There was a local paper that had coupons that showed five burgers for 25 cents! Of course this was back in the 50's
The cheapest I can remember was 11 cents each. In the 60s, we'd pool our money at parties and send someone out for White Castles. At almost a hundred for $10, everybody could chow down.
I recall those belly bombs. We also had a similar place called Little Tavern. "Buy 'Em By The Bag!" What a great ad for an eatery. Makes one think of horses. Years ago there was one of those nth generation mimeographs circulating that had a whole bunch of reversed recipes for fast food items: KFC chicken (it was labor-intensive but a great recipe), Wendy's chili, and White Castle burgers. The secret to the burgers is the inclusion of liver. 1# burger + 1/4# liver = The Perfect Belly Bomb. The problem is that no place will grind liver for you, so I would chop it, then puree it in a food processor, then mix it with the burger. It's the real deal. As Nancy said, make them slider-sized. And don't forget to saute finely minced onions to put on top.
Sliders, gut bombs, grease pills, etc. Loved them when I was a kid back in the 50s. Last year, I saw some in the super marked and got a box to celebrate my old age and being able to remember what they were. The first two tasted good, a little like old times. Next day, the third didn't taste so good and the forth tasted like crap. I threw the rest away.
That's pretty funny. I have a long list of such "rapidly diminishing marginal utility" experiences regarding the pleasing things of my youth (like 3 Stooges episodes.)
I have never had a White Castle. I guess that should go on my bucket list. I remember as a kid in the 60's, a burger chain called Burger Chef sold burgers for 15 cents. There was also a taco place called Taco Rey that sold tacos 15 for $1.
Yes indeed I did love the White Castles but the one thing that always stands out in my brain is the smell and taste of those greasy, wrapped in wax paper hamburgers with a frosty mug of root beer after going to the outdoor theater. Today’s Sonics are alright I guess but nothing like the old A&W stands. Yup….I can smell them now!
The Kangaroo Meat business was booming back then ;0) Houston had a little place on the corner of Berry Rd and Jensen Drive, it was Prices and in the early fifties it was 10 burgers for a dollar. Later that building became a Popeye's Fried Chicken and finally closed, the building was razed and I have no idea if there has been anything built to replace it. Probably not since Kangaroo is not very popular here in the USA. I had a good friend there in Houston who was a school teacher in the 40s and she had another old family friend in his 90s. He had invested in a flock of Emu s on his farm. She ask him if they ate a lot and he told her " they eat aaaaa lottt !!!" He was trying to make it to 100 and died just short of 100. I try to remember every conversation with close friends.
Funny, I was recently recalling some of the fad meats we've all seen spin through...emu, ostrich, beefalo, even rattlesnake. All those folks who knew nothing about critters were investing in "the ground floor." I wonder how much money was lost. Regarding kangaroo meat and legacy drive ins...that's why servers were called Car Hops
On the opposing side, cost wise, we have the Fleurburger which is the world’s most expensive burger. $5000 and I think the fries come with the price. In one ad they wrote that a bottle of champagne comes with it and in another it said that the bottle cost an additional $2,500. Whether the champagne comes with it or not, anyone crazy enough to buy ANYTHING with that much truffle and truffle oil in it has got to have their taste buds and brain sooooo twisted that 5K doesn’t mean anything anyway. https://www.luxuo.com/lifestyle/gastronomy/5000-hamburger-the-fleurburger.html
I've never tried White Castle burgers. We were going to stop once, on our way to visit my hometown, but the line was too long so we opted for something else instead. I did buy frozen White Castle burgers, which are available in the grocery store, but they were kind of gross. While we didn't have a White Castle when I lived in Michigan, a regional chain by the name of Chip's, which was owned by someone who used to play with the Green Bay Packers, I think, opened a place in Menominee, Michigan, and sold 16-cent burgers. They were regular-sized burgers, though, and I thought they were very good. They closed soon after a McDonald's opened across the street.
There is a Checkers opening up near me soon. I've never been to one, or to Sonic, or to Shake Shack. We're also getting a Waffle House to compete with the lethargic low-quality IHOP that has always sucked well before I moved here in 2010. I hope it gets put out of its misery so something worthwhile can take over the spot. This is exciting stuff around here.