A bit of history here to make things interesting:
According to Wikipedia:

The McDonald Brothers business began in 1940, with a restaurant opened by
siblings Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino, California. Their
introduction of the "Speedee Service System" in 1948 established the
principles of the modern fast-food restaurant.

According to my good friend and mentor Victor Rubio, most popular, respected
and well known restaurateur in Tijuana during the WWII years through to his
death in 2004:

"I remember the McDonald brothers coming into my restaurant near the
bullring and inviting me to have a beer with them as they shared their love
of bullfighting and mariachi music during their occasional trips to Tijuana.
This was around 1947, I remember because of the brouhaha around Margaret
Truman's first public singing appearance. Tijuana had been and was still a
huge magnet to Hollywood types, sailors and marines before and after the
war. It was not until sometime in 1955 when I put two and two together,
recalling Dick's penchant for taking notes, that I remembered their telling
me of their observing how a small taco stand could serve so many people in
such a short time that they began experimenting with the idea back at their
San Bernardino restaurant. By 1960 you could not go anywhere in the United
States without finding a nearby McDonald's. Truly an amazing story of how
the fast food concept changed the way Americans eat. All from observing a
trio of uneducated taco stand workers."

Wayne Lundberg wrote:
A bit of history here to make things interesting:
According to Wikipedia:

The McDonald Brothers business began in 1940, with a restaurant opened by
siblings Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino, California. Their
introduction of the "Speedee Service System" in 1948 established the
principles of the modern fast-food restaurant.

According to my good friend and mentor Victor Rubio, most popular, respected
and well known restaurateur in Tijuana during the WWII years through to his
death in 2004:

"I remember the McDonald brothers coming into my restaurant near the
bullring and inviting me to have a beer with them as they shared their love
of bullfighting and mariachi music during their occasional trips to Tijuana.
This was around 1947, I remember because of the brouhaha around Margaret
Truman's first public singing appearance. Tijuana had been and was still a
huge magnet to Hollywood types, sailors and marines before and after the
war. It was not until sometime in 1955 when I put two and two together,
recalling Dick's penchant for taking notes, that I remembered their telling
me of their observing how a small taco stand could serve so many people in
such a short time that they began experimenting with the idea back at their
San Bernardino restaurant. By 1960 you could not go anywhere in the United
States without finding a nearby McDonald's. Truly an amazing story of how
the fast food concept changed the way Americans eat. All from observing a
trio of uneducated taco stand workers."

I'm trying to figure out who inspired Chili's. Something went very wrong.

"Sonoran Dude" wrote in message
. ..
Wayne Lundberg wrote:
A bit of history here to make things interesting:
According to Wikipedia:

The McDonald Brothers business began in 1940, with a restaurant opened by
siblings Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino, California. Their
introduction of the "Speedee Service System" in 1948 established the
principles of the modern fast-food restaurant.


Let us clean this up a bit. (Add) and then Wayne wrote:

According to my good friend and mentor Victor Rubio, most popular,
respected
and well known restaurateur in Tijuana during the WWII years through to
his
death in 2004:

"I remember the McDonald brothers coming into my restaurant near the
bullring and inviting me to have a beer with them as they shared their
love
of bullfighting and mariachi music during their occasional trips to
Tijuana.
This was around 1947, I remember because of the brouhaha around Margaret
Truman's first public singing appearance. Tijuana had been and was still
a
huge magnet to Hollywood types, sailors and marines before and after the
war. It was not until sometime in 1955 when I put two and two together,
recalling Dick's penchant for taking notes, that I remembered their
telling
me of their observing how a small taco stand could serve so many people
in
such a short time that they began experimenting with the idea back at
their
San Bernardino restaurant. By 1960 you could not go anywhere in the
United
States without finding a nearby McDonald's. Truly an amazing story of how
the fast food concept changed the way Americans eat. All from observing a
trio of uneducated taco stand workers."

I'm sure the MD Corporate HQ would issue a retraction & correct their
history if given the chance, especially when confronted with this conclusive
and overwhelming evidence.
Henry Ford certainly doesn't need anymore credit given to him.

and so we "wonder" how Urban Myths get started

Another (though smaller) competitor :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataburger

they opened aroud the same time but in the other side of the country.

Saludos!

wrote:
Another (though smaller) competitor :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataburger

they opened aroud the same time but in the other side of the country.

Saludos!


Whataburger is an icon here in Arizona. Back in the day they out
numbered McDonalds. Whataburger prides itself on 100% American Beef and
I think it makes a big difference. I sure it's more like 90% Texas Beef
and probably some other beef to feed the California consumers.
Jalapeno peppers have been on the menu since I can remember. They also
have not caved in to the myth that American consumers prefer the new
plastic coated french fries that most major chains have adopted to cut
down on food shrink.

On May 4, 2:33 am, Sonoran Dude wrote:

Whataburger is an icon here in Arizona. Back in the day they out
numbered McDonalds. Whataburger prides itself on 100% American Beef and
I think it makes a big difference. I sure it's more like 90% Texas Beef
and probably some other beef to feed the California consumers.
Jalapeno peppers have been on the menu since I can remember.

Although I now live in the land of Whataburger, I still miss the New
Mexico chain of Blake's Lotaburger, whose green chile burgers were
pretty darn good for a chain when I lived there. Buns were a little
bit soggy and the green chile was a little sparse the last time or two
I was over to NM, but I will always stop by at least once for old
times sake.

David

John~
wrote:


...but the *big* deal about Whataburger is that every burger is cooked
to order from scratch; no heat lamps or warming trays. It takes
slightly longer than "fast food", but your burger is always fresh and
made *exactly* the way you want it....

And I credit them for not directly marketing to children. Much of
McDonalds success was built on marketing their poison to children.

dtwright37 wrote:
On May 4, 2:33 am, Sonoran Dude wrote:

Whataburger is an icon here in Arizona. Back in the day they out
numbered McDonalds. Whataburger prides itself on 100% American Beef and
I think it makes a big difference. I sure it's more like 90% Texas Beef
and probably some other beef to feed the California consumers.
Jalapeno peppers have been on the menu since I can remember.

Although I now live in the land of Whataburger, I still miss the New
Mexico chain of Blake's Lotaburger, whose green chile burgers were
pretty darn good for a chain when I lived there. Buns were a little
bit soggy and the green chile was a little sparse the last time or two
I was over to NM, but I will always stop by at least once for old
times sake.

David

We had Blakes in Phoenix. Excellent burger but I think the neighborhood
caught up with them. It was down in an old motel circle district on W.
Mohave that has long since been boarded up.
Lenny's Burger Shop is a small local chain that has that nostalgic
quality of quality grease. Of the national chains I was bummed when
Burger Chef was absorbed by Burger King in the early 70s. Burger Chef
featured a delicious triple bun burger similar to the Big Mac and the
Bob's Big Boy.
The Bonus Jack was another good triple bun burger extinct by corporate
decisions. Jack should bring that one back for old time sake.

On May 4, 2:33 am, Sonoran Dude wrote:

Whataburger is an icon here in Arizona. Back in the day they out
numbered McDonalds.

I must be older than back-in-the-day (not a surprise!) because I don't
remember Whataburger from when I was a student in Tucson in the early
'60s.

The only chains I remember from then were Bob's Big Boy and McD, and
at McD I could get two meager burgers, an order of fries, and a drink,
and still get back a little change from a dollar.

I also spent my few eat-out dollars at a chimichanga lunch-joint near
the campus, and a Chinese place that had an 87-cent "business man's
lunch." :-)

David

"dtwright37" wrote in message
oups.com...
On May 4, 2:33 am, Sonoran Dude wrote:

Whataburger is an icon here in Arizona. Back in the day they out
numbered McDonalds.

I must be older than back-in-the-day (not a surprise!) because I don't
remember Whataburger from when I was a student in Tucson in the early
'60s.

The only chains I remember from then were Bob's Big Boy and McD, and
at McD I could get two meager burgers, an order of fries, and a drink,
and still get back a little change from a dollar.

I also spent my few eat-out dollars at a chimichanga lunch-joint near
the campus, and a Chinese place that had an 87-cent "business man's
lunch." :-)

David


The Original Owl Cafe just outside Socorro heading to the Northern gate to
White Sands MR, was the best Green Chile Cheese Burgers in the world, bar
none. I would go down to WSMR from ABQ 1-2 time a week just to stop and eat
lunch there. I understand it was bought out and moved to ABQ and it is now
Corporate Commissary food on the order of Applebe's, Chili's, Red Robin,
Olive Garden, etc. Better than any of the WhataBurgers which were prety damn
good. Dude , ours W-A-Bs in West Texas served Cherry Peppers instead of
the Jalapenos.

MDs was the home of the 12- 15 cents, LBLB food, little beef on a little
bun. Gut fill was all that was.

I guess it is too hard for a real Mom and Pop eatery to compete with
Marketing dollars, the profit margin in foods leaves little room for error.
Proves it is not Taste but Preception we tend to buy. Marketing Rules!!

dtwright37 wrote:
On May 4, 2:33 am, Sonoran Dude wrote:

Whataburger is an icon here in Arizona. Back in the day they out
numbered McDonalds.

I must be older than back-in-the-day (not a surprise!) because I don't
remember Whataburger from when I was a student in Tucson in the early
'60s.

The only chains I remember from then were Bob's Big Boy and McD, and
at McD I could get two meager burgers, an order of fries, and a drink,
and still get back a little change from a dollar.

I also spent my few eat-out dollars at a chimichanga lunch-joint near
the campus, and a Chinese place that had an 87-cent "business man's
lunch." :-)

David

I wouldn't know about Tucson, I grew up in Phoenix. We had one Bob's on
Central and Thomas and a McDonalds down the street on Central and Indian
School. Whataburgers were in the burbs. My coherent memory only goes
back to 67. I had a brain infection that keeps me from remembering much
before that.

Gunner wrote:

The Original Owl Cafe just outside Socorro heading to the Northern gate to
White Sands MR, was the best Green Chile Cheese Burgers in the world, bar
none. I would go down to WSMR from ABQ 1-2 time a week just to stop and eat
lunch there. I understand it was bought out and moved to ABQ and it is now
Corporate Commissary food on the order of Applebe's, Chili's, Red Robin,
Olive Garden, etc. Better than any of the WhataBurgers which were prety damn
good. Dude , ours W-A-Bs in West Texas served Cherry Peppers instead of
the Jalapenos.

MDs was the home of the 12- 15 cents, LBLB food, little beef on a little
bun. Gut fill was all that was.

I guess it is too hard for a real Mom and Pop eatery to compete with
Marketing dollars, the profit margin in foods leaves little room for error.
Proves it is not Taste but Preception we tend to buy. Marketing Rules!!



My only WAB experience was in El Paso. I think they may have even had
serranos laying out... All I remember was that they were fresh and
hotter than hell.

I'm a big fan of local joints. Orange County and LA are a who's who of
local grease traps that serve more food than humanly possible to consume
at one sitting. Phoenix had some great local joints but never caught on
to the gigantic portions that SoCal serves up. Tucson has some too but I
haven't made a dent in them yet. I'll keep you posted.

Phoenix has a chain called Pete's Fish and Chips. Pete's claim to fame
was cheap baskets of fish, shrimp, clams and oysters served with a fish
cocktail sauce of 2 parts ketchup and 1 part El Pato Tomato sauce. It
was brilliant.
I love the line in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High comparing the
secret sauces of competing fast food joints. It was something like, "Our
secret sauce is 1,000 Island and ketchup the other was ketchup and
mayonaise." Everyone thought that they had the perfect secret sauce by
mixing two bottles of condiments together. I'm a big Whataburger fan
because of the use of good old American Yellow Mustard and super fresh
ingredients letting the burger be the star.

"Gunner" gunner@ spam.com wrote in message
...

"dtwright37" wrote in message
oups.com...
On May 4, 2:33 am, Sonoran Dude wrote:
snipped

The Original Owl Cafe just outside Socorro heading to the Northern gate
to White Sands MR, was the best Green Chile Cheese Burgers in the world,
bar none. I would go down to WSMR from ABQ 1-2 time a week just to stop
and eat lunch there. I understand it was bought out and moved to ABQ and
it is now Corporate Commissary food on the order of Applebe's, Chili's,
Red Robin, Olive Garden, etc. Better than any of the WhataBurgers which
were prety damn good. Dude , ours W-A-Bs in West Texas served Cherry
Peppers instead of the Jalapenos.



These Green Chile Cheese Burgers sound good - I'm in Oz so I'm not familiar
with them. I looked them up after your post on a site called Chowhound or
Chow-Hound (can't exacatackly remember) Anyway, it reckons it caters to
both major food groups.

You seem to know your way around Arizono OK - can you tell me from your
experience if there are A-1 GCCBs in the Kingman area? My M-i-L lives there
and we'll be visiting her around Xmas from West Australia and I'd like to
try one of these burgers. (We're going to Las Vegas to experience the
Greatest Light Show On Earth!!!)
ta
Hoges in WA

On May 14, 6:01?am, "Hoges in WA" wrote:

These Green Chile Cheese Burgers sound good - I'm in Oz so I'm not familiar
with them.

Can you get canned Ortega chiles and avocados in Perth?

Mash up a ripe avocado and mix it with a little mayo.

Throw a ground beef patty on the grill or barbie and cook it to taste.

Fry the ortega chile at the same time.

Melt some mozarella?on the patty.

Grill the hamburger bun a bit (don't tell me you don't have hamburger
buns in Oz!)

Slather the avocado on the bun, garnish with sliced onion or
scallions, stack it all together and scarf it down.

Then, the next time you make a green chile burger, try it with one or
two jalapeno peppers.

Hoges in WA wrote in message
...
[snip]
can you tell me from your experience if there are
A-1 GCCBs in the Kingman area?
[snip]

Kingman was an oasis in the middle of a desert and freeway at one
time.

In 2003, the LONE standout restaurant that made the oasis worthy
of a layover was consumed by a larger, more predatory, corporate
entity. In talking with several locals, the parasites were very
systematic. I can't think of one restaurant this isn't owned by a
larger vertically integrated conglomerate. There's nothing there
there but poor service, lousy food, high prices.

Our last trip through Kingman in August 2006 was our last. We'll
take other routes to completely skirt that wasted patch of neon
and asphalt.

The Ranger