Charlie's

336 Kedron Ave
Folsom, PA
$13 for 2 singles, 2 specials and 1 black-and-white shake

He Said:

There are some unbelievable dining experiences in this world that everyone should try at least once. Let's see, there's Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia, PA, El Bulli in Spain, Chez Panisse in Berkely, CA, and Noma in Copenhagen, just to name a few. And while these are, indeed, fine eating establishments, I think that it's high time that an oft-overlooked gem gets added to this list. That restaurant is, of course, Charlie's Hamburgers in Folsom, PA.

Ok, maybe Charlie's doesn't have the same snooty ambience as those other places, and maybe if you don't order quite right you might get yelled at, and maybe the buns are just a tad greasy, but when you take your first (and second and third and fourth) bite of that skinny little burger with super creamy cheese (I suspect that it's Velveeta) you just can't help but to let out a little moan. Mmmmmmm. That's some damn good eatin'!

Now, I do understand that it may be a little intimidating to order at first if you don't know the rules so I am here to help you out. Here's an example of a perfect order:

"Hi. I'll have two double cheese loaded, one special, two bags of chips and two black and whites for here." Then you go sit at the counter. Or the window bar. There are no tables.

See? Simple really. Just remember a few basic facts and you are good to go.

One: No fries. You will definitely get yelled at if you order fries. This ain't no Burger King!
Two: No bacon, lettuce, mushrooms, guacomole or anything else weird.
Three: Charlie's is not open on Tuesdays. Never has been, never will be.
And four: If you go, please pick up a few burgers for me. I am always in the mood for Charlie's!

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She Said:

Charlie's. Just the name makes me drool. No, I'm serious. I now have to go clean up my keyboard.

OK, sorry, that was a bit gross. But, oh my ever-lovin' goodness, these are the best hamburgers on the planet! We get to go once, maybe twice, a year. We're actually starting to try and calculate whether or not it's worth the drive just for the heck of it. I'm thinking it is.

These burgers are yum-inspiring. There is no speaking for me while eating one of these, unless it is to proclaim my disbelief at how good they are. I was introduced to Charlie's years ago when I lived closer than I do now. The ride was about 15 minutes and, looking back, I don't understand why I didn't get there more often. My kids loved it, I loved it - everyone loved it! Now it's about an hour away - I missed my opportunities!

While I'm still a little frightened when approaching the ordering counter, I hold my head up high and order two singles with everything (or maybe I should be saying "loaded" - I don't know) and a black-and-white milkshake (they're big enough to split with your loving husband and made with some of the best-tasting ice cream I've ever had).

Sidle up to the counter, order yourself some of this goodness, and enjoy the ride! It's a pleasure worth seeking again and again.

Maybe I'll see you there this afternoon!

Jimmy John's 'Pipin' Hot Sandwiches

1507 Wilmington Pike West Chester, PA
Total: $10 for 2 specials, 2 small fries and 2 black and white shakes; $4 for 2 junior dogs

He Said:

Mmmm...hot dogs. Who doesn't love hot dogs? I know that She and I do and that has set us on a life long quest to find the perfect wiener. The next contender was a place that I have seen about a thousand times in my life but never stopped in - Jimmy John's out in West Chester, PA. The place has been there since 1940 and it (charmingly) shows. Wooden booths that look like they have about 100 coats of paint on them, black and white photos of customers from years gone by and trains. Man, do they have a cool bunch of trains, many of which cost a quarter to see them run. Very fun.

Ahh, but what about the hot dogs, you ask? Well, I think that the life long quest continues as these were not the best I've ever tasted, but they certainly weren't bad. I knew that we were in my kind of place when we were served by a slightly surly girl who yelled out our order to the cooks in the back. We ended up getting two kinds of dogs, the "Special Frankfurter" which had a pretty substantial casing (which took a little getting used to - POP!) and the "skinless" hot dog, which surly girl called a "Junior". Both dogs were good (I liked the "Special" a little more than the "Skinless" and I think that She was the opposite) but the rolls were great. Very soft and fresh.

Worth the trip? I think so, but probably as much to just see the joint as to eat the dogs. Chooo-chooooo!

Heh. I love trains.
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She Said:

There are few things in this world that I like more than hot dogs. Any kind - steamed, grilled, fried - whatever. I love 'em. We took a trip to Jimmy John's 'Pipin' Hot Sandwiches today for lunch. I was really looking forward to their "Special Frankfurter," as reviewed at HollyEats.com.

Naturally, we were shy as we'd never been here before and it sure gave off the air of being one of those local places where everyone knows how to order since they've been eating here since 1940. But we muddled through and ordered two special frankfurters, two small fries and two small black-and-white shakes. Our order was ready in less than 3 minutes, I swear. We looked down at these squat, plump hot dogs in their interesting-looking bun and wondered what made them "special." There was nothing on them. Nothing. These were two naked dogs! We walked to the fixin's bar and fixed them. I opted for mustard and sauerkraut.

We sat down in a booth at the back of the place and took a bite. POP! Seriously - they popped. These hot dogs are in natural casings and I suppose I'm just not used to that. Every bite popped and it sort of unnerved me. The hot dogs were very tasty and my choice of mustard and sauerkraut was perfect but I couldn't really get past the popping skin.

We weren't completely full at the end of our meal so I headed back up to the counter to try something different. I ordered two skinless dogs - one with chili and cheese for Him and one with just cheese for me. These are their junior dogs. They are split down the middle and filled with whatever you ordered. Still served on these terrific rolls, they were quite a bit different than the Specials. It's all about the texture, baby! I added ketchup, mustard and fried onions to my dog and enjoyed it thoroughly. Everything was very soft and tasty.

The place itself is worth mentioning. It's full of trains - they're all over the place! And while the tiny children who were in there were initially quite annoying, it was something else to see them watching the trains and model airplanes in the cases (25 cents to set them in motion). The booths and tables are very 60s old-fashioned - lots of coats of paint on everything but I don't think they've been updated in a very long time. It's charming and there's something fun to look at no matter where you rest your eyes.

But was it worth the 45-minute drive? Nah. The food was good but I'll keep on looking for the hot dog to end all hot dogs.