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tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption
CHAIN -- Freddy's
Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Steak n Shake tried to sue Burger King a few years ago over its use of the phrase "steakburger" in their then new Angus burger line. Steak n Shake has used the slogan "Famous for Steakburgers" for years. They were unsuccessful. Burger King wasn't alone. A few lesser known homegrown restaurants and regional chains have been making what they call "steakburgers" all along. More recently, it's been used by a startup out of Wichita called Freddy's Frozen Custard, who in 2009 added "Steakburgers" to the store names with their new logo in sort of a rebranding. I don't know why they didn't just do that in the first place...Steakburgers was Freddy's whole deal. Frederick (Freddy) Simon, an accountant by trade, used to make his own "steakburger" for family and friends in the 1950's. When his sons decided to get in the restaurant business in 2002, they decided Dad's steakburger would nicely compliment their custard business. So while the custard might be front and center in the brand, Freddy was the guy behind the burgers. Fred Simon, now in his 80's, is still around and is involved in the business, regularly showing up at store openings wearing his trademark shirt emblazoned with the words "I AM FREDDY". His appearances are probably far more boring than the one I envisioned where a senile old man angrily swings his cane at patrons who ask him about his custard as he shouts "I don't know anything about no stinking custard!" The burgers are made with thin patties quick seared, so they're really hot and juicy. The buns are standard non-sesame seed hamburger buns buttered and toasted the way God intended. There are two main burger styles…the "Original Freddy", a double topped Texas-style with mustard (no ketchup or mayo), as well as with long pickle slices and onion...and the "California Style", with lettuce, tomato, and "Freddy Sauce" on the bottom, and a full slice of onion on top. Sound familiar? Yes, the California Style is an In-N-Out copycat. It's not identical…Freddy's shreds their lettuce and puts the onion on top of the patty…but it just might keep you from getting a cheap Allegiant ticket to Vegas and taking a cab to Dean Martin Drive to satisfy a craving. You may even consider it BETTER than In-N-Out. Either way, they're great burgers, some of the best you'll find. The Original Freddy double is actually my favorite burger currently, though I'll admit to adding ketchup to the bottom bun. They can be a little heavily seasoned depending on location, but they're hot, fresh, and excellent. All burgers are available as single, double, or triple patties. Make sure you get at least two patties. One just doesn't cut it for flavor. There's a chili cheeseburger, veggie burger, and patty melt available too. The menu also includes hot dogs. Freddy's uses Vienna Beef brand dogs. You can get one standard, foot long, Chicago style, or as a chili dog. The chili is also available in a cup on its own. The chili is NOT 'me' approved (meaning I don't care for it). The fries are seasoned shoestring cuts served hot out of the fryer. They are fantastic. You can get them topped with chili and/or cheese, but there's no need to. There's also onion rings and chicken tenders. Then, of course, there's frozen custard. You can get a base vanilla or chocolate and get sundaes, concretes (think Blizzard here), shakes, malts, or cones with your choice of toppings or mix-ins as they apply. It's perfectly good custard. Building décor gives the impression they get their furniture and menu boards from the same people Maid-Rite does, but the overall color scheme is brighter. There's a heavy bend on making store history look like the chain has been around a lot longer than it has. The premise is that they're trying to emphasize their food as being the way "it used to be". The ones I've been to have always been doing an insane amount of business. Hopefully, we'll see Freddy's going up all over the Midwest. Or maybe I just need to move to Wichita. Between being the home of Freddy's, Taco Tico, Spangles, and the Warren Theaters, not to mention the founding home of White Castle, I can forgive Wichita for Pizza Hut and live happily ever after. Click here to return to tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption |
