Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I did notice that LI, NYC, NJ does not seem to have the wide selection of fast food joints that most of the country has.
I wouldent exactly call Taco Bell, Quiznos, Green Cactus, McDonald's, Wendy's, Nathan's, White Castle, Burger King, KFC, Popeye's, etc a small selection. In fact, we have enough fast food chains here on LI I could go to a different one for lunch and not have to visit the same chain more then once a month. Granted the further east on Long Island you go the less variety you have. Heck, past Southampton you have none at all since the East End towns (except for Riverhead and Southampton) have a ban on chain stores and restaurants.
I have traveled a bit and I have been to some places where McDonalds is the only fast food place for miles around. Heck, when I went skiing upstate in the Catskills I don't recall see any fast food places period. Logically maybe they had a few in Kingston and Oneonta but I don't recall seeing any.
I wouldent exactly call Taco Bell, Quiznos, Green Cactus, McDonald's, Wendy's, Nathan's, White Castle, Burger King, KFC, Popeye's, etc a small selection. In fact, we have enough fast food chains here on LI I could go to a different one for lunch and not have to visit the same chain more then once a month. Granted the further east on Long Island you go the less variety you have. Heck, past Southampton you have none at all since the East End towns (except for Riverhead and Southampton) have a ban on chain stores and restaurants.
I have traveled a bit and I have been to some places where McDonalds is the only fast food place for miles around. Heck, when I went skiing upstate in the Catskills I don't recall see any fast food places period. Logically maybe they had a few in Kingston and Oneonta but I don't recall seeing any.
What do all the above mentioned places have in common?
I wouldent exactly call Taco Bell, Quiznos, Green Cactus, McDonald's, Wendy's, Nathan's, White Castle, Burger King, KFC, Popeye's, etc a small selection. In fact, we have enough fast food chains here on LI I could go to a different one for lunch and not have to visit the same chain more then once a month. Granted the further east on Long Island you go the less variety you have. Heck, past Southampton you have none at all since the East End towns (except for Riverhead and Southampton) have a ban on chain stores and restaurants.
I have traveled a bit and I have been to some places where McDonalds is the only fast food place for miles around. Heck, when I went skiing upstate in the Catskills I don't recall see any fast food places period. Logically maybe they had a few in Kingston and Oneonta but I don't recall seeing any.
Not a bad selection by any means, but here in Palm Beach county, Florida we must have 3 times that amount. It's pretty great. (no insult AT ALL meant against anyone here - I'm born and raised Long Islander, too.!)
This is a great thread - loved the JIB in Port Jeff and the one in Deer Park.....Wetson's too! (I'm 52 so I have plenty of good memories there!)
Got my first job at age 16 in The Jack-in-the-Box in North Babylon, back in the mid-70's. There was one in West Babylon, too, that I worked at briefly. Never really took off on LI, except on Friday & Saturday nites, when no other place was open. JIB was the only 24/7 fast food place back then. I served Tiny Tim and his crew after he played at the bar next door.
Anyway, one reason that they never thrived on LI is that when they first arrived (from the west coast) they put mustard on their burgers and the Jack sauce (sounds naughty!) contained a strong mustard presence. LI has never been a mustard on your burger locale, and JIB initially refused to change (but did so later on), so it caught a bad initial reputation. Back then, the chain was also owned by Ralston-Purina (yep, the dog food company,) which didn't help the rep. The last straw was when the JIB chain was found to have used Kangaroo meat mixed in their burger patties.
mcdonalds puts a small amt. of mustard on their burgers always did I managed the burger king across the street from the one in west Babylon , met the manager and became friends. I remember my supervisor came in one time and commented on how slow they were, and I told him that the drive thru is where the business mostly came from.....they brought up a bunch of spys up from our Miami main office, and watched that store for a week or so, and...low and behold, burger started adding drive thru's to all their stores. as far as the kangaroo meat...I think that was an untrue rumer..and a lot of fast food outlets are owned by other companys...back in the 70's burger king was owned by Pillsbury, burger chef by general foods, pizza hut by pepsi, and some others that are owned by non-food companys. (most kept quiet......like mcdonalds owns boston marked, (I think the sold it to Heinz not to long ago)
LI needs JITB, Chick-Fil-A and Sonic so they could stop taunting me with their commercials.
There is one chain that'll be opening a few locations in the next few years here though: El Pollo Loco. If I'm Yum Brands (owners of Taco Bell and KFC), I'm crapping my pants.
sonic with no indoor seating won't last ...we had 4 in south jersey, gone within a year and a quarter !
I remember that exact Jack in the Box- 112 and Terryville road because I lived on Terryville Road. We went there in 1970 for my 5th birthday. My parents were probably horrified at my lack of taste but relieved that I was a cheap date.
Around 1976, one opened at the corner of Sunrise Hwy and New Highway in N. Lindenhurst, within walking distance from my grandparents' house. Well, it closed up within a year or so. I remember we tried their food and my grandfather calling it "s**t in the box". They may have closed due to competition but the food was lousy to boot. Funny, they are here in Austin, TX. I have not gone to one though!
I believe it was on Sunrise and straight path. I went there once in 1991 and it we called it crack in a box because all the drug dealers/users hung out there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
