Zante's Fast Food & Submarines (Hammond, IN)

3619 169th St, Hammond, IN 46323, T: 219-844-0222

Zante's is a greasy diner/family restaurant in Hammond, Indiana, just south of Chicago. It offers pretty much anything a non-licensed cook can prepare. It seems to claim Greek roots, but I'm not certain about that.

I had a Chicago dog, which comes with fries (at $3.29). The sausage was quite tiny, but I love the spicy peppers. The fries were pretty decent too. Who knows, their gyros might actually be good (will have to sample next time).


VERDICT: 80/100
Zante's offer decent food for very decent prices.

Char Burger (Cascade Locks, OR)

745 NW Wa-na-pa St, Cascade Locks, OR 97014, T: 541-374-8477

At exit 44 on the beautiful I-84 road along the Columbia Gorge River you find the tiny town of Cascade Locks, Oregon. It houses a big family restaurant/bakery/gift shop with a phenomenal view on the river. The style of the restaurant is western, in the spirit of Lewis & Clark. You walk up to the counter and choose from a wide variety of burgers and other classic American dishes.

I ordered a Western Burger, which comes with fries, and a medium soft drink for $10.55. The Western included a large but thin patty, two slices of crispy bacon, two fried onion rings, and a side of bbq sauce. The rest you could get at the well-stocked condiments bar.

While it did take quite a while before my food was ready, I enjoyed the beautiful views of the river and the remarkable clientele. The place is undoubtedly a popular touristic spot, but also draws a lot of locals: next to me sat three generations of inbreeding and at another table two 300+ pounders in hunt gear. Still, seeing everyone enjoy their food made me more and more hungry, so I was happy when the burger finally arrived. The Western Burger was very tasty; the fries were saggy though, while the mayo was sweet (Hellmann?).


VERDICT: 80/100

This was an excellent burger and with the condiments bar you will almost get what you want. The fries can be better, but that is more than compensated by the unique setting. A great stop on a beautiful road.