The BamaVol family used to see a dentist in Livermore who gave patients a coupon for Nations after a cleaning. Always used them for pie right after appointments. Cool T-shirts too. Unfortunately I had to throw them away after too many pie stains. :(

FATBURGER is just awesome, LA or Vegas trips always include those. For some reason I find them ten times better than In N Out, which I honestly can take or leave. Pastrami lovers unite at THE HAT in LA.

In Phoenix, it's a teriyaki chicken bowl at KYOTO BOWL.

In my home town of CLEVELAND, OHIO it's MISTER HERO! The ROMANBURGER is worth the drive in from Chicago. When I am home I get a dozen (no lettuce, it doesnt freeze well) and freeze them for enjoyment later. If someone opened one up at Hopkins, I'd schedule all my CO trips through CLE just to be able to grab one on the way out and back. They are THAT good!

JACK IN THE BOX has the best vanilla milkshakes I have ever had. None of those in Chicago.

SONIC's strawberry limeades are a treat whenever I'm out west, they are inching closer to Chicago, now all the way up to Peoria.

Recently had a trip to LOUISVILLE where i had, for the first time in two decades, a genuine BIG BOY burger. Man, I miss those! None of those in Chicago either.

I do miss SKYLINE from Cincinnati. 4-way with onions and two cheese coneys.

Northeastern Indiana natives will know about PENGUIN POINT. Almost as good as the Big Boy.

WHATABURGER is a treat when I'm in Texas.

Thanks a ton, now i'm hungry!

--PP

Five Guys Burgers is no longer just in the mid-Atlantic states. They are all over the midwest and south now. There are close to 20 locations in Georgia now, with most concentrated in the Atlanta area.

Absolutely spot on! For a hot dog, it does not get any better than Pink's.

YES to FATBURGER & IN-N-OUT^ (The latter is also in the PHX area now)
NO to KYOTO BOWL:td:
YES to JACK IN THE BOX, but you really should try their OREO COOKIE SHAKE^^:p

Since I'm in CLE every month, I will have to search this one out. Too late for this week, but I'll be back next month. Directions?

Ohhhh one more...
 

didn't see anyone mention this, but it might be slightly slower fast food:


The Cracker Barrel http://www.crackerbarrel.com

I love to go to these restaurants especially when driving long distance through the southern states or pennsylvania

good food and fairly inexpensive

--Russ

I only go to the cracker barrel when I have a craving to eat something smothered in gravy ;)

My wife would second that. She's from up that way, and has to get a RomanBurger when she's home.

And if you go at main meal times, you'll wait for a table. The store here in southern WV where I'm at is the 2nd busiest store in the chain. You don't go there for lunch until well after 1 or for dinner until well after 7 (unless it's Wed night, aka Church night in the bible belt, where you can get away with 6:30).

http://www.mrhero.com/

NE Ohio is a mecca for stuffing your face with all sorts of artery clogging goodness. My favorite was Panini's in the flats where you could get a monster sandwich with egg, bacon, cheese, french fries and cole slaw on squishy Italian bread....made for a great beer sponge.

No wonder I lost 40 pounds after moving to California.

Vancouver:

www.verasburgershack.com

Awesome burgers

Toronto:

www.duffsfamouswings.ca (original location is is Buffalo)

Sounds like the CLE version of the PIT classic Primanti Brothers. Many different locations in the PIT area including Heinz Field and PNC Park.

Another local chain that started in Western PA and has franchised out is Quaker Steak and Lube. They have some of the best wings outside of BUF/Western NY.

Oh yeah, it's gotta be sweet. As I was growing up, though, one of the peculiarities of eating out in North Carolina was that if you ordered "iced tea" in a restaurant, it was understood you meant sweet tea. Nowadays since so many people use fake sugar you get asked "sweet or unsweet".

La Bamba

Midwest Mexican chain - known for burritos as big as your head

Maybe the best burritos I've ever had...