Chapter Twenty - Honorable Mentions

CHAPTER TWENTY

Honorable Mentions

LET’S BE HONEST: there are just too many damn restaurants to cover. But some places deserve at least a name drop, a raised eyebrow of respect, or a nod from across the food court. So here’s to the underappreciated, the half-remembered, the "oh yeah, that place!" joints that fed me and shaped me without quite earning their own full chapter.

IHOP and Denny’s. Look, I’ve only had them a few times. Denny’s was fun as a kid. I remember a few solid breakfasts. IHOP... well, they did that weird burger rebrand thing, and honestly, it threw me off. I don’t know if I ever recovered from it. Plus, nobody ever says, “Let’s go to IHOP.” It just doesn’t happen.

Culver’s. Culver’s is great. I really don’t have a reason why this isn’t its own chapter. It just ended up here. Their food’s solid, I love their options, and they have this buttery comfort thing going on that hits just right. When I was landscaping, there was a Culver’s right near one of the jobs. Every time I watered those plants, I’d go there for lunch. It was a ritual. A vibe. Culver’s is a vibe.

Steak ’n Shake. Oh man, this one’s nostalgic. It used to be my go-to spot as a kid. Great prices, killer milkshakes, and those thin fries? Criminally underrated. But it changed. It shifted. What used to feel like a cool diner to chill in slowly morphed into something... fast. A little too fast. Like you’re not supposed to stay. You’re supposed to order and vanish. It lost something. Still love it, though.

Panda Express. I mean, it’s alright. I don’t dislike Panda, I just don’t crave it. It’s like Chinese food in a tracksuit. It’s fast, gets the job done, but there’s not much soul behind it. Great if you need a quick bite, but I’ve never once thought, “Wow, that was the best orange chicken I’ve ever had.”

Five Guys. Oh, Five Guys. Listen: if I was loaded, I’d eat you every week. The food? Incredible. The price tag? Also incredible for different reasons. Greasy in a way that feels intentional, almost like a love letter to carnivores. And the fries? They dump half the field in your bag. Bless them. But this isn’t the book where I can afford to write that chapter. That’s for Book 35: Dining on a Dream Budget.