📍Massapequa, New York: "At the All-American Hamburger Drive-in in Massapequa, New York, on Long Island, the sizzle of the neon is the appetizer to the sizzle of the griddle, where juicy quarter-pounders keep customers waiting patiently for their first bite—and keep them coming back, year after year, as they have since 1963. The cups and wrappers are instant souvenirs, with printed admonitions against being a litterbug and the phone number featuring the old exchange name: PY8-9574."

📍New Hyde Park, New York: "There are McMansions, and then there is The McMansion. This is store no. 12,000 in the McDonald’s chain, which opened on April 13, 1991 in, well, an actual old mansion built sometime between 1795 and 1843. The Denton House had fallen into disrepair when McDonald’s took an interest in developing the site. Preservationists successfully championed to save it, and McDonald's, rather than demolish it, restored it and moved right in."

📍Brooklyn, New York: "Nathan’s Famous in Brooklyn’s Coney Island is perhaps America’s most famous hot-dog stand. The multitudes continue to devour founder Nathan Handwerker’s hand-held culinary handiwork, just like they’ve been doing since 1916. This is one road-trip destination you might be inclined to reach by subway rather than car. However you get here, take caution if you visit on July 4, when the beloved hot-dog eating contest draws crowds."

📍North Arlington, New Jersey: "Note to Sopranos fans: If you 'woke up this morning' jonesing for pizza, head to Pizza Land in North Arlington, New Jersey. The facade of this slice joint was made famous in the opening sequence of The Sopranos. If it’s good enough for Tony Soprano to drive by, then it’s good enough for your own nostalgic drive-by. Or better yet, pull over and enjoy a slice."

📍Butler, Pennsylvania: "Among the most beautiful sights on the American road is a classic Dairy Queen, complete with its original neon sign, and this gem, in Butler, Pennsylvania, checks all the boxes. On the February day I first stopped by, the shop was closed for the season, dressed in a fresh coat of snow. It was not quite a blizzard, thank goodness, but there, alas, was no DQ Blizzard to be had."

📍Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio: "At one point, this outpost of the fish-and-chips chain Arthur Treacher’s was the last standalone store. However, a new operator is slowly expanding the stores again, and there were three standalone stores at this writing, all in Ohio, along with smaller ones partnered with Nathan’s elsewhere. The Cuyahoga Falls Arthur Treacher’s is the last one that still has its lantern sign. The chain had over 800 locations in its 1970s heyday."

📍Dublin, Ohio: "The Wendy’s flagship store in its corporate hometown of Dublin, Ohio, may look like a typical modern location. But don’t let looks fool you. You are greeted by a statue of founder Dave Thomas outside. Inside, a special dining room doubles as a museum of Wendy's memorabilia, where you can dine on a newsprint table, admire the funky beads that used to hang in the stores, and explore the history of one of America’s most iconic fast-food chains."

📍Lima, Ohio: "The very first Kewpee opened in Flint, Michigan, in 1923, making it one of the earliest fast-food chains, and the second-oldest hamburger chain after White Castle. In 1928, husband-and-wife team Hoyt and Julia Wilson opened the Lima store, and their shop was so popular that in 1939, they constructed this stunning Art Moderne building clad in porcelain enamel here on 11 N. Elizabeth St. in Lima, Ohio. Kewpees once totaled over 400, but today, there are a handful left."

📍Mattoon, Illinois: "The name may be familiar, but this is not the place to 'Have It Your Way.' This Burger King, in Mattoon, Illinois, has no connection with Burger King the chain, and emerged in the early 1950s separately from the place where 'You Rule.' Indeed, the rules are different here in Mattoon. A legal tussle over territory between the two Burger Kings produced a compromise: The national Burger King could not open a location within 20 miles of the mom-and-pop Burger King."

📍Hartsville, South Carolina: "Hey Boo Boo, let's go get us a pic-a-nic basket full of Yogi Bear Fried Chicken! This is the last outlet of a small chain named for that smarter-than-your-average bear, Yogi Bear, the popular TV cartoon character. The giant Yogi Bear sign is worth traveling great distances to photograph; road-eats fans do the same for the fried chicken."

📍Bryson City, North Carolina: "In recent years, Pizza Hut has put its legacy locations in a design time machine. They’ve turned them into Pizza Hut Classics by restoring the old logo and signage, bringing back the faux Tiffany lamps, checkered tablecloths, and more touches from the 1970s–1990s huts. I’ve documented dozens on my Substack, but a very nice example can be found in Bryson City, North Carolina."

📍Marietta, Georgia: "You must admire the pure pluck of the folks who built The Big Chicken, the iconic Kentucky Fried Chicken in Marietta, Georgia. In 1963, S.R. “Tubby” Davis opened Johnny Reb’s Chick-Chuck-’N’-Shake, for which the towering chicken was built. In time, the Big Chicken would become one of Col. Harland Sanders’ most beloved outposts of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the very symbol of Marietta for some."

📍Austin, Texas: "Top Notch is more than a name at Top Notch Hamburgers, and the name and sign only hint at the fast-food cornucopia here. Austin’s Top Notch dates to 1971, opening in the home of 1960s car-hop stands. The car hops never went away, and the menu is frozen in time from the 1970s recipes. The name could not be more fitting."

📍Roswell, New Mexico: "You can find depictions of aliens everywhere around Roswell, and the most caffeinated green man in the universe is standing outside the city’s Dunkin'. Coffee in hand like our extraterrestrial friend, you, too, can explore museums, exhibits, and many more photo ops that will have you explaining away every mystery with one word: aliens!"

📍Roswell, New Mexico: "The McDonald’s in Roswell, New Mexico, has embraced the out-of-this-world theme of this UFO-obsessed town, building a saucer-shaped restaurant on its property. Silvery alien statues are on hand to greet you."

📍Bailey, Colorado: "South Park Coney Island in Bailey, Colorado, sits at the edge of a national forest, but began life in 1966 in downtown Denver and was envisioned as the foundation of a hot-dog chain. That was not to be, and the structure was just a few years later moved to Aspen Park for what would be a 35-year run—only to be displaced by a bank—and was then moved here. South Park fans might recognize it as the character Cartman’s home for a time."

📍Yermo, California: "The first Del Taco opened here, in the Mojave Desert town of Yermo, in 1964. Though it's no longer a Del Taco, the building here honors its role in fast-food history. The mantle of first has been passed to an operating Del Taco in nearby Barstow."

📍Santa Barbara, California: "This Taco Bell in Santa Barbara is the oldest operating out of its original location. The Taco Bell on North Milpas Street had its grand opening in January 1966. Still, one big change to the building denied it landmark protection: an expansion of the dining room, which added a fourth arch, damaging the building’s historical integrity. What’s an extra arch between friends?"

📍West Hollywood, California: "It should not be a surprise that roadside architecture appeals to our belly, and what’s not to love about the Tail O’ the Pup, in its new forever home of West Hollywood. The stand opened in 1946 and became an instant classic, appearing in movies and TV shows. The Pup went into storage and, well over a decade later, was adopted by the history-minded 1933 Group."

📍Arcadia, California: "Taco Lita in Arcadia, California, was birthed during that great post-war eruption of taco stands in the 1950s, with some becoming chains—global in the case of Taco Bell—and others stalling and often, retreating. Taco Lita, founded in 1956 as the 'home of the glorified taco,' had over a dozen locations at its peak but is making its final stand here in Arcadia, and what a final stand it is, in this building from 1967."

📍Downey, California: "This is the world’s oldest-operating McDonald’s, virtually untouched since opening in 1953. The walkup building flanked by twin arches, the massive single-arch sign with Chef Speedee, and the little museum next door make this one of the most important stops on any Great American Retro Road Trip. Big plus: You can still snag a fried apple pie here!"

📍Inglewood, California: "The Brolly Hut is a perfect spot for a rainy day, scarce though they may be in Southern California. The building is shaped like an umbrella (brolly is short for that), has umbrella details inside, and has a big umbrella for its sign. The restaurant opened in 1968, initially called Bumbershoot Cafe, according to several sources. They serve fast-food fare that is all the more remarkable because you’re eating it under a giant umbrella."

📍San Diego, California: "The building itself is modern, but you can admire the Tiny Taco Bell in the back, right next to the drive-thru lane. It's not actually a Taco Bell, but a perfect little model of the original 1960s concept—a tribute to this location’s roots. Oh, if they’d only build them like this again."