Car, Table, Counter, or TakHomaSak®

At this point I could tell a smutty joke about how the very names of the two chains describe the difference in styles of sexual intercourse between California and the Heartland, but I refrain.
Bowers: No, you don't.

:o)

Gary

My wife does not understand my fascination with the place (which started when I was in exile in Indiana for a year). Maybe this will help explain it. Thank you.

Steak 'n Shake is pretty new to me--but you have given me a new appreciation for it!

I took my wife to Steak 'n Shake for the first time years ago, and she was stunned by the restaurant feel and quality of the "Hamburger Place". I've never been able to figure out how Steak and Shake can have an effective Drive-though, since it does take a bit of time for the food to be cooked. We always sit in the booth for a few minutes before it is brought out - does Steak and Shake have some burgers on the grill especially waiting for Drive-through? Or ~horrors~ does it just warm up some pre-cooked SteakBurgers?

Years ago I mailed you a Steak 'n Shake menu after learning of your love for the place, figuring you probably didn't get to see them very often in Chicago. I just thought of that a few days ago, thinking "what a foolish thing for me to have done", but after reading this, I'm guessing you got a kick out of it, even though it included some of the newer items. Hope you can enjoy a SteakBurger again sometime soon.

Ebert: They are fanatics about getting it to you hot. The grill guys are pretty fast. Pre-cooked? Unimaginable!

Having been introduced to Steak and Shake while living in Florida and happily having one not far from me here in Michigan I will only say that Cincinnati has a better grasp of the 3-way but as a whole there is very little better than a shake, a steakburger, and a shared plate of fries to make a date night perfect

As a former employee of Steak and Shake (4 years as a server), I smiled from ear to ear reading this. I've had some of my greatest memories working there, mainly because of the patrons who came in again and again. The regulars, we called them. We knew what they wanted, and how they wanted it, and they were always appreciative that their order was already being made before they even had a seat. They weren't always the best tippers, but they were our friends, our regulars. We shared stories, happy and sad, swapped movies, books music, and one guy in particular taught me how to play chess on one of those slow nights. Who needs a tip right? I miss those days. : )

I got Steak and Shake after work, this morning, to forget about the disappointing Oscar nominations, and the curious case of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"* in general.
I know, that's a cheap Oscar tie-in, but I'm just really sad and surprised, myself, that Sally Hawkins was snubbed. And that's the right word, as she was SNUBBED! She's Paul Giamatti, here. But, we know the rule: bright, funny movies can't succeed twice within a 5-year period. "You had your chance with 'Juno'. Back to dark.".
I guess I have Werner to root for. Also: Mickey Rourke loses, and a hospital will be bombed. Hurhurr.

Unlike the Academy, S&S got everything right, today. Teehee.

*I know the title of that movie was not dreamt up with any foresight of the porn film industry (or just John Waters), but could there possibly be an easier title to spoof than "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"?
Perhaps I shouldn't have brought that up.

Ebert: Unbuttoned?

As a resident of Ohio, I can understand your reverence. Steak n' Shake has always been the gold standard for fast food burgers in my mind.

I think it's odd, though, that you dwell much on the Steak and not as much on the Shake. Until my first visit to Steak n' Shake (when I was probably nine or ten), I had always gotten my shakes at McDonald's. All well and good, until I had my first Steak n' Shake strawberry milkshake. "Wow," I thought, "this is what milkshakes are SUPPOSED to taste like!"

Now, Steak n' Shake is my late night destination for milkshakes and good burgers. You're right on about a fast food restaurant serving their food on china. I'd add that you haven't had a milkshake until you've had one out of an actual glass, tall and thick and almost intimidating in size. When I dine with others, my milkshake order never fails to inspire murmurs of appreciation and regret from those who didn't order one.

As a lucky resident of Kalamazoo I have the privilege of choosing between two local Steak and Shakes. When my wife went vegetarian I thought perhaps the dream was over, but she still can't resist their side-by-side shakes.

A nicely-written love letter to the best (and classiest) of fast food restaurants, Mr. Ebert.

Even though I've never been to a Steak 'n Shake (they haven't hit Colorado yet), I have one question for you. Is it good enough that you'd like to be buried with a Steakburger?

Ebert: Not without the sides.

A little over a year ago I was in Orlando for a convention and grabbed lunch at a Steak 'n Shake. Sorry Roger, but it was awful. The experience did not make me want to return. After reading this, I am willing to give it another go, but perhaps I should only attempt a true midwest version -- somewhere in Illinois or Indiana.

My wife is from southern California and swears by In-N-Out. I think it's all right, but I'm not as devoted as the locals. It can get pretty sloppy (just had a double-double "animal style" last week that ended up as much on my face as in my mouth), and their fries are so-so: kind of limp.

Here in Seattle, the locals swear by Dick's Drive In. I think I've tried it twice, and I wonder what possibly possesed me to return the second time.

These days, my junk food longings are for Sonic Drive In. It got me through college while I was in Texas and has never dissappointed. A #2 burger (that's with mustard, not mayo), tater tots, and a vanilla Dr. Pepper. Yes! Unfortunately Sonic has not ventured much into the pacific northwest, so I'm stuck here eating healthy food most the time. It's depressing.

Mr. Ebert,
Might you know of a reliable source for the recipe of Steak 'n Shake Chili?. Their chili is my wife's favorite. It is now possible to drive from my home in Pittsburgh to my in-laws in Iowa and eat at nothing but Steak 'n Shakes. Now because I always order the same meal, (BBQ 'n Bacon Burger, Chili Mac Supreme, Milkshake) this would be boring if eaten for every meal while on the road, but it's good to know that reliable option is available if no viable alternative presents itself. Although not being raised on the fries colors my perception of them and Philly Cheese Steaks are best in Philly, what Steak 'n Shake does well (see above meal), they do very well.

Ebert: I've never had it, and can't say. Why would I go to Steak 'n Shake for a cheesesteak?

As a Kansas Citian, I felt the need to comment, as we have seen a large number of Steak 'N Shakes open around here in the last 10 years. I am a big fan of their burgers and shakes as you are, and I wanted to ask you: which two sides do you get with your burger meal? I tend to be a (shoestring!) fries and chili guy myself, and both receive a liberal helping of the delicious hotsauce. You seem to be a fan of the fries...what's your second side? Or do you order a la carte?

P.S. As I sit in my cubicle, having just finished my microwave burritos, I find myself longing for a Takhomasak...

Ebert: I'm a pig. I order fries, and a side order of Chili Mac.

I'm in India. What's tikki ki chaat? I understand tikki, and i understand chat. It is hard to reconcile both. Anyway, I would prefer my chicken ham subway sandwich to both anyday.

Ebert: Says here, "This has to be the most popular North-Indian snack! Vendors literally crowd the streets selling all kinds of delicious variations of chaat in this part of the country. Chaat parties are also popular and a great alternative to a sit-down dinner. Tikki Ki Chaat is another North Indian name for this dish. In western India, the same dish is called Ragda Pattice."

http://indianfood.about.com/od/vegetariansnacks/r/chaat.htm

Well I just ate lunch, and now I'm hungry again. There truly is no replacement for a well-made burger, and from reading your post I'm praying for the day that Steak 'n Shake comes to Canada (and more specifically, Ottawa). The closest I've come is a place called The Works, which boasts over 100 combinations of condiments, including Kraft Mac 'n Cheese and peanut butter (not together). The burgers themselves are great though, and there is something satisfying about seeing the "chef" use real, non-frozen ground beef, and make a milk shake with real ice cream. Curious though - where did you get the Canadians love bran muffins comment? I figured you were going to go with poutine or Molsons, but the muffin is a new one for me.

My mouth is watering even though I just finished my lunch. I live in NJ and I don't think there's a restaurant within a 100 miles of me. Major bummer.

I didn't grow up in the mid-west, but my father grew up in rural southern Illinois. He made sure to instill the proper reverence for Steak 'n' Shake in me at a young age; I grew up with many a meal of Chilli-man Chili served on pasta (imported by the case by our grandparents whenever they visited) , and whenever we traveled to points more mid-western my dad always made a point of the family stopping in.

I'm older now, but whenever I am with friends and a Steak 'n Shake is nearby I insist we go to one. Most don't quite seem to get it, but I'm OK with that.

Ebert: Louis Armstrong instructs us, "There are some folks that, iof they don't know, you can't tell 'em.

Canadians love bran muffins?

In Canada, probably the largest chain of fast-food joints is Tim Horton's. It started 44 years ago as a simple doughnut and coffee joint, and has since branched out in deli sandwiches, soup, muffins, cookies and whatnot. They also now sell what we used to call "doughnut holes" growing up - originally the little round bits that come out of the middle of the doughnuts. They're called Timbits.

In Canada, Timmy's has a near-religious status. There's a Tim Horton's on the base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The Chief of Defence Staff brought a shipment of Tim Horton's coffee when he visited 3 years ago.

In Canada, some brave soul decided to hitch-hike across the country and write a book about his journey. He called the book "Timbit Nation" (and it's on my "to read" list).

A few years ago, Krispy Kreme came to Canada. There were actually major news stories about the "Threat to Tim Horton's". In the end, Timmy's easily beat off the interloper (although to be fair, Tim Horton's has had little success south of the border). And to be sure, there are those who dislike Tim Horton's coffee - preferring the stronger brews of Starbuck's.

Canadians consume more doughnuts per capita than any other country on earth.

So, Roger, overall...bran muffins...not so much. Although there are bran muffins at Timmy's.

Ebert: Would you understand if I said a doughnut hole leaves a hole?

Doughnuts.

Roger, I too had my first Steak N Shake experience at restaurant on Green Street in Champaign - tho I was 18 years old at the time and a freshman at the U of I! As a lover of fine food I immediately fell in love with the fresh burgers, golden fries, and hand-made chocolate shakes! However, after all these years, I must confess a sin. I dined and dashed on that first night. The place was packed and the servers were seriously overwhelmed. We waited to be seated, waited for our food, and waited for the bill ... until we finally got tired of waiting and left. This was the first and last time I have ever done this and feel guilty to this day. To whom should I go to be absolved of my sin?
Keep up the good work,
Greg R.

Ebert: Gus Belt hopes you enjoyed it.

Ok Roger, now I'm hungry! And the nearest Steak 'n Shake is 20 minutes away. What to do?

Ebert: Thank your lucky stars.

Roger,
As a product of the Midwest myself, but finding myself in California for college, I have to say that I find your remarks about In 'n' Out burgers to be disappointing. You refer to the simplicity and perfection of the original Steak and Shake menu, yet lament its current state being a "three-page fold-out glossy menu, including even breakfast".

Who can argue with In 'n Out's menu:
- Hamburger
- Cheeseburger
- Double Cheeseburger
- Fries
- Shakes (3 kinds Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry)

I have had both... and recently too. And now, living in Steak and Shake country, I miss those halcyon days of my youth when I could enjoy an In 'n Out burger whenever I desired (sigh).

To quote the brilliant Theodore Donald 'Donny' Kerabatsos from The Big Lebowski in reference to In 'n Out:

"Those are good burgers, Walter"

They are indeed, Donny... they are indeed.

Chris

Ebert: As I said, these matters are hard-wired in childhood. I'm sure I'll hear from a lot of readers with fierce loyalties.

Oh man... this post got me seriously burgin'.

I went to my first Steak 'n Shake solely because you kept mentioning it. I grew up in the land of Braum's, and Sonic, with an occasional Tastee-Freeze when we went out to the lake. Braum's has a great burger, but no curb service. Sonic has curb service, but has started selling deep-fried macaroni and cheese, and that's a deal breaker.

You neglect to mention Steak 'n Shake's best point, which is the shakes with two flavors. Anyplace you can get a banana-chocolate shake has something going for it.

(I recall the headmaster of my school sternly advising me when I was headed East to school: "Remember to tell them that you want your hamburger on a bun. Otherwise they will serve it on toast!")

Ebert: Not only two flavors, but you can see them in separate vertical halves of the glass, which to me is a miracle like Stripe toothpaste. I don't even want to know how they do it.

I think I heard the entire State of California yell out in anger upon reading the description of an In-N-Out burger as "a drippy, mushy mess on a soft bun"

With as many Midwestern transplants as there are in Phoenix, Steak 'n Shakes and White Castles would both make a killing here.

in re: Steak 'n Shake and/or In 'n Out:
1)excellent paralepsis.
2)One wonders( well, I wonder) in what states( geographic or otherwise), or across what state lines, might one enjoy both, consecutively, near-simultaneously, legally, with companions of what age, gender, race, creed, national origin, political affiliation, or lipid profile, whether you're in a Golden Hawk, etc.
3) Formally, it might have been wise to save the idea for the end of the essay: as posted, all the voyage of the story is fraught with shallows.....
4)You think I'm going to mention Chili 3-Ways, with or without papal participation. But I won't. I won't.

Transplanted to Knox College in Galesburg, IL fifteen years ago from New Jersey, I am a relative newcomer to the joys of Steak 'n Shake. My Jersey version is the diner--and while the Food Network often visits East Coast diners, the best glimpse into this culture is, of course, Barry Levinson's Diner.

However, I'm not here to distract, but to nod in silent agreement (it's impolite to speak with your mouth full). Everything you write concerning the texture and taste, the style and steady pleasures of Steak 'n Shake is completely accurate. And while I may miss the South Jersey diners of yore, that slice of Bermuda onion makes up for much.

Ebert: Galesburg! The historic home of Gus Belt's second Steak 'n Shake!

I'll admit this, I was born in Arkansas, spent the last 25 years of my life in Alabama. Therefore I am unfamiliar with Steak 'n Shake. I think that disqualifies me from this post.

Yet, something you said caught my attention "they find a parking space with no cars on either side, sit behind their tinted glass and eat almost meditatively." I've done that, during lunch. There's a place here called Marcella's, a burger place that is mom and pop owned, the food is prepared with loving care and made to order.

I like to sit in my car on a beautiful day, crack the window, place my drink in one cup holder and my fries in the other. I am parked at the far end of the lot so I can people watch while my James Moody "Don't Look Away Now" album plays in my stereo, Track 3 - "Easy Living" that's my favorite. It's perfect.

The burger is hand-made, 100% beef, medium well, nestled on a lightly toasted bun, American cheese, light ketchup, pickles, lettuce, it's perfect. Lord, how I weep for the vegetarian. The crinkle-cut fries are neither hard nor too soft, not overly salted, I taste more potato than fry, it's perfect. My drink is a Dr. Pepper, a tie with my childhood, if I ever find this stuff served in a bottle, this will be the nearest thing to heaven.

Geez, now I'm hungry.

Ebert: Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. Steak 'n Shake is in both states.

http://www.steaknshake.com/states/ala.asp

Mr.Ebert like you I have cravings for Steak N Shake. When I was in the military and I came home on leave I had to go to Steak N Shake to soothe those cravings, as I never saw any in North Carolina, and I would tell people I knew about it and they had never even heard of the place. I don't go as much as I used to as it's gotten a tad expensive for me but I go on occasion. A few years back I introduced my son to my favorite burger place and he loved it and still asks to go back some day. I guess we are lucky where we live as there are 4, count em, 4 Steak N Shakes here. Yes the burgers still taste exactly the same as the first time I had one. I always get the platter with the fries and pot of beans.

I must thank you for this introduction to the joy that is a Steak 'n Shake. Every region has it's fare that no other region can compete with. Whenever I travel it is with much anticipation that I look forward to being introduced to whatever the local fare is. I will have to add Steak 'n Shake to my list of experiences should I ever make it that way. I still fondly remember making the acquaintance of a proper Michigan pastie over 20 years ago. I look forward to a Steak 'n Shake.

However, I must also say, since I originate from southeast PA, if a sandwich ever has to be qualified as a "Philly" cheesesteak then it ain't one. It is a sad imitation of our beloved dish. One can find a fine cheesesteak outside of Pat's or Geno's or even the City of Brotherly Love but the first giveaway that it won't be worth the grease that drips down your forearms is seeing it listed on a menu as a "Philly" cheesesteak.

As to the metaphor of foodstuffs for sexual technique of those from my area all I can say is I know where to find a good hard roll when I want it. ;)

Ebert: Ouch. How about a hand-dipped...uh...

Listen,
Don't tell me that these "matters do not involve taste," but rather "involve a deep-seated conviction that a food is absolutely right, and always has been, and always will be," and then tell me about the superiority of a toasted bun. I grew up with soggy buns whose absorption of complimentary sauces was absolutely a positive. Read the menu at an In'n'Out Burger; now continue to disparage them. If you find you are able to, you fail to see the overwhelming significance of a menu to the identity of a restaurant.

The fundamental beauty of your piece need not be obscured by a Midwest superiority complex, as it originally sets out to deny that very concept's significance (superiority).

I really love this blog,
Charlie

Ebert: But...a toasted bun is right. Better crunch-crunch-crunch than slurp-gurgle-churn.

Roger:

Nice article. We had our own "Steak and Shake" in Maryland though I am certain that the chains were not related. But I concur with you regarding the bastardization of the milkshake. In my younger days, the rage in northeastern Maryland was the "Red Bull" which was a root beer and vanilla ice cream float flavored with maraschino cherries. There is still one small ice cream stand that still serves the Red Bull and every chance I get to go back home I take my family there. The kids don't care now, but I am hoping someday they do.

My geographical location growing up was half-way between Baltimore and Philadelphia. We also had heavy Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish influences. Some of the diners in our area were tremendous, blending the traditional seafood (crabs and crab cakes) delicacies of Baltimore and the Eastern Shore, the Italian markets of Philadelphia (Steak wit wiz), and the home-style from the Dutch and Amish (yes, scrapple: the poor man’s haggis). Not ever living in Chicago, I wonder what influences if any if urban Chicago and the downstate region had on suburban cuisine. Suburbia tends to try and replicate the nostalgia of our youth (mainly by nailing pictures of Marilyn Monroe, golf clubs and canoes on the walls) and suburbia, as it often does, misses absolutely.

What a great tribute to a fine chain. I agree with you Roger, the burgers are much better at Steak n' Shake than In-&-Out. Having lived in both Southern California and St. Louis, there is no question that we Midwesterners are the Champs when it comes to the production of a delicious fast food burger.

Midwest: Stake n' Shake, Culver's, White Castle...

West Coast: In-&-Out, Carl's Jr (in my opinion the worst chain burger on the planet), Jack In The Box...

If the West-Coasters ever decide to open up a chain of Sushi (Sushi n' Sake?) restaurants, we can cede them the title in that area.

Five years ago, I went to Scottland with my family and subsequentlly feasted on haggis, lamb, duck, etc. When we returned to the states, the first place we ate it (within two hours of retouching on American soil) was Steak N' Shake...how many fond memories can a little, greasy, tradionally-menued chain have? I don't know, but like you, Steak N' Shake is my favorite fast food chain.

Five years ago, I went to Scottland with my family and subsequentlly feasted on haggis, lamb, duck, etc. When we returned to the states, the first place we ate it (within two hours of retouching on American soil) was Steak N' Shake...how many fond memories can a little, greasy, tradionally-menued chain have? I don't know, but like you, Steak N' Shake is my favorite fast food chain.

Reading this brings up so many memories!

I went to college in a small town in Ohio - the only 24 hour restaurant within driving distance was a Steak'n Shake. I was heavily involved with the drama program and all our after-show meals were at that Steak'n Shake.
Few things in the world will beat the feeling of a great performance topped by an original sirloin burger with cheddar cheese and a strawberry shake surrounded by great friends.

My wife (when we were dating in college) and I also shared many a stolen moment there late at night after driving aimlessly through the back roads of Ohio. Somehow we always ended up at Steak'n Shake. She favors the Frisco burger instead of the original, but I married her anyway.

I live in Seattle now, so it has been some time since I've tasted the most excellent Steak'n Shake burger. Now it's lunch, and it's all I can think about.

Thanks for the memory!

Steak and Shake is sublime! We've got one not too far north of you up in Gurnee. My kids love to sit up at the counter and watch their food being made.

My sister and I used to spend New Year's Eve with my grandmother, who would take us out for dinner at Steak 'n' Shake (or sometimes The Ground Round, where you could throw your peanut shells on the floor), then we would go back to her apartment and watch Dick Clark. One such night when I was maybe seven or eight, Grandmother made me eat one of those little peppers in the hot sauce bottle! She said it would be "good for me" and I should "try new things." I cried, of course.

Nowadays I drive by a Steak 'n' Shake on my way home from work, every day. I think of her on the rare occasions when I eat there, and laugh about that pepper.

Now if only they could solve their one major problem: How do you keep shoestring fries HOT?

Roger,

This is probably the best homage I have ever read to one of the greatest and most underrated restaurants here in America. I know where I am eating for dinner tonight.

Thank you.

ENVY. Not one decent drive-in franchise down here in my lifetime. But i never shoveled snow either!

Ebert: Then back out of that driveway you never have to shovel and start driving. There are nineteen locations in Texas, although to be sure it's larger than many nations.

http://www.steaknshake.com/states/tex.asp

Roger,

I could not agree with you more. Steak 'n Shake was part of my childhood too. Growing up in Springfield, Illinois, we had a small Steak 'n Shake in our downtown area, many a day I remember getting a steakburger plate with their delicious skinny fries and a little brown crock of baked beans. Now as an adult I still live in Springfield and am fortunate enough to work right across the street from a Steak 'n Shake. Let's hope they never change!

Thank you, Roger. Thank you thank you thank you. Having grown up in St. Louis, I felt quivers of homesickness and nostalgia for the good old days, when you got served in your car with the little trays that hooked onto the window. I can just barely remember those times. At least they still serve on china.

Same but different, the poor person's S&S: White Castle. A bag full of bellybombers is a delicacy all its own.

I am lucky enough to live in one of the 19 states that have Steak and Shake(Kentucky). Me and my friends sometimes go to Steak and Shake very late in the night because the food always seems better then.

That's bangers 'n' mash (http://www.bangersnmash.com/), Roger. In addition to being a favorite comestible of the Brits, it's also a good song by Radiohead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IQfn97KRFg.

Now, I've not the kind of person to normally advertise for advertisements, but I had a look at Steak 'N Shakes' website and their TV ad campaign, and it is hilarious. Have a look: http://yandl.com/clients/sns/tv/index.html

Also, they mention some of your plus-peeves (opposite of pet-peeves?), including having ketchup on the table, and hand-dipping their own shakes.

Thank you, Mr. Ebert!!

I *love* Steak-n-Shake. I live in New Hampshire now, but once or twice a year I fly into Midway and drive up to Kenosha, WI. There's a Steak-n-Shake at Gurnee Mills that I always stop at. I am younger, so I don't necessarily know what graced the original menu, but I have the double Steakburger and a double-chocolate milkshake.

Sadly, my wife (who as a Boston native grew up sans Steakburgers), does not care for it. So sad.

-Jeremy

P.S. I respectfully disagree w/r/t tomato.

"...and a Canadian loves bran muffins."

What silliness assaults my ears? I thought better of you Roger, a frequent visitor to my native land. But you disappoint and enrage me. I despair. I grieve. I utter wild goat cries at the moon. Bran muffins come and go. What remains true for Canadians day in and day out is a coffee from Tim Horton's. Walk into any Tim Horton's (or Timmy's as we like to call him) and ask for a double-double. Have a bran muffin or even a cruller with it if you like, but never, never forget the coffee.

Ebert: I love Tim Horton's, but coffee is not a food.

Geez, all this time you shoulda been moonlighting for the Food Network!

Growing up in South Bend, my friends and I spent many an evening staying up late into the night at Steak and Shake, stuffing our faces and hanging out in the parking lot. It was the usual destination after a school play or football game. My social circle was not big into partying until college, and we were too smart for common mischief. Instead we sat on the hood of our cars under the Steak and Shake sign, enjoying each others company and laughing a lot. Now, when I return to South Bend for visits, my first stop is usually the Steak and Shake drive-through.

As Tevye says, Tradition! May SnS (and you) live long (and prosper).

Roger, We don't have any Steak 'n Shakes here in New Jersey, but we have the next best thing - Johnny Rockets. I look for them when making the odd trip down I-95 to visit family in Florida. Thank you. I am now HUNGRY.

I'm overseas right now, finishing up the last, painstaking days of my study abroad experience. As the days draw nearer, everything in me is screaming to go, get back home! See family. Have my first 21st birthday drink with friends. For those things, I can't wait. But if anyone asks me honestly what I'm most excited to do when I arrive (besides seeing loved ones), my response is generally: Go to Culver's.

The Brits do food, but they don't do burgers. Culver's does. They do the toasted bun (with plenty of butter in it); the Angus beef; the melted, American cheese. They do malts that you can't believe come from a "chain" restaurant--who cares, anyway?--and the ubiquitous Wisconsin staple of Friday batterfried cod.

It's not the same as the burgers my grandmother used to cook up in her tavern, where, stuck to the grille were spices and grease from 30 years of the best burgers you've ever had...but it's as close as anything I've tried since.

By the way: I like that you post these pieces. Thinking of burgers reminds me of a lot more than food.

drat! now you have me salivating. i wonder if i can catch a flight out of PDX to IND for a bite. i need to call the sister to see if she has the guest bedroom clean.

i miss Stake and Shake, being a midwest girl born and raised. thank you for reminding me of what a treat it is to eat!

Hi Mr. Ebert,

I too have fond memories of Steak 'n Shake, although they are more recent than yours. My first knowledge came when I found out it was Governor Jim Edgar's favorite resturant. Since I've always lived within city limits, I do not go very often, but every time I do I realize the subliminal gospel that is preached; They have THE BEST chocolate shake in the world! My wife and I took our 15 month old daughter to one in Frankfort last year, and she loved the shake - you should've seen her eyes when she took her first slurp through the straw - my steakburger w/cheese, and the fruit plate you can now order as a side. In our budget minded times, we don't dine there very often, but I keep an eye out in my Sun-Times each week for the coupons they distribute. Many thanks for a column on life's finer things.

Mr. Ebert. You've left me salivating in my mouth. Steak N' Shake is truly an American institution. It's not really fast food but the time they take to make those Steakburgers is always worth waiting for. Recently, myself and my parents have been ordering Steak N' Shake lately due to the $4 meals where in Smyrna, GA on 41 around the corner of Cobb Parkway & Spring Road behind an autos dealer is the Steak N' Shake that we always go to from time to time.

My idea of a good burger meal is the Double Steakburger w/ cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard, and small fries on the side. All for $4.23. My dad goes for the same thing while my mom either goes for the Chicken Tenders w/ fries and honey mustard meal or the Grill Cheese with fries that she shares w/ my little sister.

God Bless you Mr. Ebert. Now I want some of that Steak N' Shake.

"A downstate Illinois boy loves the Steak 'n Shake"

This Peoria boy agrees. When I meet a transplant who doesn't like Steak 'n Shake, I look at them with pity. When I meet a native who doesn't like Steak 'n Shake, I back away slowly, for they are obviously deranged.

Also don't forget the chili. I love the chili. It is by far the best mass produced chili I have ever eaten.

Steak 'n' Shake exploits minorities and the poor for its own greedy capitalist gain. Fast food has been proven to be dangerous to the environment, to the health of the public, and to the welfare of the unfortunate individuals it employs.

The food might be made in sight, but the ethics are wrong wrong wrong.

Ebert: Many things are wrong. Several people on this thread have said they worked at S&S and enjoyed it. My theory is, leave a generous tip. Everybody has to earn a living. If you can afford it, you can afford to tip. How many tips do the workers get at McDonald's?

You captured the essence of the Steak 'n Shake experience and invoked many memories for me.

Dining at the University Ave location, while discussing relationships with a girl on whom I had a crush but who only had eyes for a mutual friend.

When my little brother (age six) committed the unpardonable sin of reaching his hand into the "almost" empty glass of my favorite menu item, the lime freeze, to steal the maraschino cherry. There was a fork used in the defense of the cherry but his hands were too quick.

When friends observed that a new restaurant called "Steak and Fries" had opened in the town where we worked in Ohio. I had to politely (well...not so politely, but they were and still are friends) correct them that "Steak 'n Shake" should never be confused with common food court fare at the mall. I tired to explain to them about the greatness of Steak 'n Shake but they never caught on.

The day I phoned in for a TakHomaSak and was politely informed that the lime freeze had been permanently removed from the menu. I felt as if I had been betrayed. With a feeble attempt to cover my dismay, I had to cancel my portion of the order and the waitress knowingly acknowledged it with an "I understand. I am sorry." I have been back since, but only at the behest of others. The food is the same but something is missing.

Thank you, Mr. Ebert.

As people become adults they tend to imagine their childhood as something of a fantasy; something meant to be forgotten and filed away. You have demonstrated that such a seemingly "trivial" event (to many adults anyway) such as your first meal at a restaurant CAN be important, and it is not "childish" to think, or make it, so.

Also, I think you might have made Steak N' Shake very happy. I might have to pay them a visit soon for a Steakburger...

Roger,

Thank you so much for the tribute to Steak 'n Shake! I am orginally from Sullivan, IL and a trip to Decatur with my dad (who had grown up there) was not complete without stopping to sit at the counter for lunch or dinner. The first time he took me, I remember him describing how the french fries would be the best I'd ever had and he told me that we would have to sit at the counter - it was a must! I adored the french fries, the orginal steakburger with cheese, the chocolate milk shakes, and the fact that I could get a real cherry coke. Mattoon eventually got a Steak 'n Shake and it was a tradition to have dinner after the movies with my friends in high school.

I live in Atlanta now and have eaten at several here, but it seems to taste better in Illinois -- probably because I am sitting at the counter next to my dad.

Just curious - have you ever been to the Krekel's Custard in Decatur?

Now you've made me hungry. I've never had chili, maybe I should.

I should probably say that falafe/humous is extremely popular in Jordan and Lebanon as a morning dish as well. In Jordan three years ago you could get six falafel sandwiches for less than the equivalent of $1.50 - and I mean real falafel sandwiches, not the stuff we get over here in the West. Alas, with this recession and prices going up like crazy over there, you can only get two now. It's still very, very popular though. And delicious.

You should go to Zet Burger next time you're in Toronto. I have no idea if it's more In-n-Out than Steak 'n' Shake (although I'm dying to find-out), but Zet's good.

For me, it was Pho (pronounced "fuh"), which is a vietnamese beef noodle soup (but it can be any meat) that is very big all over the country. There are many places that serve it, but not like where I ate it the first time in Houston, Texas with my best friend at the time who I watched go from non-english speaker to speaker a few years before this.

The classic Pho, vietnamese beef noodle soup

You get your chopsticks, a spoon to drink some broth with as you place the noodles on the spoon, served with bean sprouts, mint leaves, lime wedges, and here's the kicker thats unique...

It is served with a stack of millimeter-thin slices of flank steak that you throw into your bowl which cooks instantly before your eyes. It is served with two sauces: one is translated into english as fermented soybean paste--some brown paste you stir into your bowl, which makes it perfect--and the classic asian hot paste sauce at every asian restaurant.

That restaurant is no longer there, but this cooking the flank steak before your eyes is the way to eat the classic Pho ("fuh").

Because this guy was my best friend, it also explains my love of kung-fu movies/asian cinema, because I had to watch some vietnamese subtitled movies, which I loved--a gambler who could see through cards, and here's a funny kung-fu moment from a kung-fu comedy: a guy and his girlfriend are doing the cliched running slow-motion embrace and just as they finally are about to embrace the guy says "I missed you so much!" and unconsciously punches his girlfriend in the face--to his surprise--and apologizes again and again...hey, it's a kung-fu movie.

I grew up in Peoria, eating Steak 'n' Shake.

Yer durn tootin'.

As a child of Central Illinois now living in Montana... Steak and Shake is a definite stop when traveling home. Kansas is as close as Gus' Empire gets to Big Sky Country. Roger have you ever had a Springfield original known as The Horseshoe? They are served at the Springfield Steak and Shake, as well as every other restaurant in town.

Reply to: Ebert: A downstate Illinois boy loves the Steak 'n Shake as... a Canadian loves bran muffins. These matters do not involve taste. They involve a deep-seated conviction that a food is absolutely right, and always has been, and always will be. These convictions are fixed at an early age.

I suppose there's something I could post about the nutritional value of a bran muffin vs...

http://caloriecount.about.com/steak-n-shake-nutrition-m64

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-steak-n-original-single-steakburger-i55912

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-steak-n-french-fries-i55824

A regular serving of fries has 472 calories. That's just the fries. The Steakburger adds more.

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-tim-hortons-cranberry-blueberry-bran-i111333

A cranberry blueberry bran muffin has 330 calories.

When you use Candian and bran muffin in the same sentence, I think of Cobie Smuthers. She's the only actress who thinks "Canadian" is an ethnic group that suffers from discrimination in Hollywood. She looks like an ad for the benefits of bran muffins and the Canadian lifestyle. She could still play "Wonder Woman".

Anyway, back to the Oscars.

"The Reader" got a Best Picture nom. The spot that should have gone to "The Dark Knight." ("Milk" wouldn't have been on my short list, either.)

Something seriously out of balance there. Two Golden Globes were sufficient award candy for "The Reader."

However, I've noticed a "habit" of Oscar voters. (Not sure it's happened often enough to call it a habit.) "The Godfather" was rewarded for the first movie, and then the second. Then, the third bombed. So, for "Lord of the Rings," they waited until all three movies were out, and gave the award to "Return of the King." I hope (fingers crossed) that's what they're doing with Christopher Nolan's trilogy. I think it was difficult for the Academy folks to mark "The Dark Knight" for Best Picture when Nolan was being interviewed on MTV, saying he wanted to create movie history by making the third movie in a trilogy "head and shoulders" above the first two. So, this won't be "The Dark Knight"'s year for the Big Award, but it may get one-third of a future Best Picture award. Yes? No?

Thanks for the prose poem in praise of the Food of the Gods! I grew up in the Peoria, area. For my birthday, my Grandmother used to take me to the Steak and Shake in East Peoria, Illinois, overlooking the Illinois river. Do you know it? I would sit in blissful communion watching the river pass by, with downtown Peoria's impossibly tall buildings across the water, including Caterpillar's world headquarters, where my Dad worked. Some years a barge would come, and the drawbridge would raise, and all was right with the world.

It was a tradition, I guess, for many families, as my wife said that her Grandmother used to take her there for her, birthday, too. That explains why we have been married for 25 years--we are firmly grounded in what really matters in life.

We still go when we are traveling through a place that has them, once even wrote a letter to their company, pleading for them to put one in Virginia. I'll have you know, they replied politely, and pleasantly.

And menus? Are you kidding me? Only a rookie looks at the menu.

I loved this article, and it reminds me why I have been a fan of yours for so many years. Even when off-topic, you are spot-on. Thanks so much for so much reading pleasure over the years....

Fittingly, my girlfriend and I are going to a movie tonight and there is a Steak 'n Shake just down the road from the multiplex. Now that you've made me hungry, plans have already begun to formulate in my head.

When you're in the Pacific Northwest, you have very odd little areas of fast food bonding. We're not California with it's In 'N Out burgers or Tail O'The Pup or whatever else people came up with to serve food in the sun--Oregon and Washington are the green states, the ones with zillions of trees and not a lot of connections between towns. They sprout up like little mushroom colonies, sufficient unto themselves, so our local spots tend to be really local.

For burgers and fries here in Seattle, we have Dick's Drive In. The harmony of their regular cheeseburger is not to be equaled. They have fancier burgers and plainer ones, but nothing is melded into one delightful, bad for your heart but good for your soul yummy like the cheeseburger. Enough cheese so you know it's on there, warmed ketchup trilling in the background, crispy, delicious buns and a patty made of one of the adorable, fat cows pictured in an oil painting in every location.

The fries are considered ambrosia by many, and Dick's also makes the real deal milkshakes, that taste like actual food had gone into their creation. The owner starts the greenest high school part timer at 8.00 an hour, offers scholarships, and generally makes a fast food joint a pride of place to work. So really, in a world of unemployment, where you dread the thought of losing your cushy office job to flip burgers, Dick's is a tiny, lovely light at the end of of the tunnel.

Now I'm all hungry.

I grew up in Peoria, eating Steak 'n' Shake.

Yer durn tootin'.

As a Georgian I can appreciate your devotion to S&S. We're fortunate enough to be in the "coverage area". You failed, however, to mention the convenient hours that cater to those of us that enjoy a late night adventure that often leaves one hungry. In the South we are indoctrinated to the almighty Waffle House, but S&S is the thinking man's option at 2:30 when the wind is whipping and the bars are closed.

Something is happening Roger. Time is out of joint. I find myself coming to the Ebert site and forgetting to read the reviews. That used to be the fun for me. Seeing a show first, then coming to the site to see if we agreed or disagreed, what spoke to you in the film, what you loathed, what soared for me etc. Now I go straight to the blog. I labor by singing candlelight...ok maybe not by candlelight...over your reflection and the input from others. It's like a wonderful backyard fence of fantastic neighbors, sharing a love for film and for life. I might return two or three times before remembering that you still review films. I wonder if others find themselves feeling the same way. I am completely off topic aren't I?
Rockyfellers in downtown Arlington stayed open practically all night. One long counter with stools and one booth at the back, that was it. But oh the hamburger on a toasted bun with the special secret "Rocky" sauce haunts me to this day. The place has one under, flattened by rapacious town fathers who wanted to "beautify" the town and make it look squared and windowed and plastic and NEW. God forbid it should greet the millenia as the sweet ol' Texas country town it was used to be.
During the late forties and early fifties we had a town marshal, a guy who looked like Old Brad Pitt in Benjamin Button. Only this guy was mentally impaired, had the mind of a kid. He wore an outfit worthy of Roy Rogers, brandished a pair of toy six guns and patrolled the down town streets and... well...kept the peace. None of us kids ever made fun of him. And the adults always treated him like the real marshal of the town and accorded him respect. I can see him now in my mind's eye walking past the drug stores, checking in at Francine's dress shop, making aure all was well at the domino parlour. And I'm doffing my own crumpled hat to a bygone place, a great old hamburger joint and a town's act of communal kindness and love for a damaged soul.
I'll take one of those shakes, amigo. Make mine a double.

Ebert: Think of the reviews as a Steakburger, and the blog entries as the sides.

Steak 'n Shake is probably one of my great dining pleasures. I'm originally from Arkansas, but when we visited relatives who lived in the St. Louis and Springfield, MO area, we always stopped. My mother told me they had the best fries on the planet, and she was right. (This experience taught me to never doubt my mom.)

When I followed my husband to the Madison, WI area, I was delighted to find that the east side had a Steak 'n Shake. What bliss! A crock of baked beans! A Frisco Melt! More marvelous fries! I ate there as many times as I could afford to, and one sad day, it was gone. Boarded up like a pathetic ghost town. The sadness has never ceased. We live too far to drive to Janesville for a burger, no matter how wonderful it might be.

It would be an honor to buy you an Original Double one day, and dine together in an appreciative silence. Then maybe we could catch a showing of "Sherlock Jr." and my life would be complete.

Steak 'n Shake was my first job at the age of 16. I am now 26 and have many fond memories of my experience working there and I greatly enjoyed reading your own. I'm a big fan of all your writing, reviews or otherwise, and always look forward to your new blogs. Thanks for brightening my day! :)

I've never had the pleasure of eating at Steak 'n' Shake. I do live near an In-and-Out though, and though far from perfect, it's a vast improvement over McDonalds and the other big chains. The chain I grew up on was Henry's Hamburgers. I can still remember the first time I went there with my dad and my uncle, I must have been about four years old or so.

The Best Things at Steak N'Shake:
1. The Breakfast potatoes, which I order at any time of day.
2. Perhaps it's unintentional classicism, but you really can't handle any of the burgers in a moving car. So the drive-thru may be a modern contrivance, but the steakburger isn't.
3. The finest of the only two taste-viable milk shakes from a modern "fast-food" chain. The other belongs to Baskin-Robbins. Jack In the Box is not an abomination, but is simply the best of the drek.
4. The coolest sliced pickle in the game.
5. Chili Mac - just as much for the textural experience than the taste.
6. Souvenir paper hats.

Ebert: 7. A perfect slice of onion.

Dear Roger--

Although these things ARE often wired in childhood, I must admit, I am an adult convert to Steak and Shake. I had read of how much you loved it for years, but living in Chicago, I somehow made it to age 34 without ever having gone inside one.

I am a medical residents in Chicago, and last April I was giving a talk in Indianapolis at a convention. After it was over, the rest of the residents and I were walking up one of the main streets in the downtown. They all wanted to go to some fancy-schmancy place to eat (it is an inviolable rule of medical residents that they always eat somewhere that the fish is raw, a TV is always on, and is in relative proximity it a Thai food place in case the first choice is "lame").

Anyway, my wife was with me, and as we were walking with the group, we saw a Steak and Shake suddenly appear before our eyes, like an oasis in the desert. I looked at her and she back at me. We both silently communicated that we had never been inside one, and that a great wrong about to be redressed. Without a word, we broke away from the group and went inside.

"How will you know how to order?" my wife asked.

"I am gonna watch the guy in front of me and do what he does."

Which we did.

Conclusion? It was in sight, and damn if it wasn't right.

Afterwards we went and saw "Leatherheads" at the adjacent theater. Best screwball comedy I have seen in a long time. It was a perfect evening.

I bet you are familiar with songwriter Terry Allen:

Well I drove down to the drive-in
Then I drove in
Yeah I asked that carhop for a coke
Said...let's go for a little spin
She said...I'm losin you boy
Losin you
Somewhere between the burgers and the malt
I said...if you won't pass your pepper, sugar
Then I don't want none of your salt
And I drove off

To my surprise, we have three Steak 'n Shakes in Denton County, Texas -- and then two or three more in the Dallas area. I should try one and I will.

But for all of the charm in the food you cited, I'm still eternally devoted to the "Double-Double," a Monolith-sized double cheeseburger at this place called MGs in Denton, Texas, not far from The University of North Texas. "If God had a mole," I often say, "these patties are about like that." You finish one of these with a smile but then beg for a bullet not much later.

I also endorse the "Pizza Burger" from my hometown of Muenster, Texas. Picture the burger meat nestled among lots of melted swiss cheese and pizza sauce on a toasted bun.

Dammit -- I said picture it!

I'm a student at the University of Southern California but I'm originally from Ohio, so I've had the distinct pleasure of having Steak 'n Shake AND In-N-Out on different occasions. It's funny you should mention that you don't like the burgers from In-N-Out as much as Steak 'n Shake because people out here usually say the one thing they don't enjoy as much as everything else at In-N-Out is the fries. I grew up with Steak 'N Shake my whole life and I usually get the very same thing each time I go: A plain Steakburger (or double) with Cheese or Chicken Fingers (delicious) with a side of French Fries. It wasn't until late in high school when I started gettin the occasional chocolate shake as well. For In-N-Out, I get pretty much the same thing, although I have since started getting a plain 3x3 (triple cheeseburger) with everything else once I found out about the wonders of their "secret" menu. Honestly, I think both of them are great, and I can relate to the reverence with which you speak of Steak 'N Shake to those who have never experienced it because it's so incredibly Midwest and awesome. Hell, even on trips to Florida when I was a young lad would include a trip or two to Steak 'N Shake at some point. Next time I go back home to Ohio I may need to stop by...

There is a restaurant in Greencastle, Indiana called Marvin's, where they specialize in a wonderful thing called the Garlic Cheeseburger. When I first ate one, the cheese was melting off and garlic covered my fingers, and I thought, "This must be what burgers used to taste like." The food there has a remarkable taste of authenticity, probably due in no small part to the fact that it's not very healthy. Still, whenever I'm in Greencastle I have to eat there, whatever my weight may be.

I'm from Minnesota and I had never seen a Steak N Shake. While on a road trip to Nashville somewhere in the south my very mellow, mild mannered friend David freaked out and started screaming STEAK N SHAKE! STEAK N SHAKE! and exited. He remembered a meal there from when he was a kid and it had become a holy grail for him because there isn't any around us. I've never seen him so happy before or since.

I remember some years ago a friend relating through his blog that he had spotted you whlist dining at a Steak 'n Shake. Unaware of your passion for the restraunt much discussion ensued as to why a celebrity would choose such a humble location for a meal. The mystery is, at last, solved.

While I share no connection with any particular food as strong as you express here (save, perhaps, for my mothers cooking) I am very thankful to a number of my local restraunts and cafe's for being so predictably wonderful. The value of these places lay in their consistency. While it might not be the best food in the world, it is food how I like it, and it is like that everytime.

Well, now I know where Kankankee is, having heard of it a million times in Arlo Guthrie's recording of "City of New Orleans"...

More than simply reminding me of the two chances I've had to enjoy a Steakburger (once unfortunately in the passenger seat of a rental car headed to St. Louis), this latest blog piece reminds of a tenet that I hold close to my heart: It is up to each man to decide what is best for him, objectivity be double-damned and shat upon.

Just before reading this, I happened to be discussing green beans with a friend, and this friend actually claimed to prefer the canned variety to the fresh kind.

"Outrageous," I said, "What are you trying to prove?"

But he's not trying to prove anything. Taste is mysterious. How much is in our mouth and how much is in our brain? How much of your love for Steak n Shake has to do with your history with the chain? It doesn't matter. What matters is love, not why we love. A man who loves anything as much as you love Steak n Shake, going on and on about it for his entire professional career, when he is not a burger critic but a film critic... this is a righteous man in my book.

And, having grown up in Los Angeles, I can attest that this is not simply a case of territorial burger wars: I also agree that In N Out is rather overrated. The burger is thin and tiny, like a communion wafer, and the french fries are intentionally poor (as if to imply that too much time is spent on the burger to waste time on the fries)...Also, not being a man of religion, I dislike eating an entire meal and then discovering the whole feast was brought to me by the printed number of a psalm on the bottom of my Coca-cola cup...

Ever since I went vegetarian, Steak 'n Shake has made me a little sad. I might order a grilled cheese from the kids section, or a shake, but mostly I just like to go with my friends and let the memories of my childhood and high school come back to me from the familiar smells, the pickled peppers that everyone avoids, the matte-finished placemats, and the gumball machine next to the door. We always went at night, after a movie or football game, so it doesn't feel the same if the windows are filled with daylight; they need to be black squares, with the white and neon fixtures lending everything a softness, like in a dream.

Ebert: Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. Steak 'n Shake is in both states.

I just looked it up on MapQuest and realized that there's one 3.37 miles from my house in Prattville. How could I have lived here 25 years and miss that?!?!

I will miss Steak and Shake as I continue on this road of vegetarianism.

I have similar feelings for the chain of Tex Mex restaurants in Colorado called Taco House. The restaurants are dives where you're apt to see a fly or two navigating the airspace while you eat your food, but the only thing on the menu that I disparaged was the Mexican Hamburger, a shameful and misplaced piece of Americana for the timid tongue. My favorite item was always the cheese enchilada platter, without onions. I could eat a gallon of that enchilada sauce right now.

My family didn't have a lot of money when I grew up, so I got my clothes from a thrift store, and the All You Can Eat at Taco House was a big deal. Over time, being able to eat up to and above the value of the meal was a sort of rite of passage, if not into adulthood then out of childhood, at least. Getting the maximum value was as much a consideration as taste when ordering the next plate of food, but any sacrifice for pecuniary optimization was mitigated by the overall strength of the menu. As a teen, I was proud to achieve the status of the shrewdest eater, especially since my wire thin frame accentuated the achievement, making it seem that much more incredible. I was also the sleepiest slob to roll out of the place on any given day.

Whenever relatives would visit, though, we would invariably take them to Casa Bonita, a showy Tex Mex restaurant with live shows where Black Bart fought the Sheriff, divers, a gorilla (the kind with a zipper in his back, of course), Black Bart's cave, puppet shows, an arcade, and food about on par with Taco Bell, if not a bit worse. With all the attractions, I didn't mind going there as a kid, although the charm wore out as my credulity withered with my youth. Still, mention of Casa Bonita never evoked the pure gustatory thrill that would come with the prospect of an all you can eat venture at Taco House. And whereas at Taco House I was able to achieve something, my proudest moment at Casa Bonita came as a teen, making my step mother scream when she finally noticed the extra guest I had silently invited to the dinner table (a fart, of course).

For me, this connection with Tex Mex food is as imbued in me as the burger joint is in others. One particular memory reinforces for me how timeless Tex Mex is, relative to the ebbs and flows of popular food culture around here. I was visiting a book store during the Atkins craze, and after I picked up a couple of classics (might have been the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide, but I can't recall), I decided to check out the cookbook section. Well, from left to right, and back again, there was nothing there but Atkins diet this, low carb that. Where was my mom's red and white checkered Betty Crocker cookbook? Where was *the good stuff*? Scanning the titles once again, I seized upon one book that wasn't corrupted by this quasi-scientific food fad. It was a Tex Mex recipe book. Well. Say what you will about the fallacy of overgeneralization, but that means something to me.

You write as eloquently about Steak and Shake as Calvin Trillin does about Kansas City barbeque. I usually avoid the mid-West, as I'm Californian (and NO In-N-Out does not define our sexual practices.) But I may be hitting Chicago for a conference this summer. Now I'll need to figure out how to get to the burbs for a Steak and Shake.

Oh my God! How ironic!

Upon reading your latest journal (eating every yummy word of it, I might add) and thus being transported back in time, I immediately went looking for a photo of a similar sort of place where my family and I used to go in Canada. It was a drive-in restaurant called “Dog n Suds” and I actually managed to locate a website for it – amazingly they’re still around – and here’s the irony Roger, according to their history:

“From its rather humble beginning back in 1953 in Champaign, Illinois when two music teachers from the University of Illinois. Don Hamacher and Jim Griggs opened a hot dog and root beer stand. Dog n Suds grew in the 50's, 60's, and 70's to a point where it was one of the most successful fast-food franchises in the country.”

“Dog n Suds” is actually American, and originally from Illinois! I had no idea. Small world, eh?

"World's Creamiest Root Beer" is a phrase as ingrained in my memory, as I dare say "In Sight It Must be Right” is in yours. I remember pulling up to the Dog n Suds with my parents in my Dad’s red batmobile - a 1961 Chevrolet Bel-Air (it had fins and everything!) and waiting as patiently as a 10 year old girl could, for the waitress to arrive and take our order. And then feeling a burst of joy upon seeing her return; the now loaded serving tray hooking onto the window, the frosty glass mugs all by overflowing with icy cold root beer. Excuse me while I faint…

Okay, I’m back.

Only a few Dog n Suds have managed to survive, albeit none where I live, and from what is now a familiar story. The rise and fall of a beloved place in the wake of cost-cutting measures upon expanding too much for wanting “too much” and needing to put profits ahead now of customers in order to appease shareholders. And so I envy you the continued health of the Steak 'n Shake on Green Street near the University of Illinois. And as mentioned elsewhere, your view of Gotham City from the air; smile. And to that now add the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower and the Institute of Art where George Seurat's “La Grande Jatte” oil painting has hung since 1924 – you lucky bastards.

Side note: as best I could find what I saw through the window on the plane home to Vancouver, this is my memory of seeing Chicago… where the Dark Knight listens to the Blues and Jazz…

http://zoltantakacs.com/zt/im/ss/chivfr/zoltan_takacs_chicago_lake.jpg

Ebert: Oh...my...God. That Dog 'n Suds was out on the Philo Road, and I used to ride my bike there, probably in the year it opened! At the age, the "dog in a basket" was an Event. It was directly next door to WKID radio, where I was a groupie from the age of 11, and which was the first venue to broadcast my young voice (a friendly DJ named Don McMullen allowed me to read the temperature). He later went on to unimaginable stardom as our local Channel 3 news anchor. When he got married I gave him steak knives.

Ebert: Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. Steak 'n Shake is in both states.

Again, MapQuest has fed me a plate of hooey. I thought it was only 3 miles away.

I check it out on MapQuest again. The nearest Steak 'n Shake is in Prattville about 40 miles away. If I'm ever out that way, I'll check it out.

As a native and resident Californian with a Chicagoan girlfriend, I've already been turned on to Portillo's Italian Beef sandwiches (they have 2 locations in Southern California) - quite possibly the greatest thing I've ever put in my mouth.

I'm looking forward to trying Steak 'n Shake next time we visit Illinois.

Whataburger! That is what I grew up on in South Texas. They are wide and delicious!. For some reason, no other burger tastes the same to me. They can be found in many parts of the South, but sadly not in Ohio, where I live now.

From their website www.whataburger.com

Way back in 1950, an adventurous and determined entrepreneur named Harmon Dobson opened up the world’s first Whataburger 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.

Today, each and every Whataburger is made to order, right when it’s ordered. And they’re still made with 100% pure American beef and served on a big toasted five-inch bun with all ‘the extras’ to suit your taste. Grilled jalapenos, extra bacon, three slices of cheese, no tomatoes, extra pickles? No problem, your Whataburger will be made just like you like it 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Recently my son - who is living in Colorado - flew from Denver to Houston, and was to go on to Cleveland. Being oversold the airline offered a $500 voucher, hotel room and first class seat the following day, but the deciding factor was that he would have a chance to go eat at Whataburger that night! He was was introduced to Whataburgers as a child on a visit to Texas, and the deliciousness had stayed with him in to adulthood.

Steak and Shake is ok, but their skinny little fries get cold too fast for me.

Mr. Ebert, I live just outside of Normal, Illinois and I share your sentiments (it's nice to know we have similar tastes in films AND fast food joints).

It's my two-year old son's favorite restaurant as well, and so we go about once per month. I recommended it to a co-worker from Colorado and he went just yesterday. He has a new regular stop in town now.

Sadly they closed the first two original locations in Bloomington-Normal around ten years ago. The first was torn down, and the second was sold and remodeled into a Monical's Pizza (another chain you may be familiar with growing up in downstate Illinois). The secret there is to add a splash of their homemade French dressing to the pizza. That hits the spot!

One place that serves you on china with a glass of water, in a big city, no less, are the two Mickey's diners in St. Paul, Minnesota. They also happen to be in two subway cars, and have been featured in "Mighty Ducks". A great place to eat at two in the morning after a fun night, with burgers in sizes you would respect. They even have "Fish & Chips", Americanized into fries and fried clam strips, but delicious nonetheless.

Roger, this Canadian hates Bran muffins, lives for walnut crunches, and believes coffee is it's own food group. If I had time in between buses, I'd not only stop at Starbucks for my venti mocha, but I'd try to fit in Timmy's for a walnut crunch. As it is, Starbucks is my entire breakfast.
That being said, I love a good burger, and now I'm thinking of a way to get to Illinois to have one of these.
Thanks a lot.

Steak 'n Shake only recently located to my hometown of Pittsburgh (Go Steelers!) I have yet to go, but after reading this entry, I find myself inclined to make a trip sometime soon. Is there any particular preparation of burger that you would recommend to a newbie?

In Pittsburgh, we have the Eat 'n Park (which confused me as a kid, because I always thought one parked before they ate. The food is not much to write home about, but I will always be fond of the Smiley Cookie. http://www.eatnpark.com/smiley.asp).

And a one "Andrew" several posts above made a comment about "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" being easy to transform into a porn title, and I was reminded that my friend Jenny came up with the best (and I apologize profusely in advance for this, but it made me chuckle): "The Bi-curious Case of Benjamin's Bottom."

I recently spent time in Memphis and ran across a Steak 'n Shake. I instantly remembered the glowing endorsement from my favorite film critic. Hoping cinematic taste would translate to culinary taste, I ventured in and tried my first SnS burger, large fries and half 'n half milkshake (chocolate and vanilla).

It was so good... I almost wept.

OK -- maybe not. But I now have a difficult decision. When asked about the best fast food place on earth, I am torn between answering Steak 'n Shake or In-N-Out Burger (legendary west coast outfit).

I have come to the conclusion that fast food quality lies in the abbreviated "n"... a clear sign of culinary mastery.

This immediately raises the question... What are the best films with an abbreviated "n" in the title. Because, clearly, there is a cinematic gold mine out there for me to explore!

Thanks Roger
TC Candler

Ebert: Would that include the Hot 'n Now chain?

In Naperville in the 70s, there was a Steak n Shake and a Wendy's within a half mile of each other. The Wendy's was new then and everybody was raving about how great it was.

I kept looking at them like they were complete idiots. Why would anybody eat at Wendy's when Steak n Shake was right down the road??

Sheesh.

I have a similar affection for Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches, established in 1983 in Charleston, Ill., to improve students' GPA and General Dating Ability.

Of all the great experiences I had at Eastern Illinois University -- including working at the Daily Eastern News under the guidance of Dave Reed and John Ryan -- nothing quite matches the comforting smell of JJ's bread, the snap of a No. 5 with cherry peppers, or the decadence of a No. 14 with mayo.

We didn't have a Steak 'n Shake on campus, but there was (and still is, actually) one about 10 minutes up the road in Mattoon, and we would sometimes stop in for a Steakburger after seeing a movie at the Showplace 8. My friend Jim would somehow manage to pilfer the bottle of hot sauce every time. He must have filled an entire desktop with those by the end of our sophomore year. When I go, I usually get a Steakburger with fries and veggie soup, and either a vanilla Coke or a strawberry shake. I also enjoy the triple-decker turkey sandwich, though I'd imagine that didn't appear on the original menu!

I went to a book signing of yours a few years ago at Old Orchard, and a man presented you with a Steak 'n Shake employees' apron. Do you still have that?

I have a similar affection for Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches, established in 1983 in Charleston, Ill., to improve students' GPA and General Dating Ability.

Of all the great experiences I had at Eastern Illinois University -- including working at the Daily Eastern News under the guidance of Dave Reed and John Ryan -- nothing quite matches the comforting smell of JJ's bread, the snap of a No. 5 with cherry peppers, or the decadence of a No. 14 with mayo.

We didn't have a Steak 'n Shake on campus, but there was (and still is, actually) one about 10 minutes up the road in Mattoon, and we would sometimes stop in for a Steakburger after seeing a movie at the Showplace 8. My friend Jim would somehow manage to pilfer the bottle of hot sauce every time. He must have filled an entire desktop with those by the end of our sophomore year. When I go, I usually get a Steakburger with fries and veggie soup, and either a vanilla Coke or a strawberry shake. I also enjoy the triple-decker turkey sandwich, though I'd imagine that didn't appear on the original menu!

I went to a book signing of yours a few years ago at Old Orchard, and a man presented you with a Steak 'n Shake employees' apron. Do you still have that?

"Though I have long since ceased to think about my home, seeing this laver brings back many familiar memories, and I am saddened and find it hard to bear. It is the same kind of laver I saw long ago on the shore at Kataumi, Ichikawa, and Kominato. I feel an unwarranted resentment that, while the color, shape, and taste of this laver have remained unchanged, my parents have passed away, and I cannot restrain my tears."

Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1281}

It's great that I've learned the roots of Steak n Shake because I can appreciate my meal there a few years ago. They opened a Steak n Shake in the very south of my home town of Austin, TX which is basically too far of a drive for me to enjoy the steakburger. However I feel that unless I went to the original nothing will match up to my hometown. A friend told me that we have more restaurants per capita than any other city in the country. I don't have a source for that 'fact' but I'm sure New York City and even Chicago has more. We have many burger installations fighting for business and when burger places compete against each other everyone wins. You get great food, great atmosphere, caring owners and employees, and great service. Nothing can beat the original and my hometown has so many originals. Maybe you have been to Austin and tried Huts's Hamburgers, Waterloo Ice House, Dirty Martins, Frisco Shop, and most famously Top Notch featured in the cult classic Dazed and Confused (still open!). As a local I can assure you the burgers and the rest of their menu are great. FYI, cash only.

I'm pretty sure that the double Steakburger is nature's perfect food, and I don't care if the National Egg Board or Ryan Crowe disagrees with me. (What business doesn't exploit people for it's own gain? A bad one, I think. And, if I recall correctly, the minorities and the poor seem willing to be exploited. SOMEONE needs to lighten up a bit--and put down the Karl Marx.)

The chili is great stuff, and I like the great sloppy ways rather than the non-sloppy ways.

And what other place serves baked beans in individual crocks? Heaven, maybe. I hoping it does. Steak'n'Shake may just be a preview of a glorious afterlife of savory beef, crunchy pickles, and delightfully toasted buns.

Can I get an "amen" on that, brothers and sisters?

I've been to a Steak 'n' Shake exactly once in my life, about a year ago. After hearing so much about it from my friends, etc., I expected a truly transcendent experience.

I was disappointed. It wasn't that the burger wasn't good (it was pretty tasty. I'm a pure-purist, too. Bun and meat—cheese optional—only for me), but it wasn't the end-all-be-all of fast food. Perhaps I made a mistake in ordering their onion rings (nothing special). Perhaps my expectations were too high. Perhaps Steak 'n' Shake just doesn't work as smoothly in Texas. I really don't know.

The one I ate at was in Dallas. I live in Austin, and there's actually one maybe five minutes from my house. I'll have to give it another go. I'll have lowered expectations, and perhaps a better meal for it.

(Their shakes sure were good, though)

Mr. Ebert,

One Saturday every summer month during my high school years, my girlfriend's family and I would head to Springfield, MO from Buffalo to the Stake n Shake for the classic car cruise. Wonderful food and memories. I'm now in Wisconsin--close enough to Gurnee for the occasional fix--and my Colorado native wife is now just as excited as I to enjoy the classic taste. Thanks so much for your article--now I'm hungry!

I expected to see a blog entry about politics the night of the Inauguration, so I checked your sight throughout the evening. I checked back today and was instead surprised to see an entry about Steak 'n Shake. I'll openly admit that I grew up in Nebraska, home of no Steak 'n Shakes. I do remember going to one a couple of times in my youth, though...must have been on vacations. Still, since I didn't grow up down the street from one, I can't say I have that same link to the chain. My wife and I recently moved to KC, and there is one close enough to our house that is worth going the drive. We went about a month ago and I enjoyed a good steak burger, though I can't say it was the best burger I've ever had.

Not that this is too likely, but if you ever find yourself in Nebraska, I would recommend finding a Runza. Their Runza sandwiches are great; but, if it's a burger you crave, their Cheeseburgers are my absolute favorite. You mentioned that your feelings for Steak 'n Shake "involve a deep-seated conviction that a food is absolutely right, and always has been, and always will be." For me, Runza fits this bill (and more so, our Valentino's chain for pizza, but that's another story...). Choice 100% ground beef, never frozen. I've never had a bad burger there, and the fries are amazing as well. As much as I can talk it up, though, I can probably not convert you either. It's funny how we remember things like that from our childhood that forever seem to retain some form of perfection in our minds. Probably a similar feeling to how we remember movies of our youth, or even our favorite sports teams of the past.

I agree with my fellow Canadian posters that Timmy coffee reigns supreme if you have to pick one item that our countrymen all hold dear...but if you insist that coffee is not food (which I politely digress as a grad student), then I suggest that the food item you were thinking of should be POUTINE! Come on Roger, bran muffins can be anywhere, but a good, cheesy, dripping hot poutine? ONLY in Canada.

I'm personally a huge fan of the KFC poutine - I swear they put crack in that gravy.

cheers!

By and large food seems a less than fascinating issue. Its about as interesting as water and air.At times it seems like a tiresome and irritating duty. One regards it mainly from the fitness viewpoint and delicatessens leave an unpleasant afterfeeling. Interacting with people is the dish of choice and food and drink are fine as facilitators. Life is good and one wants to live long and fit. Time becomes scarce. One thing drives out another. Its a battle against time and food is a welcome interlude. Its good to be in ones sixties and kicking hard as ever.

"Human beings have two kinds of treasure. One is clothing and the other is food. A sutra states, “Sentient beings live in dependence on food.” This passage means that living beings dwell in this world owing to food and clothing. Fish dwell in water and regard water as their treasure. Trees grow on the earth and regard the earth as their treasure. Human beings have life owing to food, and regard food as their treasure.

Life is the foremost of all treasures. It is expounded that even the treasures of the entire major world system cannot equal the value of one’s body and life. Even the treasures that fill the major world system are no substitute for life. Life is like a lamp, and food is like oil. When the oil is exhausted, the lamp goes out, and without food, life will cease."

Nichiren Daishonin(1222-1281)

and ofcourse the tentmaker

"Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse--and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness--
And Wilderness is Paradise now."

I grew up in Springfield, MO and have been eating Steak 'n Shake since I was old enough to eat "adult" food.

When my grandfather passed away, my sisters (transplanted to Chicago), my brother (transplanted to Nashville) and I (temporarily transplanted to, ugh, L.A.) all returned home for the funeral. The last of us arrived at the hotel late in the evening and announced, "I'm starving." We all four glanced at each other and declared in one voice, "Steak 'n Shake."

I worked at the headquarters in Indy for four years out of college, where I literally ate SnS for lunch two or three times a week for four years. It never got old. Ever. I did have to take all of my pants to the tailor six months after I started working there (no joke). Now I live in a state w/o SnS. At least we have Culver's, which is 71% as delicious.

During Ebertfest 4 I was standing in line for your book signing, and you showed up smiling and shouting to everyone about the meal you had just eaten at SnS. Being employed by said company, I loudly encouraged you to keep going, and you obliged with a rousing rendition of "Four ways to enjoy...." Thanks for that.

On the way back to Indy that night I totaled my car. A couple of days later I went to the lot where they had towed it, rummaged through the smashed up CD's and broken glass in the back, and fished out my signed (and rain-soaked) copy of Great Movies. It's rather warped from the rain, but I can still pry open the cover and make out your inscription of "In Sight It Must Be Right."

Having only visited Chicago in Illinois, and not yet ventured outside the city, I can say that one of the best burgers I've ever had in my life was at the Billy Goat Tavern on lower Michigan Ave. I took a group of friends there, and dared them to ask for Pepsi and fries, just to see the reaction. Priceless.

Ebert: I have spent many, many hours in Billy Goat's. I like it that you can put on your own big onion slices. Drinking with Royko there was like living with a lion in its den.

You know, in the black and white photo - it looks like someone photoshopped one of the men's faces to cover the woman employee's face. Take a look , they're exactly the same!

Ebert: Good gravy!

As a child Elevation was the aroma of mutton gravy cooking over a slow coal fire (it took seven hours) as it permeates every corner of the home.......those tastes and flavours seem to be extinct....

This is simply curiosity, but I noticed that you didn't capitalize the "G" in "god knows what". Was that a intentional bit of Christopher Hitchens-like scorn, or merely an oversight?

Ebert: Not a conscious decision. Still: We capitalize proper nouns. Is God/god a person, or a universal entity? If the second, no capital is appropriate.

Friends of mine from Columbus, Ohio took me to a Steak n'shake for the first time a couple of years ago. Their daughter held her bridal shower there (a couple of days before her wedding) which to a foreigner, made no sense at all. Reading your article helps me understand the rituals held there a little bit better.
The one thing that caught the attention of my wife and me was tasting these fabulous meal & huge portions, and leaving there around at midnight, only to witness the incredible amounts of food left there by other patrons to waste. Our opinion was the same: there's too much abundancy in this country.

I know this is off topic, but do you watch "The United States of Tara", which is written by Diablo Cody (writer of "Juno"), starring Toni Collette? I don't watch television shows. I only watch "The Simpsons", late night talk shows, a little bit of the political television (Olbermann, Maddow, CNN, all of them)if the facts are right, and also "Twin Peaks" re-runs (by director David Lynch). But "The United States of Tara" has instantly become of the the very few shows--well, the only show-- that I will actually watch, which is obviously saying something to me. If anyone out there doubted Roger about "Juno" being his number one pick last year, watch this show that proves Diablo Cody is the real thing. I hope to see more great talents of cinema do television work up there with the likes of Diablo Cody and David Lynch.

I do treasure those steak n shake fries. I'd douse 'em with ketchup and eat them like spaghetti. One of these days, I plan on making a meal just of them!

Has anyone eaten at Culvers? In my area, Steak n Shakes are spread out, but there's a Culver's nearby. Absolutely fantastic. I recommened the double butter burger, fries and a Chocolate custard shake! Artery clogging goodness.

BR

PS: See you at Ebertfest!

Roger,
regarding your Oscars article:

WALL-E
story by Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter, screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon

best wishes

From Oliver!

"Food, glorious food!
Hot sausage and mustard!
While we're in the mood --
Cold jelly and custard!
Pease pudding and saveloys!
What next is the question?
Rich gentlemen have it, boys --
In-di-gestion!"

http://www.metrolyrics.com/food-glorious-food-lyrics-oliver.html
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=exZZ1HzLq6o

Dear Roger,

As a Champaign boy born and bread, I wholeheartedly agree that Steak 'n Shake is indeed the finest hamburger chain on Earth. Whenever I visit my brother near Peoria, a stop there is de rigeur. If they ever decide to invade California, I'll sign up for the infantry!

But also occupying a fond place in my heart is the drive-in chain that was born in Champaign-Urbana itself, and which is nowadays far rarer: Dog 'n Suds. While the food quality perhaps did not aspire to SnS levels, DnS coney dogs were an essential food group in my childhood. Ah, the sauce, the onions! Alas, C-U no longer hosts a Dog 'n Suds. I think the nearest ones are in East lafayette, Indiana (the best reason I know to visit Purdue!).

Thanks for stirring up some very pleasant memories.

I don't suppose Denny's is as good? I'd hate to think I'm missing out.

(PS I'm going to go off-topic here and show you guys this: the single most beautiful version of The Godfather Waltz. See it people, it really gets beautiful at 1:00)

First time posting here after being a long-time lurker....

As a youngster in his twenties, I fully appreciate the reverence for, and feel of a Steak n' Shake. You didn't even really touch on the shakes in your essay--which also demand a bit of exaltation.

Before we were old enough to go to the bars, if we were going "out" on a weekend, we were going to Steak n' Shake.

I've probably eaten there 1000 times, and have ordered 3 things:
Steakburger (or double), Patty Melt, and Chili Mac.

AND I LOVE THE PICKLES! My mother would let us kids eat them off of here plate (unless we fought too much over them) even though I know she wanted them herself. Aren't moms great!

Much love to Steak n' Shake.

You know, it took me several visits before I figured out what TakHomaSak meant. I'm man enough to admit it.

Ebert: I originally thought it was in a Native American language.

Hi, Roger -

It was due to your mention of SNS in one of your reviews years ago which inspired me to make a pilgrimage to one when I found myself in St. Louis for a business trip (I like to try unique regional foods when on the road).

It was excellent!! I usually don't eat red meat, but will make an exception for a good burger - and the Steakburger was well worth jumping off the wagon for. I do prefer true Cincinnati-style chili (I like it 5 way) in that city at either Skyline or Camp Washington, but I've added Steak n' Shake to my list of fave burgers. Thank you for expanding my burger horizons.

I grew up in Boston, Atlanta and California - so the iconic burgers of my youth are: Elsie's (which was in Cambridge; sadly, it exists no longer), Krystal (the Southern version of sliders; they had shakes so thick, you could pop a blood vessel trying to drink them through a straw), as well as the excellent burgers at the Varsity Drive-In near Georgia Tech, and yes, In n'Out (I like them Animal style).

If folks are ever down here in The City That Care Forgot, you can get an delicious burger at Port O'Call or Buffa's. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

What's the point of caring about Steak 'n' Shake? The world is going to end in about 10 years.

Ebert: But the good news is, that's 10 years and Four Ways to Enjoy.

There are three Steak & Shakes in my town. (Three! An embarrassment of riches! And those are just those that I know of!) It is a miracle that I eat anything else.

While I am of course a fan of the steakburger, sometimes there's nothing better than chicken fingers and cheese fries.

There's been a Steak 'n Shake near my home for a few years now, but I've never been inside. You have inspired me to give it a try.

its all about the frisco melts and the milkshakes!

Was the nirvana of Steak 'n Shake created in an instant, or did it evolve?

Ebert: Instantaneous.

You are right about 'tikki-ki-chaat'; typically we call it Aloo-tikki (in North India); aloo refers to potato, and you deep fry it and throw in some 'chutneys' and boy...it's yummy!

Amazing that more the stuff is deep fried more unhealthy it is but...more relishing it is!

So yeah...i will take a good aloo-tikki any day against a brilliant steak and die soon (perhaps) but...in bliss :-)

Ebert: I'm relieved. Having been wrong about Canada, I couldn't stand being wrong about India too.

Roger, for me Steak 'n Shake is a classic case of never work at a place that you love. Though I'm still in college, I regret my two years working at Steak 'n Shake as a waiter in, what is largely considered, the worse Steak 'n Shake in St. Louis. It's not necessarily that I regret the job itself, as it certainly paid decently enough. Rather, the stress of working as a waiter in a restaurant that was either constantly understaffed, or where people routinely showed up late, a pet peeve of mine, without repercussions. Then couple it with the fact that I hate lunch there nearly every Saturday and Sunday for two years straight, with more days of eating it during the summer, and sadly I found myself no longer being able to truly enjoy it.

The worst part is that I used to love Steak 'n Shake. It was one of the wonders of the world for me.

Still, my two years did not jade me completely. I know that it is the best place anywhere, bar none to get a Shake.

On that note, I must apologize for this, but the ice cream that is used for their shakes is not truly ice cream per se. It's referred to as "Shake Base". I never bothered to ask what the main differences were, but just judging from the pure whiteness of it, as opposed to the egg shell color of their true vanilla ice cream, I'd guess that Shake base is much more neutral in flavor than ice cream.

I've gotta wonder about the nature of the hard-wiring. I was born in Wisconsin, and grew up in Illinois, but didn't experience either Steak 'n Shake or Culver's until well into adulthood. For me, Culver's has the edge. My taste buds seem attuned to the state of my birth.

Somebody mentioned Braum's -- if you are ever in Oklahoma, or within 3 hours' drive of Oklahoma City, check them out. They are an enormously popular regional phenomenon. They have not only burgers and ice cream, but also a section of privately-branded grocery products. It's as if their very name was pure magic, in that part of the country.

We moved to Texas about 4 years ago, and they built a Steak 'n Shake nearby shortly thereafter. I didn't grow up anywhere near a Steak 'n Shake, but we love going there now. Anytime family comes to visit we take them there to eat. My favorite thing to order there is the Frisco Melt with chili cheese fries and a strawberry banana side by side. Makes me happy every time.
We're also lucky enough to have a Culver's right across the street from Steak 'n Shake, and we go there too, just not as often. They're similar to Steak 'n Shake, in that they are an actual restaurant with china based out of the midwest. It's easy to guess why I haven't eaten at a Burger King since we moved out here.

Fast food place = evil empire... I knew somebody would bring that up sooner or later. When I got my first job at Pizza Hut, I had a different word for it: Opportunity. The minimum wage in California wasn't even seven bucks an hour back then, but it kept me from being homeless.

I wonder, of all the people who consider these places evil, how many of them have ever had to work there because that's the best shot they have at making an honest living?

I work as a writer now (a dirt cheap, penny-and-a-half-a-word writer) and I don't plan on going back to being a grill cook any time soon... I liked being a grill cook, but I can sleep in all day and work in my underwear now, but my point is that... in times like these, shouldn't we be glad there are any jobs to be had in the first place?

If you want to fight the evil empires, start a company where you treat the employees better and pay them more without demanding any higher qualifications than you need to work at McDonalds, because until somebody does that, fast food will continue to be maybe the best way for people who can't afford college to stay above water until they find something better.

Steak n Shake is delicious, and the staff is almost always pretty friendly.

Ebert: Yeah, for some reason I've never seen a sullen or surly server. There seems to be a certain esprit de corps, or am I dreaming?

Okay, you've piqued my interest, your posting was great, and writing about WALL*E not being nominated for Best Picture will just make me angry. Where did you get the "Canadians love bran muffins" idea from? You're an annual visitor to Toronto, and probably know a great many Canadians. Do you see them eating a lot of bran muffins?

I grew up in Toronto and love bran muffins (Canada has a fast food chain called mmmuffins), but it's certainly not a stereotypical or even indigenous dish. Toronto hot dogs are the best anywhere, and we are to the veal sandwich what Buffalo is to the chicken wing, but bran muffins? Still, I must give you credit. I'd rather us be known as a nation of bran muffin eaters than a nation of connoisseurs of:

* Timbits
* poutine
* Kraft Dinner (that's mac and cheese to you)
* Nanaimo bars
* butter tarts
* doughnuts
* back bacon
* homo milk (tee hee hee)
* Crispy Crunch
* double-double coffee
* smoked meat sandwiches
* beavertails
* feves au lard
* Glosette raisins

So, we'll take the muffins!

By the way, how is this:

"the very names of the two chains describe the difference in styles of sexual intercourse between California and the Heartland..."

...refraining from telling a smutty joke?

Ebert: Good gravy! That got past me!

As a lifelong In-N-Out evangelist, I experienced quite a visceral reaction to your "shake my head sadly" line upon first reading. However, after allowing time for my blood pressure to settle and pondering the entire article I heartily agree with your observation that these things are fixed early on.

My devotion to In-N-Out has been built from an early age and is one I am proudly passing on to my sons. My wife homeschools them and I work primarily out of a home office. Once a week (sometimes more) around noon the kids pack up their schoolbooks and we happily make the jaunt to our local where the college-age girl named Ali behind the counter smiles and doesn't need to hear our order.

By contrast, my initial Steak n Shake experience did not occur until my late-20's/early-30's and included an overly greasy burger and resultant stomach ache. I can proudly say I've had several better SnS experiences since then.

However, it seems each SnS visit -- which usually occurs on vacation with family -- pales mightily to my first love.

The nearest analogy I can make is one of a sports fan. After growing up a Dodgers fan, living and dying with the team each summer, being able to recall at will each moment leading up to the 1988 Kirk Gibson homerun I imagine I could adopt the Cubs or Braves should I find myself living in Chicago or Atlanta. However, would any experience or moment of joy with those teams ever come near the moment Jose Canseco turned his head to watch the ball land in the right field pavilion? I can't imagine so.

Before the housing market crash, my family and I were considering moving out of California. We had eventually settled on either the Denver or Phoenix areas. Phoenix won the tie-breaker. What was one of the primary reasons? The presence of In-N-Out burger.

Wouldn't the current Pope ask for spaetzle? I love the image of Li'l Roger giving his first Two Thumbs Up™ at the counter of the ultimate fast food chain. Your dad sounds like quite a dining companion. I must admit, being from the great Southwest, to never having experienced a Steak N' Shake, although I've been chafing at the bit for the last nine years, since you mention it in at least five reviews a year.

What a wonder to know that there's still a restaurant chain that makes real, honest-to-God milkshakes. I worked as a soda jerk at an ice cream parlour for a spell. The owner was an old Brooklynite. How old? He would regale me with tales of watching Jackie Robinson steal home at Ebbet's. I must admit to turning a bit green from time to time. He taught me how to make the perfect milkshake, and what I consider to be the finest, most refreshing summer beverage: the ice cream soda.

I read this entry after having driven for seven hours straight, to my sister's in San Diego. I was really looking forward to an In-N-Out burger until I read your description of the zen-like construction of a Steakburger. Now, I cannot be satisfied, unless I buy a plane ticket to your neck of the woods.

The only thing that would have made your reminiscence of your 2000 reunion absolutely perfect would have been the small inclusion that the car with which you so blithely cut off the semi was your beloved Studebaker Golden Hawk.

I've never been to a Steak & Shake, but from your description it sounds almost exactly like 'White Spot', which is where we B.C. residents go when we want the best burgers and shakes available. The shakes come in a huge tall glass with a second metal cup for refils. They serve burgers with red onions, uncooked, which gives them a real bite. The chicken burgers are fantastic as well.

If you ever get a chance, check out a White Spot, I have a feeling you'll like it.

As far as I'm concerned, THE place to go in the Pacific Northwest is Burgerville. Excellent food and ethical business practices. They use local and organic wherever they can, including the meat, which makes it amazingly healthy fast food. When I was there, blackberries were in season and so you could get the blackberry milkshake, which was phenomenal - probably the best milkshake I've ever had. (Imagine the Shamrock Shake, except good.) Hate to say it, but I'm not impressed with In-N-Out. Their fries are wishy-washy, limp little beings, their burgers bland.

But for memories of growing up in Gary, my hometown, it's White Castle. That was the special place when I was a kid - a long drive away several towns over and a taste of utter ambrosia, in a time when restaurant dining at all for my cash-strapped family was a rarity, fast-food places were almost nonexistent, and this new "McDonald's" thing was still but a rumor in the local mill. White Castle to me means a sack of sliders and a little box of freshly-made onion rings and an orange drink - orange soda, now, if that's all they have. You would bite into a ring and if unlucky, the fresh-from-the-fryer onion would slip away from its crunchy casing and leave your lower lip with a little red welt of a burn.

When I was in college downstate in Bloomington, I'd drive over an hour to Indianapolis every now and then to get a fix. I was ecstatic when White Castle finally came to town. When I crossed the country on a road trip, I made sure to Mapquest the WCs along my route. I buy the frozen ones when I can't stand the withdrawal any longer, but of course they are not the same. I write to them occasionally asking them to come to Tucson. I was happy to see WC on the east coast when I lived there, but appalled when I discovered the local custom was to slather them with ketchup, ruining the steamy, salty burger/bun/onion/pickle interplay like a costumed clown in church. Once my boss bought them for us at work, but forgot to get mine without ketchup. I couldn't eat the disgusting combination. I was so disappointed, I nearly cried.

Every year, some newscast makes fun of the White Castle Valentine's Day special, where you have to make reservations and the restaurants have tablecloths and waiters and dimmed lights. What kind of jerk would take his date there?, they scoff. The kind of jerk who, if she loves White Castle, understands and loves her, I always think.

You've said before that you can no longer eat. So I wonder to myself if this sort of reminiscence brings you more joy or pain. Since I've had to give up most of my junky ways because of my own cancer experience, I am constantly torn by "I shouldn't eat this, so I can be healthy" and "But if I die soon anyway, do I want to never have eaten this wonderful dish again?" It would serve me well to be able to revisit the experience totally and completely in only my mind, and take the decision off my tongue.

Roger,

I live in Terre Haute, IN as a music composition student at Indiana State. My first experience with Steak 'n Shake was hearing about them in passing from your various reviews and essays--I had never lived where one finds a Steak 'n Shake nearby. I must admit, I was very intrigued by your appraisals and wanted to experience it firsthand. In fact, by the time I moved to Indiana, I was more well-versed in Steak 'n Shake then most people around the area were--or perhaps they were just impressed that I knew what a "TakHomaSak" was and that I understood the pledge "In Sight Must Be Right".

Strangely, most of my friends at ISU, when offered choices of places to eat always say the same thing: "God, not Steak 'n Shake, that place is nasty." I wondered what was going on--nobody I knew seemed to really be in love with the restaurant the way you were (though I do have a friend in Michigan who seems to love it). At best, I can get the members of my party to cave in and say "okay, fine, we'll go to Steak 'n Shake."

Of my first Steak 'n Shake experience I can unfortunately say little, as I was drunk and was not capable of tasting much. I do remember ordering the classic Steak 'n Shake meal with fries and cottage cheese. I also was unaware that steakburgers come unadorned unless you request condiments, so my Steakburger with cheese was otherwise nude. I also remember taking the top off the chili sauce, fishing the peppers out with my fork and stuffing them into my face (I would have done it sober as well). I probably would have remembered it if the food was bad, so it must have been at least acceptable.

Many months passed before I ate Steak 'n Shake again...I was in Indianapolis looking for a new lens for my camera when upon driving back to Terre Haute I noticed that the town of Plainfield (just on the outskirts of west Indy for those not in the know) offered many fast-food joints, including Steak 'n Shake. I figured that no one was around to judge me, so I would have my second meal there and enjoy it, goddammit.

I ordered the Portobello & Swiss Steakburger (I remembered to ask for condiments) with a side of fries and a side of slaw, with a vanilla shake. I took out my camera with my new lens and snapped pictures of my quarry before chowing down. My initial assessment was that the meal was competent--nothing special, but certainly worth stopping for. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was friendly, even for a bustling restaurant in West Indy tackling a Friday night crowd.

It wasn't until I left and started driving home that I realized how truly great that meal was. Steak 'n Shake, likely because of their desire to keep things constant over the years (as you report) are masters of culinary restraint. The steakburger was large but not colossal and tasty, the slaw was fresh and tangy, the shoestring fries were light and not dripping with grease, and the shake was just about as nice a shake as I can remember having. The meal was a mellow chamber work of hidden depths and unforeseen pleasures, not some brash Michael Bay-esque assault on my sensibilities as a diner. My realization was that I was expecting my meal to be overwrought the way most fast-food burger joints tend to be and I had somehow connected feeling too full with "good". Something that is just right is now actually underwhelming because we're used to getting punched in the face with fast food.

Case in point--several days earlier I went to Burger King with a friend of mine and ordered their current "specialty" sandwich, a juggernaut called the "Angry Whopper": A regular Whopper made "angry" by plastering all kinds of ridiculous condiments on it to the point of parody. It tasted pretty good, but the problem was that the food lacked any kind of nuance at all. Compounded with a obscene quantity of Dr. Pepper and a swath of greasy french fries, I thoroughly hated myself after eating that meal, and wondered aloud afterwards what the hell I had done to myself.

In the interest of my health (and my wallet) I'm cutting back on the number of times I go out to eat, but from this point forward when I do go out, Steak 'n Shake is going to be a staple of my fast-food dining experience.

I mentioned David Lynch on my last post, and speaking of that, your editor gave his last film ("Inland Empire")four stars while you were ill and I haven't seen it yet, but I think I'm going to buy the DVD today. I'd also really like to see a review by you of the film, and from the good things I've been hearing, I think you might like it too as a follow-up to "Mulland Drive", which you gave four stars. Here's Jim Emerson's review: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070125/REVIEWS/701250301/1023

Ah, Steak 'n Shake. The more I think about it, the more I realize how big of a role the place has played in my life. I can see one from my bedroom window in St. Louis - the highlight of my view. Now looking out from my dorm window at the University of St. Andrews 4,000 miles away, my mouth waters for those fries and shakes. The food here just can't compete.

As little kids, my sister and I were always taken to Steak 'n Shake, whether in St. Louis, or on the road to our relatives in Nashville. I always order the vanilla, and my sister the chocolate (until they came out with the new dark chocolate flavor). I always gave my sister the cherry. We drew on the kids menu, particularly on the blank faces of the waitress. I was a far worse artist than my sister, so we made a before/after picture of a waitress in plastic surgery - I did before, she after.

Now, whenever I come home from school, the first place I always go after leaving the airport is the drive-thru of Steak 'n Shake. I really want that shake now.

I had my first Steak & Shake in high school--I grew up in Chicago's south suburbs and we had a speech tournament at Bradley.

Man, was it something--and special, because as you said, there were none in the Chicagoland area.

Now I live in Orlando, and there are Steak & Shakes aplenty--but I will always associate them with being in the heart of Illinois and enjoying one of God's finest burgers.

(Although, seriously, Roger--In-n-Out?! EXQUISITE. You speak crazy talk.)

Great, great article, Roger.

I loved the entire experience the year I came in and spoke at Ebertfest, but the two highlights... the two memories that no one can ever take away from me... were (A) sitting side-by-side with you onstage discussing anime and Fritz Lang with a totally packed late night audience and (B) going out for Steak'n'Shake after.

You perfectly evoke the experience with S'n'S here, and your passion for it, so evident when you took that group of us to eat, has obviously not abated one bit.

Ebert: Drew is a famous critic at Ain't It Cool News,but I won't reveal which one.

Be well, sir. Your blog is one of the best reads anywhere right now.

We have Steak 'n Shake in Atlanta, and I love it. However, I'm trying to live several more decades, so I don't eat there often.

(For pure gustatory pleasure, my favorite burger remains the Chubby Decker from Zesto's.)

Thank you Mr. Ebert for giving such a beautiful description of Steak 'N Shake. A few years ago the first Steak 'N Shake moved into Arkansas. My friends and I decided to give it a try and were instantly hooked. The only thing I had to compare it to was a drive in called World Burger which sadly went out of buisness nearly a decade ago. I'm currently a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine and I dream of somthing as wonderful as a steakburger. I once saw a hamburger on a menu in a resteraunt that serves foriegners; it was served on two top halfs of a bun, soggy, with mayonaise and barbecue sauce. I almost cried. I'm married now to a wonderful woman and one of the first things I'm going to do is take her to Shake 'N Steak and have a meal there. In my opinion Stak 'N Shake is an example of the best in America; simple, good, wholesome. What better way to introduce someone to their new life?

I first read about Steak'n Shake in one of your Movie Home Companions back in the mid-1990's. I was intrigued, but at that time we did not have them in the Tulsa area, so all I could do at that moment was drool at the possibilities.

In 1998 I had the good fortune to date a lady who had grown up, and still had family in Indianapolis. One extended weekend we drove east to meet her family, and as we drove through St. Louis we began to consider dinner. She left the choice up to me and I said "First Steak'n Shake we find". We happened to stop at the one in Collinsville, Illinois.

Roger, to say my life was changed is an understatement. The relationship to this fine lady did not last, although the friendship endures to this day. But my obsession with Steak'n Shake was complete, and intensified. But all it could do was to sit and fester as we still had none in the Tulsa area.

That is, until about 2002 or so, when one opened on South Memorial Drive in Tulsa. I took the lady I ended up marrying (April) and our daughter in and each ordered the Steak'n Shake platter. I forget what my wife had to drink, but I had a chocolate malt, made perfectly.

Then it happened. One opened in Owasso, a suburb of Tulsa. Within ten miles of me. Obsession turned to lust, and all I could think about was Steak'n Shake meals. I never knew the original menu, but I can honestly say I never tried anything there with chicken on it, or a salad of any sort.

Sadly, it didn't last. The service, which started out great, for some reason began to deteriorate, although we still endured the frustrations so that we could end up with the meals. But the service continued to decline, and the last time we visited, we were seated but never served, not even a glass of water. We left after fifteen to twenty minutes, completely puzzled and heartbroken. Then, the unthinkable happened....it closed. I think that was the closest to tears I'd been since the last time I watched Schindler's List.

Fortunately, there's still the one in Tulsa, and another one in Broken Arrow, within thirty miles of me.

Come to think of it, Roger, I know where we're having dinner tonight. Wish you could join us.

Mr. Ebert,

Being a life long resident of Bloomington/Normal I found your article more than interesting, it was a reminder of one the great "rights of passage" we had here for years. That was as a teenager, getting with your buddies, piling into your car and going out on a Friday or Saturday evening and "tooling the gags". We would start at the Steak N Shake in Normal, go up Main street to Oakland Ave and take it to the Bloomington Steak N Shake, slowly drive through and then down to the Dog N Suds and then back down Main Street to start it all over again at the Normal Steak N Shake.

So as Bob Hope sang "Thanks for the Memories".

Hi, Roger. Hi, everyone.

Not a single location in dear ol' Nebraska? That's too bad; we like a good burger out this way. We have plenty of Sonics, though, which I think are plenty good. What should be the jewel in the crown, though, their burgers, are one of the worst things on the menu. Their star is the humble cherry limeaid. And I love the drive-up service, too.

The BEST hamburgers I've EVER had were Highway 88 burgers from a little roadside stand in California on the west slope of the Sierras on Highway 88 as it heads up from the foothills up to Tahoe. Not a chain, just a little shack, really. Good grief, they were good. You could watch everything happen there, too. The griddle is about three feet from where you stand to order.

In Omaha, we have our own little chain, too. Bronco Burger. Check it out. http://www.broncoburgers.com/history.html.

David Hudson

When I was in grade school (1950s) my friend Al came back to our little town in western New York from a trip to St. Louis raving about Steak & Shake. I filed the information away -- as I still do about raving restaurant reviews from people whose mothers can cook -- and finally, headed to college in Elsah, IL, I found my way to Steak & Shake. Al was right. I have gotten my wife to Steak & Shake since, and she likes it, but I don't think she GETS it. You do; I do; many do. And the person who made the comment about the shakes gets it, too. Long live Steak & Shake!

My introduction to Steak and Shake came in my eighteenth year, when I transplanted from Chicago to Peoria's Bradley University. Quickly, I made friends with the one guy on the dorm floor who had a car. He was from a tiny town called Farmington, where I can only assume the Steak and Shake was the main source of entertainment unless people wanted to drive all the way into the threateningly metropolitan Peoria (this is not a criticism, but outside of Chicago, Illinois may as well be Nebraska: small, distant farm towns where people are perfectly content to remain in an almost enforced isolation), so S&S was a natural draw for him.

Our late nights and early mornings were spent at the Steak and Shake across town. That's my fond memory of the place - open twenty-four hours, with a wait staff at least tolerant of drunken post-pubescent antics. I was never that fond of the place during the college years, but after I moved back to Chicago, one opened in Gurnee, and of course I made a trip. Wouldn't you know it, I thought it was great and I keep going back.

Roger -

Did you weep when the Lombard, IL location closed?

And did that sorrow end when they opened the Rosemont location?

Mr. Ebert:
My fond memories of Steak 'n Shake are of more recent vintage. In Atlanta with my father in 1997, dad was absolutely dumbfounded to hear that I, at the age of twelve, had never in my life experienced a milkshake. There was simply no excuse, as he saw it. He had been there all the while, had taken me to school and cub scouts, and raised me. He seemed to consider it a mortal failure on his part as a parent, an American man who had grown up in the '50s and '60s, that he had never introduced me to the milkshake.
So I was yanked into the old '84 Volvo station wagon, which he directed immediately to the Steak 'n Shake closest to the home of the relatives we were visiting. I ordered a chocolate malted, and even now I can't remember a better experience of dessert foods. I think I had two, and it remains one of my favorite things.
I wonder, Mr. Ebert, and I hope not to offend you, that considering what you've said in previously of your medical condition, will you be able to eat and drink again? I see what you've written as sort of an elegy to something you sorely miss.

This was a great article. The exchange with Letterman is priceless.

I didn't grow up with any special food loyalties (I grew up in pre-planned suburbia). The last time I visited my sister in Chicago, though, I became an instant believer in the Pizza Metro in Wicker Park. Half a world away, yet their simple ravioli in meat sauce still lingers in my memory...

Roger, thanks for a perfect paean to the finest burger chain. How I wish I resided in one of the 19 states. My last Steakburger was outside Cedar Point amusement park, ten years ago. How I wish there was one in closer range. I'll have to plan a road trip.

When I moved to Houston from the Detroit area a few year ago, I thought I had left Steak'n'Shake behind except for visits back up north. But to my surprise, a brand new Steak'n'Shake opened in the Houston area just a few months ago. I've only been once because it is not conveniently located, but I have to say I was disappointed that the chain seems to have gotten rid of their excellent skinny fries sometime since I last ate there. The fries were one of my favorite things about the restaurant, and to have them replaced with more ordinary diner fries is a bummer.

Say anything you like about Canadians and we're more than likely to just smile and nod, even if we secretly believe you're full of shite. HOWEVER, I was wondered as I digested the bran muffin comment if that was crossing the line. We've stands all we can stands and we can't stands no more.

Ah but yet, only three Canadian have replied to register a mild complaint and predictably point to that ex-Toronto Maple Leaf who's name adorns so many local landmarks.

Being on the Atlantic side of this great nation, our specialty runs more to surf than turf. And so trying to come up with some local equivalent, what came to mind was the incomparable "John's Lunch". Order the large plate of deep fried clams and fries.

You're Oprah's book club, man. The United States of Roger. So when I went to Chicago a month ago, my son and I threw a little football back and forth through the wind in Lincon Park - because you said it was a place you liked to go. And next time I'm in the brand-new America, I'll keep a sharp look-out for the Steak and Shake.

I interviewed for a job at Steak n Shake on Green Street in 1958 or 1959 so I can help clear up the mystery of where the car hops came from. Most were from the small towns around Urbana; Villa Grove, Sidney, Homer and so on. In those days the out of town kids didn't have much to do with the city kids other than on a professional level.

Ebert: Ah, ha.

There's a Mark Van Doren poem about Homer, Sidney and Philo. That may even be its title.

Though I've never been to a Steak 'n' Shake, I'm right with you on having a horror of soggy burger buns. I recently gave Five Guys a couple tries given friends' rave reviews, but their burgers might as well be served from a pitcher! (Which was also true of their fries half the time.) I assume their regular clientele must have their jaws wired shut!

I can't seem to call up any nostalgic memories for the taste of anything from my youth. The things I seem to remember better are experiences and places. Wading through the peanut shells on the dark brown hardwood floor of Ground Round in Latham, NY and watching Abbott and Costello, Laurel & Hardy, Mighty Mouse, etc. projected on the wall. The park benches outside the Bolton Landing Dairy Queen, which were on the edge of a pine-forested hill, underneath chinese lanterns.

After a night of drinking and partying, nothing's better than stopping by a Steak 'n Shake at 3:30 a.m. for a mouth-watering double steakburger and a large sweet tea.

Roger, what's with the photo ?!

In the photo by H.S.Wall why is the face of the man
at the counter far right, Photoshopped onto the waitress
standing center ? The sideburn and eyebrow has been trimmed
but it is certainly the same face.

Are you or Wall pulling a fast one on us here ?

Ebert: That is decidedly peculiar.

I am a southern/eastcoaster person and lived around the world until landing here in Muncie, IN 20 years ago. Thus my intro to the adorable flatburger...and the master of all shakes, the side-by-side. As a musician in a small town, my fate has been traipsing down I69 to Indy for gigs. Many the cold winter night, starting out for home after a grueling day slaving over a hot fingerboard, I'm starving...it's Indy, EVERYTHING IS CLOSED EXCEPT DENNY"S!! (and WhiteCastle, home of the square steamed onion thingies) Real musicians need real food! Late at night! But salvation is sweet, the cosy S&S sign is lit, and all is right with the world....I can munch on my little flatburger, shoestring fries and side-by-side speeding north through the frozen flatlands...thanks, Roger, for your symphonic salute to the Midwest Temple of Food-Made-Right. P.S My husband had to do a presentation at the University IL in Urbana several years ago and we stumbled on your festival of overlooked films...saw one of the strangest and greatest movie events, the Japanese-Mexican-every-other-language performance art watchamacallit that blew our minds. Thanks again!

Ebert: "The Grey Automobile. " One of the strangest and most delightful experiences in my moviegoing carer.

I live in Iowa, which has two Steak 'n Shake locations, one just 25 miles away. While I typically avoid chains, I'm always looking for a good burger. I'll have to try one...soon.

Growing up, the best sandwich in my hometown was the seasoned loose meat sandwich at the Maid-Rite, another midwest sandwich chain - founded in 1926. (When you order a Maid-Rite with everything, it includes mustard, pickle and onion, but not ketchup so as not to overwhelm the flavors in the seasoned beef.)

I'm not loyal to any one burger though. I've loved many. I could wax poetic about the butter burger at Solly's Grille in Milwaukee, WI - especially with a banana malt to wash it down. Or the Juicy Lucy served at Matt's in Minneapolis, MN - a dive bar with a perfect burger - where the eating of the burger is an adventure, the molten cheese cooked inside the patty will burn your mouth if you don't eat very carefully. I could go on and on.

Allow me to suggest www.roadfood.com as a fantastic resource to find great, (mostly) inexpensive local eateries across the United States. Restaurant chains are mostly excluded, but that's for the better.

I have no experience with Steak 'n Shake, though I grew up in a city that had one. But I'm interested in your idea about first restaurant experiences and lifelong tastes.

My first restaurant experience didn't come until my second decade of life. We had little money, and none for the frivolity of paying people to cook for us. So I first ate at a restaurant when I was 11 or so - the nuns at my school took a few of us out to breakfast one Saturday. We had volunteered our time to clean some rooms in the church, and breakfast was our reward.

I was fairly terrified. I'd never eaten out, had no idea how to order, was afraid the nuns might fail to pay after all, and had no idea what most of the menu meant. At my home, we ate cereal for breakfast, and once in a greeeeat while, scrambled eggs and bacon. I didn't know what an omelet was, and was astonished/befuddled by the terms "eggs over easy" and "sunny side up." Eggs Benedict? Yikes!

I remember my first restaurant experience with more squirm than affection. However, to this day, I love going to restaurants and ordering breakfast, even for lunch or early dinner. Coincidence?

Oh Roger! Now I need to go here. You make it sound so good! I have heard of this place but being a Pa/NJ resident we don't have any near the Delaware river. Maybe you can convince them to come and open one up in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area? :-)

We have a place in Philly called Nifty Fifties, it sounds similar, and it's really terrific. Everything is handmade. From the burgers to the french fires where you can see them cutting the potatoes as you walk in the door. Plus the Milkshakes and Egg creams are wonderful too. It's also reasonbly priced too. Go for the large basket of Pistol Pete's spicy fries with cheese!

http://www.niftyfiftys.com/

Wouldn't the current Pope ask for spaetzle? I love the image of Li'l Roger giving his first Two Thumbs Up™ at the counter of the ultimate fast food chain. Your dad sounds like quite a dining companion. I must admit, being from the great Southwest, to never having experienced a Steak N' Shake, although I've been chafing at the bit for the last nine years, since you mention it in at least five reviews a year.

What a wonder to know that there's still a restaurant chain that makes real, honest-to-God milkshakes. I worked as a soda jerk at an ice cream parlour for a spell. The owner was an old Brooklynite. How old? He would regale me with tales of watching Jackie Robinson steal home at Ebbet's. I must admit to turning a bit green from time to time. He taught me how to make the perfect milkshake, and what I consider to be the finest, most refreshing summer beverage: the ice cream soda.

I read this entry after having driven for seven hours straight, to my sister's in San Diego. I was really looking forward to an In-N-Out burger until I read your description of the zen-like construction of a Steakburger. Now, I cannot be satisfied, unless I buy a plane ticket to your neck of the woods. Ah, well. They may be sloppy, but there are saving graces. The menu, as many before have mentioned, and the fact that, like a Steak n' Shake, the entire process is transparent: everyone who waits in the long, long line can see the fresh burgers being made. Plus, while much of the burger ends up on you, it still tastes pretty damn good. In the day of hockey pucks masquerading as food, it's nice to put something with genuine flavor between your teeth.

The only thing that would have made your reminiscence of your 2000 reunion absolutely perfect would have been the small inclusion that the car with which you so blithely cut off the semi was your beloved Studebaker Golden Hawk. You would have noted that the acceleration of the noble machine pushed you and Chaz back into your seats. Concerned, Chaz would have looked over into the cab of the truck, able to read the trucker's lips as he marveled, "Sharp car flippin' cut me off!"

Boy, am I hungry now. Unfortunately way up here on the shore of Lake Superior I fear I'm a long way from a Steak & Shake. Do they have them in Minnesota?

And I'm not sure what made you connect Canadians and bran muffins. Doesn't ring a bell with me, anyway. You might add Finns and prune tarts to your list, though. Yep- prune tarts.

Ebert: I am afraid I was wrong, wrong, wrong about Canadians.

Some of the most extraordinary, and happy, moments of my life has been inside of one of our local Steak 'n Shakes here in the northern part of Columbus, Ohio.

I belong to a large local Astronomy club, which meets on the second Saturday evening of every month for various astronomy related activities (Lectures, discussion, star gazing, etc,.)

These are all a great deal of fun, but, since clouds often curtail stargazing here in Ohio, the meetings come to serve as the short prelude to the late-night mini-meeting to come. As everyone begins to file out of our home base/observatory the words "Steak 'n Shake" begin to form on the lips of a subset of regulars. 20 minutes later a group of a dozen or so folks, plus or minus a few has commandeered the the tables along the far wall, slid them together, creating a giant discussion table. (In fact, it's the same location you have selected in the "Ebertfest" photo- almost all modern Steak 'n Shakes have the exact same layout.)

And do we ever discuss! Astronomy enthusiasts are, by and large, intelligent, well rounded, funny, and sociable. It's impossible to adequately summarize what we talk about, since it seems to encompass the whole of human experience. Within our core group there are musicians, book collectors, doctors, union laborers, homemakers, retirees, young couples, a herpetologist, professors, engineers and others. What I love about the group is that, despite our differences in background, everyone is quick witted enough to "get" what is being said and has a contribution- an interesting contribution- to make.

It is a profound joy to me, during these "meetings", to look around and think to myself: "These are my people. They get it... they understand."

Our latest meeting, this January, had a melancholy tone to it. One of our regulars- a poetic, thoughtful, and worldly man, full of anectodtes- is terminally ill with cancer. It was generally understood that this would likely be his last trip to Steak 'n Shake. Sitting down, some of us were a bit uncertain how to handle this uncomfortable fact. But our friend let us know that sitting there with his friends, discussing "whatever", was exactly what he wanted to be doing.

We filed out a little early that night- only about 1:30 a.m.- and continued for a bit, as usual, in the blustery parking lot until we could no longer hold back the cold and leapt into our cars.

Did you ever become fixated on something and you could not figure out why?

For some unexplainable reason the other day I became mezmerized by the word "Takhomasak". I know what it means but for some reason I keep repeating to myself over and over, it is fun to say. It is floating around in the back of my brain and all I can figure is that if it has the same obsessive quality on everyone else that it has on me, then it is a brilliant marketing word.

TakHomaSak. TakHomaSak. TakHomaSak.
Sounds like a Native American drive-around.

I came here expecting eloquence regarding the inauguration and find myself craving Steak n' Shake's cheesy fries instead. I did not grow up with fast food (I ate my first McDonald's in high school). I feel this same loyalty to our local pizza (I was a carry out girl in HS): Aurelio's.

Anyway, I fell in love with Sn'S when we took our kids on a road trip to Dinosaur National Monument when they were small. It was the only place where
1. we could all find food we liked
2. had the ambience that was kid friendly, but not adult unfriendly
3. the service was GOOD
4. food quality did not result in car sickness or tourist tummy.
I am now a fan for life. It's good food, inexpensive and well served. I have never had poor service in any of the Sn'S restaurants I've been in: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri and Kansas. When I get back down to Urbana (for library school stuff), I'll be sure to stop in at the Urbana Sn'S. I'll order a steak burger in honor of you. (love the smutty joke, btw).

In many ways, Steak n' Shake exemplifies much of the good that is in America. Long may we TakHomaSak (now you can Faxasak!).

Ebert: Speaking of the Inauguration, I wonder if the Obamas ever dined at the Steak 'n Shake in Springfield, Ill.?

Canadians love bran muffins? That's news to me. But thinking about it, I'm not sure what Canadians, as a whole, love. Likely many would say a Tim's doughnut (not donut), but most people just go there for a coffee - in my opinion, most of the doughnut purchases are made by managers on their way to a meeting, and the doughnuts just sit in the cardboard box and go stale.

I'll have to give it some more thought; maybe over a bran muffin.

I went to college at Illinois State in Normal, where I discovered the Center of the Universe in the original Steak 'n Shake. We now have one in Huntsville, Alabama! I'm so happy to be part of the Midwest again.

I also heard you speak at ISU in about 1972 or 1973 in a wonderful old theatre auditorium. Being from Chicago, I was already a fan from reading the newspaper (we were a Sun-Times family). This was long before your TV show, and I was surprised that you sounded the same in person as in your column. Dooh!

Dear Roger, why did I have to read this column while I eat my tiny salad with six sunflower seeds and a glass of water?

I live in Indianapolis and practically grew up on Steak n Shake, while my parents had a fondness for White Castle. (Ugh.) Steak n Shake is the absolute BEST. Not only is the Double Steakburger with Cheese the most sublime, with the buttered toasted bun and the pickles sliced lengthwise, the fries are perfect. My children love to sit at the counter and eat -- I don't think my son will ever get over his first chocolate milkshake. He took a sip and his eyes glazed over and begged for another one right away. When we left, the manager smiled and gave him a paper hat.

One of the menu items I really miss is the Lemon or Lime Freeze. The perfect summer milkshake -- not too sweet with a perfect citrusy flavor. I wish I knew why they stopped making them.

Oh, and whenever Jimmy Buffett does a show in Indianapolis, he always orders from Steak n Shake and makes a reference to it when they finally sing "Cheeseburger in Paradise." The love is universal.

I lived for a number of years in C-U, and I could not agree with you more - Steak 'n Shake is the absolute best "fast food" hamburger you could ever have (I always took mine with mustard, onion, and relish). Unfortunately, I live in Connecticut now, and there is not a Steak 'n Shake to be found. It's tragic, really.

Though, not all hope is lost - we recently had a couple Buffalo Wild Wings (formerly BW3 - Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck) locations open here in Connecticut. That is another cherished memory of my time in Champaign... and I have a bit of a story about them as well.

When I first moved east, there were no BW3's in the area. So, I tried to visit the company's website. It was at a time when e-Commerce was still in its infancy. I sent an email to their headquarters, extolling my love of BW3 (and their Spicy Garlic wing sauce in particular), and asked if there was some way I could purchase some for myself.

In response, they sent me 2 quarts of their Spicy Garlic sauce for free, and within months, they had a store webpage added to their site.

Between Steak 'n Shake, BW3, and Garcia's (Home of the Flying Tomato!), my midsection has many many fond memories of life in Champaign-Urbana. Thank you for bringing them all back to mind.

Ebert: Think of the reviews as a Steakburger, and the blog entries as the sides.

So wrong.

Your blog entries (Ben Stein, The Joy of Novels, Looks After Surgery) are among the best things you have ever written. I have been following what you write since the early 1990's.

We have a S & S right across from the school here in South Bend. It stays open 24-7, perfect for late nights when I'm driving home from a gig. The chili is so good I have dreamt about it.

We also like Redamak's in New Buffalo. You've been there, right? Too bad they close in the winter. The band is always playing on the Red Arrow Highway and I have to talk them into driving toward town to get the burgers.

Very well written. I've actually never tried a Steak and Shake before. I recently moved to Chicago from San Diego and I have seen a few of them around. I'll have to try one out.

There aren't really chains like S&S, but for fast-food in Chicago my favorites are:
1. Mr. Beef on Orleans
2. Byron's Hot Dogs on Irving Park
3. Bari on West Grand (Italian sub from back counter)

If we happen to be heading to death row at the same time, I will gladly share your last meal. I grew up in Central IL but have since moved away. Now whenever we travel, "Is there a Steak & Shake?" is the first question asked. I have been known to thoroughly embarrass my children by pointing to the picture of the original restaurant in the menu and telling the waitress, "THIS is the Steak and Shake I grew up with and my expectations are high!"
I must admit that I was traumatized a bit recently. We found ourselves at a Steak & Shake in Atlanta (of course we headed there as soon as we got off the plane), and I automatically ordered the double-steakburger platter with fries and coleslaw (and a chil-mac on the side to share with my husband) only to be told they had removed coleslaw from the menu! That rich, creamy coleslaw was gone, and it just wasn't the same.

I see that others have educated you on the bran muffin / Tim's issue, so I won't belabour the point.

Reading your account makes me think of the special place that Webers holds in the hearts of the thousands of Torontonians like me for whom it has always marked the ritual half way meal stop between the city and the cottage. We love it not just for the food (charcoal grilled burgers, homemade buns, fries sprinkled with seasoned salt, and the finest chocolate shake on the planet), but for the whole experience.

The line-up extends far out into the parking lot, but their order-taking process is so finely honed that you rarely have to wait more than ten or fifteen minutes to get your food. And while you wait, you are entertained by the rock music blaring from the kitchen and the sight of "The Key Man" and his young compatriots flipping burgers at breakneck speed while the kids at the front counter miraculously put it all together without a single error. Then you take your meal out to one of the very clean picnic tables and watch the kids play among the collection of old train cars that are scattered through the park.

Their website gives you some idea, but it's one of those places you really have to experience.

They now sell frozen Webers burger patties at the grocery store, but I have no interest in buying them. What would be the point?

After reading this, I know where I'm picking up food from before settling down and watching the Super Bowl on 2/1.

I always get the Bacon and Cheese Double platter with mustard plus cottage cheese with a pineapple on it and wash it all down with a Strawberry Shake.

If you're ever in the Muskegon area, I highly recommend you check out Fricano's Pizza and G&L Chili Dogs. I've had other pizza and hot dogs and none come close to those two places. How they haven't expanded beyond the Muskegon area is beyond me.

There seems to be a theme developing here about childhood hosting the foundation for our consumer allegiances. I was raised, however moderately, on McDonalds, and it has been my favorite up until recently. I'm trying to pull away from it, but it's hard. McDonald's locations turn up everywhere you go, where as I normally have to "try" to find a Steak n' Shake or Burger King. Same deal when I was on my honeymoon in California last summer: I had fallen in love with In and Out Burger, and was on the lookout for one on our drive south; we probably passed a dozen McDonald's before I gave up and went to one. Could this mean a grim future for places like Steak n' Shake? The generation to inherite them is the same generation who grew up never more than two minutes from their favorite burger place. McDonald's defined fastfood for us, and we may not have the will or courage to re-define it.

I am disappointed to see so many either/or folks out there. Perhaps you are simply taking a stand for your native burgers? I am from California, and adore In & Out. I also appreciate well-made traditional burger. I don't think of them as the same foodstuff.

In-N-Out burgers are all about the special sauce, and the mix of flavors created by a crunchy bun, drippy sauce, crunchy lettuce, soft tomato (and then the choice of whether your onions are crunchy, sauce, or nonexistent will add yet another layer). A good, fresh burger from In-N-Out should have the crunch, the soft, the ooze. When I was a child, I did not like special sauce, no sir. As I grew older and I learned to let flavors & textures meld and harmonize, I developed a fierce love for the #1 -- Double-Double (no onions), fries, and a shake. My desire for In-N-Out will always be about that specific taste sensation. Now, if I want a Burger, In&Out does not even enter my mind. I crave In&Out, and I crave burgers, and these simply aren't the same.

There is an amazing burger joint in San Francisco, Joe's Cable Car Restaurant. The patties are made from really tasty beef, the veggies are crisp, the shakes phenomenal. Their "butcher shop," where they trim the fat and grind the beef, is on view (the window onto this section is right near one of the doors, so it isn't like diners have to stare at the raw product all through dinner). You can choose from 4, 6, or even 8 ounce patties. We found it delicious but a bit pricey for a burger meal, but if we lived closer we surely would make a habit of going there.

To come at this from a different direction, I offer some historical speculation: I note that Tommy's and In-N-Out, California creations both, involve messy toppings on fast-food-sized burger patties and suggest that they were and are alternatives to (cringing and ducking to avoid anything thrown in my direction) McDonald's. All three were post-WWII inventions, and I have to wonder if they weren't trying to perfect a fast-food ideal (I don't have enough information to speculate on whether geography played any role, but the post-War boom in California certainly led much of its soul to be based in car culture). Whereas, Bob's Big Boy and Steak & Shake were established in the 1930s. Both were counter-only burger-serving establishments which adapted wonderfully to the car culture by adding car-hop service. If we are going to make comparisons between the two sets of 'burger places,' we ought to ask whether Type A may have consciously chosen a new sort of burger in order to differentiate themselves from the pre-war, Old Time burger joints? Did (and do) they demonstrate differences in the way they cook or serve and can we discover fundamental differences through an understanding of the evolution of these practices? In closing, I suggest, this time from an analytical rather than personal-taste perspective, that we are truly comparing apples to oranges when we pit In N Out against Steak & Shake.

Steak and Shake makes it as far west as Kansas. In N Out makes it as far east as Utah.

So where does that leave Colorado (birthplace of the Cheeseburger)?

In good hands with Good Times, Sonic and a really good new chain that started here called Smashburger.

Culvers has come to Denver recently also, their butterburgers are excellent.

Ebert: I was saddened to learn that Tom's Tavern in Boulder has gone out of existence, and with it its cheeseburgers.

I can give you no higher compliment than to tell you this recalls to me the best of Royko.

Mr. Ebert: Being stuck in Texas the last 25 years without Steak 'N Shake, I tortured my family and friends with visits to them when available ... My record is 13 straight meals in a row ... Fortunately there is one now 25 minutes from my house, which means I must be VERY disciplined ...

I have lived on the eastern seaboard all of my life, in that dull gray area where the nearest Steak 'n Shake is a five hour one way drive away. However, I am fortunate to have parents with roots in central Illinois, so on our interminable summer trips where we visited our hordes of relations scattered throughout the midwest, I became very well acquanted with the wonders of the Steakburger. My parents may have just been stopping there for a quick bite before trudging onward to the next family member, but as a youngster reared on the likes of Burger King and Wendy's, the entire meal, from the food to the atmosphere, was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

Since maturing to the point where I was no longer portage on these familial treks, I have taken any chance I could to return to the land of Steak 'n Shake. I have literally planned a vacation to Cleveland due to the fact that there were Steak 'n Shakes in the area, just so I could introduce evidence to my wife that my love for a faraway restaurant chain was not insanity (Steak 'n Shake was my one midwestern culinary victory with my wife, she having resisted my fondness for Skyline Chili and Portillo's Hot Dogs to this point). While driving around Pittsburgh on another trip with my wife and a friend, contemplating our dinner choices, we passed a Steak 'n Shake. I quickly declared a fiat on our dinner choice.

In my more contemplative moments, I have wondered if this dedication to a fast-food joint was something that normal people have. I often wondered how often I would actually frequent the establishment if I lived closer to one. The cynic in me wonders if the twin distortions of nostalgia and novelty have clouded my feelings over a simple restaurant chain. I am happy to see that I am not alone in my worship for the Steakburger.

I grew up in St. Louis and later near Decatur, and as such had vivid memories of the taste of a Steakburger and Steak 'n' Shake chili. Living for years in Memphis (where there were no locations), I'd forgotten all about Steak 'n' Shake. Then, driving home from work one day, I happened to glance in the direction of a strip mall at a building I'd not noticed before, and sure enough, it was a Steak 'n' Shake that had just opened a week earlier. After being apart for too many years (and essentially having forgotten about it), I'd suddenly been reunited with my old friend. Now that I think about it, it's been a couple of weeks, so I know what I'm taking home for dinner. On second thought, I think I'll have to call the wife and meet her there - dine-in tastes better (must be the china).

Also, the biscuits 'n' gravy may not have been on their original menu, but that shouldn't be a reason to shun it. Tasting the first bite causes an outright shock to the nervous system, and it's all one can do to keep from drooling until it wears off. Yes, that's an endorsement.

And a note to Casey - I haven't been in Decatur for more than 20 years, but I still remember that Krekel's had the only burger that I might prefer in a blind taste-test to a Steakburger.

By lime on January 22, 2009 1:16 PM

However, I must also say, since I originate from southeast PA, if a sandwich ever has to be qualified as a "Philly" cheesesteak then it ain't one. It is a sad imitation of our beloved dish. One can find a fine cheesesteak outside of Pat's or Geno's or even the City of Brotherly Love but the first giveaway that it won't be worth the grease that drips down your forearms is seeing it listed on a menu as a "Philly" cheesesteak.

Yep, the cheesesteaks I've had outside of Philly have not lived up to the real things. Pat's King of Steaks was my personal favorite, on that little triangle bounded by Wharton, Passyunk and 9th; Gino's across the street wasn't bad, nor was Jim's on South, but Pat's remained my preference. After a night of darts and libations at Dickens Inn on 2nd, Pat's was a sure stop on the way back to campus at Penn.

By Mickey on January 22, 2009 1:19 PM

...the Italian markets of Philadelphia (Steak wit wiz)...

Mickey, Mickey, Mickey... Do you mean a "Cheez wit' (onions)." I never heard of a "Steak wit' wiz."

i think the food there sucks; its too expensive, the little shoe-string fries are hard and suck, burgers are ok i guess, the coleslaw is pure slime and totally gross

i'm from indy for i'm rooting for the place, but i've gone back a coupla times just thinking it might improve or something but sorry, the food just sucks ASS, so i wrote a coment card and they sent me a stupid advertisement and not even a coupon; f-em

try the Working Mans Friend on belmont in indy for a real burger

This resembles the way I feel about Chipotle - the best burrito restaurant on Earth.

After seeing your numerous references to Steak 'n Shake, I made sure to find one on my first, and only, trip to Chicago three years ago. My wife and I just about keeled over at how good it was. We were in Chicago for five days, made an effort to seek out real Chicago food experiences, and yet Steak 'n Shake was the only place we went to more than once.

I also sought out an Italian Beef while in Chicago. I love them but have a hard time finding them in Denver. A friend told me they were WAY better in Chicago, no matter where you went. This was proven when we ate one at Wrigely Field. A baseball park is one of the last places I'd expect to get great food (sure, baseball food is good in its own way, but it's never GREAT). Their Italian Beef was several times better than any I've ever found in Denver.

I'm continually disappointed by the fact that there are no Steak 'n Shakes in Denver. However, we now have a Steak 'n Shake clone called SmashBurger which is very, very good. It is certainly the 2nd best burger I've ever had.

Reading this reminds me how I enjoyed Steak N' Shake's Chili 5-way when I used to live in Indiana! I always had Chili 5-way whenever I went to this place (only rarely I ordered something else, if it's something else, it was usually their Steakburger and Fries yumm!! and a side of Chocolate Milk Shake). Steak N' Shake was our favorite late-night hangout place, usually after watching a late showing of a movie. I am mad that they don't have Steak N' Shake in California!!

Roger,
What a rush of taste memory! Chili 3-ways, Steakburgers, In Sight It Must Be Right, It's a Meal, the bottle of hot peppers! I was at the U of I in the late fifties and early sixties when you were editor of Daily Illini. Never a week without a visit to Steak 'n Shake.

BTW, do you remember the Toddle House? Just the thing for a late-night meal after a Friday's debauchery. Is it even still there?

Ebert: Not any longer. Toddle House has great waffles. But, we always thought it mysterious that there was one counter in the front but a huge building behind it. What was going on it there? Communist spies?

I, like so many others, was raised in Steak 'n Shake country. To my mind, the food isn't really comparable to what we think of as conventional fast food - as Paul hinted at earlier, it's more like a diner. There's something in the air that makes you feel comfortable, makes you want to sit for a while playing a game of dots-and-boxes on the back of a placemat while belly space becomes available for a side-by-side milkshake.

What is it about upbringing and fast(er) food that creates such tenacious supporters? In the Quad Cities, we have a number of small local/regional chains - Whitey's Ice Cream, Harris Pizza, Maid-Rite - that inspire a devotion that may border on fanaticism. It isn't that there's competition, but that there's none. If my father says that he's ordering pizza and you ask where he's ordering it from, he will peer at you as though you were some sort of strange puzzle. To him, there is only one place pizza can be ordered from, and if you don't agree...well, mid-30s isn't too late for a paternity test.

(To Joel in Ottawa - next time you're at The Works, try the SK8R Boy, with the elk patty. It's scary-looking at first, but it makes friends quickly. I haven't been in Ottawa for about six months now, and am nearly ready to drive 14 hours for a Works burger and breakfast at Feleena's.)

"In western India, the same dish is called Ragda Pattice."

Ah, that explains it. I was wondering what tikki ki chaat was. Personally, I prefer pani puri which is also hugely popular.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panipuri

I've never been to Steak 'n Shake but on a recent trip to LA to visit family, they took me to In-n-Out, raving about their great burgers. Not bad, but I couldn't really see what all the fuss was about.

Steak 'n' Shake exploits minorities and the poor for its own greedy capitalist gain. Fast food has been proven to be dangerous to the environment, to the health of the public, and to the welfare of the unfortunate individuals it employs.

The food might be made in sight, but the ethics are wrong wrong wrong.

Ryan (and Roger), I might suggest that somebody lighten up a tad.
Mr. Ebert has countless words over the years that address societal ills. This collection of words wasn't designed to address those issues, but instead, the simple joy of a hamburger.
Accepting for a moment, Ryan, that your socioeconomic views of this particular company are correct (though I don't know anything about them 'exploiting' anybody or 'endangering' anybody outside of us increasingly-chubby customers who like our milkshakes): If you really view the world this way, what a burdened life you must lead.
People died for our freedom.
Strawberries were picked against their will for our milkshakes.
And somebody who might be underprivileged might've mowed the lawn at my golf course.
but so, according to you, I can't enjoy freedom, milkshakes or freshly-mowed grass?
Lighten up, son.

The only endurring regret I have in my life is that we do not yet have Steak 'N Shake in Nebraska. That, and White Castle, are favorites of my father and I when we visit his family in St. Louis. The closest one to where I live is in Kansas City. One afternoon I took my girlfriend and her family there promising they would never want another burger ever again and lo and behold I was correct.

My dad orders a plain burger with Thousand Island dressing. I eat the fries with a fork. Dining there is almost like an act of worship.

I have never tried Steak n' Shake, but I'm afraid you are wrong about In 'N Out. Maybe it is only because here in Massachusetts Burger King is the best option, but I am even now salivating for a serving of "animal style" fries and a big, juicy In 'N Out burger.

I hope the folks at Steak'n'Shake send you a nice check to help cover your medical expenses (although you were preaching to the choir in my case). Also, isn't there a smutty joke about a sexual position regarding "in sight, it must be right?" If there isn't, there should be!

O Roger, forgive me as I have sinned over and over again. I have ignored the Steak 'n Shake which is right next to my house and never even step foot in it.
I have found my way once again with your guidance from above.....post.

In between semesters at UIUC, I worked at Steak'n'Shake in Decatur, IL. Thanks for bringing back the memories. I was a grill man, flattening those hockey pucks onto the hot grill. It was a good fast food job working with (mostly) good people. I worked at the one on Eldorado, the main cruising drag in Decatur so we got lots o business.

There was the time when the waitress came honking through because her divorce became final. and I was working on the 4th of July when the fireworks let out ("Just keep the grill full until I tell you to stop").

My wife tried SnS once, but hated it. She grew up in NW Suburbs of Chicago, so what does she know. Ah, Steak'n'Shake. I need a double right now and a Chili-mac.

Ebert: Encouraging that so many people who worked there really like the food.

My son's first taste of a sugary delight was a Vanilla Shake from this wonderful piece of Americana. He had a grilled cheese and the fries w/ catsup.

When the taste of sweet vanilla registered his face lit up with childhood delight. Needless to say, he would not surrender the shake back to dear ol' dad until he was unable to pull any more of the liquid heaven through his straw.

It's amazing how we attach memories to places and things the way we do. Your visual style of writing in this particular piece stirred this memory for me, and I thank you.

Oh man, I miss Steak and Shake. I grew up in Roger's neck of the woods and I loooooved this place. But now I live on the east coast, and they simply don't exist here. I try to explain what's so wonderful about it to people and somehow it's not enough. I am sending this post around to all my Boston friends.

At least my folks still live in downstate Illinois. When I go visit them, I can load up on skinny fries, Chili 3-way and a vanilla coke. Mmmmmmmm.

Mr. Ebert,

How suprised I was to realize that Steak n' Shake wasn't born just for me 30 years ago on Montgomery Road in Montgomery, a northen suburb of Cincinnati Ohio. :)

It was my Steak n' Shake.

It was the first restaurant that I ever rode my bike to.

It was the first restaurant that I have a memory of eating in... with the crisp folded hats and stark black and white and steel stools and similiar cleanliness and freshness exemplified throughout the facility and food.

The little fries in a paper cup and the moist burgers cooked right in front of you.

I moved to Texas in 1997 and now am relieved that Steak n' Shake has now followed me here.

They still respect kids like adults when they enter... and even the crayon coloring placemat asks your children if they'd like to visit the cook and the grill area, to come on over.

Today I share their chocolate milk and a grilled cheese sandwich (with pickle on the side) with my 7 year old and hope that 30 years from now, he'll be doing the same with his kid in a place exactly the same regardless of the nano-cars and insta-food ovens that will only try to compete with the best ever.

Thanks for the memory jog... and everything over the years.

PS - now if only Goldstar and Skyline Chilis would migrate south too...

Generally speaking, I prefer to keep the chain restaurants in the burbs and leave the city to the neighborhood joints. But Steak n Shake is one of a handful of exceptions that I wish WOULD turn up around here, along with Sonic and maybe Papa John's (maybe we could trade Domino's for it - we certainly don't need BOTH). The old-timers tell of a great drive-up that used to exist right over on Grand and Ogden, but, alas, there's a bank there now. I'd settle for an In-n-Out, though.

OK, I had a Double Steakburger with cheese, with everything on it, late last night after work. And it was everything I could have hoped for.

I've never been to a Steak N' Shake, and I really don't eat out at all, either, but man I'm craving it right now after reading that.

But unfortunately, I'm a vegan. Sheesh.

Ebert: Are you a lacto-vegan? Try the grilled cheese, fries, baked beans and a Tru-Flavor shake. Growing up, I didn't eat meat on Fridays, but there were consolations.

For shame, Ebert!

I'm an Angelino transplanted from Central Illinois. Before that I lived in Chicago. I know White Castle, In-n-Out Burger, Bob's Big Boy, and Steak 'n Shake. I'm also Puerto Rican, so I know all about rice and beans. Hands down, Steak 'n Shake beats them all. I used to go to the one in Normal, IL all the time (on the corner of US 51 and Raab Road) when I was teaching at Heartland CC.

It's hard enough trying to make it out here in LA, having to eke through with just In-n-Out, without your reminding me what I'm missing back home.

Seriously, thanks for the article. Someday I'll get back to Normal and have one of their side-by-side milkshakes, one of the great innovations in desserts since the souffle.

what wonderful memories your article brought back. i grew up in the 50's in paducah, ky. of course we had no fast food at the time. however, our special treat was driving to st louis for a ballgame. every trip had to include a stop at steak 'n shake. dad and i always got a steakburger, fries, a little brown pot of baked beans and a lemon freeze. that was something that became a ritual for dad and i and to this day steak 'n shake memories are some of my fondest. thanks again for sharing your experiences at steak 'n shake.

Now, finally, after all these years, I fully understand the appreciation I have for your movie reviews: It is now abundantly clear that you are a man of the most impeccable taste! Steak N Shake! How I anticipate my twice yearly excursions to Indiana to visit my family! Because I love them? Well, yes. But also because those two trips are the only two times during the year (barring unexpected business trips) that I get to enjoy a steakburger, fries, and shake. I have waited nearly my entire lifetime for the company to expand into Virginia, but they seem intent on going everywhere else first. Florida (Florida!!) has Steak N Shake, but not Virginia. Oh the injustice.

This thread is Proust meets Web 2.0. I'm huge fan of your blog, Mr Ebert. Rock on and on...

Such a mix of emotions. Surprise. Anger. Disappointment. I come to you every Friday to get the skinny on the latest flicks. Off to the side I notice a certain greasy spoon's logo and the beginnings of a discussion seemingly about one man's appreciation of his favorite burger joint. I innocently click on the link and read on. And there it is. Out of nowhere. I have thoroughly enjoyed your work since the days of watching Sneak Previews every weekend on KCET...but now you thoughtlessly turn your critical eye in the direction of my beloved In-N-Out. What can I say? Should I mention that my parents went to In-N-Out on their first date? Or will that be reduced to a cheap, mildly amusing reference to intercourse too? I look outside at the palm trees and think maybe the Midwest winter can explain this. Have the weeks of below-freezing temperatures with no end in sight caused you to lash out like this? Or maybe this is some sort of delayed reaction to the Dodgers humiliating the Cubs. Or maybe, sad to say, the City of Broad Shoulders has become the City of Narrow Minds! At least I got one thing out this. After all the talk of chili, I finally understand why Chicago is called the Windy City!

Thanks Fredo!

Ebert: Hey, I said these things were hard-wired in childhood! Whatever floats your boat.

My wife and I were on the final Ebert and Roeper Flim Festival at Sea and after you spoke on the first day a few intrepid souls chatted with you on the stage with you, seated in a chair and patiently fielding our questions. One guy asked you to dine with him but you were scheduled to meet with the Captain that night. I spoke to you for a bit, nervous and honored, and presented you with something I knew would be appreciated, a $25 gift card from Steak-'n-Shake. You said you couldn't take(too much) it but offered your signature and suggested I take someone who had never been there so that they could receive enlightenment to this little slice of Heaven. I first went with my Father here in Cincinnati and he,an Indiana native, must have first went to one in Peru, South Bend or Kokomo (where we still visit each year returning from a Notre Dame defeat).I took my pre-school age daughter there recently, and the cycle continues.

Ebert: This does my heart good.

The bran muffin. The bran muffin! Of all the foods you could have assigned as the Canadian food you chose that! Haha. I'm ashamed. As a Canadian I'd like to correct that to a donair or poutine, or a donair with a side of poutine. And then we'd all go to Tim Hortins for a coffee (double/double). Thank you.

Ebert: O Tim! If nothing else, this post has inspired a coast-to-coast Canadian hosanna to Horton's.

If Obama's restaurant acumen (see "Check, Please!") is anything to go by, they probably did patronize the Springfield restaurant. I bet he has.

And now I see smut in all the menu options, especially the side by side shakes....

I ate at Steak and Shake when I was in Mobile Alabama, I didn't know anything about it, but given the name, I planned on ordering a steak. I was very disappointed when I scanned the menu, and steak was not to be found. It was, and is, strange to me that a place that has steak in their name, doesn't actually serve steak. For some reason they call their hamburgers, "steakburgers". It seems like they would at least have a chicken fried steak on the menu to justify their name.

It was ok, but I was irritated by the false advertising, so I couldn't really enjoy my meal that much. That was several years ago, maybe if I'm passing through a place that has one, I'll give them another shake.

Ebert: "Steakburger" refers to their policy of using all the prime cuts of beef.

I grew up adoring the burgers at a local drugstore. Hot, thin, crisp patties of beef, cold and crisp lettuce, mustard, dill pickles, soft bun. I think my preferences have as much to do with texture and temperature as flavor. The drugstore still has a soda counter, and even added some new booths not long ago, but it's still too far away for a quick burger and chocolate malt. (For me, it's as much about the chocolate malt as the burger. Gotta have the combination.)

I'm reasonably certain you'll understand how happy I was when I wandered in the Steak n Shake in west Mobile, AL, a few years ago. The burgers are quite similar to the ones I adored as a child, and the malts are good too. Nirvana. Well, almost. Plus, I don't have to make a three hour road trip to get there.

Mr. Ebert - My friend and I saw you and your posse at Steak 'n Shake in Champaign in April 2003 after the Pearl Jam concert at Assembly Hall. We figured you had also attended the excellent show - did you? - and that you were clearly among the enlightened folks who know that the best place to go after any awesome concert is the nearest Steak 'n Shake. I am a Steak 'n Shake enthusiast myself - when I was in school at Northwestern it was basically the closest thing I had to Waffle House (descended from Toddle House, which I saw mentioned earlier in the comments -- being a Georgia girl, my passion for the Waffle House waffle is similar to your love of the Steakburger). Not to mention that there was a Steak 'n Shake right next to my high school in Atlanta. Not a bad default dinner location to have around the corner!

Ebert: It would have been after the last movie at Ebertfest. Champaign-Urbana was hopping that night!

I've never met a single rude or unhappy person at Steak n Shake.

I find in my own experience in kitchens and visiting different places that the quality of the food tends to correlate with the attitude of the people making and serving it. I'm always happy to be making money, but it's a lot easier to take pride in thick juicy burgers than it is to take pride in microwaved lukewarm patties.

Oh, Roger. Why oh why did you have to bring this up.

I used to eat there religiously 4 or 5 times a week back in Mississippi. Mom couldn't cook. Alas, my parents took me far away to a non SN'S state.

The first few months were agonizing. I was going through severe withdrawal. I resembled a recovering addict. But there was no methadone to treat my ills. I had to resort to McDonalds, Burger King, and Crap in the Box. Needless to say, they were far from an acceptable substitute.

Recovery was a long and painful road, but I managed. My wounds healed. All memories of that holy place were somehow wiped away, like a long lost love. To this day, I don't know how (although my credit card was charged $5,000 from someplace called LACUNA INC).

And now you post this blog. I'm having flashbacks like a Vietnam vet. My stomach is rumbling. My mouth is salivating uncontrollably. I....must.....have.....Steak N' Shake....

Damn you Roger! Damn you!!!!!!

Steak 'n Shake is just as popular in Atlanta, Georgia and the surrounding area as far as I know. Growing up here, as teenagers it was always the hot spot to meet and everyone I know is insanely crazy about it (including myself, I think I might have to go get some today one exit down from my house...). However my selection is always the Frisco Melt - delicious is too weak a word! Ever happen to order one of those?

Traverse City, Michigan was the best town in the world! When I was a kid--and mind me this was only 20 odd years ago--you could still get a burger at the lunch counter at Woolworths. I think the lady that made them was Vera (although I might be confusing them with the bag lady we often shared lunch with.) Just before I read this post I was thinking about how amazing those grilled with a bit of butter buns were. Only slightly less yummy was the Elias Brother's Big Boy across the street. There was a diner called Shelby's that my parents loved (today, I would prob. too) Alas, they are all gone. But, at least M. Moore has come and re-opened the downtown cinema.

Ebert: I loved the Woolworth's toasted ham and cheese, with a side of potato salad. And the turkey dinner.

I grew up on Steak N Shake in Belleville, Il.. As a boy they still came to the car and hung a tray on the drivers side window and placed the order on it... As a teenager my friends and I would end up there at the end of the night anywhere between midnight and 4 am. Our Steak N Shake was open all night...

I live in the south now. I was completely shocked recently when I saw a Steak N Shake in Atlanta and another time in Memphis. They've gone corporate.... but still tasty!

Question: What year did the Steak N Shake on West Main Street open in Belleville. Il?

Roger, thanks for the memories on Steak and Shake! I'm a Chicago native who went to C-U for college and I too remember many a late night there on University Avenue (I graduated in 2000). I live in Memphis now, thankfully we have a Steak and Shake (though it's not a close drive), I need to make sure my son learns to appreciate it.

Add me to the list of great admirers of your blog work. Your topics are varied and obviously not always tied to movies, they are tied to life and all the wonderful variety in it. To your health!

I am an old, old fan. I could have written this article. Born in 1943 in Normal, Il. Home of Steak n Shake, and raised in Danville, Il, where there were 3 restaurants, I am the biggest ever fan. Sunday night dad would bring home Steak n Shake. Very special. There were still drive up places. In High School, the steak burgers were .50.

But, basically nothing has changed. The steak burgers, the toasted buns, the fries, the beans, the hand made shakes. Oh my goodness, the best !!!

This is terrible! I went to Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and I cannot count how many times we ate delicious burgers at the local Steak'n'Shake. Now, I live near Seattle, a very long way from Steak'n'Shake.

I got up this morning not thinking about their burgers and how much I miss them.

Thank you Mister Ebert! Where I was happy (or at least my typical dull, listless Saturday morning self) now I am thinking about the fact that there are no really great burgers in Seattle.

And if you are from Seattle and know of a secret place for great burgers, by all means let us know. I haven't found it in 19 years.

I live one block from original Steak n' Shake. Sadly it is now a Monical's pizza (Another Central Illinois Creation that makes my favorite bacon and green olive pizza, which I douse with their special "french" dressing.)However, we do have four other locations now in the Bloomington-Normal twin city area. I am glad none are as close as the original or I would be there everyday!

I was reading through the comments, and thinking that few of your readers must be from Nebraska, because not one commenter had mentioned a Runza -- and they I got to Tyler D's comment.

He's absolutely right -- Runza does great burgers, but I really appreciate their Runza sandwiches, which are soft doughy pockets stuffed with seasoned ground meat, with the option of cheese if you want it.

I used to work at a university in Omaha with international students. I took a young woman from Russia there in the early 90s for her first meal after her arrival -- later she told me that she had eaten a Runza at least once every day that she spent in school.

By the way, Tyler was absolutely right about Valentino's Pizza as well. I eat there every time I visit home.

My favorite thing on the Steak 'n' Shake menu is the Frisco Melt. Two Steakburger patties, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, bacon, and a sauce very like 1000 Island dressing all on grilled sourdough bread. I don't know if you'd approve, Mr. Ebert, but it's wonderful.

I have lived within five minutes of a Steak n Shake my entire life, and I have never gone in there and eaten something and said ""Damn, I shouldn't have eaten that."
It's funny, because I sgo to school in southern Illinois and on friday nights after the bars close at 2 AM, Steak n Shake is absolutely packed. I remember waiting fifteen minutes one night to get a table, just so I could have some of those delicious cheese fries and a cookie dough Bits n Pieces shake.
One of the reasons I think they are so awesome is because they're open 24 hours. It often happens that when my friends and I are bored late at night and just want somewhere to get a snack and chill, we end up at Steak n Shake. I've had waiters who have screwed up my order, but I've never had an unpleasant waiter there. It's just such a little slice of Americana every time I go in there. I love love love it.

Thanks you so much for this Roger. You ate at the Green Street Steak n' Shake in 1946 and I ate there as a U of I student 46 years later. I think it closed about ten years ago.

That Green Street experience wasn't my first though. I grew up in Towanda, IL outside of Normal and my dad had a business on Rt 51 and Raab road in North Normal for 36 years. As a kid as young as 5 or 6 I ate at the original on Main Street in Normal. Sadly it is now a Monical's Pizza. I didn't eat at Steak n' Shake for two years when they decided that they would sell the property.

You will like this movie tie in. One of my most vivid memories was going to Steak n' Shake after watching Moonraker (1979) with my parents and having a Chili three ways and a Vanilla malt. I would have been 8 years old. Thirty years ago this coming June.

I've enjoyed Steak n Shake almost as long as I have been a Cub fan.

One last thing. There is a Belt Drive in Normal named after the founder himself. A small residential street. I ran for Town Council and told people we need a more prominent street named after Mr. Belt. Just a little trivia for you.

Again, thanks for writing this up. It is so strange the things that bind us and the great memories that come back reading good articles like this.

Roger, I love this blog posting! I was a little worried after the December 28th entry, but I now realize I misinterpreted that post - one that I initially assumed contained an element of hopelessness and fear.

Anyway, I am also a huge fan of Steak 'n Shake - alas, I now live in Northern Virginia and don't have one close by. But I'm also a huge fan of In-n-Out (I travel a lot), and lots of other "road food" kind of places. In all my travels, I look for local joints or special chains, like Steak 'n Shake, that care about quality and uniqueness. I usually consult Roadfood.com (Jane and Michael Stern know a thing or two about these types of places) or Chowhound.com. There are lots of places like this we can celebrate - and when you have childhood memories that tie it all together, so much the better.

Today is my wife's birthday. She grew up in Miami and has many fond memories of Frankie's Pizza, a well-known pizza joint in those parts. I couldn't take her to Miami, but I did have Frankie's fedex up one of their pies to Virginia so she could have a little slice of home (I'll surprise her tonight with it). It won't quite be the same as going to Frankie's, but it will bring back good memories for her.

Thanks for the post, Roger - it definitely put a smile on my face.

This is off topic, but I had sent a note through the feedback email with no effect. Since I respect you so much, I wanted you to know that your review of Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story contains an important error regarding his brother's death. The fryer was overturned by his brother, not by him. He witnessed his brother's death, but didn't cause it. Your review begins:

"When he was a boy, Lee Atwater pulled an electric cord, and a fryer full of hot grease fell on his little brother Joe, killing him."

The source wikipedia cites says:

"As Joe started to get down, the trash can toppled. Instinctively, his hand reached out and grasped the cord. The fryer tipped. The boiling oil came down over Joe on the floor. In one horrifying instant, Toddy Atwater knew that her son was going to die. The screaming began."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/badboy.htm

Ebert: I've corrected that yet again, thanks to you. Why are errors so much happier to stay online than their corrections?

I love this article. Almost as much as I love Steak 'n Shake. I have such fond memories of Steak 'n Shake from growing up in Danville, then moving on to the U of I. Oh, the memories. Many a night I worked at my desk at the DI with the fresh smell of burger wafting from the photo office. I eventually moved to the house (RIP)that sat directly behind the Green street location (RIP). We used to joke that our kitchen was closed but right next door the kitchen was open all night. Then I moved south. The greatest loss was that of my beloved Steak 'n Shake. When we heard they were opening one about an hour away, five of us jumped in the car and drove a little over an hour, until we realized we had gone east when we should have gone west. We drove over an hour home. There was no conversation about it, we just continued past our city and drove the other hour to get there. Then we ate like little piggies. My order has not changed since I was 10. Still the same with the only difference being a single or a double. Now I take my children there regularly. I could go on... but let me just thank you for making my day.

Before anything else...

ATTENTION ALL CANADIANS! Please lay off Roger on the "bran muffin" thing. I haven't read all the comments, but there have been at least 7 I've seen giving him differing levels of guff for his faux pas. He knows. Let him be.

Y'know, Roger, this thread has stirred some memories. I remember a little place in Smiths Falls, about...oh...40 minutes south of Ottawa. Gibson's.

It wasn't a chain, it was just the one place. I heard that two brothers ran it, and when one died, the other didn't want to continue and none of their kids wanted to continue and it closed. Their burgers were pretty good...each patty 3.6 oz of beef. They had the single burger, the double burger, the triple burger and the mountain burger (my favourite - burp). But what really got me was their battered deep fried mushrooms. Everything they fried was cooked in Planter's Peanut Oil. Their fries were really nicely done. I still remember even though it's been close on to 23 years since I was there.

Although my gold standard for fries are the pomme frites from German gasthauses...

Also, there's the Antrim Truck Stop, about, oh, 30-40 minutes west of Ottawa. It moved recently, and I think it's suffered a bit because of the move. But the first time we went there, at the original location, my wife pronounced the butter tarts the best she'd ever had. The place mats were paper, covered with advertisements - but in the upper left corner was a little square, about 1 inch square, announcing that this is a Truck Stop, so if service is a little slow for the "tourist" trade, it's because they're serving truck drivers first, who are on a schedule...I loved that little touch. That, and their chicken noodle soup, their burger and fries, and their chocolate cake...I actually drove from the east end of Ottawa, 1 hour to get to Antrim, to buy my wife one of their chocolate cakes for her birthday one year.

And finally, there's the oddity. I remember flying to Halifax from Ottawa for work once, and one of the guys on our team was from Halifax originally. He took us to a place called the Steak 'n' Stein - steaks and beer. Pretty good, I thought. The funny part was that I joked they should do hot dogs and beer, and call it the Frank 'n' Stein. Such is my sense of humour.

So when I flew back to Ottawa, I took a taxi home from the airport, and the driver had the radio on. The news came on, and I learned to my dismay that the Frank 'n' Stein restaurant in Ottawa, of which I had known nothing up to that point, had burned down.

====
Ebert: Would you understand if I said a doughnut hole leaves a hole?

Maybe.

By Ricky on January 22, 2009 2:12 PM

...Walk into any Tim Horton's (or Timmy's as we like to call him) and ask for a double-double...

...and don't forget that "double-double" has been added to the Canadian edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.

By Bill Hays on January 22, 2009 3:39 PM

When you use Candian and bran muffin in the same sentence, I think of Cobie Smuthers...She looks like an ad for the benefits of bran muffins and the Canadian lifestyle. She could still play "Wonder Woman".

Hi, Bill. In my humble opinion, she could play Wonder Woman only if she bulked up. I believe WW is a warrior trained, and she should have some muscle on her arms and legs (and...not between her ears like most male superheroes).

"The Reader" got a Best Picture nom. The spot that should have gone to "The Dark Knight."

Well, I have issues with TDK, but if you want to discuss them we should take this discussion over to one of Jim Emerson's TDK threads on Scanners...

By TorontoTodd on January 23, 2009 1:49 AM
I grew up in Toronto and love bran muffins (Canada has a fast food chain called mmmuffins)...I'd rather us be known as a nation of bran muffin eaters than a nation of connoisseurs of:

* Timbits
* poutine
* Kraft Dinner (that's mac and cheese to you)
* Nanaimo bars
* butter tarts
* doughnuts
* back bacon
etc

You would prefer to be known to favour bran muffins than Timbits, or butter tarts?!

Traitor! Shunned! :)

Ebert: Somebody also mentioned deep-fried macaroni and cheese, which I am totally at a loss to imagine.

Maybe my colossal error on bran muffins can be traced to the fact that *I* always have great bran muffins in Toronto, and can't find them in Chicago. They are typically twice the size of what I think of as a standard muffin, often have raisins, are sold at the counter in the Varsity Cinemas (where most of the TIFF press screenings are) and make a satisfying breakfast substitute. I now realize that, 7 to 9 days at a time at TIFF, I have spent more than eight months of my life in Toronto. My love for Chicago is boundless, but if I had a "second home," it would not be in some sun-baked hellhole, but Toronto.

Roger, I want to go there right now. This second. The closest one to me is in West Virginia and I'm not going to West Virginia. I'm putting "Eat at Steak'n'Shake" on my list of goals for life.
I guess my equivalent for the DC area would be Five Guys, but I understand it has become a national chain. That would be my recommendation for Obama/the Pope. We also have Ben's Chili Bowl, which Obama just went to, though I doubt that the Pope has.

I don't live anywhere near one of the nineteen states in their market. I'm relegated to a life of Five Guys and Johnny Rockets.

Although it has been over 40 years since I ate a Dogs N Suds, I can STILL taste the chili dog sauce!!!! And I'm afraid that Steak N Shake is having to cut back due to the economy. We went there last week and the burgers were waaay smaller that they used to be.

Attaboy Rodge! You just write about Any Old Thing and I'll gobble it up and wash it down with a Big Ghoulardi (Cleveland here)! Movies are getting to be a bore lately anyhow.

As a U of I student more than 30 years ago, I discovered Steak & Shake and remember being most fascinated by the hot peppers in the bottles and the strange layout of the tables in the place, which made trips there something special before you even got something to eat. And then chili so many different ways! Nice to have an S & S in Evanston now, and my wife has gotten the bug there. But truly, the place looks too normal for my taste. And I think I heard they modernized Green St., too.

Ebert: The 3 C-U Steak ' Shakes are now on S. Neil, N. Prospect, and at the Rt. 45-Interstate 74 interchange. The Green Street location is no more. For that matter, I had my first meal at a different S 'n S, a storefront (!) restaurant on Green, later replaced by what, 30 years ago, you would remember as the Capitol, home of the "Capitol crowd," an intersection of computer geeks, would-be writers, actors and artists, teaching assistants, and just plain drunks. A great bar. On Fridays in my day, fried perch with combination salad, fries and corn&beans, $0.95.

Oh...my...God. That Dog 'n Suds was out on the Philo Road, and I used to ride my bike there, probably in the year it opened! At the age, the "dog in a basket" was an Event. It was directly next door to WKID radio, where I was a groupie from the age of 11, and which was the first venue to broadcast my young voice (a friendly DJ named Don McMullen allowed me to read the temperature). He later went on to unimaginable stardom as our local Channel 3 news anchor. When he got married I gave him steak knives.” – Roger Ebert

REALLY?!

Well that makes it official then; the world is indeed a small place! Or perhaps birds of a feather flock together even at a distance. Called by the same thing - to worship at the altar of good food!

And it made me smile to read the DJ’s name was “McMullen”. (Ie: Scottish.)

For I see this tread has attracted Canadians – devotees of Tim Hortons; which is as close as we get Roger, to a being a melting pot; a love of coffee and donuts as much a part of “being Canadian” as a game of hockey. Note: I suspect the reason you perhaps picked-up on “bran” muffins owes to the extent to which our national identity is often linked to things British in nature. We’ve got a Parliamentary style of Government, the Queen’s on the money, official ceremonies invariably feature kilts & bagpipes at some point and Canadian comedian Mike Myers having underscored our Commonwealth ties with repeated past references to “if it’s not Scottish, it’s CRAP!”

Important side note: we draw the line at Haggis. The only thing as scary, likely French Canadian Poutine. As that’s a heart attack waiting to happen. :)

That said… and with all due respect to Starbucks and Tim Hortons, I myself live for imported Italian espresso; made in a stove-stop Bialetti and in service of creating the perfect cappuccino. Triple-shot. As anything less than a triple-shot is tea. Oh, and a wee word now about beer…

While both Canada and the United States have got some fine micro breweries, for my money - Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale. Not that my preference stopped all of Canada at one point from identifying with the now famous Molson’s beer rant which itself, draws inspiration from George C. Scott in Patton…

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzn0UiiOYLs

I also noticed mentioned of another fast food chain called “Hot N Now” – leading to yet another case of irony! “International Rocketship” the Vancouver based animation studio where I once worked, actually produced some their commercial spots! Yup. It’s a small, small world.

Ebert: Even smaller. I use the same stovetop espresso maker. Cue "Twilight Zone" theme.

What a great article! I never knew that there was such shared camaraderie over Steak & Shake! I grew up in Springfield, MO and it was quite a staple for all the residents there. I really miss it. Thanks Roger for highlighting the sacred and mundane in this cherished Midwest restaurant!

A Stake & Shake banana and vanilla side-by-side shake saved my life once. Well, less dramatically and more accurately, it woke me up after being dangerously tired driving at night by myself. But I like the think it saved my life. The restorative powers of a Stake & Shake shake should be in the driver's ed books as essential knowledge before driving. Just a thought.

Are you in that picture with all the people around the table at the diner?

Ebert: Nope, but I know everybody.

As a college student on his 21st birthday, you've hit home quite hard Mr. Ebert. Steak 'n Shake is just about the only thing open in this town after, say, 7PM. Many nights were spent there after a football game or a movie, and the cheese fries were always the most attractive option for a poor youngin' like me. A plate filled with steaming hot fries covered in cheese is the best thing at 1AM, if not the only thing in this retirement town. My stomach rumbles...

As a Californian born and raised, I must confess being unimpressed with the quality (and the price!) of the Steak 'n Shake I ate at in Missouri. I don't know what In 'n Out you ate at in LA, but in my dozens of times eating there I have never had a "dripping" or "soggy" burger from that wonderful chain, which is surely the best in the country. I never trust a burger joint with such a huge menu, as it is hard to do so many things well. The beauty of In 'n Out is its simplicity, they've been making one kind of burger exactly right for half a century.

I'll clumsily quote a line from a great film, The Human Stain: "I can't be with you on this one, Coleman." I'll change "Coleman" to "Roger" and say, regretfully, "I can't be with you on this one, Roger." Sorry Mr. E. it's just too damn GREASY, and not in a good way. Nevertheless, the m-shakes are to die for. Good night sir.

Roger,

You have simple tastes and pleasures and are clearly in a state of happiness.

I am envious.

I have much to learn

Rob

In regards to the comment from "Drew McWeeny"

"Ebert: Drew is a famous critic at Ain't It Cool News,but I won't reveal which one."

Roger,

Just wanted to give you a heads up in regards to Drew. He is no longer at AICN. He now is a contributor on hitfix.com.

Ebert: So Drew just informed me. Can we now reveal his nom de plume?

Mr. Ebert,
I worked at S-n-S at 302 E. Green St. in Champaign for many years back in the 80's. I actually remember waiting on you one afternoon.

I was shocked after it closed circa 94-95 that the News Gazette didn't print a story about the closing. It was, after all, the oldest continuously running restaurant in C-U at the time. They opened this location in 1939. I believe it was the third Steak-N-Shake built.

Another tidbit of information, Do you remember how Green Street was prone to flooding? This location flooded several times while I worked there. When the "Bone Yard" over flowed, it would fill the basement with water and then we would end up with about a foot and half of water in the dining room! It was crazy!

Ebert: I remember half the town flooding after a heavy downpour, especially our basement. I trapped crayfish in the Boney. Note to non-locals: The Bone Yard creek, which flowed through town, was so called because since time immemorial it allegedly once contained the bones of Illini Indians. A bald-faced urban legend.

I grew up in Chicago, and long before there was the first McDonald's in DesPlaines, there was Henry's where we used to get our 15 cent hamburgers, dime french fries and nickel cokes. You'd get like a half a dozen and eat them out of the bag all afternoon. I heard rumours about a place called White Castle, but we'd just drive past those cutesy little illuminated faux stone fortresses.

Eventually, I found myself attending graduate school at the U of I in the 1960's and an old high school classmate, who was the spitting image of John Belushi with the same zany personality of his Bluto Blutarsky character (he was in his second or third year as a "super senior"), took me to a BBQ joint (a run down shack, actually) called "Po Boys" on the North End of Champaign run entirely by black folks with an all black clientele. In spite of growing up in Chicago, it was the first place I ever encountered hookers. (I had lived a sheltered life, attending all Catholic schools in all lily-white neighborhoods.) The food was utterly simplistic, but mouthwateringly delicious. The BBQ sandwiches were nothing more than thinly-sliced, tender roasted beef on plain white bread (think Wonderbread) slathered in a succulent sauce. As I recall, they were well under a buck apiece and we just kept them coming and gobbling them down till we ran out of money... they were so damned good. We may have been out of our element back in the 60's, but were always welcomed, treated well and fed to our heart's content by the folks at Po's.

Since you were a native of Chambana, and possibly still running around town at the time, I'm wondering if you were familiar with the place. If so, surely it's gotta rank with Shake-A-Steak.

Best *franchised* burger joints in all the places I've lived: Chi-town (Henry's); Indiana (Burger Chef); SoCal (Carls Jr.); Old Confederacy (Sonic, Whattaburger); SoFla (Cheeburger Cheeburger).

Still, the best hot lunch I can never have again, as long as I live away from Chicago, is an Italian beef like they make at any number of independent neighborhood joints in the city. Even poor facsimiles are damned hard to find away from Chicago. Oh, well, maybe in another life...

Ebert: Oh, yeah. Po Boy's. Didn't have only a black clientele. Everybody in town was fond of it. I are there as early as grade school. It lasted 53 years, closed at the end of 2006. Po Boy himself, Arnie Yarber, told The News-Gazette: "I'm just tired. The old man has gotten tired." He died sometime between then and autumn 2008, when his friends resurrected, in his memory, his original menu at a food stand in the tailgating area of the Homecoming game. Only fair, because for generations of students, a visit to Po Boy's was a must at Homecoming.

I have a similar longing for Vienna Red Hot hot dogs. They're so good that I look forward to layovers at O'Hare.

Ebert: Now you're talking. With mustard, onion, relish, dill spear, peppers and celery salt. "Drag it through the garden!"

re: deep-fried macaroni and cheese

I was the one who mentioned it. I wanted to spare you the details, but here they are:

They form the mac 'n cheese into a sort of ball, and then dip it into batter or breading and fry it. Here Paula Deen (from Elizabethtown!) provides her recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/deep-fried-mac-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

Surely you must have a state fair up that way. Among the popular dishes on the fair circuits that I've seen in recent years are the deep-fried Coke (freeze, cut open can, dip soda in batter, fry), the deep-fried Snickers, and the deep-fried Twinkie.

In my own defense, I must state that I have not tried any of the above.

Ebert: A deep-fried Coke? My mind reels. What will be next? How about deep-fried lard?

Steak 'n Shake is great. It's one of those places where even a soda tastes better to me(maybe it has to do with glasses?).

Probably the best classic Steak 'n Shake still standing is the one at National Avenue and St. Louis Street in Springfield, Mo. It was built in the early 1960s, sits on old Route 66, and was recently nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.

More here:

http://www.missouri66.org/springfield_steaknshake.html

Ebert: Right! It is part of the historic Route 66 tour. Get your shakes/on Route 66!

As a St. Louis resident I grew up about a quarter mile away from the last one in Missouri to have car hop service. Nothing, nothing compares to Steak 'n Shake.

Every Sunday evening after taking my dog to the park we go there. He's smart and knows what it is when he sees the sign. His tail starts wagging and he jumps into the front seat. I always order three Steakburgers plain first and they know its us. They wrap all the patties in one wrapper and always say hello to him. When we get home and I give them to him (on a plate of course) he circles around them for a minute whining. He does that when he's extremely happy. McDonald...he woofs those down. Steak n' Shake...he eats those one bite at a time.

Its a ritual he eats his and I enjoy my Steakburger with cheese, everything but tomato and a Frisco Melt.

Its one of those times where you can sit back, smile and think "Life is pretty sweet."

I have to say, Mr. Ebert, I'm in awe at the way I can't stop reading these blog posts. I'm an obsessive blog reader, but this is the first that really captivates with every word. Thank you so much.

P.S. Steak n Shake is incredible.

Greetings Roger and fellow readers!

Hmmmm. It’s entirely possible that we Canadians have mistaken reverence with chemical addiction vis-à-vis the Tim Horton’s double-double.

Once upon a time (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) I worked in commercial radio in the Atlantic region of the country and a particular chain, entitled “Mary’s Brown’s Fried Chicken,’ was enjoying much popularity. The stores were especially numerous in the wonderful province of Newfoundland.

I vividly recall listening to a radio spot for the chain. At the end of the recorded portion of the ad was the line “…the best legs in town! …” to which the local in-studio announcer deeply intoned the (in) famous words, “Open until 4 a.m.”

A miracle that the station retained its CRTC license when it was next up for renewal!

Chris Alders
Nova Scotia, Canada

Ebert: Reminds me of the old, old, oldjoke about the commercial whose record got stuck:

Announcer: Go to the A and P! And pee! And pee!

"1993 - Illinois State Senator Karen Harasa introduced Senate Joint Resolution No. 89 in the Illinois General Assembly. This resolution, which was passed unanimously by both houses of the Legislature, proclaimed Illinois as the Chilli Capital of the Civilized World and recognized that the spelling of the delicious comestible is C-H-I-L-L-I. The Governor was further "authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of Illinois to commemorate this designation with appropriate celebrations." -- from this site: http://www.joerogerschili.com/pages/magic.html

Personally, I liked the Dew Chilli Parlor in Springfield, IL.

Dog n' Suds is alive and well (for the moment) in West Lafayette, IN. Can't go inside. Can't drive through. Gotta eat in your car with a tray attached to the window. Which means it's gotta be rolled down at least a bit. (Heard Sonic may be buying out one of the locations, though.) Still have chili dogs, frosted mugs, and killer root beer floats. I have a great picture but I'm not sure how I'd get it to you.

And, of course, Steak 'n Shake. It was a pleasure introducing it to my family when we went college hunting. I can't say for sure how much influence it had, but I have two kids in college, one at Purdue and one at Illinois, and they were both raised in the east.

God I love the midwest. Gotta get back there. Why not? The former Governor of my state is in jail, too.

Roger, your blog may just be the best thing on the net these days. And I hope it's many years in the future, but someday there WILL be a statue of you on the campus in Champaign. What pose would you choose?

Ebert: Anything without popcorn.

To those who brought up Dog 'n Suds, my thanks. I grew up with one on the northeast corner of Belmont & Meade in Chicago, less than a block away from our house. I still think longingly of their pizza burgers, with a cheesy, vaguely pizza-tasting sauce that was apparently injected into the burger itself. Mmmmmmmm. Followed shortly thereafter by a root beer float, it was culinary heaven for a kid.

And Roger, isn't all this talk of our favorite foods somewhat frustrating insofar as they are itches you can no longer scratch? Is there a chance that you can eat and drink again one day? I hope so.

Ebert: I knew someone would ask that. No, it doesn't look like it. But that's the way it is. I doubt I will ever go back to India again, either, but at least I did, and I have my memories. I'll never own another '57 Studebaker Golden Hawk. The longer you live, the more things you'll never do again. But the more things you have done.

Thank you for including me in the Steak and Shake reminiscence. Having grown up in Chicago on Vienna hot dogs and Polish and Scala's Italian beef and sausage, coming down to Waspy Champaign-Urbana allowed me to appreciate Steak and Shake. It opened my eyes to a new culture as part of my land-grant education. Everything was clean, spotless and freshly scrubbed, truly unlike Carl's Red Hots located in a shack at 83rd and South Chicago. We went to Carl's as kids when changing the bus to Bowen High school, with our folks as a treat on Saturday night and after working the summer night shift in Republic Steel at seven in the morning. Several 280 lb Polish women with nets on their heads would serve us an entire meal, Vienna hot dog, poppy seed bun, florescent relish, onions, peppers and two fistfuls of fries for a quarter.(in 1967!)

I remember one fall evening downstate meeting up with the buddy that washed dishes with me at Dick Butkus' fraternity house. I was supposed to meet my friend after an evening playing with my band on campus. As I waited for my buddy in the alley behind his home at Evans scholars, a drunken racist fraternity brother of his tried to start a fight with me. I grew up in a pretty tough neighborhood on the south side in the tenth ward South Deering, South Chicago, Trumbull Park- Fast Eddie Vrdolyak area, but was never a real brawler. But somehow a few beers and the aroma coming from steak and shake inspired me to stand up for myself. It didn't last long. I had blood from the other guys nose on my white Levi's just as my friend arrived. It ended quickly and we went of course across the street to Steak and Shake. It was the best hamburger and shake I've ever had.

Ebert: I knew someone would ask that. No, it doesn't look like it. But that's the way it is. I doubt I will ever go back to India again, either, but at least I did, and I have my memories. I'll never own another '57 Studebaker Golden Hawk. The longer you live, the more things you'll never do again. But the more things you have done.

I do so hate to be predictable, Roger. :( And kudos for the life you have lived; it's one to be envied, I think.

My growling stomach is now lowering my spirits, for a quick online search has just revealed that Steak 'n' Shake has reached Iowa and Wisconsin but has not yet graced my friendly state of Minnesota. I also feel rather sorry for Louisiana, who is surrounded by loyal Steak 'n' Shake states but has yet to contain one of her own.

You would probably appreciate Mickey's Diner in St. Paul. It is a fantastic and completely authentic dining car that has been in operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for around 70 years now. It's even on the National Register of Historic Places!

Pete's Hamburger Stand in my hometown will always conjure up memories and emotions that Roger discusses here. At Pete's you ALWAYS get a soggy bun because the best burgers in the world are cooked in water. Extremely juicy and always hot. Small menu. Just state how many you want, ketchup and/or yellow mustard, with or without onions that are cooked alongside the burgers in the water, a pop in a paper cup, and a bag of chips. No tables, no chairs, just food. I have to go get a few whenever I find myself going home for a visit.

Thanks for the rumbling belly Mr. Ebert....

Ebert: Gotta be prime beef if it holds together in water. Never heard of that method before.

Even smaller. I use the same stovetop espresso maker. Cue "Twilight Zone" theme.” – Roger Ebert

Whoaaaa! (insert sound of Keanu Reeves.)

And spider senses tingling now, dare I ask - one teaspoon of sugar or two, Roger?

Note: I’m not 100% sure – and for being half asleep when I measure, but I think in my case it works out to 2 tsp per cup. Whatever works best to cut the heroin on days when you turned your back on the Bialetti for 30 seconds longer than you should have (at which point, you’re scorching the grounds, eh?)

Ahhh; espresso. It’s an art. It really is. And sorry, but Starbucks sucks; imo. They rush the process so as to pump it out. And they don’t use the best beans. It’s not the cheapest you can buy but if anyone out there is curious, grab a tin of “illy Café” espresso and give it a try. In terms of taste & smoothness – it’s like a 40 year old Single Malt Scotch. It’s like every single frame of “The Third Man” and if done right, you will see God. And not just yours. Everyone else's too. It’s that good.

Just don’t burn it. Chuckle!

In fact, I recommend pouring said Scotch into your coffee and watching The Third Man on DVD; late one foggy night when no one’s around, and the street so quiet you can hear the footsteps of a cat on the pavement below. And if you’ve got a balcony, dragging your TV over as close as you can to it - then sliding open the door and seating yourself outside in the cool, night air to watch the film from there; with the darkness of a city cloaked in fog & shadow peaking over your shoulder.

Ebert: Gosh, I hate to spoil the mood, but I prefer Splenda.

In southern Maine it was Cole Farms. Still is, I guess.

My parents would drag me out there about once a month. They found the food scandalous in some way. "The secret ingredient in the chicken salad is...pork!" someone would intone, and everyone would stare through the mayonnaise to see if we might see, I don't know, maybe a curly tail or a hoof.

"What if someone was Jewish? You think they'd pick out the pork for him?"

Everyone chewed and thought. "I never met anyone Jewish before," was usually the reply. Not meanly, just sort of mulling it over as they ate their--is that a snout?

It wasn't just the supposed pork in the chicken salad. The salad dressing was made from tomato soup, the very same kind you could buy at the store! The waste of ordering something so plain! "Have the Italian instead."

I hopelessly misgauged my parents' fascination with the place, however, and a few years later we moved out near it, out in Maine's dairyland and farm country. And a few years after that, I, along with all the town's kids, was working at Cole Farms.

There was nothing scandalous behind the counter, as far as I could tell. Homemade ice cream from the giant ice cream maker upstairs, clamburgers made from--imagine! clams--coffee made from coffee. Still, people would often ask if the salad dressing was made from tomato soup, and once in a while someone would suspiciously eye the chicken salad. It had, we knew, never oinked.

I don't think anyone ever knew about the time the guy on the fryer lost his bandaid in the breader while doing onion rings, though. Maybe my parents were on to something. Never did find that bandaid.

The food is good but....make sure you have some Maalox in the house when you get back! More than one occasion this has happened to me and others

By Chris Alders on January 25, 2009 12:10 PM

I vividly recall listening to a radio spot for the chain. At the end of the recorded portion of the ad was the line “…the best legs in town! …” to which the local in-studio announcer deeply intoned the (in) famous words, “Open until 4 a.m.”

Ebert: Reminds me of the old, old, old joke about the commercial whose record got stuck:

Announcer: Go to the A and P! And pee! And pee!

Reminds of this old cassette I used to have of radio bloopers.

"Drink 7-UP! The drink in the green bottle with the big 7 on it, and U P after!"

Although my favourite was the radio news announcer who was doing live coverage of Vice President Hubert Humphrey's visit to Hershey, PA. "All the wonderful people of Hershey are here to see the Vice President, all these wonderful people who make Hershey's chocolate, with and without nuts."

Ebert: And there was the announcer who intended to say: "You know it's the first day of summer when Senator Cox wears his seersucker suit," but...

Another great blog! A couple years ago my wife and I were in Pittsburgh visiting our son, the day we left we passed a Steak N Shake near the Pittsburgh airport. So there we dined. Sorry to say, we weren't impressed with the burgers, but the Shakes were divine.

I can remember back in the 50's my parents loading us up in the 53 Oldsmobile and heading down E Street to the ORIGINAL McDonald's in San Bernardino, CA. Not the Kroc monstrosity but the the very first McDonald's built by the McDonald brothers. Ah, the memories of 15 cent burgers!

We didn't get a Steak 'n Shake in Knoxville, Tennessee until the year 2000, but since it showed up it quickly became the place to be for my friends and me.
Recently they halted their 24 hour operation time and now close at midnight... I don't think I was ever in there before 1:30AM....

"you ALWAYS get a soggy bun because the best burgers in the world are cooked in water."

"Ebert: Gotta be prime beef if it holds together in water. Never heard of that method before."

Okay, you might try what I do to get the juiciest, most flavorful burgers in the world (and darned quick!): shape a quarter-lb patty mixed with minced garlic on the bottom of a paper bowl. Sprinkle on pepper and cover with sliced onion. Pour about three or four tablespoons of red wine over the patty--immersing it in liquid. Cover with a paper plate and microwave on high for 90 seconds. Place a slice of mozarella (or swiss, or provalone) cheese on the half-cooked patty and microwave for an additional 60 seconds. Place cooked patty onto a toasted egg twist or kaiser roll. Slather on condiments of choice and pour residual juice onto top of bun. The patty is firm and completely cooked (no pink), yet tender. The entire ensemble is as moist and flavorful as a proper Italian beef.

There are many ways to cook up a delicious hamburger patty besides the usual grilling, broiling, frying... Being a lifelong (but now retired) biochemist, I've conducted many a cooking experiment in the kitchen. (Somehow wine is always one of the most important ingredients.)

And, Roger, I love the political commentary you've undertaken in your newspaper recently. You are an insightful man, not just about movies, but life in general.

Ebert: Dear Prof: Very few recipes evoke an actual experience, but yours does.

Great ... now I want a Chili Mac! :-)

When I was in high school, the Steak & Shake next to the local multiplex was open 24/7. Many memorable hours were whiled away after the midnight show, talking movies, religion, politics and local gossip over spaghetti, fries and malted milkshakes. More than one sunrise was sighted. I'll never forget the day we were asked to leave at 1:00 a.m. because they had changed their hours. I still go to Steak & Shake (there was a drive-through not far from my apartment when I was living in St. Louis, and I made it a point to try every seasonal shake) ... but it just isn't the same.

I live in Indianapolis. David letterman is famous for reserving an entire Steak 'n' Shake and taking his mother there for lunch when he is in town.

I grew up in Chicago, and have become an ex-patriot in New England.In 1967 my friends and went to visit U of I in Champaign and we ate at the Steak N Shake near the campus. I loved it and in the 70's one opened up in Westmont Il near where I lived....ate there a couple of times but it wasn't like the original one in Champaign. Now I live in Massachusetts and you can't get a decent burger (or decent Mexican food for that matter) to save your life and the shakes here are called fribbles and the only place that serves them is Friendly's a horrible place. The video above was great, nice Midwestern kids too, I miss that too the kids here are all CEO's in training. God I guess I just miss the midwest, there's a reason it's called the "Heartland". I have written to you before Roger about how you bring a little bit of home and midwestern common sense to me stuck in the Boston to Washington, DC megalopolis.

A fine bit of writing, invoking memories of "my first time" across the planet.

On the south side of Indianapolis, was a public pool called Longacre. A huge pool with an aluminum slide that rose too close to the sun. At seven years old, the pool seemed like an ocean, and I was a ray, swimming along the cement bottom. By the end of the day, I was in a horrible state of caloric depletion.

Every cell of my being had a stomach, and every stomach was burning with hunger. I must have gone in and out of consciousness as I clung to precious life.

My dad took us to a new place. I didn't want a new place. I wanted a Big Chief from the Tee-Pee. He took us to Steak and Shake.

The car hop skated to the car. Car hops were skating all over the parking lot, balancing trays loaded with paper bundled burgers, steaming fries and shakes. Dewy droplets coursed down cold, real glass glasses.

Better than any acrobatic act on Ed Sullivan, the sight of those trays of plenty dancing before my starving face, the makings of a living nightmare too real, too gritty, too horrible for Disney.

I remember the delicious smell, the gastric anticipation as I unwrapped it. That first bite and the melding of flavors, the rush of warmth and completeness with the world. This moment, this place, this time was all there was, all there would ever be.

My God, I'm hungry.

My grandmother used to take us to s-n-s as children. Nothing better than a grilled cheese sandwich, fries and a cherry coke. Plus a vanilla milkshake at the end. I'm 30+ now and can still remember those outings quite vividly. Great woman, great food!

My first intro to Steak-n-Shake was in Champaign, at the same Green Street location (I think....it was on campus, and had doubtless been renovated).

I grew up not far from an Arf-and-Barf in Fox Lake (I was in Round Lake, but it was just out west on Rollins Road), and loved the carhop experience.

The Steak-n-Shake was nice, but (blasphemy coming!) my college experience was formed by the delicious, tubular and beany embrace of La Bamba on Green Street (I still remember my order: "Burrito asada, con crema, no salsa."). On my first credit card (a usurious offer received during Freshman year in Scott Hall), I suspect that 80% of the balance was directly attributable to La Bamba!

The reflective drool....it burns!

-Tony
UIUC '92

I didn't realise Drew had left AICN. That's like Paul leaving The Beatles. AICN gets a lot of flack, always has, but never from me. I remember those verbose messages that Harry used to post on Newsgroups in 1995 before the debut of the site. He was as passionate and verbose than as he is now.

I miss the old days of the site, but it was bound to evolve, I suppose. Those crazy Star wars GIF's that Harry used to put out every few weeks or so were particularly great. Then there was the first C&D the site received for posting the bug designs for Starship Troopers. The Episode 1 script review. Harry's infamous first review of Godzilla. If I thought a bit harder, or went home to check his book, I am sure I can come up with hundreds more of these stories.

It was a particular joy to see Harry as a guest critic on At The Movies. He always said Roger Ebert was especially kind to him, calming his nerves, and whatnot.

Drew was a different sort of critic from Harry. His ramblings from the lab as his erstwhile alter ego paved the way for a plethora of third-rate imitations on so many movie sites. He was never topped. He disagreed with you on Fight Club, I remember, as well as Tarsem's The Cell. He might have disagreed with you more, but those two reviews were the arguments that carried the most passion.

It was an exciting time, those early days, when internet journalists were still outsiders, and there was a distinct feeling of anarchy - in even the more professional sites, like Garth's Dark Horizons, or Patrick Sauriol's Corona Coming Attractions (the latter's history now, but it had the best format of all of them).

In their quest to be more snarky and cynical, internet fanboys always forget that most important quality in judging a person - whether they are nice or not. Harry and Drew are nice guys. At the end of the day, that is all that matters.

Thank you Mr. Ebert, I work at Steak N Shake. I had the privledge of waiting on your wife and the group in the picture last year. I love working here, as I grew up going to the one on University Ave. I missed you at the Ebertfest last year and hope to see you this year. Steak N Shake does not exploit their employees regardless of what others have said. We look forward to seeing you later this year during your annual trip to our Neil Street Steak N Shake after your Ebertfest. Best wishes. And thanks again.

Ebert: You know, I didn't think they did, because I've always been served by seemingly happy people, and the past employees who've posted here have favorable memories. I suppose inevitably there will come some complaints...

My beautiful friend Roger,

Growing up my dad had a child-like obsession with certain products or establishments that our family found endearingly humorous. Red hots, anything with his name in it (mike and ike) and Steak and Shake. It really, at least in my interpretation, had not a shred of condescension. I will test out your endorsement and that memory on the next road trip my wife and I find ourselves on, which will certainly lead to finding a location since they are in Alabama, just not Birmingham.

I've been to Chicago twice and Urbana once. Although I was in Champaign-Urbana for a week at a conference, no one took me to a Steak N Shake--and I was still eating hamburgers then.

After a week in Champaign-Urbana, I returned to Chicago where I was the rest of the summer. I ended up working at a Jack in the Box and stopped eating French fries, milk shakes, onion rings and hamburgers. I don't drink soda any more either after that experience.

I live near an In-n-Out Burger, but have never been. I prefer Zankou Chicken, a fast food restaurant that originated locally and is famous for the garlic butter it slathers on the chicken.

For Sandra, I lived in Vermont for one summer and in England for a year. I had someone send me salsa, but eventually learned to make my own and had someone send me tortillas. It'd be hard to live in a place without a Chinatown or good tortillas IMHO.

I'm off to Chinatown now. Gong xi fa tsai! Happy Chinese New Year!

Roger, great article. One correction if I may, that little bottle of peppers is floating in vinegar, not water.

Nicely done. As an expatriate Hoosier living in Northeast Arkansas, I long for Steak N Shake. All of the food here is fried and brown.

Thanks for the shout-out to Kankakee's Steak 'n' Shake. I lived on that when I was in college at Olivet Nazarene University. We're glad your wife liked it.

I just had my first Steak 'n' Shake experience having just moved up to Illinois from Kansas. My new foundi Illinoisans informed me in hushed terms that this was the pinnacle of burger experience. The burger surpassed even the Bionic Burger of my hometown of Wichita. Having read your essay, however, I realize that I compromised by going through the drive-through. Next time I'll have to correct that by going inside. Next time I go I'll be sure to correct this.

I too fell in love with Steak N Shake while stationed in Indiana for a year. Luckily, when I went to school in Gainesville FL, there was (and still is) one on the corner of 16th Ave. and 13th St. Now I am isolated up here in N. Virginia where there are no SNSs. But when I travel, I always look for them. Hand-dipped chocolate milk shakes. Awesome.

Roger, do you feel as passionate about the neighborhood movie theatre you attended as a child as you do about Steak & Shake? I ask because it looks like curtains for the Highland Park Theatre (formerly The Alycon, to which William Goldman dedicated his book, Adventures in the Screen Trade).

I am a recent transplant to Rockford IL, so after reading this blog I looked up the local Steak 'n Shake and lo and behold it was just down the street from the nearest movie theater. Naturally this weekend I went and saw Gran Torino followed by Steak 'n Shake... nice.

This got me thinking. The SnS in Michigan City IN (the closest to where I grew up) could also be described as down the street from the theater. Ditto the Steak 'n Shakes in Lafayette IN. Based on this and what others have wrote this might not be a coincidence. What do you think, luck or brilliance?

And speaking of Lafayette, I too enjoyed the Dog 'n Suds (though apparently I was the only one who did among my friends). My parents took me there the first time, I guess there was one in Homewood IL where they grew up so they were fans. By the way, to the comment about DnS being in East Lafayette, there is no East Lafayette, just West Lafayette and Lafayette.

Other great food for Purdue students would be the fish and chips at 9 Irish Brothers (get the half order unless you are starving, HUGE portions at that place), and for breakfast at anytime get the Drew Brees special at Triple X.

Back tracking a little, speaking of Homewood I've got to 2nd the mention of Aurelio's Pizza. There's one in my home town of La Porte IN but nothing beats the original in Homewood. I have some uncles in Florida that stop by and pick up frozen pizzas to take home whenever they make a trip up here.

I should probably wrap this up. The burger joint that was ingrained in my childhood was Redamak's in New Buffalo (also mentioned in another comment, the saying should be changed to great minds read Ebert). My grandma used to take us to Warren Dunes State Park followed by lunch at Redamak's.

Keep up the great work Mr. Ebert

"Gosh, I hate to spoil the mood, but I prefer Splenda." - Roger Ebert

A connoisseur is not a snob. There is a difference. And ergo, why I was willing to try Splenda in a cappuccino today. For one can be a connoisseur of many things, not just expensive stuff. :)

Verdict? There's no real difference. And what difference there was, negligible thus not unpleasant and so I can't tease you about it – and I was so looking forward to, dammit! Chuckle!

It's kinda like whole milk vs 2% milk, you know? I use 2% myself, because I find whole milk just a tad "rich" for my system. Note: I make a HUGE cappuccino. 70% of the cup is filled with milk - you need that much to cut the force of a triple-shot espresso. (I assume that's why you can't shoot straight heroin, either.)

Speaking of which, we're set to host the 2010 Winter Games. And in anticipation of the eyes of the world upon us, the Powers That Be have been busy indeed cleaning up parts of Vancouver's downtown East Side in an effort to "gentrify" them. I mention that because it's the location of the main tourist drag "Gastown", which cuts through our version of New York's Bowery district, ie: the place where alcoholics stumble past the homeless trying to avoid crack heads and crystal-meth addics; heroin users the best of the bunch.

It’s been over a year now, but I used work for a studio inside a Beaux-Arts building called "The Sun Tower" which stands a block away from the entrance to it all. And it wasn't uncommon having to sidestep a syringe or to catch sight of various “transactions” taking place down a side alley in broad daylight; be it prostitution or drug related. All of which is sad but not necessarily frightening to see, at least for me – no; that reaction reserved for the seriously mentally ill.

It’s too long a story to tell but basically, in the wake of well-intentioned government reasoning which proved faulty, mental institutions were emptied back in early 90’s if memory serves correct, and now the downtown core is essentially an open air asylum. Yup. Imagine Times Square back in the day, the one Fran Lebowitz still misses. Only in this case, add some Charles Dickens to it.

There’s a pub in Gastown called The Irish Heather where around the corner bricks still run up the now haunted “Blood Alley” which continues to bear its original name; so called thanks to the blood which trickled down it, meat Butchers once located there. It was my favorite place to go for lunch – my beloved Irish Heather! Where, once safely past walking portraits of self-inflicted misery and cruel misfortune, one could find a perfectly double-poured Kilkenny and for $8.00, Pacific West Coast salmon cured in Irish whiskey and served with what I can only best describe as an onion marmalade. Accompanied by Rye bread and a fresh green salad. And not that I’m impressed by such things but for those who are, many an actor’s Irish face has graced the place via signed 8x10 – Liam Neeson for example. I think Colin Farrell, too.

Not that there’s anything even remotely pretentious about the Heather, and why I loved it so. Home for me, the back, which overlooked the alley between the Heather and Shebeen’s and the courtyard of Gaoler's Mews (former coach house for the local jail.) Ie: they enclosed the back of the pub like a conservatory to create more seating - the flooring delightfully uneven for being comprised entirely of old red bricks and thus prone to tippin’ ya over after the 4th drink…

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2708512122_c7d3788f8f.jpg?v=0

And in the warmer months, yet more seating found literally outside…

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/202/483014954_9ca6991232.jpg?v=0

The Irish Heather has sadly since relocated to across the street and is now a shadow of its former self, I hear. The neighboring “Shebeen Whiskey House” taking it’s place, I believe? I haven’t been to Gastown in a while, too depressed since I last downed a pint at the Heather, by the memory of seeing modern condos and trendy hot spots popping up everywhere.

What is it, about the sublime beauty to be found in “glorious decrepitude” that ultimately inspires its demise? Why do so many flock to such places in admiration of them, only to then fuel the desire to see them “homogenized” for your viewing safety? How empty does your soul have to be, that the only way to fill it up is to first eat then destroy what you supposedly love, eh?

With luck, come the revolution, greedy politicians and real estate developers will be the first backed-up against the wall; smile.

"Your classmates are crazy."

I have no recollection of my first restaurant meal and certainly don't remember any menus. But I do remember being thrilled to go to the Dog N Suds because the food was brought out to the car. I liked the suds - frosty root beer in a glass mug. I grew up in Chicago and have driven home from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and New Jersey and don't believe I've ever seen a Steak N Shake.

You talk about the Steakburgers, but not enough about the best shakes in the whole wide world! I live in Springfield, IL, and I go there as often as I can. In the summertime, even more so for the shakes.

There used to be a Steak & Shake here in Madison, WI, but it closed :-(. Mr. Ebert, any way you can use your influence to reopen it?

I moved to Champaign-Urbana in 1998, just in time for the first Ebert Overlooked Film Festival. I lived there for five years while my wife was attending medical school. I had the privilege of waiting on Mr. Ebert and his lovely wife while working at the Espresso Royale in the student union.

Anyway, due to my strict vegetarianism, but thankfully not veganism, I never tried the Steak-N-Shake burger, however I did consume quite a few orders of french fries and shakes at both the Neil St and Prospect St locations.

For whatever reason I frequently received poor service at S-N-S, but the shakes were so good I returned time and time again.

Now I live in Portland, OR and I'll attest to the earlier poster about the beauty of Burgerville, delicious fries, tasty shakes and they have veggie burgers too!!

Roger, I'm delighted to hear you consider Toronto your second home. And given the hectic pace of TIFF, I'm impressed that you've managed to become so familiar with the city, and not just the inside of its theatres.

Have you ever considered coming up for Hot Docs, Toronto's (and I believe North America's largest) documentary film festival?

Roger,
As a lifelong resident of Indianapolis, I too have grown up eating Steakburgers, and those tremendous shakes.

My wifes' family moved up here from Cincinnati after we were married (from 2 hours away to two minutes...), and heard about my love for the place. One day, my father-in-law says that he's not too impressed with it after a couple of visits. I say "No? Really? What'd you get?" He replies "French toast". They had been going there for breakfast! Geez!

I'm glad to read about your father and his use of the pepper stuff. I was convinced that those were just table decorations after never seeing anyone actually use the stuff.

Great article Roger!

I live in Princeton, New Jersey and we really need a Steak N' Shake around here. The burger joint situation here is beyond depressing.
I have been to several Steak N' Shakes while traveling and they are by far the best burgers and shakes I have ever eaten!
I have also been to a few In N' Out burgers while in California. Anyone who thinks that In N' Out is better than Steak N' Shake must be on drugs.

Ironically I heard that the very first In N' Out Burger joint opened in the town of Abnormal, California. :')

Roger,

Has a Steak N' Shake ever appeared as part of a scene or been mentioned in a movie? I know one of my favorite movies "The Big Lebowski" does mention In N' Out Burger and shows the actors eating the burgers after the scene where "The Dude's" windshield gets smashed.

Thanks,

Joe in Princeton, NJ

I had my first meal at that very same Steak 'n Shake, but I can't say that I remember much of it, being one year old at the time. Still, there's something comforting about eating their food again.

(Also, I live near Princeton now and, yes, the burger joint situation needs to be remedied pronto.)

OH MY WORD, Steak and Shake. I spent several of my formative years in St. Louis and have very fond memories of hanging out at Steak and Shake with my family as a little kid. They just opened up one by my parents' house in Houston, but they don't have the chili mac, which makes me unspeakably depressed. (It's probably because in Texas, chili mac is seen as some sort of culinary perversion, but I do love the stuff, likely because that was about 40% of my diet as a kid.)

Here in my state, though, the burger chain of choice is Whataburger, started in San Antonio, and it makes a really good burger and shakes, too. Not better or worse than SNS, I think, just different.

Growing up in St. Louis we always used to hang out at Steak n Shake after putting our high school newspaper to bed, or if we were working really late, ordering takeout and bringing it in. I was always a big fan of the orange freeze, with whipped cream and a cherry on top.
And in St. Louis, they always sliced the pickle LENGTHWISE!

Ebert: They slice the pickle LENGTHWISE everywhere!

First off, I should mention that I have been working at Steak N' Shake for nearly three years now. It has been the only job I have had (I just started at the end of my Sr. year in HS).

I work Drive-thru, so I know what it is like to be yelled at EVERY day! However, it is still my favorite restaurant, and, being a huge movie buff, I am at a loss for words that Mr. Roger Ebert, my movie idol, enjoys it as well.

If you ever wish to come in and just have a chat about movies, the meal is on me!

When my family moved to Florida in 1957, I was too young to drive. But as soon as I got wheels, it was off to the Steak 'n Shake in Winter Park for the Friday night ritual of curb-service and hopping from car to car, dodging the security cop who was supposed to keep us from doing just that. In later years, family vacations to Daytona Beach were highlighted with meals at the "Mother Ship," the Steak (that's the lingo in FLA) on what is now called International Speedway Blvd. They've moved up the street to a new facilty, but we still have our memories of the low building with the vintage NASCAR photos in the hall leading the restrooms. And even today, when we're feeling really free and easy on a beautiful day, we'll head for Steak for lunch. My mother has her choice of any restaurant in Orlando who we visit with her, and she always wants to go to Steak. Hail the Orange Freeze!

I live within a five minute drive of a Steak'N'Shake and it really is one of the best mainstream restaurants around. The care they put into their food is something you never see at the other sit-down chains like Chili's or Fuddruckers.

Steak'N' Shake makes the best Chili I've ever had in my opinion. It's a restaurant you really have to eat in at though, I find the Drive -Thru to somewhat lessen the quality of the food. It just isn't the same to eat your chili out of a foam cup.

I usually hate milkshakes but I do drink the Banana milkshake from Steak'N'Shake. It's like drinking a Banana spilt

I live within a five minute drive of a Steak'N'Shake and it really is one of the best mainstream restaurants around. The care they put into their food is something you never see at the other sit-down chains like Chili's or Fuddruckers.

Steak'N' Shake makes the best Chili I've ever had in my opinion. It's a restaurant you really have to eat in at though, I find the Drive -Thru to somewhat lessen the quality of the food. It just isn't the same to eat your chili out of a foam cup.

I usually hate milkshakes but I do drink the Banana milkshake from Steak'N'Shake. It's like drinking a Banana spilt

Thanks for the lovely culinary nostalgia. You've made us all quite hungry.

Did you ever eat at Lum's Restaurants (hot dogs steamed in beer)? Or their spin-off franchise, Ollie's Trolley? Ollie's had marinated burgers with "23 secret and succulent seasonings" and seasoned fries. Most of the restaurants were small, trolley-shaped walk-throughs. There used to be lots of them in and around Louisville, KY, but now there's only one original left, on 3rd St. They do great business. I understand there are two licensed imitators in and around Cincinnati, but they don't sound as perfectly authentic.

Your smutty joke regarding restaurant names mad me laugh out loud and reminded me of an old David Letterman Top 10 list of "Least favorite names for artificial insemination clinics." Jack in the Box was near the top.

The A&P flub recalls a local TV announcer, Wilson Hatcher, who worked for a small independent station here in Louisville. (He sounded a lot like the announcer in "Amazon Women on the Moon.") One night I was listening to his recorded promo: "Stay tuned for tonight's TV-41 late movie, Pee-Pee Longstocking." Thank goodness I wasn't drinking anything, or I'd have done a spit take!

I enjoyed this essay very much. I have heard of Steak 'n Shake for a long time.

Just two days ago I was flying from Washington, DC, back to my home in Texas. I got caught up in bad weather cancellations and had to spend a night in Dallas. The closest hotel with availability was in Grapevine, TX, about 5 miles from the DFW airport.

In a driving, freezing rain the shuttle driver pulls into the commercial area where my hotel is located and I spot a Steak 'n Shake through the icy windows. After I checked into the hotel the driver graciously dropped me off there, as I had not eaten all day.

I was the only customer in the restaurant on this miserable evening, and I was fascinated with being there after reading your article! The food was good (and of course I had a milk shake... liked to kill me as I am lactose intolerant) and the service was exceptional.

I was reminded of your essay, and my own memories of a chain in West Texas called Char-King, featuring char-broiled hamburgers. It went out of business long ago but I must have eaten a million of their burgers in my younger days. I am a little perplexed, but not ashamed, to admit I have dreamed about eating a Char-King burger again. My version of heaven includes just such an opportunity.

Just imagine if you could not have another Steak 'n Shake meal, with all the memories attached to it, again. Now you know how I feel.

Thanks for your exceptional writing.

When I was a teenager in Knoxville, IL in the 60's I couldn't wait to get my driver's license. One of my first rites of passage would be "buzzing the loop." I would get in my Dad's Ford Galazie 500 and drive to nearby Galesburg, the big city. The loop started at the Steak & Shake on Main St., "The Steak' for short. I would drive west on Main, around the town square and out to Henderson St. I'd turn north on Henderson and drive the 10-12 blocks to McDonald's, drive through the parking lot and head back on Henderson to Main and back to the The Steak to complete the loop.

Objective--meet some girls who would also be cruising the loop.

The round trip was approximately 5 miles and took approximately 30 minutes. My first night with Dad's car, I drove 87 miles--all of it on Main and Henderson. The next night I repeated the drill. And my buddies and I repeated it at least one weekend night for the next two years. If we were ever hungry, McDonald's 45-cent All-American meal was no match for the burger fries and shake at The Steak. As far as the objective of meeting girls, well that's a shorter and much sadder story.

Roger:
You and Letterman forgot the admonition to "Flash Lights--Do Not Sound Horn For Service."
My home SnS: Manchester & Berry Roads in the St. Louis suburb of Glendale.
I have been in CA for almost 30 years and crave Steak & Shake steakburgers.
We still have plenty of Steak & Shake glassware in or kitchen just to keep the cravings going.
See you at the Oscars in a few weeks..

Ebert: I've got eight place settings.

I went to grad school at the University of Illinois. Steak N' Shake was my favorite way to end any night whether it was spent drinking at the blind pig, working in the lab, lounging on the quad or at the movies.
A burger with a side of fries and a side-by-side shake was a great way to finish off an evening of fun as well as excellent comfort food after a day of failed experiments. I went there frequently enough to figure out that the Neil street steak n shake cleaned their milk shake machine between 1 and 2 am. So, if you wanted a shake at that time you went to the one on Prospect.

Roger:
Having grown up in the St. Louis area, Steak n Shake was a staple part of my adolescent diet. During our high school years we would cruise the Brentwood SnS on a regular basis. Alas, that site is now part of a mall development, but there are some newer SnS establishments nearby.

Back in 1978, when making my choice for college, one of the factors for choosing Purdue was a brand new SnS in Lafayette, Indiana, a close 10 minutes from campus. That satisfied me for 6 years!

More recently, my buddies bought me a case of SnS plastic go cups-- the perfect size for any go drink. It also adds a little class to your favorite beverage when you are on the run. Now I don't complain when they swipe them after hanging out at the pool all day. Of the gift of 1000, more than half have wandered off or been shipped to the land where A. H. "Gus" Belt is not a celebrity. Hopefully, it will create a bond between SnS fans far away, similar to what you and Letterman experienced.

Roger:

I am the webmaster for a group known as the Steak 'n Shake Lovers Society. We are always interested in others who love our favorite place to eat. We keep track of the stores that we have been to. In my case, several are now closed.

Mike Condren

I grew up in Kentucky. I can still vaguely remember my first Steak n' Shake visit. I don't know my exact age, but my years definitely numbered in the single digits. I remember surveying the menu and deciding upon the Chili Mac. For the uninitiated, it is a plate of spaghetti topped with a chili beef sauce that defies description. To enhance this culinary experience, I add a small order of the remarkable shoe string french fries. They are without equal. To top off my dining experience, I added a Coke with cherry syrup.

Forty years later, I live in Michigan, with only a few Steak n' Shakes. Frankly, they are not up to par with those in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. So when I return home to visit family in Kentucky and Indiana, I always stop at Steak n' Shake. And lo' these 40 years later, my order still consists of Chili Mac, order of fries, and now a Diet Coke with cherry syrup. I've never bothered to order anything else. I don't know why I would.

I've long been a Roger Ebert and Steak n' Shake fan. So has my son. He alerted me to this article and I couldn't help but add my comments.

From my computer desk, I can still see the Steak n' Shake mug that I "liberated" from the Green Street location more than 20 years ago. I keep the mug in a barrister bookcase, for fear of breaking ii through normal usage. I spent countless nights at that Green Street location, savoring the steakburgers and then drinking coffee until the wee hours. I even dated a former waitress, who was kind enough to give me her old nametag. I still have that too. Thank you, Mr. Ebert, for penning such a wonderful tribute to the world's greatest restaurant. I am married now, and have an 8-year-old daughter. She shares my love of the steakburger and shake (fortunately, there is an establishment just 30 miles from here, in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.)

http://www.johnmundtesquire.com/files/pete_s_color.jpg

Pete's Hamburger Stand in Prairie du Chien, WI is the place for burgers cooked in water. Located in the historic downtown drag, just up the block from the Mississippi River. It was established in 1909 and remains the same as it was back then. I can just imagine Chicago gangsters in the 20's and 30's coming out of their speakeasys and hide outs, and risking detection, for these delicious burgers. I believe these burgers would be similar to those made in Conn. at some shop I saw on the travel channel. There they steam their burgers in a box.

I think now I might have to drive the 50 minutes it takes me to get to the nearest one because I'm really craving me some Steak n Shakes. I've only had it a few times, and the last occasion was a couple of years ago. The only significant things I remember were their shoestring fries and their steak burgers really just being regular burgers; the title's misleading. But seriously, I've only had In N Out a few times in my life as well, and that has left a serious long and lasting impression. Whenever I visit my fam in Cali, getting a burger at that joint is at the forefront of my mind, well maybe after the fam thing. Funny thing is about 2 years ago, I became a vegetarian for 6 months, and then when I went to Cali, that diet and lifestyle went out the window because I just could not resist the In N Out. There was also this one time before that where I tried to bring a burger back with me and packed it in my suitcase- yea that didn't turn out so well...

MR. EBERT:

Thank you!

Reading this I truly felt I'd had a culinary/spiritual meeting of the minds. I'm writing from Oregon, I dream of Steak 'n Shake -- in the classic black and white. I grew up in St. Louis in the fifties which, I believe was, and still may be, the Steak 'n Shake capital of the universe -- more per capita than anywhere.

With respect, my allegiance/fanaticism may be tough to beat:

In college at Northwestern I routinely made drives of over 150 miles each way, for lunch.

Since moving to Oregon when our family took family Spring Break vacations to see the Cardinals in Spring Training, the trip and itinerary wasn't planned until I mapped out how many Steak 'n Shake opportunities.

In Orlando one year we drove routinely into the seedy part of the city for burgers. Leaving the last day we drove past a pristine, new location three minutes from our hotel.

Every trip to StL (and any of the other 19 blessed states) includes no LESS than one Steak 'n Shake meal per day. When my mother was alive she learned when I visited she wouldn't cook much.

Breakfast, by the way, ain't bad!

I experimented over the years with ways to transport the goods to Oregon. Finally settling on double-cheeseburgers plain with separate containers specially designed for the pickles and relish.

On the subject of Steak 'n Shakes's relish - the sublime concoction of mustard, onion and their proprietary pickles -- I gave up, sadly, after many failed attempts to perfect in my own kitchen.

After 9-11 I was 'delayed' at security flying home by a plastic bag with two dozens cans of chili.

My sister sent me a drive-up window-mounted try she found on Ebay.

She has her own framed picture of a classic meal where the burger is surrounded by the famous green peppers in her kitchen in Wisconsin.

My efforts to liberate it from her failed miserably. She may one day forgive me.

For Christmas one year she sent me a newsletter distributed to employees from the 50's.

I have a Steak 'n Shake picture in our family where the cars light up and the '57 Chevy aqua/white Bel-Air blinks as God intended.

I'm proud of three cherished coffee mugs which are older than my children.

My oldest friend from high school claims that I had the FIRST triple cheeseburger in the 60s -- special ordered with papal dispenation from the manager.

My perfect meal: Two double-cheese (triples if my wife isn't around) burgers with pickles and heavy relish. Large fries. Chili. Orange Freeze.

If really hungry, chili mac would be substituted for the chili.

To all of those from other places who revere burgers -- the In 'n Out, Whaddaburger true believers.

I've tried 'em all.

Always hopeful.

Always disappointed.

In heaven, when God has a burger, it's from Steak 'n Shake.

My friend's Beagle was named "Chief Takehomasak"

Hello Chicagoans,

At least once a year I pass through Chicago on my way to visit a friend in MN. I take the train so I wind up spending 2-4 hours waiting for my connection. I don't know Chicago that well, but is it possible to get to a Steak-N-Shake from Union Station, eat, and get back in time? I'd prefer to travel by cab if possible.

To Sandra who now lives in Massachusetts:
A milkshake is milk and flavoring. A frappe is milk and ice cream. And if you're getting your frappes at Friendly's, you're going to the wrong place.

Ebert: If you have four hours, you MIGHT get to the one in Evanston, but the cab fare would be a fortune. You might try the legendary Chicago hamburger joint Billy Goat's ("Cheesebooger! Cheesebooger! Cheeps, no flies!") Original location on the lower level of Michigan Ave--any cabbie knows it. An outpost on Navy Pier, with a great view of the skyline. Not the same as Steak n Shake, but that hasn't stopped me from consuming dozens.

Hi, Mr. Ebert -- my dad grew up eating hamburgers at a joint in Mississippi. Late at night, when he finished his shift as a night auditor, he would show up at this place, and he and the owner would "invent" hamburgers with various toppings that the grillman would cook up fresh right there in the front of the restaurant. Dad would sit at a counter and eat until he couldn't eat anymore, then head home to my mom and me.
I'm grown-up now and live in Tampa, where we have a Steak-n-Shake nearby. It's my son's favorite place, for exactly the reasons you detail in your column. You go in, sit down, they bring you a wonderful hamburger cooked fresh just like you wanted it on a plate with a real knife and fork. The shakes are fabulous and like you'd make at home if you were the sort of person who would make a shake at home.
So when my dad came to visit, I said, "Dad, I have a place all picked out for you." He still is up in the middle of the night, still on a night auditor's schedule, even though he's been retired for years. So he goes to the SnS in the middle of the night and sits at the counter and orders a burger. He chats with the college kid working the grill, and tells him the story about when he was young, and had a favorite burger joint. The kid is nice, and offers to make him any burger he can dream up - bacon, cheese, chili, whatever. My dad has a new favorite burger place; I won't call it a joint.
Thanks for a wonderful column.
All best wishes,
Tampa Claire

Thank you Mr. Ebert. I'll give Billy Goat's a try. I'm a Greek-American so I've been trying different places in Greektown. Your column convinced me to give Steak 'n Shake a try. Maybe I can convince my friend in MN to take a roadtrip to Wisconsin. Thanks again!

I know this is belated, but I have not been able to shake the Steak 'n Shake lure ever since reading this entry.

So, this afternoon my wife and I drove half an hour across town to the greater Houston area's only existing Steak 'n Shake location (thanks to your link listing the Texas registry). Dear Ebert, it was worth every minute of that drive.

We cleaned our plates, of course, and my wife remarked that it was the single greatest burger she'd ever had. Our burgers were not al dente on account of the sauteed onions--a necessary sacrifice, in my opinion. Also, an added bonus--the musical accompaniment: Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, CCR, and Van Morrison.

I am born again with uncommon focus. My heart is open (minus a few newfound palpitations) to all that life has to offer. Thank you Steak 'n Shake, and thank you, Mr. Ebert, for your guiding voice.

My wife and I first admitted we loved each other at Steak N' Shake and most of our firsts have been associated with it. Just prior to our first time we went there (their chili should be listed as an aphrodisiac) and we got engaged on our way over to one. Our wedding meal was there also. Our relationship can be told in visits to Steak N' Shake.

It's bizarre to me that a relationship could be so intricately attached to a restaurant. It's great food, so I understand wanting to go there a lot, but it seems like many people fall in love with Steak N' Shake. It goes beyond the taste of the food to something else...I'm not sure what that something is, but it's meaningful. I don't have a relationship with any other place like I have with Steak N' Shake...Luckily my wife waitresses there now so my cravings can be satisfied (though they lowered the employee discount from 60% to 30% to pay for new uniforms...which they later threw away because customers hated them and then never reinstated the higher discount).

I worked at the first Steak 'n Shake on Main Street in Normal for eight years ('90-'97). I had the pleasure of serving you and your wife one time, and I have to confess that I was absolutely thrilled.....I grew up in Cicero, and my dad and I watched "At the Movies" every week.

People might like to know that Steak 'n Shake is a VERY CLEAN restaurant. Steak 'n Shake teaches more about food sanitation in one week than I learned in later years taking an "official" class for a state license. The local health inspectors often ate at our restaurant, so that should say a lot.

That was the hardest, happiest, most frustrating and most rewarding job I've ever had.

As you know, the first Steak 'n Shake has been a Monical's Pizza for years, so sad.

Also, the pepper sauce at the table is made with vinegar.

I am replying so late here, but just last week, my family flew to Florida from Oregon to visit Disneyworld. When we arrived on Sunday, we spotted a Steak 'n Shake from the rental car and I told my husband, "Roger Ebert says we have to eat here!" and we did - four times over the course of the week. We haven't any of these restaurants out here in the Pacific Northwest, but we wish we had. The Chili 5 Way was my favorite, and my kids and husband all loved the sandwiches, as did I. You have made converts out of five Oregonians, and we have paper caps and foldable cardboard cars as souvenirs. Thank you, Roger!

I LOVE Steak 'n Shake. And now that I live on the east coast, found a place that can ship it to me in cans as well as little microwaveable cans. Just got my shipment today. It will be heaven for dinner tonight. http://www.goodchili.com/goodchilihome/

But wish I could get Krekel's Custard to ship me some cheeseburgers. Those I would pay a pretty penny for.

By Judy on January 24, 2009 on January 24, 2009 9:18 AM. I am an old, old fan. I could have written this article. Born in 1943 in Normal, Il. Home of Steak n Shake ...
Coincidentally I also was born in 1943 in Normal! I have memories of my grandmother first taking me to the Bloomington SnS in the late '40s before I had even started school. She and I would split an order of chili mac. Grandma was kind of strait-laced, but I remember that when her house was cleared out after her death, my aunts were shocked that there were some SnS B&W plates hidden in a kitchen cupboard. The buzz was about whether Grandma had "liberated" the plates. Horrors! LOL

When I attended UIUC in the '60s, I never had enough extra money to afford to eat at the SnS, sorry to say. From comments here, I must have missed out on one of the ultimate university experiences.

I’ve lived in the PacNW since getting my graduate degree from UIUC in 1967, and I still feel the lure of Steak ‘n Shake. Neither Oregon’s Burgerville, Seattle’s Dick’s, nor Olympia’s Big Tom have a patch on SnS!

Somebody else here mentioned the downtown Bloomington Woolworth's lunch counter-- that was a favorite of my mother's, and about once a month in the '50s she and I would have the triple decker BLT sandwich luncheon plates. The sandwiches were made of delicately toasted bread coated with tangy mayonnaise and filled with properly crispy bacon, very cold lettuce, and thinly sliced tomato slices. They were cut in quarters, arranged in a square with the points facing up, and the centers were filled with potato chips-- yummy!

I probably won't ever make it back to Steak 'n Shake land again, but it's been wonderful reading the posts here. Thanks, Mr. Ebert, for making it possible.

Thank you for the Steak N Shake love fest. I grew up in Galesburg and sat at the counter with my grandma. I make my husband stop everytime we travel when we see the sign--and was delighted when one opened in Rosemont--Chili Mac has got to have something in it that is addictive. I would argue that downstate girls also love Steak N Shake

I know this comment is a little late, but wading through your archives brings the same joy as wading through your Great Movies collection, so I felt I had to comment. I am curious, do you consider food art? While debating whether video games are art, you said that if they're art, where are the Martin Scorseses or Cormac McCarthys? Likewise, if food is art, who is the cuisine Shakespeare? Certainly not a professional chef, as they are just teaching variations on old food, we've more or less made recipes (however basic) since we first saw the black monolith and threw the bone in the air. So, the jury is debating, is food art?

Sincerely,
Jackson
(of whom you recommended getting an English degree)

Ebert: No, I don't think food is art. Certainly not zen arrangements of midget vegetables and bright reductions on the canvas of a white plate.

A longtime fan of yours, I couldn't resist stopping at my first Steak 'n' Shake during a recent vacation with my family. We were loaded in the minivan in Myrtle Beach, leading my wife's Uncle Fred, who told us to choose a place for lunch anytime before we reached Alligator Adventure.

Now, pleasing four kids is impossible. My son refuses McDonald's thanks to a viewing of "Super Size Me" when he was 9. One of my stepsons hates Burger King. We were up a creek, you might say.

Then, along comes a sign announcing "Steak 'n' Shake." Mysteriously, it said something like "Next right, left at the light." Nothing about "in sight," but I forgive them.

We stopped in, took up two tables (one for the wife, her Uncle Fred and Aunt Mary, and myself, with the weight of "this had better be good" riding on my shoulders; and one table for the four kids), ordered up our steakburgers and Cokes (we shied away from the shakes because we were all set to have ice cream cake that night for Uncle Fred's birthday - RATS!). Knowing it was my only chance to enjoy Steak 'n' Shake for a long time (we live in Steak/Shake-free New York State), I ordered up a double steakburger and a bowl of 3-way chili (my college days in Oxford, Ohio had introduced me to Cincinnati Chili, so I wasn't completely flummoxed to think about chili over spaghetti).

Long story short, if that's possible, we all enjoyed it. Far better than those other old-tyme diner-type places, good service, clean chrome, good stuff.

Thanks for the recommendation!

- Andy

Ebert: That's the spirit! A Super Steakburger and Chili 3-Ways, but no shake because ice cream cake is coming up later. I understand all of this perfectly, except the "no shake" part.

One of the first things I do when I go home to Indianapolis is to stop at a Steak N Shake for a cheeseburger, bowl of chili, order of fries and a vanilla shake. Abolsutely heaven as far as I'm concerned!!!! I would give anything to have Steak N Shake open a restaurant in the Arlington area.

JP

It looks like Steak N Shake has made its way Northeast as far as PA and stopped. I'm waiting for it to land in NJ, where I currently live.

In Seattle I've had Dick's, which, as someone mentioned, is a local favorite and one of the more genuinely greasy burgers. There's also Jack-In-The-Box, which has some strong items on its menu if you can forget about the health scare from years back. When visiting relatives in LA I always make a stop at In-N-Out.

In the NY/NJ area, Five Guys has been building a presence and offers a better alternative to the larger chains with its subway-style selections of toppings, but it lacks the greasy goodness of burgers like In-N-Out. If you live in Manhattan, the Shake Shack is a very good, savory and unpretentious burgers, but only has two locations (minus citifield) and typically has lines 100-people long. Bobby Flay's new chain, BBP, serves up burgers in the CPK concept i.e. envoking a variety of regional flavors and cuisines but it's overall it seems more novelty and slickness and lacks that good surburban taste.

I haven't tried Steak N Shake but, by the looks of it, Johnny Rockets in the locals might provide the closest offerings. I'd still welcome Steak N Shake burgers and their chili mac in Bergen County though.

My favorite 'Steak N Shake is in Springfield, Mo. But my favoritest place was the Dog N Suds In Hazelcrest, Illinois 1959 baby