Great fast food is never far away in the USA, but there’s a whole world beyond the big chains. Every state is home to numerous beloved local gems, where sizzling burgers, crispy fries, or golden fried chicken pieces have been served up for decades. These legendary spots have stood the test of time, winning over generations with their signature flavors and no-frills charm. From roadside burger stands to classic diners serving regional specialties, these are some of the oldest and most iconic fast food joints in the country.

Step through the doors of this old-fashioned sandwich shop and you really will feel like you’ve traveled back in time. Established in 1869 as a pharmacy and housed in its current location since 1891, Alabama’s oldest soda fountain remains big on nostalgia – and is all the better for it. The décor has a 1950s feel, complete with a jukebox and vintage Coca-Cola displays. The menu offers a delicious taste of the fast food of yesteryear: think slaw dogs, ice cream sundaes, and multi-layered Dagwood sandwiches.

Lucky Wishbone’s signature sign is a familiar landmark in downtown Anchorage. Since opening in 1955, this friendly restaurant has been a local favorite for fast food fans in the city. Loved for its lightly battered, pan-fried chicken and hand-crafted hamburgers, it’s also a destination for thick and creamy old-school milkshakes, with more than 40 flavors to choose from.

Arizona is home to its own Lucky Wishbone – in this case, a small chain of fast food joints that specialize in breaded and deep-fried chicken strips, butterfly shrimp, and 'steak fingers.' The first Lucky Wishbone opened on a hot day back in 1953; there are now eight locations in the Tucson area, making it a true local favorite.

California is jam-packed with historic fast food restaurants, including the oldest operating McDonald's and In-N-Out Burger outlets. Its earliest chain, though, is A&W, which started as a root beer stand in Lodi in 1919. That original roadside stand may be long gone (though it is marked with a plaque), but A&W’s history is celebrated at the current Lodi location, which displays plenty of old memorabilia and regularly hosts classic car meets.

Cherry Cricket is a bar that veers into fast food territory, offering baskets of juicy burgers topped with anything from peanut butter and grape jelly to Fritos and fried eggs. The restaurant has been slinging those burgers since 1945 and has gone through many different owners, but the friendly, old-school vibe remains. In the 1960s, then-owner Bernard Duffy added the famous spinning neon sign that reads 'Duffy's.' The sign still stands today, even though the restaurant dropped the 'Duffy's' name long ago. There are now two locations in Denver, and one in Littleton. 

Established in 1895, legendary Louis’ Lunch is famed for introducing burgers to the world. It's even recognized by the Library of Congress as the birthplace of the hamburger. The family-owned and operated business still crafts its hamburger patties with five cuts of freshly ground meat and serves them the traditional way: between slices of toasted white sandwich bread.

Deerhead Hot Dogs dates back to 1935, when Beulah R. Tilghman created what has become the restaurant’s famous secret sauce while working at the Hotel Olivere. Tilghman is now a local legend, and Deerhead's dogs are a firm Delaware tradition, typically served topped with secret sauce, mustard, and onions. The joint also dishes up burgers, subs, steak sandwiches, fries, and other quick-service classics.

Florida became the home of the first Burger King location in 1954. Back in 1939, though, Jerry Glass opened a small diner called Jerry's Barbecue that would later become Jerry's Drive In. It's changed owners a few times since, but it's still a cash-only joint with cozy booths, memorabilia-packed walls, and a menu serving up delicious burgers, hot dogs, and fried fish sandwiches. 

Nu-Way Weiners claims to be the second-oldest hot dog restaurant in the US, having opened in 1916, the same year as New York City’s famous Nathan’s Hot Dogs. The word 'wiener' was misspelled on the restaurant’s neon sign in 1937, and Nu-Way has stuck with it ever since. It’s famous for its chili dogs and hot dogs topped with house-made coleslaw. Other menu classics include hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, tater rounds, and breakfast biscuits. There are three locations of the restaurant around Macon.

Billing itself as ‘Atlanta’s original American eatery,’ The Varsity in downtown Atlanta has been around since 1928. Spanning two floors and with the capacity to seat 800 diners, the original restaurant remains a favorite for many. A menu made up of enduringly popular fast food classics is all part of the appeal – hot dogs, French fries (made with hand-cut Idaho potatoes), classic burgers, and shakes included. The small chain now boasts eight locations in the greater Atlanta area. 

Rainbow Drive-In has served iconic Hawaiian plate lunches to tourists and locals since 1961. At both the original Honolulu location and several newer outposts, Rainbow customers can enjoy island specialties such as SPAM, BBQ pork, or gravy-topped corned beef hash patties served alongside scoops of rice and macaroni salad. On a busy day, the flagship restaurant serves up to 1,000 of these traditional lunch dishes.

The food tent that eventually grew into Hudson's Hamburgers first popped up on a street in Coeur d’Alene in 1907, making it one of Idaho’s oldest surviving restaurants. For five generations, the descendants of original owner Harley M. Hudson have continued to sling delicious no-nonsense hamburgers and other simple meals, like ham and egg sandwiches, all proudly made with the freshest of ingredients.

Founded in 1946, this retro restaurant on historic Route 66 has a lengthy fast food–oriented menu. However, its main attraction is its signature Cozy Dog, which is essentially an early version of the now familiar corn dog. Ed Waldmire started toying with recipes for corn batter–coated, deep-fried hot dogs on a stick back in the 1940s, and they’ve continued to be a favorite in Illinois.

Coney dogs didn’t necessarily originate at New York’s Coney Island. They’re likely a Greek American concoction – a frankfurter in a steamed bun, topped with an all-meat chili, onions, and yellow mustard – that could just as easily have come from the Midwest. Still, Fort Wayne's first opened in 1913 and is billed as the oldest Coney dog stand in America. While Coney dogs are the star of the menu at Fort Wayne's, guests can also tuck into hamburgers, chili bowls, and pies.

Born in 1926, Maid-Rite sandwiches are a fast food must-try in Iowa. The Midwest favorites are kind of like a hamburger, but the seasoned meat isn’t pressed together into a patty. Instead, it's left to spill out of the bun. The local institution that is Taylor's Maid-Rite Hamburger Shop (now Taylor’s Maid-Rite) opened in 1928 and has topped its sandwiches with mustard and pickles or onions ever since. As of late – and in something of a monumental move – it now offers diners the option of ketchup as well.

People have been lining up for the burgers at Salina's Cozy Inn for over 100 years. Open since 1922, little has changed inside; a counter seats just six people, and burgers are cooked on the original grill. There's a walk-up window for takeout, and outdoor seating too. Don't try ordering a cheeseburger here – the spot sells hamburgers only, topped with grilled onions (and priced at under $2 each).

Specializing in breaded and deep-fried fish and other seafood items, this place has been a Louisville institution since 1925. It started as a little roadside fish stand run by Mike Linnig and at one time, it had facilities for square dancing and other activities. Mike passed away in 1966, but his legacy remains; a third generation of his family continues to serve fish sandwiches, plates of fish and chips, fried clam strips, and other regional specialties to this day. The restaurant closes for the winter season, from November through to the end of January.

Parkway started as a German bakery in 1911 – but by 1929, it was under new ownership and specializing in po’ boy sandwiches, a relatively new invention at the time. It closed in 1993, but was eventually rejuvenated by a new owner, who reopened the joint in 2005 (just after Hurricane Katrina). The shop has seen its ups and downs and has plenty of stories to tell, but it still serves unbelievable po’ boy sandwiches.

Maine’s signature fast food dish is the succulent lobster roll – and they don’t come much better than those sold at Red’s Eats. The roadside stand has been a Wiscasset mainstay since 1938, specializing in soft buns packed full of fresh lobster meat, with a side of Maine butter. The vast menu has 70 other items, including hamburgers, fried scallops, and ice cream, but it’s the lobster roll that really shouldn’t be missed. Note that this seasonal spot closes for the winter. 

When J.T. Thrasher started his food stand in Ocean City in 1929, he wanted to focus on one thing: creating the greatest-ever version of the humble French fry. Many would say he succeeded in that mission. In almost a century, the company has only changed hands twice, and the original recipe fries remain incredibly popular. Fry fans can even check in on an online webcam to see how long the line in front of the shop is.

One of the oldest operating diners in the US, Casey’s has been around in one incarnation or another since 1890, when it existed as a four-stool horse-drawn wagon. Having been passed from father to son for four generations, the current lunch car location was built in 1922 – and it's been in downtown Natick since 1927. The local landmark falls into the fast food realm thanks to its specialty steamed hot dogs, known for having a distinctive 'snap' when they’re bitten into.

The brainchild of two brothers (who borrowed money from their parents to launch the business), the first outlet of this retro East Coast chain opened as an ice cream shop in Springfield in 1935. A few years later, additional food items including fried chicken, burgers, and cheese melts were added to the menu, and the rest is history. The Friendly's name came from a desire to provide a welcoming atmosphere, where families could enjoy a meal together. Despite company expansion over the years – and the closure of the original store on Boston Road – that ethos remains.

Arguing over who invented the Coney dog is a Midwest pastime – and one of the biggest Coney dog rivalries is between Detroit stalwarts American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island. That said, the oldest Coney dog spot in the state is actually Kalamazoo's Coney Island Hot Dogs, which has been in operation since 1915. Besides the namesake dogs, which are served topped with chili, mustard, and onions, Kalamazoo's also offers Chicago and New York–style dogs, burgers, and gyros.

Winona’s oldest restaurant, the Lakeview Drive Inn, first opened in 1938 and still offers a car-hop service. The restaurant, which sits on the shore of Lake Winona, is only open seasonally (from March through September) and doles out made-to-order fish sandwiches, hot dogs, mugs of root beer, and burgers – including locally raised bison and elk burgers.

The oldest continuously operating drug store in Mississippi, Borroum’s first opened in 1865 – and the same family has been running the place since the Civil War. The vintage-style shop serves a variety of sandwiches and ice cream treats, but the specialty here is the regional delight known as the slug burger. Named for their cheap price (back in the day they cost no more than a nickel, or a 'slug'), these Southern-style burgers are made with meat and a soybean or potato flour filler.

Tennis pro Ted Drewes opened his first frozen custard stand in Florida in 1929 and brought the concept to his home state of Missouri in 1930. The frozen custard business floundered through the middle part of the century, but in the 1980s, the treat came into fashion. The hot fudge sundaes and ‘concretes,’ which were created in 1959, have been a delicious local staple ever since. In the winter months, the shop sells Christmas trees that are grown on the Drewes’ family farm in Nova Scotia.

One of Helena’s most iconic restaurants, the RB Drive-In has been a haven for burger fans since 1948. It got a bit rough around the edges over the years, but in 2020 the place was revived under new ownership. Thankfully, the new owners kept the nostalgic feel and retro menu, which is heavy on burgers, milkshakes, and fried fish.

Initially a down-home little chicken shack, Lee’s Chicken has been serving Lincoln since 1945, though its roots stretch back even further. The original tavern has seen substantial additions over the years, but it still serves the same original recipe fried chicken, along with fries, burgers, seafood, and its famous onion rings with sour cream dipping sauce.

Billed as Reno’s oldest casual dining restaurant, the Gold ‘n’ Silver Inn is a family-run spot that first opened in 1956. Because this is Nevada, the restaurant is open 24/7 and features a fleet of poker and slot machines. The menu consists of unpretentious fast food items such as hamburgers, jumbo hot dogs, and chicken wings, plus plenty of classic comfort food dishes.

Gilley's Diner started life in 1940 as a mobile cart that was hauled (first by horse, later by truck) into Portsmouth's Market Square every evening for business. The cart moved to its current Fleet Street location in 1974 and added an extra wing in 1996. It retains much of its original interior and charm, serving up great-value burgers, fries, hot dogs, and sandwiches.

White Manna was founded at the 1939 World’s Fair but didn’t set up shop in its permanent (and adorable) location in Hackensack until 1946. The restaurant's world-famous burgers are topped with onions and cheese, then wedged into soft potato rolls. They’re simple, but the fresh meat and signature buns make these some of the best-rated burgers in America.

Today, Blake’s Lotaburger looks like a typical modern fast food chain, but this beloved regional brand got its start back in 1952. There are now Blake’s locations in Arizona and Texas, as well as throughout New Mexico, and people continue to clamor for the signature burgers with a hit of Hatch Valley green chile. True to the restaurant's Southwestern roots, hearty breakfast burritos and chili con carne feature on the menu, too.

New York’s original Nathan’s is the most famous hot dog restaurant on Coney Island. The shop opened in 1916 and, after expanding to a second restaurant in 1955, it slowly grew to become one of the most recognizable hot dog brands in the country. Today, Nathan's restaurants have fairly large menus, but the original hot dogs are still the stars of the show.

As the name implies, Shorty's hot dogs are iconic in Wake Forest. Owned and run by the same family since 1916, it's the oldest still-operating restaurant in the Raleigh area. The go-to order is an 'all-the-way' dog, with chili, mustard, and freshly chopped onions. Get it with an Arnold Palmer – a drink named after the legendary golfer, who once frequented Shorty's. 

Sammy’s Pizza has been a family-run favorite in the Midwest since 1954 – and its iconic Minot location opened in 1959. The pizzeria was founded by Sam Perrella, who made the smart move to capitalize on a post-war enthusiasm for pizza, fueled by soldiers who had discovered Italian food while serving overseas. The original Sammy's location is still going strong in Hibbing, Minnesota, and the brand now has 14 other locations, all proudly using the original recipes developed by Perrella.

Kewpee Hamburgers actually started in Flint, Michigan in 1918, but the small chain’s biggest presence has always been in Lima, Ohio, which still boasts three locations. The first Lima Kewpee opened in 1928, with the additional locations launching in 1972 and 1981. The menu remains simple, with hamburgers (which can be dressed up with Miracle Whip, banana peppers, and olives, among other toppings) and freshly baked pies.

While Hamburger King’s name may seem like a copy of the much more famous Burger King, this Oklahoma restaurant opened in 1927, nearly 30 years before the first BK. Founded by George Macsas, Hamburger King remains a family-owned restaurant run by Macsas’ grandchildren. The menu is simple and wholesome, with the restaurant's signature hamburger the most popular item.

Known as 'the hot dog folks,' Roake’s has a long history, which began when it opened as a drive-in called the Jiffy Way Lunch in 1937. The restaurant became Roake’s in 1976 after being purchased by long-time customer and hot dog enthusiast Jim Roake, who still owns it today. Hot dogs are at the top of the menu at this community-focused spot, but Roake’s also serves a selection of hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes.

Philadelphia is famed for its cheesesteak sandwiches, said to have been invented right here at Pat’s King of Steaks in 1930. Founder Pat Olivieri previously had a hot dog stand – and one day, he experimented with a new sandwich made from chopped meat and onions on an Italian roll (the cheese came a little later). Just like that, one of the tastiest and most popular fast foods in the US was born. Pat's is still operated by the Olivieri family to this day. 

The Greek family that owns this uniquely named restaurant originally ran a candy store in New York City, but in the 1930s they settled in Rhode Island and started a small restaurant on Providence's Olneyville Square. After moving location in 1953, it kept its Olneyville name – and continued to make its signature hot wieners, topped with a Coney-style sauce. Customers travel from far and wide to taste the famed dogs, and Olneyville even sells packets of the sauce’s spice mix so fans can replicate the eating experience at home.

Open since 1946, Beacon Drive-In is both a historical landmark and an enormously popular fast food joint. There's a huge menu, but this place is most famous for its Chili-Cheese-A-Plenty burger, a chili cheeseburger loaded with copious amounts of chili, cheese, onion rings, and fries. Beacon’s is also renowned for its generously sweetened Southern-style iced tea.

In 1929, Harold and Gladys Nikalson got a grill going and started turning out burgers for just five cents each. Nearly a century later, the prices and owners have changed, but much remains the same at Nick's Hamburger Shop – including the iconic red counter stools, the house-made buns, and the wax paper used to serve the burgers. You still can't order fries to go with your burger, but that hasn't stopped several generations of customers flocking here. 

Located on Memphis’ historic Beale Street, Dyer’s Burgers was first opened in 1912 by Elmer 'Doc' Dyer, who claimed that the secret to a great burger was using the same cooking grease, day after day. Every burger at Dyer’s is still cooked in oil that's at least partially over a century old (though the restaurant does strain it every day). Whenever the restaurant moved locations over the years, the grease was accompanied by a police escort to ensure not a drop was spilled.

Founded in Chattanooga in 1932 by Rody Davenport Jr. and partner J. Glenn Sherrill, Krystal was named as a nod to the importance the two placed upon cleanliness – they wanted everything ‘crystal clean.’ Known as the South’s original quick-service restaurant, the chain may have grown over the years, but the original spot on Cherokee Boulevard still slings its famed square beef sliders today (as well as diminutive chicken burgers, biscuit sandwiches, and hot dogs).

This tiny restaurant and market began life as a food stall in 1938, later growing to become a deli and, eventually, a fully fledged burger restaurant. Despite the name, the food goes far beyond grab-and-go sandwiches. The current menu lets the cooks get creative, with inventions such as a Frito pie burger and a mac ’n’ cheese–topped burger sitting alongside more standard hot dogs and salads.

Hi-Mountain first opened its doors in 1918 as a confectionery shop – but it eventually turned into an old-school drug store before changing ownership in 1968. The business has remained in the hands of the same family ever since, and the joint is renowned for serving great burgers, thick shakes, and tasty ice creams. The pharmacy is no longer functional, sadly, but the space has been kept for the nostalgia factor.

Al’s French Frys first opened as a rural fry stand in the late 1940s. Over the years, numerous additions have turned it into a full restaurant with a loyal Vermont following. The fries are definitely still a selling point, but Al’s also serves burgers and dogs, chicken sandwiches, clam strips, and a selection of salads and wraps.

According to legend, Abe Doumar invented the waffle cone at the 1904 World’s Fair when he bought a waffle from one vendor and topped it with ice cream from another. Doumar transferred his idea to his own string of ice cream stands, which eventually grew into the family business that is Doumar’s Barbecue. Today, the restaurant still serves those famous hand-rolled waffle cones, as well as pork barbecue and hamburgers.

Burger joint Frisko Freeze opened in Tacoma in 1950 and is now so iconic that it's on the National Register of Historic Places (and it even sells its own merchandise). Not much has changed over the years; it still has a reassuringly old-school vibe, with a simple menu that always hits the spot and keeps generations of customers coming back for more. 

Coleman’s Fish Market set up shop in Coleman’s historic Old Centre Market in 1914 and remains one of West Virginia’s most beloved places to eat. It’s a functional fish market but, more importantly, it specializes in fried fish sandwiches, with the filets placed simply between two slices of white bread. They might be no-frills, but the constant line outside the shop is a testament to how utterly delicious they are.

Milwaukee stalwart Mazos started selling burgers way back in 1934 for just a nickel a piece. The price has nudged up a little over the last 90 years, but not much else has changed. It's been in its current location since 1948 and is still in the Mazos family. Here, customers can enjoy vintage interiors, shakes served in frosted malt cans, and burgers made from beef that's ground in house daily.

Since 1968, the Red Baron Drive-In in Afton has been offering locals and visitors a big serving of 1950s-style charm, along with classic fast food. The selection of cooked-to-order burgers and sandwiches is robust, with lots of special burger toppings and a nice range of fish and chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and specialty soft drinks. Keep in mind that this is a seasonal stop, typically closing at the end of September and reopening in the spring.

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Last updated by Natasha Lovell-Smith.