The Return of the "What-a-burger" Blog

If you are reading this off my actual blog at theelderstatesman.blogspot.com then you have noticed that I'm posting this a little late. If you are reading this on facebook then you will notice nothing. The truth is that I been traveling for the past twenty-four hours and didn't have time to create a new post for today. Hence, I am bringing back one of my old favorites. Considering I have traveled someplace where there is no Whataburger, this seems appropriate.

"I have just indulged in one of my weaknesses. It is perhaps the greatest feeling in the world. Possible, it could be a cure for depression, boredom, and most importantly…hunger. It is one of the few places that still offers to serve it “just like you like it” without taking an eternity to make it. It is a Mecca for late night drinkers and all hours workers. It transcends cultural and economic boundaries. The only fast food place I go to on a regular basis where the buns taste fresh and delicious. It is where they push the taste envelope with sandwiches that include peppercorn ranch dressing or, dare I say it, A-1 Thick and Hearty sauce. The only place that I will wait for the 11:00PM breakfast switch over, just to go. Literally a piece of heaven on earth, this is the place where I would go if I could choose the place I would go to when I die. I’m talking about Whataburger. Some, who are in to the brevity thing, refer to it as W-burger. But, if you truly revere the atmosphere, the food, and the history, then you have to say the whole name.

Whataburger was established almost 60 years ago, yet it is still relevant today. Whataburger is a Texas tradition, and if you believe it, a landmark in some small Texas towns. It’s a tradition, need I say more. The first Whataburger was founded in 1950 by Harmon Dobson on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, Texas. He had a simple goal, to serve a burger so big that it took two hands to hold and so good that with one bite customers would say, “What a burger!” He succeeded on both accounts and turned that one little burger stand into a legend known throughout Texas and the South (taken directly from the Whataburger website). More than half a century later, with Harmon’s son, Tom, at the company helm, Whataburger still remains family-owned and operated. Employees at Whataburger are even referred to as Family Members and it is the privilege and promise of each and every one to uphold the tradition that Harmon began. So now with more than 700 Whataburger restaurants across ten states, road-trippers and hometown folks alike continue gathering under the big orange and white roofs for the fresh made to order burgers and friendly service. You need only ask yourself one question, “Do I love Whataburger enough to sport some Whataburger gear?” if you do, then you can go to the Whatastore on the website and order shirts, hats, mugs, and computer/home accessories. I am trying to decide which shirt to buy.

How pronounced is the love for Whataburger? Ask my friend Fernando, who came into town last weekend from Atlanta. There are no Whataburgers in Atlanta. So what is one of the things he said he had to do while he was here? Go to Whataburger, of course. I went with him one time, but I didn’t ask how many other times he went while here. If I had to guess, I’d venture to say three. He was only here three days. Or how about this example…there are no Whataburgers near my house. I have to travel at least fifteen minutes in one of three directions to get to one. I do it…at least once a week. And let’s not forget my other Whataburger loving friend Jon. There is one right by his apartment. There is also a Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, Sonic, and Wendy’s within the same distance. But, when we’ve had a few adult beverages and want to satisfy our hunger, there is only one place we go. You guessed it, Whataburger.

This is not to say that I don’t go to other fast food joints when I’m out and about and need to get some grub. When I’m at work, I get my lunch nearly every day from Subway. I like the value menu at Wendy’s because you can get a lot of food for not a lot of money. I, like former wrestling superstar Stone Cold Steve Austin, have been known to stop at Sonic and get a SuperSonic Jalapeno Cheese Burger. And, of course, I’m a slave to McDonald’s McChicken. But, if I want to really, and mean really, enjoy my fast food meal, then I have to find myself a Whataburger. Let us not be confused here. I am referring to places that I often drive through, so Dairy Queen, which I go in and sit down at usually, is not included in this discussion. Everyone knows DQ is the Texas stop sign, and I treat it with the dignity it deserves, by going in and having a seat to enjoy my steak finger basket. Or I order it inside and go and eat it on the tailgate of my truck, if the weather is nice enough. That is neither here nor there though. The true happiness of my fast food dealings lives and dies with Whataburger. Enough said."