Regional fast food that you just have to have when you get close to it?

[bethbuchall]

I agree with Culver’s. When we passed through the Denver area a few years ago, we ate at Tokyo Joe’s. I’d definitely go back there if I were in the vicinity of another one. In the Buffalo, NY area, I always get beef on weck, but there are a number of places that do it.

 

[tasha99]

Nando's Peri Peri, Culver's, Popeye's Chicken (not really regional, but we don't have one), In and Out Burger, Burgerville (an Oregon chain, but mainly an hour or more north of where I live), Luke's Lobster, Skyline Chili, Bonchon. Haven't been in years, but would like to try maid-rite again, too.

 

[Farro]

I love Super Dawg in Chicago. I've only eaten there twice but would love to have one again. Don't know if I'll ever make it back up there..
I'm a Whataburger fan, it's always nice to stop and get one when we get back to Texas after a trip.

Great answer!!!

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

Portillo's here in Chicago. Italian beef, Italian sausage sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, ribs, chocolate cake, great salads, lots more. A couple locations in Florida (Tampa), a few in Arizona (Phoenix), a few in California (LA), a whole bunch in Chicago area.

www.portillos.com

I ordered Portillo's and Lou Malnati's

Portillo's here in Chicago. Italian beef, Italian sausage sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, ribs, chocolate cake, great salads, lots more. A couple locations in Florida (Tampa), a few in Arizona (Phoenix), a few in California (LA), a whole bunch in Chicago area.

www.portillos.com

I ordered Portillo's and Lou Malnati's for my husband for Father's Day this year. He LOVED it and it was delicious! We still have some of the Portillo's in the freezer for a future special occasion. I was really happy with how well they shipped them - still frozen when it arrived heated up really well - especially the italian beef.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I ordered Portillo's and Lou Malnati's


I ordered Portillo's and Lou Malnati's for my husband for Father's Day this year. He LOVED it and it was delicious! We still have some of the Portillo's in the freezer for a future special occasion. I was really happy with how well they shipped them - still frozen when it arrived heated up really well - especially the italian beef.

Probably through Tastes of Chicago? Run by Malnati's. They do a great job, great selection of Chicago foods.

https://www.tastesofchicago.com/category/shop-by-chicago-brand

 

[bcla]

Several years ago my dad convinced me to try Rubio’s instead of my favorite, Roberto’s. He raved about Rubio’s fish tacos. I was on a health kick, so I ordered the grilled fish taco. Meh - it was nothing special. Then I took a bite of my husband’s breaded fish taco, the style Rubio’s is famous for. I immediately went up to the counter and ordered some of my own - diet blown. They were so delicious!

Rubio's had a period of time when they switched to making them at a central facility where they would prepare the batter, freeze it, then have it deep fried at the restaurant. They weren't as good. They tended to be kind of dense. Their traditional model was to have their batter mixed onsite and then the (fully thawed) fish dipped just before deep frying. It was noticeably better.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.co...s-original-fish-taco-2011aug18-htmlstory.html​

As it turns out, the Original returns to the Rubio’s prototype in just one way: the technique used for batter-frying the chain's No. 1 seller.​

​

Previously, the fish destined for Rubio’s fryers were caught, processed at a Seattle fishery, portioned and dipped in a proprietary beer-batter before being frozen and shipped to Rubio’s outlets.​

​

“We outsourced the battering of our fish,” Rubio said. “The benefit was more consistency.”​

​

Now a packaged batter-mix is sent directly to locations. And each Rubio’s will defrost the pollock and dredge it through batter -- in-house, by hand, the old way -- before frying it.​

 

[bcla]

I'd still say some of the national chains that are sparse around here, like Dairy Queen. There are a few Dairy Queens around the San Francisco Bay Area, but they're in random locations and none within 20 miles of where I live. And some of them are the limited menu (like no burgers) ocations including one at a shopping mall.

And maybe not regional, but how about Dick's Drive in around Seattle?

Dick's is the place where the cool hang out, the Swass like to play, and the rich flaunt clout.

 

[SamFaniam]

Braum's - it’s a regional chain out of Oklahoma, but their drivers only go as far as they can where they don’t have to stay overnight. So the farthest store is like 300 miles from their headquarters. Excellent ice cream and great burgers. The closest one is about 350 miles away.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Braum's - it’s a regional chain out of Oklahoma, but their drivers only go as far as they can where they don’t have to stay overnight. So the farthest store is like 300 miles from their headquarters. Excellent ice cream and great burgers. The closest one is about 350 miles away.

The closest one to us is about 90miles. We don't go there often but if we're going a route that has one my mother-in-law has to stop there. We find it just to be okay but she loves it. When we were driving down to visit my husband in Houston area on the way and the way back we had to stop there. Luckily the one that we went to both times is not that far from the highway (which was I-35 but still in Kansas).

 

[SamFaniam]

The closest one to us is about 90miles. We don't go there often but if we're going a route that has one my mother-in-law has to stop there. We find it just to be okay but she loves it. When we were driving down to visit my husband in Houston area on the way and the way back we had to stop there. Luckily the one that we went to both times is not that far from the highway (which was I-35 but still in Kansas).

I think the places you don’t get to go to often always seem to taste a little better!

 

[Alice Sr.]

Portillo's here in Chicago. Italian beef, Italian sausage sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, ribs, chocolate cake, great salads, lots more. A couple locations in Florida (Tampa), a few in Arizona (Phoenix), a few in California (LA), a whole bunch in Chicago area.

www.portillos.com

Yes! Portillo's

 

[Aimeedyan]

We mostly miss stuff from Texas Whataburger, Taco Cabana, Taco Bueno, Chicken Express, Braums... there are a handful of Whataburger's near Jacksonville and we've given serious consideration to driving 3 hours each way just to eat there.

From NC, we miss Bojangles. Esp their biscuits.

 

[SamFaniam]

We mostly miss stuff from Texas Whataburger, Taco Cabana, Taco Bueno, Chicken Express, Braums... there are a handful of Whataburger's near Jacksonville and we've given serious consideration to driving 3 hours each way just to eat there.

From NC, we miss Bojangles. Esp their biscuits.

There are a couple of Whataburgers in Albuquerque now and before they opened there was a billboard on the highway that said Whataburger was coming and that it was bringing the taste of Texas with it, or something like that. Most folks wish the Texans would stay in Texas so I’m not sure that the billboard was such a great idea!

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

Probably through Tastes of Chicago? Run by Malnati's. They do a great job, great selection of Chicago foods.

https://www.tastesofchicago.com/category/shop-by-chicago-brand

Yes, it was. When it was delivered, my UPS driver said he has seen a lot of the boxes and asked how good it was. We couldn't answer, of course, as this was out first order. We will definitely order again - my husband's birthday is in November. He is so hard to buy for - I think this was his favorite gift of all time! He was supposed to fly to Chicago for a food festival back in April which obviously never happened. He was so sad...and this cheered him up.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Geno's Philly Cheesestake in Philadelphia

Harbes apple cider donuts on Long Island, NY

Cracker Barrel if we pass one (don't have one near us); DD loves Denny's, same thing

Lombardi Pizza Co in NJ

Ray's, and Gray's Papaya in NYC

 

[Lizgistix]

Culver's
Whataburger
Bojangles
Checker's/Rally's
Popeye's?
Del Taco
(I think In n Out is overrated)

...what about Sheetz or Wawa? I mean, it's gas station food but it's good gas station food!

 

[DeniseJH]

Whenever we were in the Buffalo vicinity we'd stop at Mighty Taco - not sure if they exist anymore though. It was soooo good!!

 

[QueenIsabella]

I'm surprised to see so many people mention Bojangles. Their biscuits are good, but their food is so over-salted, I literally can't choke it down. Ironically, there are several nearby--within a few miles of my house.

 

[WorldOfPooh]

Culver's
Whataburger
Bojangles
Checker's/Rally's
Popeye's?
Del Taco
(I think In n Out is overrated)

...what about Sheetz or Wawa? I mean, it's gas station food but it's good gas station food!

I used to drive 45 mintues to go to a Wawa or Sheetz and get their subs and macaroni and cheese but then they built one near my house and it seems like I would go less.

 

[easyas123]

..what about Sheetz or Wawa? I mean, it's gas station food but it's good gas station food!

Wawa, it's not even a competition.