Back in college in North Dakota, I first encountered White Castle on a bitterly cold January Friday night. A bunch of students from Chicago decided they’d gone long enough without “sliders”. A few of them decided they’d undertake the sixteen-hour one-way trip back to Chi to get some, and maybe bring some back. Helpfully, a Minneapolis kid told them there were Castles in the Twin Cities, cutting the trip in much less than half. So they took off, around 11PM. And came back early the next afternoon, happy.
There are two morals to that story:
- College kids in North Dakota in the 1980’s who didn’t have girlfriends or parties on the agenda could go really stir crazy.
- White Castle generates incredible customer loyalty.
One of my English professors, Dr. Brucker, had White Castle as a hobby. He somehow had wangled a subscription to the White Castle in-house magazine, and knew more White Castle trivia than anyone seemed to need.
I didn’t actually eat one myself until I moved to the Twin Cities. The Sunday after I moved into my first apartment, not far off of East Lake Street, I wandered up to Lake and 36th, and saw the white tile cube, and figured it was worth a try.
I ordered four cheese sliders and a coke, and sat down. A few moments later, as I was waiting for my order, a big fella – probably 6’2 and 350 pounds – walked in and loudly and sloppily proclaimed “I just got paid! Gimme thirty sliders and a large Coke!”. As I sampled my first sliders – yum! – I watched, just a tad amazed, as the big guy bolted the whole order down and staggered up the street.
Thanksgiving Dinner, in some parts of Chicago.
And back when I was producing the Don Vogel show? We marked all major celebrations – good ratings books, last days before fun vacations, whatever – with Don flipping me a $20 and sending me to the ‘Castle on White Bear Avenue for sliders and scabs for the whole crew.
Anyway – White Castle just turned 90:
The restaurant chain, famous for its original sliders, first opened its doors March 10, 1921, in Wichita, Kan. The now Columbus, Ohio-based company is family-owned and does not franchise. It also owns its own meat production facilities and bakeries to ensure quality control.
“White Castle is proud to be 90 years young,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president of corporate and government relations. “Since 1921, White Castle has remained true to its original mission and values. Our name says it all — White signifying purity and Castle signifying strength and permanence.”
I do about 1-2 trips a year to White Castle. One thing that has changed; 25 years ago, it used to be entertaining to watch the guys behind the grill stuffing sliders into the little cardboard boxes like Las Vegas card dealers, banging through a couple a second. I haven’t seen that in a long time…
Anyway – gassy-but-happy America salutes you, White Castle!
“a big fella – probably 6’2 and 350 pounds – walked in and loudly and sloppily proclaimed “I just got paid! Gimme thirty sliders and a large Coke!”. As I sampled my first sliders – yum! – I watched, just a tad amazed, as the big guy bolted the whole order down”
Needless to say, his heart, and several other organs were not donated to a needed person when he died at the age of 39.
» College kids in North Dakota in the 1980′s who didn’t have girlfriends or parties on the agenda could go really stir crazy.”
Or guys in the military with no girlfriends!
I also like sliders. I introduced them to a friend that was visiting from CA a few years back. Needless to say (and much to his wife’s chagrin) on his way from the airport, he always goes through the White Castle on 95th & Lyndale in Bloomington, before he goes to his in-law’s house!
I usually go to a White Castle a couple of times a year and get an order of chicken rings with a couple of sliders to go. As far as fast food goes, they’re one of the few places that still make crinkle fries. The onion peels are pretty good too.
The genius of the White Castle Slider: Poke holes through the patty so the steam can cook them quickly and evenly. Add onions and American cheese (pepper jack if you’re adventurous), warm bun and low cost. It’s an occasional treat that is beyond words.
McDonalds and Burger King never got their own movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366551/
In the mid 80’s I worked with two other displaced Chicago boys in Cali.
After reminising one afternoon, I called a Porcelain Palace on Halsted St & asked how we could get a bunch of sliders to Oakland; pronto.
She hooked my up with WC’s delivery service out of Omaha (I think) & $40 and two days later we received a styrofoam box full of those beauties in dry ice. (Yes, they were in the boxes)
Bewildered native californians that circled our feast were sternly rebuked…they were not worthy!
During my high school varsity basketball days back in St. Louis during the mid-60’s, WC sliders was the meal of choice before every home bball game. Ironically, I now visit the WC in St. Louis Park about once a month. One thing, though, I’m not familiar with the term “scabs” as relates to the WC menu. Please elaborate.
In the early ’80s I lived in an efficiency apartment across from the Lake and Nicollet WC (I’m referring to the restaurant, not the Brit term for bathroom) in Minneapolis. Late summer nights with the windows open (no a/c in the efficiency), the steamy smells of meat, onions and bread would waft across the street into my place as the crew geared up for the after bar-closing rush. It was tantalizing indeed.
I may only hit the Aluminum Room once or twice a year now, but I like sliders. There’s nothing more American than providing a value product at a value price and White Castle should be respected for ruling its niche without apology. I’ll grab a couple of sliders now the same way I’ll mix in a PBR or a Busch every so often.
I just never understood the appeal of steamed hamburgers. I can’t think of a way to get less flavor out of meat.
The Maillard reaction is your friend.
Andrew, I think the trick is the onions–just like at Chez Mac, also not known for getting much out of the beef they use. Come to think of it, there are any number of places that don’t get much out of beef–Maid-Rite is another cult favorite that comes to mind.
Psst, Andy: the appeal is it tastes good. I know it defies logic, but there it is.
McDonalds and Burger King never got their own movie.
McDonalds did… not for the right reasons though
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390521/
And back in the days of the Don Vogel show, sliders were 29 cents at the White Bear/Iowa location. I don’t know what they are today so I’m probably going to have to order some tonight to find out.
I think its like $4.50 for a pack of 10
Back in the olden days, Ben, socialists would make fun of the fancy food the aristocrats ate while they praised the cheap, simple, hardy fare of the workers.
These days the socialists more openly despise the working class they crave to rule.
swiftee;
I hear you!
When moved from LA to Houston, Tx in 1981, I met a Ohio native that worked for Kroger there. He mentioned that he was going up to Kroger HQ for meetings and asked him if he could bring some back? He did not disappoint, bringing back an Igloo cooler full of them.
The barbeque and TexMex addicted crowd in my neighborhood, reacted the same way as I sat on my porch one Saturday afternoon with a stack of them and a cold Lone Star beer.
A popular annual event is White Castle on Valentines Day. You can commemorate the anniversary of the sentencing of five of the six members/associates of the Symbionese Liberation Army (the feds wouldn’t let James Kilgore attend that day) for the murder of of Myrna Opsahl, a mother of four shotgunned while depositing the church collections.
Oh yeah, White Castle also decorates their dining rooms with tablecloths and candle light for (my idea of) a romantic candlelight dinner. Very popular! http://www.whitecastle.com/cravers/valentine/72157626068835511
Back in the 1970’s White Castle use to give out their “house organ” magazine (actual name as I recall). I would pick up a couple of copies for work and home. One article explained that thye had the “slider” nutritionally analized and found with minor modifications it and water could provide a complete balanced meal where a child could just eating “sliders” would grow up with proper nutrition. They modified it (I think adding calcium or something like that).
In the “house organ” White Castle was always touting it’s retirement program. In the 1970’s this was “gallows humor”. A couple of years ago I was at a McDonalds waiting in line at the indoor Redbox. The guy behind me was a White Castle “lifer” who was going to retire within a year. I think he was in charge with refrigeration systems. Anyway he said he would get a generous defined benefit pension.
I asked him about some of those employees, mostly lower education women who became White Castle lifers. He seemed to know the ones I was referring to. They are also in line for a good defined pension commensurates with their earnings history.
In my younger years, I could easily put 10 sliders away. Nowadays, 6 is my limit, 8 for dinner if I haven’t eaten anything for lunch.
The chicken rings are awesome.
I love that they have card scanners outside the drive thru windows so you can scan your card yourself. Much quicker, and for better for paranoid folk.
Wait, Bill – don’t you know that information collected from fast-food card scanners is going directly to Ms. Obama?
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This article motivated me to buy a few. Tasty! They made then the way I like them with extra mustard but no catsup.
If people gripe about not having a pension tell them they should have chose White Castle as a career.