Zagat's may have their list of the best restaurants, and I pretty much agree with what they have to say-but I like the slightly harder to find places. Well, harder to find if you live in another state anyway. I have done a bit of traveling, but I have missed a good deal of the North Western U.S. so I don't have any picks from Washington or Oregon-sorry guys. Feel free to tell me about the great local chains I didn't mention if you like. Being a sort of foodie means I like all kinds of food. Google has a cool little Fast Food Map, if you need help finding the better known fast food stops.
Top Ten Regional Fast Food Restaurants
1. In-N-Out Burger-This West Coast Hamburger joint has the simplest menu you are likely to find anywhere-just a handful of items, but a handful of very well done items. The Double Double is my burger of choice at In-N-Out. In-N-Out remains privately owned and the Snyder family has no plans to take the company public or franchise any units. So head West to eat one of these amazing burgers.
2. Chipotle-Maybe not as regional as it once was as Chipotles seem to be popping up all over, but still not in every state yet. These giant burritos and tacos are a full meal with beans, rice, or even served in a bowl as a filling salad. Food With Integrity is the Chipotle motto-it means working back along the food chain to discover how the vegetables are grown, how the pigs, cows and chickens are raised, where the best spices come from. The food is good.
3. Dog-N-Suds-A great Midwest drive in with good hot dogs and amazingly good root beer. Maybe it just has something to do with them bringing it out to your car. I used to love A&W but once they put in cans, it lost most of its appeal. The Dog N Suds root beer however still tastes great when bought in plastic bottles. Dog N Suds has changed since 1953 when they opened and the few remaining drive ins are only a shadow of its former glory. The one I visted in Fort Wayne was really a fun place.
4. Huddle House-Ok, this is basically a Waffle House based in the South East, but I like it so much better than Waffle House. It's one of those places where everything is deep fried to perfection, well, nearly everything. And while they seem to pretty much all over the country now, having four Huddle Houses in Texas still makes them a regional fast food place to me.
5. White Castle-Famous all over the country, but still not available hot off the grill all over the country-you can find those frozen burgers that show up at the grocery store a lot of places. The Original White Castle burger is a small affair of oniony meat in a dinner roll. These are very good little sandwiches called Sliders and you were often advies to buy they by the bag. Great Stuff.
6. Whataburger-A 24 hour hamburger joint that offers jalapenos on everything-what more could you ask for? Great hamburger, chicken sandwiches and pretty good fries. The drinks are also large enough that you don't have to run for a refill every five minutes. Today, each and every Whataburger is made to order, right when it’s ordered. You want a Whataburger? Head to the bottom of the country from Arizona to Florida you'll find these great burgers.
7. El Pollo Loco-A chicken place dotted around the country-the closest one to me is a couple of hundred miles away-that makes really good Mexican style chicken. Great Mexican food that tourists flock to-though not as often as they flock to In-N-Out. It began decades ago in the small town of Guasave on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. The year was 1975 when a roadside chicken stand named El Pollo Loco (pronounced "L-Po-yo Lo-co" and Spanish for "The Crazy Chicken") opened.
8. Taco Mayo-I mainly eat at Taco Mayo when I am in Oklahoma, though they do have restaurants in a few other places. All kinds of great Nachos and combo plates and a very good salsa bar. For some baffling reason Salsa bars in Mexican restaurants East of New Mexico have been slow to catch on. The year was 1978. The place was Norman, Oklahoma, a bustling university town. The budding new business was called Taco Mayo. The reason for the name was simple: the menus featured Tex-Mex food and the month was May.
9. Mazzio's Italian Eatery-Lots of really top shelf pizzas, a pretty good lunch buffet and not a great salad bar but at least they have one. Calzones, pizzas, pasta, and sandwiches make up the menu here. Good food. These pizza joints are mainly around the middle of the country and I have often find them in smaller towns as well as places like Tulsa, where they got their start.
10. Carl's Jrs-Started in California in 1941 Carls Jr often hits the national news for making hamburgers with so many calories and so much cholesterol that just looking at them can kill you. But oh, they are good burgers. My favorite poison is The Six Dollar Guacamole Burger-a wonderful bit of business with just a bit of spiciness to it. Carls Jrs are in the South West/Western Half of the country.
