THE FAMILIAR A&W SIGN at the corner of M-22 and M-115 in the port city of Frankfort served as a beacon last week when it seemed to lure me in for a late lunch.
How fun this was going to be.
My rather spontaneous decision to pull into the parking lot brought back youthful memories from greater Detroit when I frequented many A&Ws. Back then, I was mostly pairing root beer with ponytails - thinking it was the perfect combo. It had been some forty years since my last visit and as I pulled into the driveway a thought came to me - perhaps McDonald’s has been in my routine for far too long?
I came inside the restaurant and ordered an Olive Burger and a vanilla shake and took in the rather comfortable surroundings. Within minutes I was taking my first bite. Slowly I worked away at the burger, bite by bite, savoring their version of such a classic. It was very good, but the clear winner for me was the 20 oz. vanilla shake that accompanied it.
Was it the real ice cream blended into a consistency that I hadn't experienced in years? Or, was it the clear frosty mug that held the frozen delight delivering a tasty sensation that moved it over the top? I wasn’t sure, but for five minutes I worked the straw that brought the cold and creamy shake to my mouth. It just doesn't get any better than this was my reaction to what was now clearly a darn good decision to stop at Frankfort’s A&W.
I will return in the middle of winter when I’m on the road again and shall try a root beer float. I’ll also ask the waitress how to work the jukebox and select a tune, perhaps one by Del Shannon.