Road trip? Better take your own food

[LVSteve]

Seems that Denny's are about to close upwards of 150 locations and McDonald's quarter pounders (or maybe the onions) are laced with E-Coli in 10 states.

Denny'''s shuttering 150 low-performing locations | AP News

E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald'''s Quarter Pounders | AP News

 

[lihpster]

Don't have to go on a road trip. Shari's, an Oregon based restaurant chain, similar to Denny's is closing all 42 of it's Oregon locations. And we only have half the Denny's we had 10 years ago. it appears that full service 24 hour restaurants is a tough go in this area.

 

[soFlaNative]

I'm good as long as Waffle House exists.
PB&J's and Snickers if I travel the northern tier.

 

[ditrina]

I'm good as long as Waffle House exists.
PB&J's and Snickers if I travel the northern tier.

 

[fordson]

There's always a cracker barrel………

 

[CH4]

Since Covid, I avoid fast food; the prices are more dangerous than the
e coli.

A $5 footlong is now $15+ and a filet o fish is $6. I rarely eat fast food anyway, but now it's even less.

 

[lihpster]

There's always a cracker barrel………

Not here. They closed too.

 

[Heinz]

There's always a cracker barrel………

I hear Cracker Barrel is shutting down a number of locations. They have new management and a new menu not quite as good as the old one. Waffle House is referred to by my sons as. "The Mother Ship"

 

[pharmer]

That $15/hr "minimum wage" is just getting started. Joe

 

[ladder13]

We used CB as a known quantity for years when traveling the road. Now CB has taken a dive.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I'm good as long as Waffle House exists.
PB&J's and Snickers if I travel the northern tier.

And for those who don't know how to fight, there is usually a Cracker Barrel close by to the Waffle House

 

[steelslaver]

As there are 1358 Denny's locations, they are basically closing the lowest 11%.

As far as McDonald's goes, I will eat their food, but mostly look at them as convenient rest areas when traveling in high population areas as I prefer Carl's burgers, with Burger King next.

Why is it that when I was younger you never hear of E. coli, Salmonella, or Listeria "outbreaks"? People got the trots and got over it. Personally I think swimming in the lower Yellowstone river as kids, during the time of poor sewage treatment plants, feed lot drainage and the like probably made my brothers and I pretty much immune to most of it.

We never had a Waffle House where I grew up, we fought in the bars like civilized people.

 

[NYlakesider]

We used CB as a known quantity for years when traveling the road. Now CB has taken a dive.

We always departed the Corvette event at Carlisle by having breakfast at a CB that was easy on/off right next to our motel.


I have been hanging close to home so this is about 1 place in the Saratoga area of northern NY.

During the covid nonsense it started. Lot less items on the menu, smaller sizes and not enough help. It seemed like they took my choices in foods and that was what they eliminated. We were there enough to recognize our server and she knew us.
Talked to her and she said your right it looks like the bean counters went after the most popular offerings.

I enjoyed their Rubin and if not super busy they used to make up some off the menu breakfasts,among other things, now all gone!

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

Ate at a Denny'd recently....was not impressed.
Ate at Cracker Barrel....left hungrier than when I went in.

IHOP's and Waffle House are our last hope...unless you can find Buc-ee's

 

[ladder13]

We prefer the small and cozy places. Great mom and pop off I95 in Ridgeland SC called Eats and Sweets. Our go to when heading to HHI, Savannah or points south.
First time we walked in we got "the stare", as it's a locals joint. After the waitress got over my "Bronx accent" it went fine. We've been there a few times and they have gotten used to us.
We are adventurous in that way.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Just the other day ate at McD. Had a Chicken Sandwich.
Probably a good move to avoid the Burgers.

 

[Bullet Bob]

Are we going back to the early 50's when there weren't interstates or nationwide restaurants? We never went on a long trip without packing a picnic lunch. It was great to have experienced but I don't want to go back. I didn't think about air conditioning then because nobody I knew had it in their cars. Not much music either, but with four adults and a couple of kids in the car (what's a seatbelt?), there was always action.

 

[S&W Fan]

If I'm taking a road trip in my truck then I always bring my own food. If on the motorcycle I pack snack stuff and look for local places when I make meal stops. Also meet nice people that way.

 

[Rule3]

Here is a tip.


Why eat at any of those places??

 

[soFlaNative]

I I pack snack stuff and look for local places when I make meal stops. Also meet nice people that way.

We'll carry enough to get by in a pinch but always on the lookout for a local place.
Apple Annie's Deli & Pub in Florence, SC stands out in my memory.

 

[Rustyt1953]

when Waffle House folds it will be heralded by the four horsemen.

 

[rockquarry]

Here is a tip.


Why eat at any of those places??

You make a good point.

 

[Rustyt1953]

The boys and I have McDonald's frequent fryer miles.

 

[LVSteve]

Here is a tip.


Why eat at any of those places??

I tend to agree, but because of the distances between civilization out West, it's often all there is or all that is open.

For example, if we leave Vegas for Phoenix and take the most direct route, there is lots of food in Kingman (~110 miles), but after that it gets flaky. Wikieup is 161 miles away with one restaurant, but then there is nothing until Wickenburg, 236 miles. Leave Vegas after work and tell me where you are going to eat. Then there is the "how long do I want to stop" question. The Cracker Barrel in Kingman is usually slammed.

When we did our run to Texas last Christmas, we noted that a bunch of the 'towns' next to I-40 were really collections of trailers near to some railroad facility or were actually reservation settlements. Many of the signs for the 'towns' off I-40 between Flagstaff and Albuquerque had no indication of food at all.

 

[Xfuzz]

Traveling in Texas a town can have a population
of 200 folks and it will 2 BBQ joints and 3 Mexican restaurants.
Dairy Queen in near every small Texas town.

 

[coltle6920]

I don't stop for food unless I needed to stop for gas and then it's to go. Amazing how far I can go on cigarettes and coffee.

Good food? Follow the big rigs.

 

[SMSgt]

I hear Cracker Barrel is shutting down a number of locations. They have new management and a new menu not quite as good as the old one. Waffle House is referred to by my sons as. "The Mother Ship"

I haven't been back to Cracker Barrel since it dropped the Sunrise Sampler. No road trip would depend on Denny's or McDonalds for this guy.

 

[Walkin Horse]

We stopped at some place in Moses Lake Wa last month. Terrible awful Mom and Pop place. It was so bad I have put out of my mind what I ate. It had an old trolley car hooked to it.

 

[DWalt]

Traveling in Texas a town can have a population
of 200 folks and it will 2 BBQ joints and 3 Mexican restaurants. Dairy Queen in near every small Texas town.

That is pretty much true, but I would raise the minimum population to about 2000 to rate a DQ or a Subway. The wide-spot-in-the-road, no stop light Texas towns might have one or two small local eateries, often Mexican. I go through many small Texas towns.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Couple of years ago I purchased a 12V portable cooler for use on road trips. Also has a 120V plug-in for overnight in motels. Stock up at the deli counter with meats, cheeses, salads. Make sure to have plastic utensils and paper plates. Plenty of chilled beverages, in addition to the thermos bottle of coffee of course.

Highway rest areas can be very nice. Easy to get off and on the highway. Kick back, relax, have a little walk to ease the joints, enjoy a light meal, throw the trash in a receptacle, continue the journey.

Restaurant meals typically about $15 per head, fast food joints at least $10 per mouth to feed. A hassle to get in and out, find your way back to the highway. Why not relax and enjoy the day?