📍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."