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My husband loves Krystal's which is in the Southeast but not everywhere in the Southeast. We just moved to Raleigh recently and they are not here. He is not happy. I personally do not think they are "all that" but whatever.

In Alabama there is a small hamburger chain called Milo's. They have a secret sauce they put on their burgers that is great! They also have great sweet tea and fries. I miss them. ; (

Whataburger - It's not my FAVE..but I'm not from Texas....so I probably don't truly get it. The food is more or less similar to other fast food joints with a little safe local flare.

@arm1970 and @huneybumper - I've heard of Krystal and seen them from the Interstate driving south from Charleston, WV but haven't tried them. From what I gather, it's southern White Castle?

Speaking of which, where are the White Castle fans? One of the only regional chains I know that's made the leap to Supermarket freezer sections.

@lawofmurphy - Again, I've seen Whataburgers in Dallas and Houston but have never stopped in to one.

@misterhee - Great googly-moogly, what are all those places? Menus, number of locations, general areas?

@Joyyy wanna trade? It must be the 5 guys we've got around here, but we tried them a few weeks ago and they were awful, the fries were limp and soggyand the burgers were very greasy. I'm hoping its just the local store. we'll have to try a different location.

@joyyy @huneybumper - i have several friends who rave about the five guys near them. never really had the full meal experience there, but i'll have to check it out next time i'm in dc.

as for In-N-Out, i have to say i thought it lived up to all the hype. my little sack of burgers was fantastic! though the company i had on that particular road trip made it fun too.

I'm a Californian, but it's the fast food in other places that come to mind:
Burgerville in Oregon, with their seasonal local specials (sweet potato fries in the fall, Hazelnut shakes in the winter.

Whataburger in the South, because they have fantastic graphics and chicken strips should always come with gravy and Texas Toast.

Waffle House - not technically fast food by your definition, but definitely fast.

Sonic (still considered local?), although the only things I like are slushies and tater tots.

Not a chain, but the drive-in near my grandparents house in Boise, Idaho is a key destination when we're in town. It's a drive-in only, no dining room, and the only thing that's changed since I was born is the prices. Budget Deluxe (burger), tater tots and a large Scotch and Soda, please. No, not real scotch - it's Sprite (7up?) with vanilla syrup and a wedge of lemon. Anyplace that still describes their burgers as "budget" is a classic in my mind!

Ahhh Taco John's. The best fast food Mexican in the world. They were created in Cheyenne, WY of all places. It's fantastic, one of the few fast food joints I definitely crave.

And there are still several towns in WY with an A&W, which always make me happy. The one in my town closed last year, but I know that Sheridan and Thermopolis both have them...

I'm the first WNY person to tell you about Ted's Hot Dogs...they don't have a drive thru, but I think they would be considered fast food. All of their locations are around Buffalo, NY except the one lonely location in Arizona!
http://www.tedsonline.com/

We also have Mighty Taco here too....standard taco fare....
http://www.mightytaco.com/

And of course...Tim Hortons, although I consider that more coffee than fast food.
I don't avoid fast food...in fact it's a closet addiction...I just try to control it to once a week as a treat.

@kitchengeeking - Yes, Krystal's is the southern version of White Castle. I always associated that place with drunken, late night drive thru runs.

@huneybumper - Where in the South are you?

We used to go to Roy Rogers when we were kids in PA. Apparently they're still around. My dad always told us we were eating Trigger. ; )

Definitely Taco Bueno and Taco Cabana (not sure if that one's national or not). I said earlier this week that I'm not so much into the 'fast food' anymore, but I do get a craving for some nasty food from there from time to time. And by nasty, I mean greasy, lard-laiden, and probably off the radar of most people on here. Big fat NO to Taco Bell.

We just got a Whataburger in my suburb, and I seriously thought my husband was going to flip out, he was so pumped. He used to do Whataburger Wednesdays at his last job. I got word from him that he went there today for lunch, for his inaugural visit. Dork....

Bojangles rocks - that's my husband's fave and unfortunately there's not one in Texas yet! My 2 are Whatabuger (triple meat jalapeno cheeseburger) and Taco Cabana (fajita nachos) - can't beat 'em...

I'm on board with Ted's Hot Dogs, that place is great! Alas, there is no White Castle in my neck of the woods...although those little frozen burgers in the grocery store help to satisfy that craving when it arises.

Aside from those, there are numerous fast food type Mexican places around here. Some are independent, others are part of very small chains with perhaps 2 or 3 locations citywide. Perhaps the largest would be Filiberto's, which has locations in CA and AZ. I love those places--crunchy tacos, refreshing horchata...the perfect antidote for those who may have hit the tequila a little too hard the night before...not that I would know anything about that.

Also, Taco Tote in Texas.

Where I live (1.5 hours away from Toronto, Canada), there's a chain called Fast Eddie's. It's kind of a joke to some, and subject to lots of strange rumors, but people continue to eat there. Only people from surrounding cities/towns seem to know about this chain.

They don't have "fries with gravy" they have "Beefy Fries", and instead of chili cheese fries they have "Crazy Fries". At one point they were offering a coupon for 10 cent burgers.

@Chew - Dunkin' Donuts may get a pass on the drive-thru guideline, but I think I've seen them? I live out of Dunkin' world these days. I'm in the world of Donut Connections, which really are just NOT as good.

A few local chains we like here in L.A.:
Zankou Chicken - rotisserie chicken and a few other things. The garlic "sauce" is amazing. Worth a visit if you are coming through Los Angeles, there is a brand new one located at Santa Monica & Sepulveda.

Sharkey's - organic mex. Not the greatest but very convenient. The black beans are very good.

In - N - Out - yummy and convenient.

I second the Sonic shoutout. It's only a short drive to get my favorite diet cherry limeade with actual cherry included! I like how they also sell decent salads, and their cheesy tv commercials are moderately funny too.

I'm a native Angeleno and I have to say, I never understood the appeal of In-N-Out. There's one up the street from my house that is PACKED at all times of day, but it's especially bad around 10 or 11 p.m. on weekends. That place gets slammed.

I can't believe no one has mentioned King Taco! My dad and I used to eat at the one in East L.A., but now they have them all over the Los Angeles area. They have excellent carne asada burritos, but carne asada burritos are kind of hard to screw up.

My boyfriend is a southern boy and we spend a lot of time together in Alabama. I've never understood why fast food chains are named differently out there. Here we have Carls Jr., there it's called Hardees. I guess White Castle and Krystal are the same thing, too. I've developed a thing for Omelet Shop and Waffle House. I didn't understand those places at first, like why do they have such generic names and why are their signs always missing letters? It's great, greasy diner food, though.

Also, from what I understand from a Texas friend, Whataburger's a total southern thing. That being said, they had one in Phoenix when I lived there and I didn't think much of it. I've had it in Alabama as well as it was so-so.

Sonic is unbeatable for their cherry limeade and grape creme slush. Their $1 ice cream cone is huge. Pickle-Os, their breaded and battered deep fried dill pickle slices, were pretty tasty.

Steak N Shake is all right. Their drive-thru still feels weird. I like their skinny fries. Their $4 burger with fries meal is a cheap way to make me full for an entire day.

Church's and Popeyes are probably in every state...

When I'm back home...
Jack in the Box tacos are...different. Never ate their burgers. Too bad they're only in the western US. I was ecstatic when Burger King ripped off their tacos. Unfortunately, it was for a very limited time.

L&L Drive-In is great. They don't have a drive-thru, but with no indoor seating at the one I would go to, you ordered through a small window, and eat at eye level with tailpipes if you want to "dine in," or do what most ppl do, throw it in the car and eat it at the beach. They have the best plate lunches for cheap -- 2 scoops rice, 1 scoop macaroni salad + barbecue chicken, beef, and ribs all in one plate in less than 3 minutes...faster than McD or Burger King. I miss the laulau and kalua pig plate lunch, as well as their loco moco. :(

Bojangles is hands down the best. sweet tea and biscuits.. French fries with special seasoning... oh man. Not to mention their chicken. Sonic is too commercialized for me to really enjoy it. Although they do have good cherry limeades. Biscuitville is great. 5 Guys is really good too. Has anyone mentioned Steak n' Shake or Cookout? They're definitely regional specialties but their milkshakes and malts are so good!

@Vanillapudding99 I totally mentioned cookout! Their shakes are super good...

So I'm an Oregonian and I totally get the cyberroo posts... However, we also have this place called "Cafe Yumm!". It's focus is mainly healthy, fresh food. Not entirely veg but definitely veg-friendly. They're known for "Yumm Sauce". Again not my favorite place in town but under time constraints I wouldn't go to any other fast-food type place...

Cafe Yumm! is soo soo good. ^^
Burgerville is even better - imho. 'course, I love meat too.
The fries come from ID potatoes. The hazelnuts for the shakes come from OR, the strawberries for the fresh S. shakes come from a farm very near me, the oinions for the rings come from Walla Walla WA, the cheese for the burgers comes from Tillamook - NW OR shore, the yukon gold fries come from ID, the pumpkin for the fall shakes are from Corvallis, OR, and so thi list goes.
Honestly, I have never seen a chain, much less fast food chain, with such an emphasis on local/regional food.

And now that we have mentioned Bugerville and CY, I will have a hard time deciding where to eat tomorrow when I am out... O wait, There is no B in the town I am going to. Yay. One less decision to make. :)

Do subs count? I grew up on Jreck subs, a northern NY chain that has a few locations in CNY now. They're soooo much better than Subway. There's just something about the roll and the quality of the meats and cheeses that make them one of my favorite places to stop on the road when traveling back home.

@BobbieAnne - There was an Arthur Treacher's in Syracuse when I was there 8 years ago.

Gosh, Philly seems to be totally slacking on the regional fast food! Qdoba, home to the most amazing burritos ever (Chipotle has nothing on them) is the only thing I can think of.

cyberroo - My mom and aunt worked at the original Taco Time, and grew up with the family. She moved out to the midwest when she and my dad got married, but she'll still fry up some burritos for us from time to time...

And yes, Culver's is darn good. Their fried cod sandwich is remarkable for a fast-food experience, and their version of the patty melt is, too. Do yourself a favor and get a banana malt with extra powder.

@annabanannas

I'm not sure Qdoba is regional...I know we have one here in Dallas.

In Seattle the real regional institution is Dick's Drive-In for real french fries and an honest 1950's vintage inexpensive hamburger. Can't beat their vanilla shakes either; makes a good dip for your fries ;~D
I gotta go with Taco Time too although it has nothing in common with real Mexican food. I've seen a couple of citations regarding their Crispy Beef Burrito but as a poor teen, I opted for the cheaper Bean Burrito. That out of the way, the real reason to go to Taco Time is their Mexi-Fries. They're a Tater-Tot with a Tex-Mex spice blend dusted on them that defies duplication in my kitchen at least. Yes, everything is served up with a bazillion plastic cups of hot sauce that is uniquely theirs. Many a late nights I've spent driving up to Taco Time to ease the cravings of my family...

@seikel - you're in oklahoma too I guess. It seems to be rather common for people who actually live here to see Sonic for the nasty fast food slingers they are. I would rather go hungry than eat their food. :X

Chicken Express - yay chicken tenders!

In central NY state we\ve had a number of local favorites that tried to morph into regional chains and none succeeded other than Carroll's Drive-In - a fast food hamburger joint that competed with McDonalds. They saw the writing on the wall many years ago and turned all their locations into Burger King - for whom they are now the largest single franchisee.

Heid's Hot Dogs - another local institution - tried to expand and franchise nationally but their efforts die early (the original location still thrives).

The one that fascinates me is Sal's Birdland. They serve their wings only in whole form - never segmented - and the Sal's Sassy Sauce is truly addicting. It's got heat, sweetness and flavor and tastes like a fruity version of Eastern Carolina vinegar based BBQ sauce mixed with some Matouk's. They got up to three or four location with plans to go regional or even national but are now down to one location that limps along. That said - their sauce still sells well regionally and every local grocery features it prominently.

http://www.salsbirdland.com/sassysauce.html

We've got a couple of things that fit the bill here in Baton Rouge(other than previously mentioned Whataburger and Sonic would be Cane's...its a chicken finger place that had about 6 stores in the area when I moved down about 10 years ago...now they're up to around 50 locations..mostly still in Louisiana..though a few are popping up in college towns across the country and even in Las Vegas. Try the sauce!!! We also have CC's coffee shops...this is the first thing I miss when I'm travelling...no substitution until I can find a good local place...though I did enjoy Dunkin Donuts more than I thought I would when working in the NE.

Not sure if it's a southern thing, but when I lived in north MS the favorite local chicken finger place was Abner's, then when I moved to Mobile it was Foosackly's and a couple others, south MS had it's own favorite local chicken finger place, and now in Baton Rouge it's Raisin' Cane's -- @brickh - CC's coffee shops are great, though no one seems to know how to properly froth milk at the one I go to. Also, didn't realize Sonic was considered "local", I've been getting their tater tots for years although I was disappointed last time because they tasted like small scoops of deep-fried mashed potatos. But not in a good way.

And hey, someone talk to me about Red Robin. I've seen their ads here in West Virginia but I've never seen a store...It looks like they're everywhere on the map based on their website.

I love Sonic for their half price drinks during happy hour....I always get a cherry limeade with extra cherry syrup. And Braums has the best burgers...they are HUGE and very filling, plus I love their crinkle cut fries. We used to have a Bojangles but they closed it down....they had great iced tea!

Forgot to mention A&W

Togos comes to mind in California for a "local fast food" sandwich shop. They were better in the 70's with the big menu board on the wall, but I still go there when I want their turkey and avo sandwich or the beloved #9 (hot pastrami). They just seem too "corporate" now, but I'll still always love them.

Local to Santa Cruz area... Jacks Burgers. So good. And Taqueria Vallarta for their super burrittos.

One that I haven't seen mentioned which is local to California mostly is Wienerschnitzel. They sell hot dogs and more importantly, mini corn dogs.

I'd give my kingdom to have a Tim Hortons anywhere close to me.

@hkydiva - I drove by a Wienerschnitzel once. But I was on my way to my first In-N-Out burger experience and got a little jumpy. Next time I'll do both!

The [primarily] Tennessean victor -- Mrs. Winner's!

Oh, and I thought it was just a KY thing (where I'm from), but Zaxby's is more regional that I thought!

The quality varies markedly from one store to the next, but I'd place Whataburger as number one and Dairy Queen as number two. If you count call-ahead and walk in, Chili's hands down the best.

@annabannas and janaatwg: I'm outside of Pittsburgh and I don't know of any regional fast food chains in the area, either. At least not limited to just Pennsylvania. If the East Coast counts as a region, maybe Sonic counts? Five Guys?

However, when I did live in the Bay Area, I loved going to Lee's Sandwiches and L&L Hawaiian BBQ. Getting a ca phe su da and fresh shrimp rolls from Lee's and loganisa/rice/eggs from L&L are things I miss.

There are locations in Phoenix though...maybe I need to head up towards Los Angeles, Jr. ;-)

@kitchengeeking: I was thinking Sonic was a national chain.

Sheetz didn't come up with the order-at-your-car concept first?! I didn't know Wawa did! There are no Wawas near me in western PA. The last one I went to was in Delaware. There aren't Wawas in West Virginia, right?

Man, there's a lot, for a few different regions:

--White Castle; most people I know constantly rip on them, but man I love WC.

--Rocky Rococo; possibly the only pizza chain that's any good. Although I guess some people would say it's too crusty to be pizza (not me). Actually, not sure if these are still around anymore, or if they're too scarce to consider a chain anymore.

--Harold's Chicken; really, any place that has fried okra is okay in my book. Harold's also has great chicken.

--Taco Cabana; just some tortillas and some queso from here is a perfect meal.

--Del Taco; okay, maybe this one isn't so good, but I dig their green sauce.

--Maid Rite; maybe I just like this because the one I went to had chewing gum all over the outside of the building. How cool is that?

--Hardee's/Carl's Jr; not sure what it is about these that make them a notch above Wendy's, but they've got something going on.

--Weinerschnitzel and A&W; they both serve corndogs, so they're both awesome.

Forgot about Ward's in south Mississippi -- at least that's the only place I've seen it. They have wonderful biscuits and sausage gravy, perfect hangover food.

I totally agree with @Karee about Togo's. They make the best hummus sandwich with hearty bread and a THICK layer of hummus. I keep looking for another sandwich shop to get that awesome hummus sandwich fix but have not yet been victorious.

i miss A&W. they had some in vermont and new york that used to serve the root beer in glass mugs. now the only ones i see are in malls or rest stops and serve in paper cups.

A&W used to be great back in the day when you drove up and they came out and put a tray in your car window. Nowadays it has been reduced to gas station off Highways, combined with Green Burrito or something like that. Sad. The food and rootbeer were really great back in the 70s, and the rootbeer floats were quite good, as well.

@DaveFaris: My sister had a Crisp & Juicy addiction when she was pregnant with her daughter! We'd go to one in a strip mall near her house in MD. The roasted chicken is the big draw, of course, but the yucca fries are terrific. Love that aji verde salsa, too.

Canadian Licks (around Toronto mostly) is outstanding. The best chilidog ever.

@DaveFaris, there is a Sonic coming to No VA, they've been looking at possible sites. (Saw that in print somewhere). I've been waiting a long time for this.

That's great news, chanterelle -- for everything but my waistline. I like the watermelon cream smoothies the best, but their burgers are top-notch, too. When I was in Huntsville, recently, I brought my brother to one for lunch, and he couldn't believe the carhop service with the rollerskates.

@BobbieAnne : I miss, miss, MISS Arthur Treacher's--do they exist anywhere anymore? I have one not more than a mile away from my house, on Rt. 1 in Alexandria, VA. I've only been, maybe, twice in the last 10 years though. It's just can't justify a meal where everything is deep fried anymore.

cooking monster

Raising Canes Chicken Tenders - that's all they serve. It's great. Like an In and Out for chicken strips. Interesting enough it's actually pretty good. Not sure how many there are around the country. The one I've been too is in South East Texas north of Houston (The Woodlands).

Rubio's fish tacos (etc.). HQ'd in San Diego, where I experienced my first fish taco at Rubios #1 around 1984. They've branched out considerably since then, as far away as Denver I believe. But really, I don't very much like any chain. Mass-produced fast-food sucks.

@eriorrenna Yes.. sonic is pretty gross guys, all floppy unseasoned burgers, all lettuce always falling out, all smelly fried things. Drink are good, however. Cherry Limeaids are something i'm a fan of. Even the ice cream there is yuk. all pieces of ice in it. :(

I am seconding PDXBiker with Skyline. I have to go at least once every time I go to Cincinnati. Coneys are amazing. I also grew up in the Philadelphia area and I say Wawa counts! Their hoagies are the best! Basically imagine being able to get a really good quality made-to-order sandwich at any 7-11 and make it cleaner, and that's Wawa.

we have baja fresh....the black beans and black salsa are outstanding
el pollo loco......flame grilled mexican chicken
and in-n-out.....yum!
the college in town, cal poly, has a chik-fil-a on campus but we've never been

@many - Chik-Fil-As must be nationwide now, they're all over the east coast, north and south...

Whataburger (or as i call them waterburger) is a really good place, I like the chopped onion and the fact that you can get jalapenos on them! Plus they are huge!

@TeriN: Yup, it was Greenville all right. To be honest, it was only the one visit, and that's the only time I've seen a Maid Rite. So I'm hardly a loose-meat-sandwich expect or anything, but that one visit was more than enough to make me a fan.

Chicken Express! I think they're only in the south, but here in Texas they have awesome chicken tenders, but even better is the sweet tea. And they have "Dublin Dr. Pepper", Dr. Pepper made with cane sugar and not corn syrup, straight from Dublin, TX!

@ hkydiva - OMG! We used to have a Weinerschnitzel here in Wisconsin YEARS ago. My family ate there alot and we were devastated when they closed. I never knew it was a chain restaurant. I still remember the A frame building with it's green lights.

I am agreeing with all the Portillo's votes. I can never get enough of them.

Here in Milwaukee I nominate two local chains. Kopp's which blows Culver's out of the water as far as frozen custard and butter burgers are concerned. Culver's is just embarrassing themselves here. Also Suburpia Subs. Oh so good. They give you the sub right in a plastic bag without wrapping it. Totally janky.

I thought of a 'kinda' regional joint. It is Capriotti's. Or it was regional until it landed in Vegas. There must be 20 stores around here in the DE. and Pa area. Family is from here. They must have liked the shows and fun in Vegas!

Not sure if anyone's still monitoring this thread, but I thougth I'd chime in about Seattle.

Radish: You're right, Ezell's has the best fried chicken anywhere. I work in downtown Seattle, and we have them cater our office lunch functions once in a while.

As for Dick's I think you have to have been born here to "get it." I moved here about 20 years ago, and a friend insisted we go there immediately. It tasted like every other fast-food hamburger I've ever had. Not impressed.

For quick lunches, I like the fast-food fish taco chains we have up here - Blue Water Taco and Taco del Mar. Blue Water is my favorite.

I lived in Columbus, OH for a few years, and have since moved back east, to Boston, MA.

While I'm thrilled to be back in the land of Dunkin Donuts (Tim Horton's coffee is absolute crap, their donuts are very mediocre, and their apple fritter is awful, espeically in comparison to the lovely apple filled at DD), I admit to missing Steak n Shake. . . DH and I would end up there after a show or other outing, and would get two different melts and share 'em. . .shoestring fries. . .and really good malteds. . .

Oh, and Waffle House. . . it's difficult to get good grits up here in New England. . .

@Martini Me: I'm with you on Kopp's being better than Culvers in terms of custard (more butterfat!), but I personally have to go with Culvers for burgers and fish sandwiches. Kopp's burgers are always so goopy and fall-apart-y when I eat them. It never occurred to me to consider Kopp's a chain... I guess three locations qualifies it.

Do they still have Ground Rounds, Bennigan's or Perkins anywhere?

@bgwell - them is fightin' words to a Canadian - we have Tim Horton's on every street corner, coast to coast - I have been to a couple of American franchises especially along 1-75 in Ohio - please do not discount Timmie's until you try one in Canada! It doesn't taste the same.