Krystal vs. White Castle

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East of the Mississippi, fans of sliders — mini-hamburgers — may be partisans of White Castle, which predominates in the Midwest and East Coast, or of Krystal, which is popular in the South. Apparently only Kentucky and Tennessee have both chains.

I’m a White Castle admirer and always make a point to eat there once in the St. Louis area on visits home. (A photo of one is above.)

I’d heard of Krystal’s but had never seen one, having limited experience in the South. Then in New Orleans in 2008 I happened to pass by one on Bourbon Street near my hotel.

So I squeezed in a between-meal snack of one Krystal burger. (The 92-cent price for an itty bitty burger was a ripoff. Doesn’t McDonald’s offer double cheeseburgers for 99 cents?)

The two burgers are virtually the same, a couple of inches across, square, served on a dinner roll with a single pickle slice. A Krystal has mustard, while a White Castle has chopped onion and the patty has holes. Is it possible Krystals are grilled while White Castles are steamed?

Well, whatever. Any of you eastern U.S. expatriates want to expound on one chain versus the other?

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