Clark Family Road Food

The Clarks like road trips; we also like eating on those road trips. Here are some of our favorite local watering holes:

Fall City Grill, Fall City WA - Sherry and I have been going here since the early 1990s. David and Jack have been going there with us since each was literally days old. Servers are excellent with kids; due to a law in Washington this is now a smoke-free restaurant. The food is always great, breakfast lunch or dinner, and we rarely have had to wait for a table. The Fall City Potatoes breakfast is my personal favorite, made with big-cut red potatoes, onions, ham, cheese, and optional egg prepared as-requested. It washes down with great coffee. Hard to go wrong with a breakfast like that!

Dick's Drive In, Seattle WA - True veterans at Dick's never order using plurals. For someone who has been going there for a two decades or more (me included) the typical order sounds like "Two Deluxe, Fry, Large Coke." It's a restaurant where fast means something. Dick's employees ask fast, help fast, fill fast, check your twenty in the light, and move on to the next customer. They know how to do something right and stick to it. Custom ordering isn't an option and usually isn't a problem. But Sherry laments at not being able to order plain cheeseburgers, electing instead to wipe the patty clean of goo before eating (David tends to prefer the same method). Jack just loves the fries; he couldn't care any less about the burgers. Me? I'm a veteran. I eat what they hand me. And that has tasted the same all the years I've gone there. We recently discovered that Dick Spady, a member of our church, is the Dick's in Dick's! He's a great guy with a huge heart for community service, which explains why Dick's has an honest pay rate and provides time off for volunteer work (plus medical benefits and tuition reimbursement). Knowing Dick Spady now makes our trips to Dick's a more pleasant experience.

Burgermaster, Bellevue WA - Pull up to the curb, turn on your lights to hail the server, and order up a tray full of meaty paradise. That's Burgermaster, one of the last operating drive-in restaurants in the area. Thankfully there's no indicator of this store, or any of the others in the chain, going away anytime soon. It says a lot in this world of diets that are changing towards a healthier balance that a burger joint can be packed most any Saturday night with cars awaiting burgers, fries, and shakes.

My favorite? The Burgermelt, which is two patties, two pieces of cheese, ketchup, mustard, and pickles that I request. I also get fries, a container each of ketchup and tartar, and a Tom & Jerry Shake (think eggnog shake all year `round). Sherry usually goes for something lighter, chicken sandwich or grilled cheese. David orders either chicken fingers or a hot dog. Jack just likes fries, and will occasionally weasel a piece of hot dog out of his brother.

If you like eating in your car, and dislike getting out of your car to order the food you eat, then Burgermaster is perfect for you. You and several thousand of your closest Northwest neighbors!

Old Country Buffet, Kirkland WA - What can I say? We like buffets in our house. Maybe it's the Midwest in me that appreciates being able to simply serve myself and choose from several different entrees. It's also an easy place for a family with two young boys to have a sit down meal, in an environment where it's almost expected that they will make some ruckus. Since Jack is somewhat picky too, in terms of food, we can choose various small bits of this-n-that to put in front of him so he can graze. Naturally, he grazes the fries before settling in on Chicken, milk, peas, and noodles.

Our favorite server there has watched David grow from being a year old and sleeping to a school-age boy who follows her around while she works. Whenever I meet my Dad for dinner there she asks, "Where's my boyfriend?" if David isn't with us. She adores him.

Krispy Kreme, Seattle WA - Okay, I know you can't survive on donuts. It's not just about the round little doughy manna that keeps us going back to the location at 1st Avenue and Holgate in Seatte; it's the experience, in and out, of being there that keeps us visiting. Inside, the store has viewing windows so the boys can see how donuts are made. Of course, show up at Krispy Kreme when the "Hot Donuts Now" sign is lit and you get a free donut.

Outside the store is the BNSF Railway, running on a mainline track through the center of SODO. David, Jack and I all love trains so going to Krispy Kreme and then watching trains with a donut (and coffee in my case) is a real special treat. When my sons are 28 and 31 years old standing trackside munching apple fritters, I'll take all the blame!

Casa D's Taqueria, Bellevue WA - Three words describe the standard meal from Casa D's: "Urban Food Log." It's a great place to get value out of your burrito dollar. The restaurant is a bit run down, and the employees are often inked and urban. The music is never latin; you're more likely to hear 1990s garage rock while your burrito is being prepared.

The meal comes with chips and an apple. I've been eating there since 1996 and have enjoyed virtually every burrito I've ordered. I have a big appetite and frankly the Super size burrito is too big for me to eat. The regular, plus the apple and chips, is truly a decent sized meal.

Try the breakfast burrito early in the morning when the potatoes and chorizo are still fresh. I often mix the roasted pork with chorizo on my burrito, and then get three good drops of the hot sauce. Awesome! Sherry usually gets the grilled steak taco with mild seasoning. David and Jack both like the chips and the loose beans, but usually we head down the street beforehand and get them dinner at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Plainly stated, it's great food at a great price.

Triple XXX Drive In, Issaquah WA - The first time I set foot in the Triple XXX it was 1971 and my family lived outside Issaquah. Since that time it has gone through a few owners before ending up in the hands of Jose Enciso, who has a passion for old cars and good food. He brought the Triple XXX back from the dead, energizing it to the point that there is a car show there every weekend through the summer. If you have nothing to do on a Saturday night, there's always the Triple XXX and its parking lot filled with chrome and rumbling steel.

This restaurant is considered the "Last Historic Triple XXX" left in the US. I love their fish & chips, while the rest of the family usually orders hot dogs and corn dogs. Their Root Beer is made from a proprietary recipe, original to the Triple XXX organization. No other root beer tastes like like theirs.

All these restaurants are worth a try if you're in the area. And who knows? You might see the big blue Clark minivan there if you ever visit!