On the Road

From Fish Brine to Ketchup

Michael Witzel — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:29 +0000

Ahhh … that tangy, thick, and sticky condiment known as ketchup—where would American road food be without it? Certainly, drive-ins, diners, coffee shops, and in many cases—fine restaurants—wouldn’t be the same. Burgers would be bland, fries embarrassed by their nakedness, and hot dogs robbed of their bite. In a world devoid of the red sauce, [...]

History of the American Diner

Michael Witzel — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 06:00:31 +0000

What do McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Denny’s, Arby’s, Roy Rogers, Taco Bell, Jack-in-the-Box, and Kentucky Fried Chicken have in common? All have their distant origins in the diner, that unsung institution of roadside America that began over one-hundred years ago, decades before there were automobiles, drive-thru ordering windows, milkshake mixers, and remote-controlled speaker boxes. Invention [...]

Birthplace of the Hamburger

Michael Witzel — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:00:37 +0000

Sure, history books tell of the Tartar’s fondness for raw meat and how sailors from Germany loved to order Hamburg Style Steak upon their arrival in the New World. The real question is: Who created America’s first all-beef patty, ancestral prototype of today’s Quarter Pounder, Big Mac, and Whopper? Pinpointing the origination of the hamburger [...]

The Texas Pig Stands Drive-In

Michael Witzel — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:00:28 +0000

“People in their cars are so lazy that they don’t want to get out of them to eat!” The proclamation still rings as true today as it did when candy and tobacco magnate Jessie G. Kirby first uttered the words in 1921. At the time, he was trying to interest Rueben W. Jackson, a Dallas, [...]

Al Bell’s Flying A Service Station

Michael Witzel — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:19:44 +0000

During World War II, Allen P. Bell was transferred to the Air Base in Kingman, Arizona to work his tour of duty as an aircraft mechanic. On his 21st birthday he stepped off the train, walked down old Route 66 a ways, and observed the desolation. “What is this God forsaken place? he asked himself. [...]

Bob Wian’s Big Boy Burger

Michael Witzel — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:30:17 +0000

Robert Wian learned the restaurant business the hard way. When his father’s furniture business faltered during the early thirties, he took a job washing dishes at the White Log Tavern to help out. Although fresh from high-school, it didn’t take long for him to become manager. His experience was soon rolled over into a better [...]

Fable of the Golden Arches

Michael Witzel — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 07:52:49 +0000

Richard and Maurice McDonald were planning to franchise their successful burger system in 1952. To stand above the visual noise created by miles of drive-ins, motels, car washes, bowling alleys, service stations, and coffee-shops—they decided a new structural style was needed. Without a unique design, nationwide recognition for their walk-up stand was an impossibility. With [...]

Hamburger Architecture

Michael Witzel — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:00:43 +0000

Hamburgers made their debut on the food scene as irregular lumps of chopped beef, hand shaped according to the improvisational jazz of lunch counter short order. During the early years, long before the cookie-cutter aesthetics of the Big Mac came into vogue, concerns over circular uniformity and ingredients were minimal. When fry by the seat of [...]

Crazy Water in Mineral Wells

Michael Witzel — Wed, 28 May 2008 00:43:22 +0000

Today, the remnants of a once booming mineral water business can still be seen in the town of Mineral Wells, Texas. Originally built as a seven-story luxury resort, the Crazy Hotel is now a retirement home; the Milling Sanitarium a VFW hall, and the towering Baker Hotel—once the playground of screen stars, crooners, and oilmen—sits [...]

The Devolution of Bob’s Big Boy

Michael Witzel — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:34:49 +0000

In 1937, Robert Wian created his signature two-story cheeseburger at a five-stool lunch counter in Glendale, California and along with it—gave birth to a new roadside icon. At the time, six-year-old Richard Woodruff was a regular customer there, always on the make for free food. Occasionally, Wian let him sweep the floor in exchange for [...]