Five Guys Burger And Fries

[fdsman]

Rip off of In-n-Out. End of story

[LogDayFreshHots]

I try to stay away from the chain places. I used to look at 'Micky D's' as a symbol of America but when they started changing things I started losing interest. Then when they started deleting long time favorites I stopped going. The last time I went was probably 2008 and when the employee behind the counter held my coffee cup under some dispenser asking me from six feet how many 'squirts' of milk or cream I wanted... I swore them off for good. Im much more partial to Roy Rogers since I can fix my burger my way. I seem to remember the onion rings at Bojangles were pretty good and if I can still find a vintage Howard Johnson's or Bob's Big Boy I'll stop and gourge myself. I try to stick mainly with local places or those that haven't changed. Recently went to place called Jack's Old Fashioned Hamburger House in Pompano, Florida. Man, as soon as I pulled up I thought how this place looks like a throw-back to 1977. No flashy neon sign. The inside of the place looked like it hadn't been upgraded since it was built! Wood panel walls. Those pressed-board type tables and benches. Very simple menu. No drive-thru. The burgers are hand-made from pure 100% ground beef they grind fresh daily. Nothing frozen or factory mass-produced. Amazing!

Ruby Tuesday's would be an equal but the service can be a problem. One person takes your order and someone else brings it out! Then you have to explain to them everything thats not right. But the burgers are definitely good. As I said, Im not much for chains but thats mainly fast food. Texas Longhorn seems great for steaks. Had their prime rib and that was fantastic! Another place would The Field irish pub in Florida. Actually ate my prime rib and a friends when they didn't cook it enough for him. Had to have been a total of 24oz - 32oz before I was done. After a few pints and a couple cigarettes I was ready to head back in for more! Unfortunately I had a flight out the next morning.

But the McDonalds most of us grew up with has fallen by the wayside in my opinion. Like Shakey's Pizza in Rockville, Maryland. It was great while it lasted. Mickey D's is still here but I think its given up way too much. I remember the hot apple and cherry pies, the sundaes with hot fudge or caramel sauce, OOH.. the Mc D-L-T where the 'hot stays hot and the cold stays fresh!' Man that was the biggest burger they ever made. Came in that styrofoam tray with the hot to one side and the cold lettuce on the other. All you had to do was pick both halves of the burger up, put 'em together and enjoy. I think they still serve the Filet o' Fish and I recall that processed square breaded patty tasted pretty good.

I believe a couple other places are Steak and Shakes, and I think there is a place called Super Burger. Not sure. But to any of our European friends interested in coming over to sample some 'Americana' I would say definitely check out McDonalds, Roy Rogers, Burger King. Then hit the independent 'mom and pop' burger/ steak joints for an idea of what the food used to taste like and the atmosphere used to feel like.

I think the very first or one of the very first McDonald's to open is still around. I think its partially a museum/ land mark but also still functioning like it did when it first opened some time in the late-50s? Paper hats, aprons, packaging. I think it even still operates as a drive-in which is what we had before drive-thrus. If so, that would probably be the McDonalds to check out and not the modern impersonal zombie shops they have become.

Sorry for rambling. Be thankful nobody struck my NY pizza nerve, or Philly Cheesesteak nerve, or NY Steak and Cheese nerve. I just realized Ive got a lot of nerve.

And any breakfast, lunch or dinner goes good with NY cheesecake just in case anyone is wondering. There was only Jell-o until God gave us cheesecake.