, and damned if the food doesn't look the same, too.
Oh, and who remember some other fast food showdowns?
Taco Bell vs. Taco Plaza
Long John Silver vs. Arthur Treacher's (Seafood Bay)
Where I lived KFC had the chicken market cornered for decades.
Hiya,
Well, this is a subject I can really sink my teeth into.
My parents took us over to a somewhat larger town every Saturday to do our 'trading", groceries and the like. My dad would stop at a small A&W Root Beer stand on the way home and treat us to burgers, fries and, of course, frosty mugs of goodness. I enjoyed everything, but the most fun for me was licking the frost and ice off the outside of the mug.
Hey, I was four years old.
Later we began to occasionally stop at a Dairy Queen where we would usually get things like the Dilly and Buster Bars while my favorite was the Mister Misty slushy style drink done up with orange sauce. This was delicious until the liquid was gone and you were left with granulated ice.
A&W's are long gone and the local DQ is upscale and only serves their Mistys with flavors like kiwi-mango, but I still got those memories.
Seeya,
pfgavigan
Here in Southern California, Pioneer Chicken was KFC’s main competition, for decades. I thought Pioneer’s food was tastier all around — the chicken was better, the sides, etc. — but they closed up shop in the early 90s, I think. I do still like KFC, kinda. I get a craving for it maybe once a year, break down and get a few pieces of chicken (‘Original Crispy’), a side of those really odd mashed potatoes with gravy and their actually quite tasty cole slaw. At first it’s all yummy, but by the time I’ve finished eating, all the weird preservatives or whatever is in there makes me just a tiny bit queasy, and I think ‘That should hold me for another year’.
El Pollo Loco has been my absolute favorite fast food chicken since the 80s. Popeye’s is damn good too.
Burgers, oh my. So many good ones. McDonald’s of course — not really into the Big Macs anymore, these days I much prefer the McDouble. I’m also partial to their breakfast sandwiches — when they have their occasional ‘2 for $3’ specials on the Sausage and Egg McMuffins, I can’t resist. And yes, their fries are great.
Carl’s Jr. has terrific burgers, char-broiled so you get that smoky ‘BBQ/home-cooking’ flavor. The basic Famous Star (with cheese) is yummy and satisfying, and some of their bigger, ‘deluxe’ 1/3rd lb. burgers are amazing, but SO loaded with calories, I’ll only splurge on them once in awhile. The Jumbo Jalapeño burger is my favorite. Their fries are notoriously terrible, but their onion rings ain’t bad.
I used to like Burger King, but I don’t know if my tastes have changed or if they really have gone downhill. I feel like their ‘bun / patty’ ratio is off now — too much bread, not enough meat (and the meat has a somewhat ‘mealy’ taste and texture, which is a bit worrisome). I never liked their fries.
In ‘N’ Out has flat-out awesome burgers. Worth waiting for in that inevitable damn long line. Their fries are just ‘meh’ so I get a chocolate shake as a substitute.
Self- proclaimed ‘World Famous’ Tommy’s is a notorious Southern California chain. ‘Notorious’ because one either loves them or LOATHES them. It’s all about the chili. A ‘Triple-Cheese With Everything’ is three fried beef patties with slices of Cheddar Cheese in between, pickles, onion and a thick slab of tomato topped with a whopping ladle-ful of chili. It’s a drippy gooey disgusting heart attack on a plate and it’s one of my favorite things in the world :)
Worth trying if you’re ever in the area and feeling adventurous, but beware of imposters — Tommy’s Jr. and Tommies (with an ‘is’) are both un-affiliated knock-offs, not anywhere near as yummy as the Original.
b.t.
That should be “Tommie’s with an ‘ie’ “ not ‘is’
Stupid autocorrect….
b.t.
Tacos / Mexican food : I’ll take Del Taco over Taco Bell any day.
How about pizza? Everyone rags on Domino’s but I like it just fine.
b.t.
In Gary Indiana there were some hamburger / dog places called Frank n Stein. They dutifully had a big Frank n Stein out front.
I was around 10 when my mom took us 4 kids to Frank n Stein. A rare treat since folks really did not eat out much in the 1960s.
There was actually a candle on the table deeply set into a bowl of sorts. I had just learned that week in 5th grade science that fire needs oxygen. To prove that, I demonstrated to my 8 year old brother by placing paper napkin over the top of the candle.
As the flame started to flicker, I felt quite intelligent at my display of knowledge and my brother was quite impressed. Suddenly the napkin burst into flames and my mother is going bat shit crazy... "what the hell are you doing!!!???"
She beat the flame out after a few seconds but it was pretty tense... That much is certain!
Dairy Queen introduced thee Mister Misty in the late 60s. My little brother around 8 years old got the cherry and was drinking it in the car. He spills it.
My dad goes bat shit crazy... I mean red cherry all over the place.
Never again did we eat ice cream in the car AND Mister Mistys were 100% verbotten! Period! No exceptions!
We would often see a Chicago White Sox or Black Hawk game in CHicago, get off the huge bridge connecting Illinois and Indiana (The Sky Way) so as to go to the White Castle on the Indiana side.
I guess us Hoosiers liked fast food... though I very rarely touch it anymore.
Edo- that "Bob's" meal looks like the archetypical Bronze Age Small Town treat. Even the logo seems to feature 70's color schemes. Reminds me of another little chain our town had: Penguin Point. It had, appropriately, a penguin mascot.
Killraven- oh yeah, the "Works Bar"! Forgot about that Burger Chef innovation.
PFG- A&W still has a presence in this area, unlike their vanished competitor B&K. Either way, the root beer was a pleasure. As you imply, the joy of a frosty mug is immeasurable...
B.t.- Quite a tour of So Cal cuisine! That "Tommy's" sanwhich sounds like too much for my aging digestion. But "In'Out" ? You're right, they are fabulous. Just visited my son in Arizona last week and he took us all there. Wish they had one closer than 500 miles away...
And your pizza question portends another possible side thread! My choice for a quick pizza is Little Ceasar's Deep dish. Pretty good and pretty inexpensive.
Charlie- your dinner candle story is great! One can easily visualize your Mom's face blanching. And that's a great name for a restaurant, By 'Stein' were they referring to a frosty Stein of root beer, perhaps?
I LOVED Burger Chef. It was the only fast food place that I really liked growing up. They had the best hamburgers and cheeseburgers. At one time, they had the Works Bar where you could fix your burger the way you liked it. The closest city to where I lived had THREE of them at one time.....good times. Later on, they became Mr. Cook, but the food was still the same. I loved their Bacon Burger. When I left town for college, there was a Mr. Cook just off campus, so that's where I got my regular fast food burger fix. I was really sad when they shut down. Every time I pass one of their old locations, I just sigh wistfully.
Hiya,
Neither Burger King nor McDonald's was a big presence in my life. There simply wasn't one close by. They were both certainly prominent at the time, but the nearest of either were over fifty miles away in a city we had cause to visit maybe twice a year when I was a youngin'. And when we did there was a truck stop on the way home that my Dad preferred. Looking back and mentally comparing the quality and quantity of the food that we were served I guess that I can understand his reasoning.
Doesn't mean that I didn't long for the toys and games that the King and Clown advertised. Just means that I understand.
Years later I moved about four hundred miles to help a friend of mine with a country club that he had just taken over. I needed a change in my life and this was as good of reason as any. I also needed to get far far away from all of the Culver Frozen Custard places that had opened up in the city. These things are deadly, addictive and oh so good. A quick check indicated that there were any where I would be living so I made the move. The club itself was some thirty miles further on and, as I indicated, there were no Culver's on the way to work. Several months later, after a particularly grueling day, I needed to get some gas before heading home. I went to the Receptionist Desk to ask where the nearest station could be found.
She was happy to tell me it was a half mile away.
Right around the curve of the road.
Just over the county line.
Next to the Culver's.
Seeya,
pfg
All this talk about Burger Chef … I remember liking their food, but our local one went belly-up a LONG time ago, around ‘70 or ‘71 I think, so I have only the vaguest memory of it.
Our local Dairy Queen became a ‘Frosty Queen’ sometime in the ‘80s and had some of the best burgers in the Valley.
Oh, and A&W drive-ins, yes, they were great. In the early 80s a buddy of mine and I used to drive up to Yosemite in the early summer, and we’d always stop at an A&W in Fresno for lunch. A Papa Burger and a large ice-cold Root Beer from the fountain, MMMMM. We always made sure to get a gallon jug of the Good Stuff to bring up to the cabin. I thought they were all long gone but about ten years ago I found one in Banff, Alberta, of all places, while visiting with some friends. Still yummy too! I don’t know what it is, but that Root Beer from the fountain just tastes way better than the kind you get in a can, or a bottle (does it even come in bottles anymore?)
b.t.
b.t.
Never been much of a fish fan, but I used to enjoy H. Salt Fish n Chips on occasion. There was one just a few doors down from one of my favorite comics shops in Tarzana (both long gone now) so I’d often eat there after getting some comics goodies. I have a distinct memory of reading an article about a proposed Silver Surfer movie in Steranko’s MEDIASCENE / PREVUE mag while munching on fried fish — it was always a challenge to keep the comics and magazines grease-free.
Best fish n chips I ever et , tho, was at Mac’s Fish n Chips Shop in Santa Barbara. The missus and I saw them on an episode of DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES, checked them out next time we were in S.B., and the food there was DELICIOUS. Spectacular bangers and mash too. We made it a point to eat there whenever we were in town but sadly they closed in 2016.
b.t.
I've only been to a McDonald's once in my entire life, around 1991, but I can't recall what I ate on that occasion. I'm not sure McDonald's even existed in the UK back in the '70s during my childhood years. But the most popular fast food in this country was traditional fish & chips - a piece of fried fish (usually cod) and a generous helping of fried potato chips (which are thicker than skinny American fries) with plenty of salt and vinegar on top, yum!
On a completely different subject - Red, yesterday BBC news reported a huge new find of Jurassic fossils from 167 million years ago. All the fossils were undersea life from a time when most of Britain was covered by a shallow sea. The exact location of the discovery is being kept secret but apparently tens of thousands of fossils have been discovered!
Colin- yes, I did see that BBC article. Fascinating, and remarkable how well-preserved the specimens are! Kind of reminds me of an outcrop near Cincinnati Ohio of Ordovician sea fossils. Also beautifully preserved. Had the pleasure of hunting for fossils there with a local geology group.
Hiya,
I saw the BBC article too . . . and my first thought was this:
"Gotta be fresher than the stuff I had the last time I was at Red Lobster."
Seeya,
pfg
Man, every time I have an over-scheduled week, it is THE week the topic hits right into the center of one of my sweet spots--! And it may be for the best, 'cause I could probably do a long New Yorker-style essay reflecting on my personal observations of Fast Food in the Bronze Age (even Late Silver, for that matter).
So, far now, just some Menu HiLites:
-Cassopolis, Michigan (as I've mentioned before) had only one chain represented for my entire childhood: An extraordinarily decrepit A&W drive-in. Big hand-painted menu billboard at the front of the parking lot. It was a flippin' HUGE deal when we got to go there-- and I really did like the Mama-burger, filet-of-fish, hot dogs, and yeah, that root beer just has no peer to be found anywhere in the world.
-Echoing the love for the long-gone Burger Chef. I was a hilariously picky eater as a child, so I was late coming to the works-bar game. But when I discovered a love for tomatoes on sandwiches, Burger Chef rose to the top of field. There was one in South Bend, IN into the late 70's/early 80's? And if I could find any reason to swing by when I was in that area, by god I would.
-I did work part time at McDonald's (job #2 of the three I was working between college and grad school), and I honestly had a pretty fun time of it. I was older than ALL of the workers, and about the same age as some of the managers. And the older "corporate stooge" tough-guy managers held no viable threat over me whatsoever ("Hey Jim! Ya gonna fire me today? Let me go ahead and get my meal break first, yeah? Thanks man!"). I was, tbh, rather a pill and a jerk at times-- I cannot tell a lie. . .
- Had my first Whataburger about two weeks ago. It was. . . okay. Dr Pepper milkshake, however, kept me comin' back!
- Charlie, I was glad to see you mention White Castle. Somehow, I'd never heard of them until I was on tour in '87/88-- and one of our stops in. . . New Jersey? Pennsylvania? Had us at a hotel RIGHT NEXT TO ONE (It was pretty much the hotel's "restaurant") I ate over 30 of those little sliders in the next, like 18 hours. We had a similar chain in the DC/MD region called "Little Tavern", which sadly went under several decades ago. And the sliders weren't quite as tasty anyhoo.
And. . . that'll hold me for now. I could easily contribute a dozen more little snippets like this. Heh-- perhaps tomorrow. Got a long rehearsal/recording day w/ lots of down time. . .
HB
Colin, re: fish and chips. It's been a while since I've had a good serving, but yeah, when done right, they are quite awesome. And now you've got me craving some...
Hiya,
Hey HB, does this sound familiar?
Director to cast, Alright people, Lights want to do a quick check and make some changes, make yourself comfortable.
Director to cast, Alright people, Set Designer wants to make a couple of quick changes to go along with the light changes, make yourself comfortable.
Director to cast, Alright people, Costume and make-up want to make a couple of changes to go along with the lights and set, make yourself available.
Director to cast, Alright people, Sound wants to make a couple of changes because they feel left out and neglected, make yourself comfortable.
Director to cast, Come on people, where's your energy. What do you think this is, a rest home?
Seeya,
pfg
@pfg-- Props-- you left out props/set dressing (one of the biggest culprits-!). And oh boy, yeah, that is certainly an all-too-familiar scenario you're citing, there. I'm happy to say that I've been in this business for so long now that I can report we appear to be in the early stages of a theater-cultural sea-change, where those types of abuses of artists' (and technicians') time are no longer tolerated or accepted as "that's just how it is-- that's theater--". My own Artistic Director was one of the first (if not THE first) to abolish 10-out-of-12 (hour) tech rehearsals in our community. The advent of computer consoles for light and sound programming means that there is no reason on earth why those particular designers can't have their work largely finished before a tech run begins-- rather than give themself the egregious luxury of "writing cues as we go", which is brutal waste of time for every person in the space. And I'll tell ya, my own point of pride is that we go into tech with an operating, functional set-- with only small touch-ups, fixes, or adjustments facing us. (Mind you, I hear plenty of horror stories from other local theaters about walls not being in place by tech, or moving pieces not ready to move, or paint being wet at the beginning of a tech run, etc, etc-- so there's room for improvement on that end in general---)
Always on a tangent-
HB
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