The USA is packed with long-standing fast food joints – many of them have a charming story to tell and some are even the original spots where classic dishes were invented. From time-honoured burger restaurants to pizza places that have been slinging slices for over a century, here we take a look at America's most historic fast food spots worthy of a pilgrimage.
Click or scroll through our round-up of America's oldest fast food joints, where you can enjoy a generous side of history with your meal.
Often cited as a must-visit spot in Rehoboth Beach, especially for those looking to experience a bit of local history and charm, Gus & Gus Place oozes seaside nostalgia. Founded in 1958 by Constantine ‘Gus’ Svolis, the no-frills spot has barely changed in over 60 years and has a dedicated following among Delaware’s beachgoers thanks to its sensational cheesesteaks, burgers, gyros and fried chicken. Founder Gus sadly passed away in 2020, but his family still owns the much-loved joint.
The planet's most famous fast food chain, McDonald's has steadily taken over the world, one burger-flipping franchise at a time. Today, in the US at least, you're rarely more than a few miles from those famous golden arches. However, earlier McDonald's restaurants looked rather different. The very first – McDonald’s Bar-B-Q – was opened in San Bernardino in the 1940s by the McDonald brothers. Although this one is sadly out of service, you can get a feel for the chain's past at the Downey location (pictured).
The Downey, California location opened in 1953, making it one of the earliest franchise restaurants in the chain. Today, it's the oldest operating McDonald's restaurant in the world – and you can tell. The sign retains its old-school font and even includes Speedee, the winking chef and McDonald's mascot superseded by Ronald McDonald.
Once inside, you'll find a regular McDonald's menu, with the only difference being you can get the old-school, deep-fried apple pie here (since 1992 every other franchise has baked the sweet treat). You'll also find a dinky museum showcasing old advertising posters, newspaper clippings and artefacts from early restaurants.
From one fast food behemoth to another, KFC keeps chicken lovers the world over salivating with its secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. And, amazingly, the first real KFC is still in operation. Although Colonel Harland Sanders perfected his beloved recipe at Harland Sanders Café in the 1940s, the first location under the KFC name (pictured) dates to 1952 and is in Utah's Salt Lake City on South State Street.
Today a mammoth, bucket-shaped sign out front advertises this legacy and the restaurant still bears the name 'Harman', after Pete Harman, the Colonel's first franchisee. Business boomed for the Harmans after they began selling Colonel Sanders' recipe under the name 'Kentucky Fried Chicken' – and the branch is still going strong today. Swing by its drive-thru for some Original Recipe wings and spot the bronze statue of Harman and Sanders outside.
Whether they're a late-night pleasure or an early morning coffee accompaniment, Dunkin' Donuts (known as Dunkin' since 2019) has sated sweet-toothed Americans since 1950. Founder William Rosenberg first called his Quincy doughnut shop Open Kettle but switched to Dunkin' Donuts after two years in business. This location, with its retro signage, remains in operation today and you can pore over informative plaques and archive photos of the early years as you bite into your glazed and frosted treats.
You can barely move for pizza joints in the Big Apple, but this one has some history. J & V, named for co-founders and friends John Mortillaro and Vincent DeGrezia, opened in 1950 and is thought to be one of the earliest places to sell pizza by the slice. Today, the restaurant, occupying a corner in Brooklyn's Bensonhurst neighbourhood, retains much of its homely 1950s charm and is still owned by the Mortillaro family.
The interior is laid-back and fuss-free with cosy booths and metal bar stools, and, of course, a steady stream of comforting pizza pies. Though you might prefer to call up for delivery, which it offers free of charge. Choose between square and round pizzas with classic toppings like pepperoni, black olives and vegetables, or plump for a meatball roll or hearty calzone.
There are countless places to grab a sensational hot dog in Chicago, but Superdawg Drive-In has been making some of the city’s finest since it first launched as a humble hot dog stand in 1948. When founders Maurie and Flaurie Berman opened the joint, their intention was to create a destination that offered a fun and memorable outing as well as a meal. The duo certainly succeeded. These days it's a Chicago landmark, famous for the pair of dancing hot dog statues (named Maurie and Flaurie) that have stood on the restaurant's roof for more than 70 years.
The fast food nostalgia continues inside. Fans say the interior is like entering a time capsule and it still has the same flashing neon lights and ordering system as it did in the 1940s. And, true to its name, Superdawg still offers a traditional carhop service – customers drive up, place their orders through a retro speaker system and have their meals delivered directly to their cars. Since the 1950s, the spot has been serving the same secret-recipe Superdawg hot dogs (topped with mustard, piccalilli, dill pickle, chopped Spanish onions and hot peppers) alongside crinkle-cut fries and famously thick milkshakes.
In-N-Out is another long-standing burger chain that changed the face of American fast food. The first branch, in California's Baldwin Park, was established back in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder – this no-frills burger joint has also been tipped as the very first drive-thru restaurant in the state. Sadly, all that remains at the Baldwin Park spot is a replica paying tribute to the chain – but you can taste a slice of history in the Pasadena location.
Pasadena's In-N-Out Burger, on Foothill Boulevard, is the oldest operating In-N-Out Burger in America, dating to the early 1950s. You'll not find it much different to more modern In-N-Out joints, especially given the chain's food offering has changed little over the decades. But the glittering vintage neon sign (pictured) is definitely photo-worthy.
If you happen to be in Kentucky, you can drop in to visit KFC's predecessor, Harland Sanders Café, the restaurant operated by the Colonel from 1940 to 1956. Sanders moved to this bricks-and-mortar spot after serving his chicken to hungry travellers at the gas station across the street.
The property has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990 and visitors can browse the on-site museum, which includes KFC-related artefacts and the pint-sized kitchen where Sanders developed his recipe, as well as feast on fried chicken in the site's old-school, diner-like surrounds.
The USA has little shortage of great burger and fries joints, but this one has extra charm. Hackney's story began during America's Prohibition era with Jack Hackney and Great Aunt Bebe, who purportedly served burgers and beers from their porch during the dry spell. Hackney's on Harms opened its doors in 1939 and has been a local favourite ever since.
Fast-forward some eight decades and Hackney's is still owned by the same family and Hackney's on Harms' quaint patio still draws in the crowds. The signature dish is the long-standing Hackneyburger, a half-pound of beef on home-baked dark rye, while the crispy 'French fried' onions get rave reviews too.
When you imagine the quintessential New England lobster shack, Red's Eats is probably what you’re thinking about. The roadside stand has been a Wiscasset mainstay since it was first set up by Red Gagnon in 1938, specialising in soft buns packed full of fresh lobster meat, with a side of butter. Over the years it has become a must-visit destination for both locals and tourists travelling through Maine, often drawing crowds of customers willing to wait for the famous lobster rolls, plus other specialities like fried clams and crab cakes.
This old White Castle building has been a jewellery shop, an office and an antique store since its days as a burger joint, but as it's on the National Register of Historic Places, new businesses aren't able to put up a sign. This building is thought to date to the 1930s and has the chain's old turreted architectural style and throwback signage. If you're craving one of White Castle's famed square burgers, you can get one at a modern Minneapolis branch a couple of blocks away.
Pat Olivieri is credited with inventing the revered Philly cheesesteak: sautéed rib-eye beef, onions and Cheez Whiz in a white roll. The story goes that one day, the former hot dog vendor fried strips of meat and onions on his grill and cased them in an Italian roll with onions. When a passing taxi driver and punter spotted the creation, he insisted Pat made one for him too. And so, Philadelphia's famous steak sandwich was born. In 1930, Pat’s King of Steaks opened in South Philadelphia and the city was enamoured with the meaty creations.
Though some 90 years have passed, little has changed when it comes to Pat’s King of Steaks. The joint is still owned and operated by the Olivieri family, it's still the only location in town and it continues to dole out the same hearty beef sandwiches that Pat is thought to have invented all those decades ago. Order yours with onions and Cheese Whiz and enjoy a sandwich almost a century in the making. The shop is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you're craving something hot and salty when walking down Ocean City’s famous Boardwalk, do as the locals do and head straight to this historic gem, which Marylanders insist serves the best French fries you’ll ever try. J.T. Thrasher (pictured, in the 1940s) opened this acclaimed spot in 1929 with a single ambition: to produce the perfect French fry – and fans say he succeeded. What differentiates Thrasher's fries from other types is that they're typically brined and blanched before taking a double dip in the fryer (this technique guarantees a fluffy inside and perfectly crisp outside). They're also traditionally served heavily doused in apple cider vinegar.
J.T. Thrasher also insisted that only the finest potatoes were used to make his much-loved fries. This meant that potatoes had to be bought from different regions, if not states, depending on the season. In almost a century, the company has only changed hands twice and the original recipe fries remain incredibly popular. There are now three locations in Ocean City, but the original (near the pier) continues to be the most popular, so expect lines throughout the day. Fry fans can even check in to an online webcam to gauge how long the line in front of the shop is.
Since it was invented in 1926 by butcher Fred Angell, the Maid-Rite sandwich has been Iowa’s go-to fast food order. A cross between a burger and a sloppy Joe, the Midwest speciality consists of pan-fried, seasoned ground beef served in a sliced bun with ketchup, mustard, sliced onion and pickles. Fred went on to found Taylor's Maid-Rite Hamburger Shop (now Taylor’s Maid-Rite) in 1928, and the joint has been making its signature sammies the same way ever since. The brand has grown into a multi-restaurant chain operating in six states, but fast food fans say the original Marshalltown location is the best.
New Haven is world-famous for its exacting style of pizza (also known as apizza) – distinctive for its minimal use of toppings and perfectly crisp and chewy crust that’s so charred it's almost black. One of America’s oldest pizzerias, Frank Pepe's, is said to have invented this particular pizza style when founder Frank Pepe started selling simple tomato pies from a pushcart to immigrant factory workers in 1925. Frank’s original restaurant remains in the same location and is now run by his grandchildren.
The menu at Frank Pepe’s has expanded from the very simple tomato pies the pizzeria was first famous for, but the go-to order is still the original clam pie – a heavenly combination of pecorino Romano cheese, fresh garlic, olive oil, parsley and clams atop a perfectly blistered base. Over the years the restaurant has grown into a small chain, with 16 locations in seven states, including New York, Virginia and Florida, with more in the works. However, the original pizzeria remains the flagship store and is a much-loved local landmark.
The concept of the all-American diner is thought to date back to 1872, when a 'night lunch wagon' opened in Rhode Island's capital of Providence. Today the down-to-earth diner is still a steadfast part of the USA's fast food scene and many historic spots remain. One such venue is Casey’s Diner in Natick, whose roots date as far back as 1890, when Fred Casey began serving punters in a four-stool horse-drawn wagon.
A little over three decades later, in 1922, the current diner was constructed and it has remained a family-run affair for four generations. It's thought to be the oldest diner in the state (and one of the oldest in the entire country), occupying a deserved spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Pay a visit to its restaurant or takeout window and try one of the steamed hot dogs the diner is famous for.
A beloved American chain with heart-warming beginnings, A&W dates right back to 1919. Roy W. Allen set up a root beer stand in the city of Lodi, California, and sold his now-famous drink during a parade welcoming home First World War troops. Allen soon partnered with his employee Frank Wright (hence the name A&W) and the humble roadside stand eventually grew into a string of franchised restaurants.
Today you can still enjoy A&W's signature drink, made with a secret mix of bark, berries, herbs and spices, and served in a big, frosted tankard. The chain also claims to have invented the bacon cheeseburger in 1963 – it comes with hickory-smoked bacon, American cheese and pickles and you can order it with classic fries or moreish fried cheese curds.
The origins of the Coney Dog, and the matter of who does it best, is hotly contested in the Motor City. Its beginnings are bound up with Greek immigrants who arrived in the region in the early 1900s. In 1917, Greek-born Gust Keros opened American Coney Island and it has been one of the most famous and beloved purveyors of the Detroit dish ever since.
However, less than a decade later, Keros' brother William opened Lafayette Coney Island right next door. This sparked an enduring 'who-does-it-best' feud between Detroiters, with locals proudly proclaiming themselves either 'American' or 'Lafayette'. Either way, you shouldn't miss a taste of the historic dish: a sausage in a bun, drowned in chilli, onions and mustard.
Chris' Famous Hotdogs was established in 1917 by Greek immigrant Christopher Anastasios and is one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in Alabama. Located on one of Montgomery’s most iconic streets, Chris’ has attracted the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley and Martin Luther King Jr. over the years and is best-known for its signature chilli sauce, which has been used to smother hot dogs and burgers for over a century. These days very little has changed and the iconic spot is certainly one to add to the bucket list.
Now a country-wide chain, Nathan’s Famous has humble beginnings, harking back more than a century. Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker set up a stand on Coney Island in 1916, selling hot dogs for a nickel. The hot dogs were based on his wife Ida's secret spice recipe and over the years they attracted famous punters including notorious gangster Al Capone and former president Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Although Nathan's Famous branches have sprouted all over the States (you can even buy Nathan's products in stores), the popularity of the Coney Island spot has not waned. It's also famous for the annual Hot Dog Eating Contest held on 4 July. The legendary competition purportedly began on this date in 1916, after four immigrants competed to settle an argument over who was the most patriotic.
Pepperoni rolls are a West Virginia obsession and the state’s official food, consisting of spicy pepperoni and melted cheese tucked inside a fluffy bread roll. They were originally created as a meal for coal miners in the 1920s (they don’t need to be refrigerated, so could easily be packed as a one-handed snack for the workers) and are sold in bakeries all over the state – but Tomaro’s is said to make the best of all. In operation since 1914, the spot is West Virginia’s oldest family-run Italian bakery and is still in its original location. Pictured is second generation owner Anna Tomaro Brunett, in the window of the shop.
These days the bakery makes around 60 dozen pepperoni rolls every day and they’re sold alongside delicious Italian breads, pizza shells, cakes and buns. Up until 2022, Tomaro’s had been run by the fourth generation of the Brunett family, but after they retired, it was taken over by new owners. Joseph and Edward Oliverio and family are keen to uphold the legacy of the historic bakery and fans say the pepperoni rolls are as delicious as ever.
If you want a taste of Louisiana's legendary po'boy (or poor boy) sandwich, this unassuming century-old joint is where to go. Parkway Bakery & Tavern was opened in NOLA in 1911 by German baker Charles Goering Sr. – although it would be a few years until the classic po'boy (a baguette generally filled with beef or fried seafood and plenty of sauce) was on the menu.
Although there are competing stories, it's said that the po'boy was invented by brothers and former streetcar conductors Bennie and Clovis Martin, in order to feed streetcar drivers who were striking in the city in 1929. The brothers built these belly-busting sandwiches and gave them to the workers for free. To show their support, Parkway's proprietors began making and doling out free po'boys too. More than 100 years later and the Parkway po'boy (including the signature surf 'n' turf) is the stuff of local legend.
Claiming to be the oldest bar in Oklahoma, dating all the way back to 1896, Eischen's Saloon was first opened by Peter Eischen. Although the saloon closed during Prohibition, the newly named Eischen's Bar was opened by the original founder's descendants as soon as the dry era ended. But, despite all this history, it's the venue's signature fried chicken that keeps the customers pouring in.
The fried chicken recipe – created in the mid-1960s as a prize for the winner of the weekly shuffleboard tournament – remains as it always has been. The chicken is fried in soybean oil and served with white bread, sweet pickles, dill pickles and onions. Enjoy yours in the historic digs, alongside a beer or iced tea, or grab a bucket to go.
Louis' Lunch has quite the legacy – in fact, it's credited by the Library of Congress as the 'Birthplace of the Hamburger Sandwich', the cornerstone dish of American fast food. The spot dates to 1895 and it was in 1900 that the celebrated hamburger is thought to have been created. Legend has it a harried gentleman bustled into Louis' Lunch, asking for something he could eat on the go. Thinking on his feet, owner Louis Lassen slipped ground steak trimmings between two slices of toast.
More than 100 years later, Louis' Lunch is still family-owned and operated, now spearheaded by the fourth generation. The no-frills place hasn't changed too much over the years either and the original burger still dominates the short menu. To make it, five different cuts of meat are ground daily and rolled by hand, then encased in white toast with cheese, tomato and onions.
Serving the Kansas City community since 1887, Browne’s Irish Marketplace holds the distinction of being the oldest Irish-owned business in North America. It was originally founded by Ed and Mary Flavin, both immigrants from County Kerry, Ireland, and has been in the same location since 1901. These days the shop is owned and run by the fourth generation of the Flavin family and has become renowned for its Celtic trinkets and imported Irish delicacies. But what really draws the crowds is its hefty takeaway sandwiches, filled with melt-in-the-mouth Irish corned beef, Irish Cheddar, and the shop’s signature egg salad.
Now discover the surprising origins of the world’s most famous fast foods
Last updated by Natasha Lovell-Smith.