DATELINE: Spokane, WA

Because I've been really busy I haven't been able to take much time to eat lunch or dinner. I've ordered a pizza to the room, had crappy Chinese yesterday, even had microwave popcorn one night when I couldn't leave the room. I was able to have a tasty burger & fries at Dicks Hamburgers. There's a local chain of Dicks burger stands in Seattle that I used to go to during high school and I thought this must be part of that chain. It turns out that the Spokane Dicks is a copy-cat that opened up in the 1960's, about 10 years after the Seattle version started.

I think the burgers at this Dicks is actually better than at the Seattle version. They both have little, inexpensive burgers ($0.89 for a cheeseburger) but these are a little thicker and they let you custom order the burgers (I asked for no pickles, 'natch). Both have good fries but the Seattle fries are better (remembering back 18 years to my last order of fries there). The tie breaker will be the chocolate shakes, a favorite of the Seattle Dicks. I wish there were drive-in burger places in Pittsburgh. We don't even have a Sonic (there is one here & I am going to have to get a cherry-limeade and tater totz).

As an aside, I don't think I'm sold on the mascot. There doesn't seem to be a natural connection between pandas and burgers (like there is with clowns and royalty), and from the expression on his face it looks like the burger magically appeared in his paw & he's not too excited about it.