Fast Food In Two Parts
Part 1: The Sad Part
I found myself having to work an unexpected 7 hours Saturday. Famished, on the way home, my thoughts swayed to Lion’s Choice as I approached the Rock Road heading North down Lindbergh. I haven’t eaten there in probably a year, and it sounded like the perfect guilty pleasure after a long day. Though, as I neared closer, a sort of guilt set in, and I started racking my brain for something with a little more local flair.
I lived in Overland for about 8 years after high school, and thinking of a recent Chowhound topic, I quickly changed course for Nick & Elena’s. It had been one of my local favorites and I hadn’t had it since moving out of Overland over four years ago.
Feeling nostalgic, as I drove through my old stomping grounds, I approached the right turn onto Woodson Road and a light bulb went off. Chuck-A-Burger!
In case you’ve been living in a hole, Chuck-A-Burger, the long time favorite of Northwest county will be shuttering their doors at the end of the year after 50 years in business. Ellie and I kept meaning to stop by, but for one reason or another, it just hadn’t happened. So there I was, a mile away, and I knew the right choice had been made as I turned into the lot with visions of chocolate malts in my mind.
I was starving, and I ordered my usual items:
- BBQ Chuck with creamy slaw
- Cheddar Cheese Cubes
- Chocolate Malt
I was primed for perfection as the server yelled the order into the kitchen and the cooks got to work. From a distance I could see the burger hit the grill and I remembered my first Chuck-A-Burger; delicious, with it’s crispy edges sandwiched between the lightly toasted bun. People would say they’re similar to Steak ‘n Shake but those people were wrong. They were less greasy, and the added charm of sitting in Chuck-A-Burger, thinking about kids pulling up on a Saturday night in 1957, just makes food taste better.
My malt arrived, and it was as I remembered. I love malt, and it pains me that my generation has not acquired a taste for it. It’s difficult to find a good malt, or sometimes even a place that has malt. Next came my burger and cheddar cheese cubes. I ate the first cube, and the sharp cheddar oozed out reminding me why this hard to find fried appetizer is so superior to it’s Italian cousin.
Everything was as I remembered right up until the point that I took a bite of my BBQ Chuck. Where was my toasted bun? Where was my crisp patty? Where was my delicious slaw? They were nowhere to be seen. The burger was now some frozen preformed patty, the bun wasn’t toasted, and the slaw just didn’t seem as good.
I’m not sure what happened to Chuck-A-Burger and why Ron decided to make these changes. I’m not sure if it was wanting to get costs down to maximize profit. Maybe it was just a matter of keeping costs down so as not to raise the prices. What I do know, is that it wasn’t the same, and it’s not a burger I’ll find myself craving any time soon.
So while the end looms near for the St. Ann Chuck-A-Burger, I can only hope Ron brings back the original patties at the St. Charles location or Saturday will have been my last taste of the former hometown favorite.
-Bill
