In-N-Out Burger Opening In Albuquerque In 2027

 For those of us ex-Californians in New Mexico needing their fix of an In-In-Out Burger, they will be be able to partake in Albuquerque next year.

One store is slated to open next year and two more are planned for Albuquerque.

Here a video from KOB Channel 4 News:

While it is great that New Mexico will be getting In-N-Out Burger restaurants, I would also like to see Original Tommy's open in New Mexico as well. The nearest Original Tommy's to New Mexico are in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Best Regional Fast Food Chains By State

Above, a Blake's Lotaburger in Gallup, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Fast food chains are not created equal. Some are better than others and some are more RV-friendly than others (parking-wise).  

RV Travel posted an article on the best regional fast food chains in every state. For New Mexico, Blake's Lotaburger is their pick. 

The article begins with:

Sometimes, when you’re on the road and in a hurry, fast food is the only option. But did you know that regional fast food chains often offer better options than the big national chains?

In the video down below by Mashed [5.46M subscribers, 2.16B views], you can see their picks of each state’s best regional fast food chain.

To read more, go here. 

In-N-Out Burger Expanding To New Mexico

Above, inside the Lake Havasu City In-N-Out restaurant. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I posted about this last year, but this is from MSN.com. It is about In-N-Out Burger coming to New Mexico.  

Right now, the only places with decent burgers are Big Ass Burgers in Thoreau, New Mexico and Blake's Lotaburger at several locations in Gallup.

MSN.com starts with:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – In-N-Out Burger is officially coming to New Mexico, the California-based fast-food burger chain announced Tuesday.

In-N-Out Burger said that it will be serving burgers, fries, and shakes in Albuquerque in 2027. “We can’t wait to have smiling associates serving customers quality burgers, fries and shakes in such a unique, beautiful state,” Lynsi Snyder, president and owner of In-N-Out Burger, wrote in part on In-N-Out Burger’s Facebook post.

In-N-Out Burger did not say where the restaurants would be located in Albuquerque, stating in a news release that “Initial development plans are underway for locations in Albuquerque to open by 2027, with future expansion to other cities in the years beyond.”

In-N-Out Burger said it will utilize a company distribution facility in Colorado Springs to get its products to New Mexico.

Currently, New Mexicans have to travel out of state to eat at In-N-Out Burger. The closest locations are in Colorado, Arizona, Utah and Texas. The chain also has locations in California, Nevada and Oregon.

To read more, go here. 

Scrivner's Carhop Drive-In Restaurants

 

Above, Scrivner's Drive-In at Cahuenga and Ivar in Hollywood.

The first drive-in restaurant with carhop service was in 1923, but the drive-in restaurants didn't take off until the 1940s and 1950s following World War II.

A prominent drive-in carhop restaurant in Los Angeles was Scrivner's. They had several locations. My parents and I went to the one in Inglewood at 3425 West Manchester Blvd. Many times, my parents mentioned seeing D.J. Art Laboe at the Inglewood restaurant in the 1950s whenever we heard him on the radio in the 1970s. Laboe apparently broadcast his radio shows from different Scrivner's.

Above, a carhop retrieving a tray in the 1930s.

What's a carhop?

According to Wikipedia:

A carhop is a waiter or waitress who brings fast food to people in their cars at drive-in restaurants. Carhops usually work on foot but sometimes use roller skakes.

Above, a vintage ad for Scrivner's with their list of locations.

The Inglewood Scrivner's location closed in the 1960s and demolished.. The Guardian convalescent hospital was built at the former restaurant's location.

There were other chains of drive-in restaurants besides Scrivner's. None of them exist today.

Above, Art Laboe (with microphone) and fans at a Scrivner's remote broadcast.

There are some 1950s-themed drive-in carhop restaurants springing up today such as Mel's Drive-In and Sonic. I have been to the Sonic in Gallup, but wasn't impressed with their burgers. It appears nostalgia is alive and well.

In-N-Out Coming To New Mexico

There's good news on the fast-food horizon.

In-N-Out Burger has announced that they will be expanding into New Mexico.

From the Orange County Register:

In-N-Out Burger has added the state of New Mexico to its list of conquests.

The Irvine-based fast food chain announced in social media Tuesday morning that it is planning a restaurant in Albuquerque and will be “fully in the Four Corners” by 2027. A Facebook meme features a signature of owner and president Lynsi Snyder.

Much as I would like to see them to open in Gallup, Albuquerque is just fine with me. The only decent burger around here is Big Ass Burgers in Thoreau.

The last In-N-Out Burger I went to was in April in Tucson, Arizona.

Now, if we can only get Original Tommy's (for chili burgers) to open in New Mexico, I'd be in food heaven. In-N-Out and Tommy's are the only two places in California I miss.

To read more, go here.

Return To Big Ass Burgers

Above, Big Ass Burgers in Thoreau, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Late this afternoon, I headed to Thoreau, New Mexico (15 miles) to pick up some groceries. 

After doing so, I glanced at Big Ass Burgers across the street. Since the last time I had a hamburger was on June 13, I decided to head over got get their 1/4 pound cheeseburger combo (with drink and curly fries). It is combo number 2 on their menu.

I put on the BBC News and proceeded to consume the meal. As was the case last June, the burger was excellent. As I said back in June, their burgers are almost as good as In-N-Out Burger in California.

The place doesn't look like much, but they do have excellent food. One orders inside and then they deliver the order to their vehicle. And, the prices are reasonable.  

McDonald's Japan To Raise Prices On Hamburgers and Other Items

Above, McDonald's signage in Shibuya, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over the years, I've heard many stories of couples visiting Japan and one or the other does not like sushi or other Japanese delicacies and they opt instead for a McDonald's hamburger.

Well, those people will be paying a bit more for that hamburger as McDonald's Japan is going to raise prices.

According to the Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

McDonald’s Company (Japan) Ltd. said Friday it will raise prices on hamburgers and other menu items on March 14 from ¥10 to ¥20 to counter factors that include the rising cost of raw materials.

The hike is in response to soaring prices of wheat, beef and other raw materials, as well as increasing costs for labor and transportation.

It will be the first price hike on burgers for McDonald’s Japan since October 2019, when consumption tax went up to 10%.

 To read more, go here.

100th Anniversary of A & W Root Beer

Above, my two A & W Root Beer mugs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Did you know that 2019 marks 100 years since the founding of A & W Root Beer?

Well, it;s true!

According to Wikipedia:

A&W Root Beer is a root beer brand primarily available in the United States and Canada, started in 1919 by Roy W. Allen. In 1922, Allen partnered with Frank Wright. They combined their initials to create the brand "A&W" and inspired a restaurant chain, founded in 1922.

I first heard of A & W Root Beer when we visited my grandmother in 29 Palms, California. We used to stop at the A & W Root Beer restaurant there back in the 1960s.

Later, we used to hang out at the Hawthorne, California A & W Root Beer restaurant on Hawthorne Blvd. In fact, the Hawthorne A & W was a very popular hangout.

Many of the A & W Root Beer restaurants in Southern California closed up. But I did discover that there are several of them in New Mexico!

A & W Root Beer restaurants are mounting a comeback. Go here for details.

I have a couple of A & W Root Beer mugs. I bought them back in the 1970s or 1980s. I can't exactly say when I bought them, but it seems like I've always had them.

To access A & W Root Beer's website, go here.

For A & W Root Beer logo history, go here.

How Much Does Fast Food Cost In Japan?

Above, a Yoshinoya restaurant on a snowy day in Chiba Prefecture. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Many times, visitors come to Japan with limited budgets or, after a few days of splurging, find themselves a little short of yen. Still, people have to eat and the old reliable fast food restaurants will be a big help in stretching out their yen.

Fortunately, City-Cost.com has an article on the prices of fast food restaurants, Western and Japanese.

It begins with:

They’re all here - McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Lotteria (although this comes from South Korea), Taco Bell, Shake Shack … Wendy’s!

Certainly McDonald’s and KFC are an ever present and very popular in Japan. Fans of Burger King will have to really keep eyes peeled or do some planning. Taco Bell, at the time of writing only has franchises in Tokyo. As for Wendy’s, in 2015 they teamed up with Japanese fast food chain First Kitchen to become Wendy’s Fist Kitchen, so I’m no longer sure which sub-heading they fall under.  Shake Shack are fairly recent movers and, err, shakers on the Japan fast food scene.  At the time of writing there were three branches in Japan, all in Tokyo.  We detail how much some of classics at these fast food chains cost here in Japan.

To read more, go here.