Best regional restaurant chains

Anybody 'round here ever hear of Skin Thrasher's hot dogs? Little beer joint/hot dog place started in a company house near a cotton mill in Anderson, SC. Became a favorite of governor's wives and former Presidents, and named by NPR as one of America's Top 10 hot dogs.

 

Doesn't one of those cost a few thousand dollars while the other costs $50?
Seems like a wide variance in gift value.

 

Oh, man, is Your Place still around? For some reason I thought it went out of business; wasn't the original in Union Deposit and didn't it burn to the ground 15 or 20 years ago? I'd drive a long way out of my way for one of those strombolis.

 

The Union Deposit original was where I met my wife.

Yeah, it burned down. That entire area exploded with strip malls anyway.

There are four Your Places now: Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg (Carlisle Pike), Hershey, Lancaster.

They offer lunch buffet M-F and dinner buffet on Wednesday nights, all the boli, pizza and extras you can eat for $10.95. If I go for lunch, I touch only one thing.

 

No one's mentioned Taco John's yet?

Speaking of, no fast casual Tex-Mex I've had touches Tijuana Flats (original near UCF). Freebirds World Burrito comes closest.

54th Street Grill (St. Louis?) is actually pretty good. Much better than Johnny's Tavern (Lawrence, Kansas).

 

I have, of course. Never been to the original, which i understand is great. The one I went to in the burbs was mediocre and alcohol free.

 

But has 54th Street ever had a 25-cent beer night? Both the best and worst idea ever?

 

My wife raves about that place. Mostly from nostalgia, I think, since we've been together 12 years and have never eaten in one together.
Only time I ever ate there was before a football game in Pelahatchie once. Seemed OK. Nothing special. Didn't realize it was a small chain at the time.

 

I'd consider them a national chain. Their website shows locations in 23 different states, from Virginia in the east to Washington in the west. Most of them are in the upper Midwest and western states ... Minnesota has 62 (!).

And just because ...

 

I have to say, I don't get why Nebraskans love Runza so much, but I remember liking Valentinos when we'd go up there as a kid.

Maryland, Delaware and NJ have Cluck U, which is pretty tasty when you're craving wings late at night.

 

Used to live right up the street from one in Trenton. Never had the wings, but their cherry dipped ice cream cones are awesome.

 

That was my Coco signal. I knew you'd come through!