The planet's most famous fast food chain, McDonald's has steadily taken over the world, one burger-flipping franchise at a time. Today, in the US at least, you're rarely more than a few miles from those famous golden arches. However, earlier McDonald's restaurants looked rather different. The very first – McDonald’s Bar-B-Q – was opened in San Bernardino in the 1940s by the McDonald brothers. Although this one is sadly out of service, you can get a feel for the chain's past at the Downey location (pictured).
The Downey, California location opened in 1953, making it one of the earliest franchise restaurants in the chain. Today, it's the oldest operating McDonald's restaurant in the world – and you can tell. The sign retains its old-school font and even includes Speedee, the winking chef and McDonald's mascot superseded by Ronald McDonald.
Once inside, you'll find a regular McDonald's menu, with the only difference being you can get the old-school deep-fried apple pie here (since 1992 every other franchise has baked the sweet treat). You'll also find a dinky museum showcasing old advertising posters, newspaper clippings and artefacts from early restaurants. While currently open, McDonald's requires customers wear a face covering.
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From one fast food behemoth to another, KFC keeps chicken lovers the world over salivating with its secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. And, unlike McDonald's, the first real KFC is still in operation. Although Colonel Harland Sanders perfected his beloved recipe at Harland Sanders Café in the 1940s, the first location under the KFC name (pictured) dates to 1952 and is in Utah's Salt Lake City on South State Street.
Today a mammoth bucket-shaped sign out front advertises this legacy, and the restaurant still bears the name "Harman", after Pete Harman, the Colonel's first franchisee. Business boomed for the Harmans after they began selling Colonel Sanders' recipe under the name "Kentucky Fried Chicken" – and the branch is still going strong today. Though it's closed for dine-in, you can still swing by its drive-thru for some original recipe wings and spot the bronze statue of Harman and Sanders outside.
If you happen to be in Kentucky, you can also visit KFC's predecessor, Harland Sanders Café, the restaurant operated by the Colonel from 1940 to 1956. Sanders moved to this bricks-and-mortar spot after serving his chicken to hungry travellers at the gas station across the street.
Normally visitors can browse the on-site museum, which includes KFC-related artefacts and the pint-sized kitchen where Sanders developed his recipe, and feast on fried chicken in the site's old-school diner-like surrounds. However, the property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990, is currently undergoing construction so only the drive-thru is open.
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Pat Olivieri is credited with inventing the revered Philly cheesesteak: sautéed rib-eye beef, onions and Cheez Whiz in a white roll. The story goes that one day, the former hot dog vendor fried strips of meat and onions on his grill and cased them in an Italian roll with onions. When a passing taxi driver and punter spotted Pat's creation, he insisted Pat made one for him too. And so, Philadelphia's famous steak sandwich was born. In 1930, Pat’s King of Steaks opened in South Philadelphia and the city was enamoured with the meaty creations.
Though some 90 years has passed, little has changed when it comes to Pat’s King of Steaks. The joint is still owned and operated by the Olivieri family, it's still the only location in town and it continues to dole out the same hearty beef sandwiches that Pat is thought to have invented all those decades ago. Order yours with onions and Cheese Whiz and enjoy a sandwich almost a century in the making. The shop is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The concept of the all-American diner is thought to date back to 1872, when a "night lunch wagon" opened in Rhode Island's capital of Providence. Today the down-to-earth diner is still a steadfast part of the USA's fast food scene and many historic spots remain. One such venue is Casey’s Diner in Natick, whose roots date as far back as 1890, when Fred Casey began serving punters in a four-stool horse-drawn wagon.
A little over three decades later, in 1922, the current diner was constructed and it has remained a family-run affair for four generations. It's thought to be the oldest diner in the state (and one of the oldest in the entire country), occupying a deserved spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Pay a visit to its takeout window (you currently can't go inside due to COVID-19) and try one of the steamed hot dogs the diner is famous for.
The USA has little shortage of great burger and fries joints, but this one has an extra charm. Hackney's story begins during America's Prohibition era with Jack Hackney and Great Aunt Bebe, who purportedly served burgers and beers from their porch during the dry spell. Hackney's on Harms, the first of a trio of Illinois locations, opened its doors in 1939 and has been a local favourite ever since.
Fast forward some eight decades and Hackney's is still owned by the same family and Hackney's on Harms' quaint patio still draws in the crowds. The signature dish is the long-standing Hackneyburger®, a half-pound of beef on home-baked dark rye, while the crispy "French fried" onions have rave reviews too. At the moment it's only open for outdoor dining and customers must wear face coverings.
You can barely move for pizza joints in the Big Apple but this one has some history. J & V, named for co-founders and friends John Mortillaro and Vincent DeGrezia, opened in 1950 and is thought to be one of the earliest places to sell pizza by the slice. Today, the restaurant, occupying a corner in Brooklyn's Bensonhurst neighbourhood, retains much of its homely 1950s charm and is still owned by the Mortillaro family.
The interior is laid-back and fuss-free with cosy booths and metal bar stools, and, of course, a steady stream of comforting pizza pies. Though you might prefer to call up for delivery, which it offers free of charge. Choose between square and round pizzas with classic toppings like pepperoni, black olives and vegetables, or plump for a meatball roll or hearty calzone.
Whether they're a late-night pleasure or an early morning coffee accompaniment, Dunkin' Donuts has sated sweet-toothed Americans since 1950. Founder William Rosenberg first called his Quincy doughnut shop Open Kettle, but switched to Dunkin' Donuts after two years in business. This location, with its retro signage, remains in operation today and you can pore over informative plaques and archive photos of the early years as you bite into your glazed and frosted treats – please note it currently requires customers to wear face coverings.
Louis' Lunch has quite the legacy – in fact, it's credited by the Library of Congress as the "Birthplace of the Hamburger Sandwich", the cornerstone dish of American fast food. The spot dates to 1895 and it was in 1900 that the celebrated hamburger is thought to have been created. Legend has it a harried gentleman bustled into Louis' Lunch, asking for something he could eat on the go. Thinking on his feet, owner Louis Lassen slipped ground steak trimmings between two slices of toast.
More than 100 years later, Louis' Lunch is still family-owned and operated, now spearheaded by the fourth generation. The no-frills place hasn't changed too much over the years either, and the original burger still dominates the short menu. To make the burger, five different cuts of meat are ground daily and rolled by hand, then cased in white toast with cheese, tomato and onions. It's currently open for takeout and is asking customers wear face coverings.
Maine's Palace Diner is a special breed of fast food joint – it's thought to be one of only two Pollard dining cars left in the USA today. Originally built in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1927, it's now tucked away in the Biddeford Main Street Historic District.
While the historic dining car remains, the latest owners Greg Mitchell and Chad Conley breathed new life into the restaurant's menu by giving classic dishes modern updates. Think buttermilk flapjacks with a side of caramelised grapefruit and fried chicken with cabbage slaw, jalapeños and an iceberg wedge. However, for the time being the diner is closed to protect staff members from COVID-19.
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In-N-Out is another long-standing burger chain that changed the face of American fast food. The first branch, in California's Baldwin Park, was established back in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder – this no-frills burger joint has also been tipped as the very first drive-thru restaurant in the state. Sadly, all that remains at the Baldwin Park spot is a replica paying tribute to the chain – but you can taste a slice of history in the Pasadena location.
Pasadena's In-N-Out Burger, on Foothill Boulevard, is the oldest operating In-N-Out Burger in America, dating to the early 1950s. You'll not find it much different to more modern In-N-Out joints, especially given the chain's food offering has changed little over the decades. But the glittering vintage neon sign (pictured) is definitely photo-worthy. Indoor dining is currently unavailable, but the drive-thru is open if you fancy stopping by.
The origins of the Coney Dog, and the matter of who does it better, is hotly contested in the Motor City. Its beginnings are bound up with Greek immigrants who arrived in the region in the early 1900s. In 1917, Greek-born Gust Keros opened American Coney Island and it has been one of the most famous and beloved purveyors of the Detroit dish ever since.
However, less than a decade later, Keros' brother William opened Lafayette Coney Island right next door. This sparked an enduring "who-does-it-best" feud between Detroiters, with locals proudly proclaiming themselves either "American" or "Lafayette". Either way, you shouldn't miss a taste of the historic dish: a sausage in a bun, drowned in chilli, onions and mustard. Both stores have now reopened (American Coney Island just for takeout).
If you want a taste of Louisiana's legendary po'boy (or poor boy) sandwich, this unassuming century-old joint is where to go. Parkway Bakery & Tavern opened in NOLA in 1911 by German baker Charles Goering Sr. – although it would be a few years until the classic po'boy (a baguette generally filled with beef or fried seafood and plenty of sauce) was on the menu. You can stop by at the moment for dine-in or takeout.
Although there are competing stories, it's said that the po'boy was invented by brothers and former streetcar conductors Bennie and Clovis Martin, in order to feed streetcar drivers who were striking in the city in 1929. The brothers built these belly-busting sandwiches and gave them to the workers for free. To show their support, Parkway's proprietors began making and doling out free po'boys too. More than 100 years later and the Parkway po'boy (including their signature surf 'n' turf) is the stuff of local legend.
Another beloved American chain with heart-warming beginnings, A&W dates right back to 1919. Roy W. Allen set up a root beer stand in the city of Lodi, California, and sold his now-famous drink during a parade welcoming home First World War troops. Allen soon partnered with his employee Frank Wright (hence the name A&W) and the humble roadside stand eventually grew into a string of franchised restaurants.
Today you can still enjoy A&W's signature drink, made with a secret mix of bark, berries, herbs and spices, and served in a big frosted tankard. The chain also claims to have invented the bacon cheeseburger in 1963 – theirs comes with hickory-smoked bacon, American cheese and pickles, and you can order it with classic fries or moreish fried cheese curds. A&W is open for drive-thru, pick-up or delivery via DoorDash and Postmates, check your nearest store for details.
This old White Castle building has been a jewellery shop, an office and an antique store since its days as a burger joint, but as it's on the National Register of Historic Places, new businesses aren't able to put up a sign. This building is thought to date to the 1930s and has the chain's old turreted architectural style and throwback signage. And, if you're craving one of White Castle's famed square burgers, you can get one at a modern Minneapolis branch, a couple of blocks away, as they're open for drive-thru.
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Claiming to be the oldest bar in Oklahoma, dating all the way back to 1896, Eischen's Saloon was first opened by Peter Eischen. Although the saloon was closed during Prohibition, the newly named Eischen's Bar was opened by the original founder's descendants as soon as the dry era ended. But, despite all this history, it's the venue's signature fried chicken recipe that keeps the customers pouring in.
The fried chicken recipe – created in the mid-1960s as a prize for the winner of the weekly shuffleboard tournament – remains as it always has been. The chicken is fried in soybean oil and served with white bread, sweet pickles, dill pickles and onions. Enjoy yours in the historic digs, alongside a beer or iced tea. The dining room is currently open and it's also offering curbside delivery.
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Now a country-wide chain, Nathan’s Famous had humble beginnings harking back more than a century ago. Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker set up a stand on Coney Island in 1916 selling hot dogs for a nickel. The hot dogs were based on his wife Ida's secret spice recipe, and over the years they attracted famous punters including notorious gangster Al Capone and president Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Although Nathan's Famous branches have sprouted all over the States (you can even buy Nathan's products in stores), the popularity of the Coney Island spot has not waned – you can visit at the moment and it has outdoor seating. It's also famous for the annual Hot Dog Eating Contest held on 4 July. The legendary competition purportedly began on this date in 1916, after four immigrants competed to settle an argument over who was the most patriotic.