Burger King Thursday Rundown

Spring is here! The weather is warm and the forecast for the weekend is nothing short of gorgeous. Let’s get going with tonight’s Thursday Rundown…

Burger King > McDonald’s – Would you believe that Burger King is now more affordable than McDonald’s? Last week we ate inside the Burger King restaurant on Sprague (which is in desperate need of a remodel) and got way more food for $20 than we would at McDonald’s. What’s not to like about $2.99 kid’s meals, options galore for adults, and free crowns?! Although Sloan and Beau are loyal to McDonald’s, we will try to shift that allegiance ever so slightly 😊

Sloan and Beau chilling at Burger King last week.

Mario Nostalgia – Who needs the Super Mario movie when you can watch a series based on the Super Mario 3 Nintendo game? If you have a Paramount+ subscription you can watch the show and instantly get a jolt of retro thunder. The show begins with elements directly from the video game including music and the Mario Land game map that shows the level you are on. It kept Beau occupied as well as his daddy.

The Super Mario 3 TV show is actually a thing!

A Fun Time of The Year to Reminisce – At this time each year, I fondly remember an epic road trip that I took with my dad. This week in April back in 2014 was when my dad helped me move across the country. We took a U-Haul from western Montana all the way to the very eastern end of the United States. It was an incredible experience and the towns of Spearfish, SD, Council Bluffs, IA, Paducah, KY, and Camden, SC, will also hold special places in our hearts (well, maybe not Council Bluffs) as those were the towns we spent the night in as we navigated across the United States. Tomorrow will mark the 9-year anniversary of when our U-Haul rolled into Myrtle Beach. By the way, here are my tips for taking a cross country road trip

My dad and I took a celebratory picture after turning in the U-Haul.

Waffle House – I think I have an early contender for my annual “Brent’s Top Songs of the Year.” Two thumbs way up for “Waffle House” by the Jonas Brothers. Not only do I really enjoy the unique 80’s vibe, but the Waffle House reference in the chorus brings back fond memories for me (🎵No, don’t get stressed, it’s goin’ get figured out, oh, deep conversation at the Waffle House🎵). When I lived in the South, I loved finding an excuse to eat at the Waffle House and I would say some pretty epic conversations went down over those meals. Out of all my dining experiences there, I still vividly remember Sidney and I pulling over at a Waffle House restaurant in a small South Carolina town as we neared the end of a long trip coming home from Baltimore. We were tired but so happy!

Shameless selfie photo of me eating at a Waffle House in 2014.

Navigation – I want to end tonight with a meme from Lindsi, my good friend and frequent idea contributor to this blog. It is funny, I look back on the MapQuest era as tough, let alone the period from just a couple decades ago when you used maps and asked for directions from convenient store workers to get where you wanted to go. Needless to say, it is hard to fathom that even those options used to not exist. We are all so spoiled with navigation on our phones and even with such a remarkable tool, I still manage to screw it up on a frequent basis. Props to our ancestors!

Our ancestors are the real MVPs!

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Thanks for joining me tonight. Without loyal readers like you, this blog wouldn’t be as fun. I hope you have a magical weekend and I will look forward to touching base next week. Don’t Blink.

This Is My Thursday Rundown for 5-11-17

Welcome back to Don’t Blink. Wherever you are, I hope you are getting some decent spring weather. Here we go with my latest Thursday Rundown…

Date Nights – Sidney and I spent part of a couple evenings this past week enjoying time together. On Saturday night we attended an Alice In Wonderland-themed Kentucky Derby party where we watched Always Dreaming gallop to victory. Then, last night, we attended a Coastal Carolina baseball game. The evening was absolutely gorgeous as we chomped down on ballpark food and relaxed in the friendly confines of Springs Brooks Stadium. Although the Chants ended up falling to the College of Charleston, 6-5, it was a pleasant experience. Thanks to Sidney’s family for watching over Sloan in both instances!

Sidney and I enjoyed our date nights at the Kentucky Derby party (left) and the Coastal Carolina baseball game (right).

So Much Energy – It was revealed yesterday that LSU’S head football coach, Ed Orgeron, drinks 8-10 energy drinks PER DAY. If I just drink ONE energy drink per day my head is spinning and my heart is pounding. To think about a 55-year-old man downing 10 Rock Stars in eight hours makes my body want to explode for him.

How can a person drink 10 energy drinks in a day?

New Great Value Ice Cream Flavors – Last summer, the world was stunned when the Walmart brand of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream was judged superior by Sidney over such powerhouses as Ben & Jerry’s and Blue Bunny. Empowered by the results of the blind taste test, I no longer felt embarrassed buying the Great Value brand. Last weekend, I noticed that more flavors are now available. Great Value has stepped up its game by offering more creative options such as an I Love Peanut Butter flavor and a Smores flavor. But what captured my taste buds was the Banana Puddin’ flavor. A banana flavored ice cream infused with a whipped cream ribbon and loads of vanilla wafer pieces, you might find yourself going back for another bowl. In my opinion, it is a perfect selection for the upcoming summer season. Next time you are at the ice cream aisle in Walmart, make sure to buy generic!

Banana Puddin’ ice cream by Great Value is something that both Sloan and I really like.

The Latest of Sloan – Each day, Sloan seems to get cuter. Likewise, each day I seem to grow as a dad. It is the perfect combination! Life is good and there is no greater joy than coming home at the end of the day and seeing my wife and daughter. Here is the latest photo collage of Sloan.

The latest photos of Sloan Anne Reser

Still Enjoying Southern Fast Food – Three years ago on this date, I ate at both a Waffle House and Bojangles for the first time…talk about a calorie binge! Both restaurants offered a tasty dining experience and 1,095 days later I still enjoy both places. However, I definitely eat at Bojangles more than Waffle House. There is a location right next to our house as I am quite fond of the Cajun filet biscuits for breakfast and the chicken rice bowls for lunch/dinner. A day later on May 12, 2014, after my arteries became unclogged, I blogged about the epic day of Southern fast food cuisine.

Three years ago on this date, I ate at Bojangles (left side of collage) and Waffle House (right side of collage) for the first time in my life.

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Thanks for reading. Enjoy your weekend and most of all make sure to have a very happy Mother’s Day. Don’t Blink.

Eating at Two Powerhouse Food Chains in the South

On my cross country drive to Myrtle Beach I started noticing something about the time I entered Missouri. Seemingly located every couple of miles of the remaining drive I saw a couple different restaurants over and over. One of these restaurants was Waffle House. I had never set foot in one before but knew of them because of pop culture and Bubba Watson. The second restaurant I kept seeing took me a while before I figured out what it was. Probably after passing the tenth one I saw I made out the name of Bojangles.

Well it took me almost two weeks in South Carolina to do so but yesterday I decided to eat at both of these southern staples. For lunch I dined at the Bojangles location right next to the campus of Coastal Carolina and then later that night I enjoyed dinner at a Waffle House a couple miles from my place. Besides gaining about ten pounds I also gained the experience of eating at these fine institutions. Also, since I ate by myself, I got to really take it all in and make some quality observations. Might as well stimulate my brain if I am killing my body, right?

The full name of the first restaurant I dined at is Bojangles Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits. As you can probably gather, they specialize in serving fried chicken and biscuits. The restaurant is set up like any typical McDonalds or Jack in the Box. You go in, order your food at the counter, receive a number, and then sit at a table or booth. You pour your own drink and help yourself to napkins/condiments.

A look at the outside of the Bojangles I visited and the view from inside where I sat.

A look at the outside of the Bojangles I visited and the view from inside where I sat.

I ordered the two piece chicken meal. In addition to the chicken I also got a home-style fixin’ (a side item), a biscuit, and a drink. For chicken I received a leg and a wing and I chose mashed potatoes for my home-style fixin’. My food came out less than two minutes after I ordered it. I got my tray and went to my table, looked at my phone one last time, and then started eating.

Me getting ready to chow down at Bojangles.

Me getting ready to chow down at Bojangles.

The chicken had a slight spicy taste to it which I liked. But after that taste dissipated I didn’t really find anything that made it better from KFC. The biscuit in my opinion was just okay, kind of a little dry. So that should say enough; the two items they pride themselves on, chicken and biscuits, both came out as subpar in my book. The mashed potatoes left no impression on me at all. Of course I still ate every bit of my meal. Afterwards I went to the bathroom for a long hand washing before going off to campus to watch softball.

My plate of food. While it looks really good it was average.

My plate of food. While it looks really good it was average.

I had a much more satisfying experience at Waffle House. Although I must say I didn’t go in with really high expectations. It seemed like everyone I talked to at work or the people I have met here gave the chain a less than flattering review. Words such as “sketchy” and “low quality” coupled with sarcastic laughter seemed to predominate. But I love waffles and I want the whole southern experience so I knew I would look past the warnings and give it a shot.

A look at the exterior of the Waffle House I visited and where I sat at the counter.

A look at the exterior of the Waffle House I visited and where I sat at the counter.

Waffle Houses aren’t big places. They are small diners with an open kitchen. You can sit at the counter right in the middle and watch them cook your food or you can sit at surrounding tables. Because I was by myself I sat at the counter. An employee came up to me and asked if I knew what I wanted. I had to tell him I needed to look at a menu because it was my first time ever in a Waffle House. The guy literally thought I was kidding!

Me enjoying my experience at Waffle House.

Me enjoying my experience at Waffle House.

I ordered a double order of hash browns with cheese on top AND a peanut butter waffle. To wash it down I got a tall glass of cold milk. The hash browns tasted great. As I ate I could sense how heavy the browns were. Each bite delivered a heavy dose of butter and grease. To give them an extra little kick I added some tobasco and chowed down. After I ate the hash browns I turned to my waffle. They did a nice job of completely covering it with little peanut butter chips. With the waffle still hot even though I ate the potatoes first I closed my eyes in bliss as I ate. Rich and tasty I ate it wondering how the place gets such bad reviews. Unlike at Bojangles where I didn’t find the signature items all that special I felt the waffles at Waffle House were the real deal. (Funny side story: My server cooked himself up the exact same order I put in because he thought it looked so good).

My meal was awesome! Look at those hash browns!

My meal was awesome! Look at those hash browns!

As Waffle House is open 24 hours and there are about 164,093 of them in this area I will surely eat there again. I will give Bojangles another shot too. But I got to use caution. The risk of gaining a lot of weight in my new home is very real. With me eating at these two places I have added another notch to my southern belt. I think the accent comes next. Don’t Blink.