EATS: All American Drive-In (Massapequa, LI)

Sorry for the lack of posts this month, it's been really hectic and busy at work for me so I haven't had a chance to blog... but never too busy to scope out new places to eat! :) Anyway, Mr. Fox and I decided to head out to Massapequa, Long Island to visit All American Drive-In for some fast food. We heard about this place through the TV show, "Hamburger Paradise" on the Travel Channel and since it's so close to home, we planned the trip right away. Supposedly Jerry Seinfeld and the Baldwin Brothers are big fans of their burgers. This establishment has been around for years and is family owned. Everything on the menu is American fast food consisting of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, fries, onion rings and milkshakes. 

Check out the Menu. Everything is CHEAP. I think the most expensive item on the menu is the Butterfly Shrimp for $5.25! You can not beat that!

This was the line to place your orders. They have several windows so it's not bad as it looks. The cashiers take your order, hands you a receipt with a number and when the food is ready- a number is called out for pick up. It really goes by quick. I'd say less than 5 minutes for your bag of fast food goodness!

The hotdog area located on the side. 

They have a lot of employees which really helps with the quick turn around.

We decided to eat in the car since there really wasn't a place for us to sit and it was too cold outside. 

Thank God Mr. Fox brought a tray with him from home, it made eating so much easier! He ordered a Vanilla milk shake, 2 cheeseburgers, and large fries. I ordered a diet coke, a cheeseburger, small fries and small onion rings. Our 8 items for lunch cost us a total of $11.95!! Where can you eat for that price?! Not even McDonald's!

My meal! :)

The Cheeseburger.... *drool* Hmm, what does this cheeseburger look like? 

NOM! Well it sure looks like a McDonald's cheeseburger and it tasted exactly like it but without the guilt (for all of you that know about/seen the Pink Chicken McNuggets.. ack!). The hamburger bun was soft, the meat patty was the right size and well cooked, it had minced onions inside and 2 slices of pickles with a slice of melty american cheese. It was yummy! I liked the size because I am watching my food portion. Then if you prefer a bigger burger, you can opt for their quarter pounder.  

But the star of the show for me was the French Fries! Crunchy on the outside, salted and had a soft potato center.. just the way I like it! Not too oily either! LOVED it! Also, they cut their own potatoes because I got an odd shaped waffle-fry like piece in my bag. So good!

It was great experiencing a delicious meal at an old-school drive-in joint. You don't find a gem like this around anymore. This place is classic! It's definitely quality fast food at its finest without breaking your bank and without the guilt of eating super processed food because all the ingredients are fresh! 

All American Drive-In 
4286 Merrick Road
Massapequa, NY 11758
516.798.9574
www.allamericanhamburger.us


NOTE: Shout out to Joan, my 5th Floor buddy from my NT days! Saw her at Roosevelt Field Mall this weekend ;) 

EATS: Petey's Burgers in Astoria

Mr. Fox and I found this new burger spot called Petey's Burgers on 30th Avenue in Astoria this past Saturday. All I can say is, Five Guys- move over! I really enjoy traditional burger and fries and this is as good as it can get. I opted for the #5 Petey Melt Combo meal for $7.79... Got to love quality for a low cost!


Hand peeled shoe string fries cooked in 100% vegetable oil. It was perfectly salted and really crispy. It has the golden appeal and salty goodness similar to Mc Donalds fries and the crunchiness and flavor of Burger King fries. The serving is perfect- not too much, not too little and comes in an adorable little bag.


Now the main attraction, Petey's Melt! A toasted sour dough bun, two slices of American cheese, a hamburger beef patty, grilled onions and Petey's special sauce.


If a grilled cheese sandwich and a cheeseburger had a baby, this would be their little bundle of joy! The burger was so good. The grilled onions made it seem as if I were eating a Philly cheese steak. The meat was juicy, moist and very flavorful- reason being is because this fine establishment does not serve frozen patties. Everything is made fresh. The sour dough bun is great too because it was toasted (how I like my bread) and thin. I love the packaging too because it makes eating the burger easier and catches all the oozing melted cheese and grease. I guess the only thing I didn't like was its greasiness but thats expected for most hamburgers so I should stop complaining. :-X Nevertheless, I was satisfied at the end of my meal.

Mr. Fox ordered a vanilla milk shake which I tasted. It was creamy and frothy. I personally think it's ok. It was too liquified for my taste. For a $3.99, I could do without it. I prefer Bare Burger's milk shake instead for a dollar more.



Overall the experience was great. Our meals cost less than $20 and we both enjoyed our food. I also love their simple menu and ingredients and I'm glad that the sizing isn't absurd-- I really like that. I've also read that most food blogs have been comparing this to the world renowned In-N-Out Burger from the West Coast, maybe because the owner lived out west and maybe because of the restaurants' colors... But you should decide for yourself and be the judge of that! ;) Cheap eats and amazing food!


Petey's Burgers
30-17 30th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11102
718.267.6300
www.peteysburger.com

Hooray for Tony Luke's Cheesesteaks! :]

So @keefwasheretoo, @williamyan, @fmejia, @LauraO, my brother Lorenz and I headed to Philly for a day trip last Friday to jump off my 3 day Birthday Celebration! Of course, nothing is more traditional than to eat a Philly Cheesesteak when visiting illadelph! So instead of opting for the rival cheesesteak gurus- Pat's or Geno's, we went to Tony Lukes- home of the 5 lb Cheesesteak (as seen on the Travel Channel's Man VS. Food) and Big Daddy Luke- the 3 lb burger! We all know that we can't realistically eat that monstrous cheesesteak or burger and take on a food challenge (I'll leave that to Adam Richman!), so like normal people- we had the normal sized ones.

The menu! Let the feast begin...

Our appetizer- French Fries with Bacon and Ranch! I call this one "The Heart Attack", I mean it was really good but please keep in mind that this is to be shared by a group of people and can not be eaten alone. It was really heavy but the flavor combo was soo delish!

@keewasheretoo's meal: The Traditional Philly Cheeseteak with Sauteed Mushrooms, Swiss Cheese, Red and Green Peppers with a side of crunchy potato chips and a pickle!

@fmejia and @LauraO's meals: Philly Cheesesteak with White American Cheese and a side of crunch potato chips and a pickle.

@williamyan, my brother and I's meals: Philly Cheesesteak with Cheese Wiz and a side of crunchy potato chips and a pickle. Let me tell you, the sandwich was AMAZING! You can tell a lot by a restaurant's ingredients and they definitely use some good quality rib eye steak. It was cooked to perfection and the dripping grease is the evidence! It was really fulfilling to eat this sandwich after a long drive and I was another happy camper after leaving this joint. I'm going to confess- I couldn't finish it and only ate half but I saved the other half for my trip back home. And no, you will not find the sandwich in my fridge. I made sure I got rid of the evidence... HAHA :D

Ms. Mc Fatty!

So as per our lovely waitress Meghan, there's two locations: the Tony Luke's Beef and Beer Sports Bar and Tony Luke's Pronto which are right across each other. We went to the Sports Bar because it was too rainy and cold to eat outside. The quality of the food is the same except the bar has sesame seeds on their sandwich bread. All the press and events happen in the Pronto location though because the space is just bigger. The restaurant has a great ambience. Flat screen tv's are all over the joint so you can always enjoy your cheesesteak while watching the game. The food servings are pretty large and I guarantee that you will leave satisfied! So head on over to Tony Luke's if you're visiting Philly!

The Big Daddy Luke 3 lb Burger Wall!


TONY LUKE'S
26 or 39 E. Oregon Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19148
215.551.5725
www.tonylukes.com
or follow @tonylukespronto on twitter!