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catbyte

(37,749 posts)

65. Well, growing up in the midddle of nowhere northern Lower Michigan, we had two choices:

Mon Aug 11, 2025, 06:24 PM

Aug 11

Dairy Queen and the A&W Drive-In, both closing in November and reopening in April, I suppose it was Dairy Queen because it was close enough to the school where we could ditch the cafeteria food and have one of DQ's loose-meat sandwiches for $.35. Until November, that is.

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debm55

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As a kid. or teen, what was your favorite fast food place to go to? Mine was Roy Rogers. What was yours? [View all] debm55 Aug 11 OP

Not exactly fast food, but I loved the clam rolls at Howard Johnson's. 3catwoman3 Aug 11 #1

Me too Walleye Aug 11 #3

Yes, I liked the clam rolls too. I like the fried clams the best. Thank you 3catwoman3 debm55 Aug 11 #6

Their ice cream cones were the best! My next favorite would be A&W Root beer at the counter in a frosty mug Deuxcents Aug 11 #7

When I got married we would stop at Howard Johnson's on our way to Boston. Loved their cones. debm55 Aug 11 #20

Yeah loved samplegirl Aug 11 #28

Or at Friendly's. marble falls Aug 11 #32

YES!!! elleng Aug 11 #54

I went to Friendly's a few weeks ago and got a clam rolll Bluestocking Aug 11 #57

Gee, Sorry. How old was she---17? debm55 Aug 11 #58

We had Geno's before McDonald's. They had a great hamburger that was much better than the big Mac. Walleye Aug 11 #2

Thank you Walleye. We had an Italian family in my town that made great pizza. No subs though. We got our subs from debm55 Aug 11 #10

Dairy Queen Brazier sorcrow Aug 11 #4

Thank you very much sorcrow. They were good too. debm55 Aug 11 #11

Bronco's in Omaha. Best burger. Onions and mustard only. OLDMDDEM Aug 11 #5

Thank you very much. for telling us about Bronco's. No ketchup???? debm55 Aug 11 #19

Mustard and onions only. Mmmmm good. OLDMDDEM Aug 11 #26

Dairy Queen or Pizza hut, those were within walking or biking distance. mwmisses4289 Aug 11 #8

Thank you very much mwmisses4289, I wish I had them growing up. debm55 Aug 11 #17

McDonald's was the weekend treat. Eugene Aug 11 #9

Thank you very much Eugene. As a child we very seldom went out to eat. As a teen I would stop at Roy's on my home from debm55 Aug 11 #16

Growing up, the closest thing to fast food in our town was A&W, rsdsharp Aug 11 #12

Yes, when I was growing up , we had no McDonalds in my small town either. debm55 Aug 11 #15

We only even had one pizza place, and that was a bar -- Ray's Pass Time. rsdsharp Aug 11 #22

Sounds like my hometown, At ten years old, I used to go to the bar and order fish dinners for Lent.and bring them home. debm55 Aug 11 #59

big boys AllaN01Bear Aug 11 #13

Thank you very much, AllaN01Bear. I always liked their statue of the Big Boy out the restaurant. debm55 Aug 11 #14

White Castle! lucca18 Aug 11 #18

Thank you lucca18, When I had workshops in Pittsburgh , we would stop at White Castle. Loved their unique burgers. debm55 Aug 11 #23

I preferred Burger Chef to Burger King before Chef went out of business. House of Roberts Aug 11 #21

Oh yes, I remember Burger Chef. They had 15 cent burgers. Thank you House of Roberts. debm55 Aug 11 #24

A&W Sneederbunk Aug 11 #25

A&W Jilly_in_VA Aug 11 #27

Frankie's Dairy Bar, Amelia Ohio. SamKnause Aug 11 #29

We were Traildogbob Aug 11 #30

The Hot Dog Inn on Lorain rd, Cleveland ... WTH? It closed after 92 years. marble falls Aug 11 #31

From the time I was 8-10 yrs old -- to this day (70-ish)... Jrose Aug 11 #33

When I was quite young, before I started kindergarten, sdfernando Aug 11 #34

In the West, A&w, in the Boston area, flor-de-jasmim Aug 11 #35

Thank you very much for sharing with us. flor-de-jasmim. When I taught in Philadelphia, my friends would always took me debm55 Aug 11 #51

I was never allowed to eat fast food as a child or teen. MIButterfly Aug 11 #36

HAHAHAHAHah. I am glad you got the chance on your own to experiecnce a fast food place. debm55 Aug 11 #50

I looked up Burger Chef online and apparently MIButterfly Aug 11 #63

Wendy's. When we moved from Ohio to Virginia we were surprised there were none here. underpants Aug 11 #37

Thank you underpants. They have been closing some underperforming Wendy"s around here. I liked their chili, debm55 Aug 11 #49

Snappy Service. Ten cent burgers. Can't speak to the taste, but any carry-out burger was a special treat for me. Midnight Writer Aug 11 #38

Right, I was a "free range " too. Most are on the computers or tic tok. debm55 Aug 11 #48

My father absolutely loathed fast food so we never went to a fast food place as a family. Diamond_Dog Aug 11 #39

So did my parents. They would always say, "you want a burger, we can make it at home." The only thing we got that was debm55 Aug 11 #46

For Atlantans sorcrow Aug 11 #40

Wow , That place was huge and unique too. That you sorcrow. debm55 Aug 11 #45

McDonald's. Loved the QP with cheese. It ain't the same anymore. malthaussen Aug 11 #41

Thank you very much malthaussen. There is a McDonnalds in Brentwood at the intersection of Brownsville and 51. debm55 Aug 11 #44

Can't remember what was at that intersection when I lived there... malthaussen Aug 11 #47

Kenny Kings NE Ohio Buzz cook Aug 11 #42

Thank you very much Buzz cook. I love onion rings. debm55 Aug 11 #43

Taco Bell DBoon Aug 11 #52

Thank you very much, DBoon debm55 Aug 12 #90

the Automat. surrealAmerican Aug 11 #53

Thank you surrealAmerican. I have seen them on television and they did look futuristic. debm55 Aug 12 #89

When I was a kid fast food was not that big of a deal Bluestocking Aug 11 #55

Because as a kid, that is what you would like and they were low in price? debm55 Aug 12 #88

Krystal burgers 4TheArts Aug 11 #56

Oh my, 4TheArts. You ate 12? they are on the small side though if they are like White Castle. debm55 Aug 12 #83

LOL. Was queasy for sure 4TheArts Aug 13 #95

Hahahaha debm55 Aug 13 #96

Back when Dad was stationed at George AFB, there was this little drive in on the road from Victorville to Oro Grande. A Dorothy V Aug 11 #60

Thank you, Dorothy V, for your selections. They all sound great. debm55 Aug 12 #81

A & W !! justaprogressive Aug 11 #61

HAHAHAHAHHHAH. thank you justaprogressive. We had a Big Boy's but not a Bob"s Big Boy's. I think they were similiar. debm55 Aug 12 #79

Steak-n-Shake and Burger Chef Emile Aug 11 #62

Thank you Emile for your two choices. debm55 Aug 12 #76

You got me on this one. OldBaldy1701E Aug 11 #64

Thank you very much, OldBaldy1701E, I really liked Wendy's chili. debm55 Aug 12 #75

Well, growing up in the midddle of nowhere northern Lower Michigan, we had two choices: catbyte Aug 11 #65

Thank you very much , catbyte. I like them both. debm55 Aug 12 #74

In my day we didn't have any fast food chains doc03 Aug 11 #66

That's okay, doc03. So you liked Big Boy and Burger Chef? debm55 Aug 12 #73

Shakey's Pizza Coloradan4Truth Aug 11 #67

Thank you very much , Coloradan4Truth. I would love to see one made that way. debm55 Aug 12 #72

Burger Chef and Dairy Queen/Brazier Burger ArnoldLayne Aug 11 #68

Arctic circle hydrolastic Aug 12 #69

Thank you very much, hydrolastic. debm55 Aug 12 #70

Great combination there, ArnoldLayne. debm55 Aug 12 #71

Right next to my kindergarten customerserviceguy Aug 12 #77

Thank you customerserviceguy. I agree with the cole slaw. debm55 Aug 13 #92

I'm pretty old, i think they're was only McDonald's. dem4decades Aug 12 #78

Local, Larry's Pizza. sinkingfeeling Aug 12 #80

Rax Roast Beef. Hated when they closed. nt Phoenix61 Aug 12 #82

Thank you very much, Phoenix61, I remember when they closed also, debm55 Aug 13 #94

We had none... Mike Nelson Aug 12 #84

Thank you very much, Mike Nelson. However, Carvel ice cream was great. debm55 Aug 12 #87

Scotties kozar Aug 12 #85

Thank you very much, kozar. debm55 Aug 12 #86

My friends and I would go swimming at a downtown hotel and applegrove Aug 12 #91

Thank you. applegrove, It sounds like a wonderful way to spend the day. debm55 Aug 13 #93