Dean is posting about White Castle and it’s evoked a feeling of nostalgia in me.
Somewhat as the aroma of madeleines baking brought out a flood of recollections from Marcel Proust, so does the aroma of grilling onions for me.
When I was a kid the only hamburger stands that existed outside of a few individually-owned mom and pop places were White Castle, Parkmoor, and Steak-N-Shake. No McDonalds, Burger Kings, or Wendy’s. Going into a White Castle in north St. Louis is among my very earliest memories.
Parkmoor (a chain owned by the guy who invented the trays that attach to the window of an automobile) is long gone. And Steak-N-Shake has expanded enormously. IMO Steak-N-Shake produces a vastly superior product to the other chains.
But White Castle continues to be something of a cult. Sliders are very, VERY oniony and are, basically, steamed (the production process involves a perforated patty). They’re sort of a gringo equivalent of menudo: praised by aficionados as a good thing after a night of drinking.
Making me regret that I moved into an area sans Steak ‘n Shakes….
There is no place around here I can get a double SB (LOMK), with cheese fries, and a (real) cherry Coke. (During the grad school days, I’d swap the double SB for a patty melt w/ “crispy” bacon.)
Of course you cannot mention St. Louis burger stands without the great Chuk-a-Burger getting a shout out. Its still going strong after all these years, and it is the only place I’ll eat a burger with coleslaw on it. I’ve had others and they dont compare.
Damn…is it lunch time yet.
The original Chuck-A-Burger location opened just a few blocks from where we lived. I remember it opening when I was a kid and, yes, we used to get burgers from there about once a week.
Haven’t had one for, probably, 40 years.
Hmmm, First McDonald’s I ever laid eyes on was on US-66 on the SW side of St. Louis. My recollection of it entailed a sign which had X Million Sold, where the “X” could be changed readily like a theatre marquee.
Back in OKC, we had White Castles, but the “Split-T” had better burgers by far. My fav at the White Castle was pecan waffles–usually about 1 am.
Ah, those were the days, skeptics abounded, but I had more hope than scepticism. But that has gone like those bag of burgers for $1.
I grew up in Bel-Nor, so if the Rock Road location is what you are referring to, I know exactly what you are talking about.