One of the fun parts of any road trip is having the chance to try a wide variety of local restaurants around different parts of the country.
I have already written about Burgerville, the local chain around the Portland, Oregon area that we loved on our family road trip vacation last summer.
But Burgerville was just one of many different local and regional chains that we sampled on our trip.
When we drove across the Great Plains, we stopped in at Runza, a Nebraska-based chain that specializes in the Russian/German ground-beef-and-cabbage-filled stuffed sandwich from which the chain takes its name. (It also serves pretty good burgers and fries, too.) The kids were a bit perplexed when they were given their kids' meals, only to be told that they had to return to the counter to claim the "prize" after finishing their lunch. They figured at first it was a cheap way for the chain to get out of giving those cheap plastic toys to every child who ordered - since some kids might not come back up.
But when they discovered that the "prize" was actually soft-serve ice cream cones, they became big fans. And I did, too. A fast-food place that makes the kids eat their meals before getting dessert? Give them a parent point from me.
In Evanston, Illinois, Laurie and I took the kids to one of our favorites places to eat when we were undergraduates at Northwestern: Buffalo Joe's. I fell in love with buffalo wings, thanks to Joe. But in the years since I graduated, my enthusiasm for the ubiquitous game-time munchie has waned. But, what the heck, let's give it a go for old times sake, right?
A few minutes later, after Laurie and I demolished two baskets of wings, we'd realized that it wasn't just buffalo wings that we'd loved. It's Buffalo Joe's buffalo wings. I haven't a clue what makes these so much more edible than any other wings I've tried. They just are.
We felt obligated to introduce the kids to Chicago stuffed pizza, too, so we stopped for dinner at Giordano's, just south of campus. (We insisted on the spinach-stuffed pie, to puzzled looks from our kids. They tried, but still don't get it. Sigh.)
In Indiana last year, we took the family to our all-time favorite pizza place, Mother Bear's. Driving across the Indiana Toll Road, we were surprised to find an outlet from our second-favorite, Noble Roman's. That chain's been through several owners and formats over the years, and now's found mostly inside food courts, convenience stores, bowling alleys and the like. But we found a stand-alone store in South Bend, thanks to a tip from my sister. The pizza was good, but the big attraction at Noble Roman's is the fluffy breadsticks served with spicy cheese (think nacho) for dipping.
Laurie's family moved to Cincinnati while she was at Northwestern, but she's learned enough about the city to know that if you want ice cream, you go to Graeter's.
We're split on Cincinnati's cinnamon-spiced Skyline Chili, though. Laurie likes their coney dogs, but I think it might be possible that they have too much cheese:
What's your favorite local or regional restaurant chain? Tell us in the comments.
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Chicago Pizza is a must and Giordano's is probably the best because they are one of the few places that has branched out of Chicago and kept the quality. Don't mention Uno's its not the same. Still, I am a bit suprised you went all out with the Spinach. Personally, I would pick sausage since its unique to the area. Something that FL pizzas seem to miss the mark!
My favorite local chain (though they are not very close to my house and not from IL) is Culver's. Butter Burgers.........mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... This is also probably why the steriotypical Midwesterner is overweight! LOL!
But do you know who is from IL? Jimmy John's, Potbelly and McDonalds!
You're Welcome! ;)
I'll have to look up the Noble Romans in South Bend! Haven't been to one in ages! Thanks for the info! ;-)
EDIT: Now that I think of it there is Splitsville, but they are mainly an upscale bowling alley and are mainly in FL and TX. But their hot wings (which is not listed on the menu) are the best. Although they may melt you face off, and you can literally smell how hot they are tables away.
My other favorite is Oklahoma Joe's - the best BBQ in town happens to be located inside a gas station :-)
For the best chicken on the planet take your whole family to one of the two Stroud’s locations in the area.
For great toasted subs, Yellow Sub opened a single store in Lawrence, KS, about twenty years ago. Now they are called Planet Sub and stretch across five states.
KC is famous for its BBQ, and here are two excellent local chains: Smokehouse & Jack Stack.
On your way to Silver Dollar City in Branson, be sure to stop by the original home of “throwed rolls”: Lambert’s Cafe. Remember to bring cash or checks… no credit cards accepted!
Despite growing up in southern California, I can still get my Mexican food fix in if I visit La Fuente or Margarita’s.
And for killer Italian food in huge portions, you simply cannot beat Garozzo’s. Fine dining with amazing food, service, and ambiance.
Finally, though not a chain, a visit to the Kansas City area would not be complete without stopping by the one and only Swagger KC for some of the finest gourmet bar food ever imagined. The Dead Texan and Suribachi burgers are 2000 calorie monsters that have to be experienced to be believed!
Though, we do have a growing Hispanic population here in Baltimore. So there are plenty of Peruvian chicken joints around here. If you happen to be stopping in Baltimore, Chicken Rico in Highland town is well worth the stop.
You got McDonald's right? That counts for something......maybe?
My favorite chain around here would have to be either Cafe Lou Lou. Cafe Lou Lou has a lot to choose from, but my favorite dish is the black bean lasagna w/a small wedge salad on the side. Delish! Tumbleweed used to be my favorite local chain until they revamped their menu and some of their dishes. Their queso used to be to die for.
Skyline is a strange animal. They call it chili, but it doesn't fit my description of chili. At first I ordered plain chili; a HUGE mistake. It only works its magic in combination with spaghetti and a mountian of cheese. It's certainly unique.
For a fun night out or a crazy breakfast, I recommend Lynn's Paradise Cafe. It's a Louisville landmark.
Anyway, the "butter" on the burger at Culver's is put on the bun, which does give the sandwich a richer taste. Here's a link to their website, check and see if you have one near you, Mike, and let us know what you think!
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