Rant #1,911: Eat To the Beat

What are your thoughts on White Castle?

I have many memories of the chain from my childhood.

It is probably the first fast-food chain I ever ate at, simply because in the early 1960s, White Castle was probably the only of the burgeoning fast-food chains that was available in New York City.

White Castle has been around for decades, and it plans to be around for many, many more years. Recently, it released a couple of bare-bone details of its “Restaurant of the Future,” and the chain itself said that while it moves its restaurants into the future, it is not at the loss of its history.

Coming in 2018 at an undisclosed location, the “new” White Castle prototype—designed in partnership with architectural firm MGS--will feature outdoor seating and flexible indoor-outdoor convertible dining areas.

In addition, there will be numerous interactive features in the prototype, including an interactive drive-through and mobile ordering.

I guess that is all fine and good for the chain, and I am sure that it will be successful. We have two White Castles in my neck of the woods, and they both seem to do very well, so I am sure that the chain knows what it is doing …

But frankly, people don’t go there for the architecture, do they?

They go for the hamburgers—the original sliders—they go for the fries, and they go for the milkshakes.

And they also go for the nostalgia factor, too.

No, it isn’t as cheaply priced as it used to be, but you can still get a bargain at White Castle.

I remember that when I was a little kid, my father and I used to go to the White Castle near my grandparents house in Flushing, Queens. I think it was on Hillside Avenue, but I don’t remember the exact location, but I do remember the fun we had at that place.

We would order our hamburgers, our fries, and especially, our milk shakes, bring them to my father’s car, go into the car, being careful not to drop anything, and sit there and eat like we were kings.

I think for less than $5 we had enough food to fill us up for the entire day, and it was economical, too, although probably not too healthful.

But I just remember how much fun we had doing it.

I still eat White Castle, although most of the time, it is the supermarket-bought versions of what you get in the restaurant, meaning the hamburgers.

No, it isn’t as good as having them fresh from one of their restaurants, but I just can’t get to a White Castle by me, because even though two are near me, I would have to go out of the way to get to either one, so the supermarket-bought ones will suffice.

And again, architecture aside, high-tech aside, the hamburgers really are the calling card for the chain, so if they want to bring your local White Castle into the 21st century, that is fine.

But honestly, who goes to White Castle to admire the architecture? 

You can’t eat the walls, you know.