If you care enough about cheap, greasy food to read this blog, you know that all franchise restaurants are not created equal. When I was a senior at Ohio State, I lived in Westerville and worked an internship in Hilliard, and was thus a regular customer at three Burger King restaurants: North Campus, Sunbury Road, and Mill Run. There was such a vast difference in quality among these three stores that I wondered how they could be part of the same chain.
Mill Run could always be relied upon to provide good service and tasty food. Sunbury Road was lousy, but it was so convenient to my home that I kept trying it in hopes that it would improve. North Campus was hit-and-miss. Eventually I stopped visiting North Campus and Sunbury Road entirely. The quality of the food at Mill Run was so much better that, if I had a craving for a Whopper (insert off-color joke here), I'd wait for my next scheduled work day in Hilliard rather than pay for a substandard meal.
Today I had to run from Dublin to West Broad for some parts to repair my clothes dryer. Returning on 270, with an empty belly and pressed for time, I remembered that my old favorite BK was just half a mile from the Hilliard-Cemetery exit. Could Mill Run still deliver the goods after all these years?
The full parking lot was certainly encouraging. I grabbed the last available space, my little American econosedan lost in a sea of full-size pickups and white cargo vans. For some reason, BK seems to attract a blue-collar clientele, while Wendy's appeals more to the Office Space crowd. I waited in line behind two guys in Dickies gear debating the merits of the Dodge truck with the Cummins turbodiesel engine versus the Ford with the Powerstroke. If I needed a vehicle that could tow 20,000 lbs - which I don't - I'd go for the Chevy with the Duramax. (After all, this is ouuuuuuuur count-reeeee.) Given that both men used good English and had complete sets of teeth, I could probably have voiced my support for the Chevy without being punched in the face - but why take the chance?
The counter girl spoke just enough English to take my order properly and make the correct change. What more can you ask, really? I ordered a Whopper combo with cheese and headed for the soda station - a dual soda station, actually, which is a nice touch. Nobody likes to stand there holding a full tray of food, waiting for some soccer mom to fill up four kid-sized cups of Hi-C. The decor is definitely old-school BK - hard-formed fiberglass booths with tables supported by a single center post cemented in place. The place was clean, though, and after all, we're talking about Burger King, not Cameron's Steakhouse. Time to sit down and eat.
Now any ol' BK can provide hot flame-broiled patties; what makes or breaks a Whopper is the quality of the toppings and freshness of the bun. The lettuce was crisp, the tomatoes ripe, the onions flavorful without being bitter, the bun was soft and warm, and ketchup and mayo were distributed nicely. On the whole, a fine example of BK's signature sandwich.
The fries were hot and fresh, though they had a slightly fishy taste. Maybe Mill Run uses the same vat to fry the Big Fish filets that they use for french fries? Maybe they're trying out some new trans-fat-free oil? Whatever the reason, if you like the Big Fish sandwich, you'll like the fries, and if you don't, you won't.
Fifteen minutes later, I was back in the car and on my way. The good old Burger King at Mill Run gave me exactly what I needed: a hot, tasty meal, served quickly, for less than $5. No wonder it seems to be the favorite of Hilliard's contractors and construction workers. God bless the things in this world that don't change.
As for the Sunbury Road BK? Apparently I wasn't the only one who swore off eating there. It was torn down a few years ago and replaced by a fairly good Arby's.
Mill Run could always be relied upon to provide good service and tasty food. Sunbury Road was lousy, but it was so convenient to my home that I kept trying it in hopes that it would improve. North Campus was hit-and-miss. Eventually I stopped visiting North Campus and Sunbury Road entirely. The quality of the food at Mill Run was so much better that, if I had a craving for a Whopper (insert off-color joke here), I'd wait for my next scheduled work day in Hilliard rather than pay for a substandard meal.
Today I had to run from Dublin to West Broad for some parts to repair my clothes dryer. Returning on 270, with an empty belly and pressed for time, I remembered that my old favorite BK was just half a mile from the Hilliard-Cemetery exit. Could Mill Run still deliver the goods after all these years?
The full parking lot was certainly encouraging. I grabbed the last available space, my little American econosedan lost in a sea of full-size pickups and white cargo vans. For some reason, BK seems to attract a blue-collar clientele, while Wendy's appeals more to the Office Space crowd. I waited in line behind two guys in Dickies gear debating the merits of the Dodge truck with the Cummins turbodiesel engine versus the Ford with the Powerstroke. If I needed a vehicle that could tow 20,000 lbs - which I don't - I'd go for the Chevy with the Duramax. (After all, this is ouuuuuuuur count-reeeee.) Given that both men used good English and had complete sets of teeth, I could probably have voiced my support for the Chevy without being punched in the face - but why take the chance?
The counter girl spoke just enough English to take my order properly and make the correct change. What more can you ask, really? I ordered a Whopper combo with cheese and headed for the soda station - a dual soda station, actually, which is a nice touch. Nobody likes to stand there holding a full tray of food, waiting for some soccer mom to fill up four kid-sized cups of Hi-C. The decor is definitely old-school BK - hard-formed fiberglass booths with tables supported by a single center post cemented in place. The place was clean, though, and after all, we're talking about Burger King, not Cameron's Steakhouse. Time to sit down and eat.
Now any ol' BK can provide hot flame-broiled patties; what makes or breaks a Whopper is the quality of the toppings and freshness of the bun. The lettuce was crisp, the tomatoes ripe, the onions flavorful without being bitter, the bun was soft and warm, and ketchup and mayo were distributed nicely. On the whole, a fine example of BK's signature sandwich.
The fries were hot and fresh, though they had a slightly fishy taste. Maybe Mill Run uses the same vat to fry the Big Fish filets that they use for french fries? Maybe they're trying out some new trans-fat-free oil? Whatever the reason, if you like the Big Fish sandwich, you'll like the fries, and if you don't, you won't.
Fifteen minutes later, I was back in the car and on my way. The good old Burger King at Mill Run gave me exactly what I needed: a hot, tasty meal, served quickly, for less than $5. No wonder it seems to be the favorite of Hilliard's contractors and construction workers. God bless the things in this world that don't change.
As for the Sunbury Road BK? Apparently I wasn't the only one who swore off eating there. It was torn down a few years ago and replaced by a fairly good Arby's.
1 comment:
My last BK experience featured a great burger and fishy fries. I can't remember if it was Mill Run or Perimeter. I seem to remember BK fishy fries another time too, though again not sure where. Need to keep a razor-sharp eye on this issue!
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