One of my son’s first words was “Krystal!”. We were living in Georgia at the time, and the burgers are the perfect size for little kids. Now back in Ohio we have White Castle, which used to be just up the street from me many, many years ago. Now there are only a handful in the Greater Cleveland area, and I think the cheeseburgers with the pickles removed are just perfection. However, as I get older, I seem to be having more severe reactions to the onions, so I can only eat them when I will not be working or having a date the next day. If I keep it to four at a time I’m okay, but any more than that gets dangerous to everyone around me.
It was explained to me several years ago that they are called sliders because they slide right through you. I had never had this experience until one time when driving home from Nebraska, alone with my kids, we had White Castle for lunch and I had to spend a lot of time in rest area bathrooms. Every rest stop we passed for hours. At one, we got to see a woman lying on the floor about to give birth, surrounded by police officers who had been called to assist. I just needed to get to the bathroom quick, tho, so we didn’t stay for the blessed event.
I now live in the STL area and my neighbors, a late 50ish couple, stuff their Thanksgiving turkey with 2 dozen tiny repulsive White Castle burgers. Another reason not to live in STL in case you needed another reason.
I was born & grew up in So Cal and now live in St. Louis. White Castle shops are spread throughout the metro area every mile or two in every direction. They definitely outnumber McDs
Everything about those places and their “food” is/are NASTY beyond words. Eating one was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as in once was plenty. Never again!
My favorite White Castle saying is “White Castle: best before 30 or after Midnight.” (Meaning before age 30.)
One time a friend (native St. Louisan) brought some pate’ to a BYO hors d’oeuvres potluck party. She said it was “Pate’ Maison Blanche”. A few people got the joke, most didn’t. She’d bought a few dozen sliders, disassembled them and mashed up the “meat”. Run away! Run away! Many natives loved it. Sheesh.
The only exposure I’ve had to White Castle burgers is from the boxes they sell in the frozen foods section. Last time that finals week was coming up, I saw them and decided to give 'em a try. I don’t cook during finals week, you see, so I can get maximum studying and crashing time.
I can say that they tasted great after only like a minute in my microwave (which beats Hot Pockets, which take three), and they saved my ass during the busy week. I’m happy with 'em, and will probably invest in them again this coming finals week.
In the greaseburger category-
Also love Rally’s, In&Outs, and Tommy’s.
BUT folks, envy me for I have access to something few of you have…
Hamburger Hinkles. The one & only in SE Indiana. (At one time, there were
1 or 2 others in Indiana, but this one alone remains.) More substantial than a
WC, but not as filling as even a McD burger. They must be eaten with pickle & onion and, not french fries, not onion rings or chips or whatever, BUT with hash browns!
Hamburger Hinkles… is that the same as Hinkles Hamburgers? There used to be one just of campus at IU in Bloomington, and I loved those. If it is the same, tell me where it is and I’ll make a road trip!
As for White Castles… love 'em too, but they don’t love me. Have to wait until I’ve got a day off work and my wife is out of town so I can get away with the after effects.
But Steak and Shake is a different matter… just made a late night run there last night. It is great having one only about 5 blocks from where I live.
well as for frozen sliders, pass. they smell authentic but the taste is definitely not. the only way a slider can be enjoyed is eaten in the car on the way home with a carfull of buddies. this way the after effects arent solely left to you. note: drive with windows down
Man, it takes a lot to get me nostalgic about Columbus, but…Saturday afternoon…walk over to the stadium and watch the Buckeyes whip the snot out of whoever…go to a party, get drunk on those big plastic cups full of warm Old Milwaukee…then cap it all off with a ride down to the White Castle on High Street south of campus to load up on sliders. Good times…
Krystals are fried, & they taste like cr@p. In addition, the Krystals chain seems to have a cleanliness problem, as I’ve gotten ill after eating there once or twice.
I love sliders. Here in DC, the only way you can get them is frozen. (And they don’t sell frozen jalapeno cheeseburgers or chicken rings, whatever those are.) We used to have a local WC-like chain called Little Tavern, but they’re all gone now.
Living in Georgia is great but it does have its drawbacks:
Morons doing the “evolution” dance, and
No White Castles
Frequent trips to Nashville have exposed me to the sheer nirvana that is a midnight slider. Nothing beats it. Nothing.
STORY: One late night drive from Nashville to Atlanta began with a stop at Exits 78 and 81 on I-24 in Murfreesboro. Yes, 3 bacon double cheeses from WC and 3 bacon double cheeses from Krystal. Also a large snortdiet coke. (First things I’d eaten all day so don’t go nuts.)
Words can’t describe the drive. Heaven. Until the Georgia border. Then hell in all of its olfactory glory. But, being alone, just a little natural AC and all was well.
Count me in the love em, Love Em, LOVE EM! category.