Words can’t describe how much I miss going to fuddruckers as a kid, smelling the fresh buns when you walked in, playing the arcade games with friends, saving room for dessert and getting one of the brownies. Those times were the best.
Im a fan, we have one 3 miles away from my apartment. It’s always been a good experience there and honestly I had no idea they were in trouble. I think another thing that this video didn’t mention is Five Guys. they are a huge competitor and it’s likely many people pick FG over Fuddruckers just due to familiarity.
@@Ferrichrome this is understandable. I've always had a good experience whenever I've stepped into a Fuddruckers, but I've DEFINITELY been to Five Guys more. And I hope Nick Perkins turns the former around-we almost shared an alma mater. I'm rooting for him
I had to sit down and think about it, been years since I been in one, but yeah, can't say they were ever a bad burger. Greatest in the World? A stretch, but still, a solid burger and can't ever recall being disappointed. I certainly don't want to see them go away.
Anyone saying the Fuddruckers is a good burger place either 1, has an INSANELY good running Fuddruckers near them or 2, doesnt know shit about burgers. I lean more towards for latter. Fuddruckers isnt a bad burger, but places like In-N-Out, The Habit, Shake Shack, Five Guys and Whataburger blow them out of the water. There are just too many better options for burgers these days.
One near me closed and I was devastated. I don't understand how a brand with as good of a product as they have, can be so mismanaged as to be in this condition.
In a world of ever increasing inflation and shrinking middle class, it's tough to run a concept that is billed as a premium product with a price to match. If you do go in for such an option you have to realize you are going to be marketing to a more upscale niche clientele and make the appropriate choices. They didn't. In stead of trying to convince the ppl who could afford their burgers regularly to come often and provide an upscale experience: they tried to convince average Joe he could afford it and to bring the kids! The problem is average Joe can't afford to do that but once every three months. The market they should have been aiming for was the same folks that shop at whole foods. They also franchised near shopping malls etc, instead of upscale areas where you might find a whole foods, or cheesecake factory. overall, just very bad realization of concept. Imagine if Fudruckers had marketed themselves in a similar was as apple computers inc did. IBM is for broke boring ppl, you are upscale and cool , you need an Apple.
@@sdgc8667 What does anything I said have to do with current events or politics? I was speaking of what happened in the past. "...of EVER increasing inflation and shrinking middle class..." . That's been a thing since the turn of the century, not just today. It's a consequence of our shift off the silver standard in 1889 and into to fiat banking with the emergency acts of 1933. The last biggest hit which facilitated the trouble with Fuddruckers was the recession of 2008. Now don't you feel sheepish for trying to insert current modern politics into the conversation? Seems you are the one who has it on the mind.
The higher grade stuff started really drying off during the 2010s. Arby's lacked a value menu, and was getting hammers during this era too. I saw tons of Arby's locations close up near me. You needed to operate low to the ground to survive and anything that doesn't follow this thought process took major losses.
@@Lastjustice Yeah after the 2008 recession really started to hit, if you didn't have extremely good value (dollar menu etc) it was rough to have a huge amount of locations all over. If you wanted to go higher end you needed to run lean and trim your locations back to just the golf course areas.
The Fuddruckers in Fargo, North Dakota, had a mini golf/putt putt course attached to it called Fudd Putters and it was pretty much the best thing ever as a kid.
There’s still one at the location in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan called putt n bounce, with batting cages, and an arcade called ruckers. It’s also located near a car wash called golf’s. I think it’s the lone one in Canada and am surprised this guy doesn’t mention it. Maybe it’s because it’s owner is separate from these other companies which is the namesake of golf’s carwash. Probably not too bad of a drive from ND! Edit: I guess there is one in Regina which is closer lol
No fair! I’m jealous. The one that I went to growing up had to downsize after the recession in 2008. I’m kinda glad they got rid of the playground tho bc it got pretty nasty.
There was a single Fuddruckers near me growing up. Me and my Dad used to go there every time we passed it because we loved it so much. After his battle with cancer and his passing I used to go there alone because of all the amazing memories and of course the god tier burgers and fries. The day it shut down was quite sad, felt like a part of my childhood and time with my Dad was being destroyed. This place was incredibly underrated.
I have a very similar viewpoint with Luby's. I was raised mostly by my grandparents and we went there constantly. I still go with friends and other family, to remind me of them. The sad part is you can see just how dead the company is by eating there, and I love both of them, Fuddruckers and Luby's.
@Logan McGlynn I do appreciate the sentiment, given that most RUclips comment sections are just filled with hate and vitriol. So it might just be a random person saying it but it still means a lot to hear, as much as I'm not looking for sympathy and just sharing my story of why this specific resteraunt holds a special place in my heart.
Fuddruckers made awesome burgers. Their steak fries with cheese sauce and ketchup were next to Godliness. The buns were fluffy yet durable for the weight of a 1 lb slab of beef. Seeing Fuddruckers close stores in North Austin felt like an end of an era 😭
locally for me they started going downhill when their burgers seemingly shrank half their size and prices increased. but yeah they were great at their peak.
What’s weird is that I never knew fuddruckers was a real restaurant. I always thought that it was a fictional restaurant that only appeared in the film idiocracy. But it was good to know that they were real and that lot of people actually liked it.
There are one or two restaurants in northern Texas. I've eaten there a few times. The burgers are fantastic. The one I've been to is on State Highway 121 in Frisco, TX.
I miss this place. I don’t care what anybody says, they literally had the world, best burgers. There’s nothing like fresh beef, ground right there, the freshly baked buns, right there on the premises, and all of the major fresh ingredients. You just couldn’t beat it. So sad they went away.😢
I worked at a Fuddruckers for about 6 months and I was impressed with the freshness of everything. They always put a premium on quality. Today it is still my preferred place to go for a hamburger
I worked there for summers during college and I loved it because I usually got day shift lol. The food was fresh and the buns/bread was all made from scratch and food was freshly prepped daily. I loved making my own burgers working there lol they were so good
@@zoultronzoultron9723 I honestly don't recommend it now, back in it's heyday you'd be a fool to not eat there but nowadays, I'd avoid like the plague.
I used to work on the marketing for both Lubys and Fuddruckers. Both franchises always seemed so tenuous like they were going to go out of business tomorrow. They were fun to work with and I think both brands were solid at what they did but some concepts can’t last forever.
My parents and I would go to Fuddruckers every other Friday night when I was growing up in the mid 90's- early 00's. I'll never forget the time my dad asked for "the biggest burger you have cause I'm REAL HUNGRY" and they took about twice as long to get our food ready. When they called his name and we went to the counter to grab it, they'd only charged him for a 1/3 pound but that thing was literally as big as a pizza. I'm not kidding, he had to slice it up like a pizza and everyone working behind the counter was losing it laughing at their prank. Other diners were so confused and coming by our table to see it. Super wholesome and I think it took him a couple days to get through the whole thing! 😂
I loved their layout. they give you the bun and burger, and you get to select the veggies to place on it. And the dipping dispenser for the sauces instead of packets was great.
@@35mm21 Brag. Yeah, that's it kiddo. I see you're well on your way on getting that GED in Professional Victimhood. Grow a pair and make something of your spare time instead of commenting nonsense.
As someone who has lived in San Antonio all his life, Luby's is a sad restaurant, with both a very old clientele and employees. They partners with HEB (how have you not made a video about them yet??) to sell some of their more popular items as frozen foods, most notably their almond encrusted fish, but at a high price it was basically DOA. Really interesting case study about the death of a restaurant due to the failure to modernize.
Luby’s has all the charm of an old folks’ home. And the same feeling of impending death. When the one in our town was replaced by a Torchy’s Tacos, I think the whole town was grateful.
I think everyone here is proving my point; the only people who still actively eat at Luby's are people who grew up with it, the aging clientele that will eventually disappear...
Of all the restuarants that have closed, Fuddruckers was the only one that I miss like crazy. Best burger ever. We would take my son's soccer team there after games. Smell of fresh baked buns and the big window where you could see the patties being hand formed, the area where you could buy a baked good and the fresh toppings area with the melted cheese. Nothing but good memories.
Fuddruckers is good. It’s one out not too far from my house and I love going in and being able to enjoy a sit down meal whenever I’m not getting it to go. 😋
I truly miss those days, it was a go to for all my family's birthday parties, the pathetic quality of the "food" and service now at the 2 or 3 locations here in Houston is so bad it'll make you cry 😢
I had been going to Fuddruckers since the early 80's. I loved everything about that place. From the burgers with their fixings bar and fantastic seasoned fries to the bakery. Please make a comeback, we miss you.
My local Fuddruckers originally had a glass window, displaying an entire side of beef hanging in a meat locker. We would watch butchers carve out pieces of the beef and freshly hand-grind them, then hand forming each one pound burger patty in 1982. The buns were baked in-house. The produce looked like they came straight from the harvesting farm. It was delicious and amazing I got to experience this process from start to finish. Even though In N Out and Wendy's kinda comes close - I still have never seen such scratch made freshness since.
How can you categorize In N Out with Wendys?🤯 J/k it's your opinion. Just when I (rarely) find myself eating Wendy's I'm just getting a starchy bun with condiments dumped into it with a slouchy piece of lettuce. The beef just tastes... "off." I WILL vouch for those homestyle fries though.
@@mr.voidout4739 Not sure if it helps, but I have taken to ordering Wendys hamburgers through the website or app, and having them hold the mayo, and sometime all the condiments. It seems like less is more where the flavors of the meat and bun pop more if they aren't drowned in sauce. Whether those are good flavors for you is a question I cannot answer.
One of my favorite childhood memories was going to Disney World and then hitting Fuddruckers on the way home and getting a side of chili cheese fries. This weekend my wife and I went to Sea World and I was like “Let’s go to Fuddruckers!” only to quickly discover that they had closed last year. 😭
CORRECTION: no business closed due to the plannedemic; they closed due to lockdowns which is nothing but a political artifice. The plannedemic was only the pretext used to implement lockdowns.
Same happened to the one near me. It got replaced by a Smack Shack. I enjoyed eating at Fuddruckers when I did go there, but admittedly did not eat there much. I’ll miss their great burgers and their toppings that you could pick to add to your burger and their cheese sauce which I enjoyed with their french fries.
I miss Fuddruckers! Always looking for a good large hamburger that I can enjoy without the bun. I am on Keto. Not everyone has a burger that can stand alone!
I’m not sure if it was exclusive to my local location but for the kids meals they used to give cookie ticket vouchers which was a fun way to offer a simple dessert
I remember those being underneath the basket as kind of a hidden treat. I grew up poor so I was under 12 until I was like 15 for the free hotdog meal for kids.
I remember going to fuddruckers as a kid, I loved nearly every bit of it I remember the area being relatively opening enough and somehow memorizing a tae kwon doe form within the restaurant, I remember winning something from one of those claw machines and giving it to my mom as a “birthday present” and I remember the specific aura of the restaurant and taste of the food When my local one shut down, I was devasted. It really sucks to see this once-amazing place be pushed into the ground fast 😔
I love reading the comments about everybody's memories💖 I have so many memories of going to Fuddruckers with my family, particularly my dad and grandma. My dad is a huge rock music junkie so it was the perfect place to sit down and teach me everything about rock and roll. The cheese dip with the wedge fries, the baked goods before we left. The arcade. Everything. Reading all these similar experiences is so heart warming but so sad because I miss it so much. I miss the concept, the atmosphere, and the memories. I hope the new owner brings life back into it with the same old traditions.
I grew up on that, I'm now nearly 40. I used to ask for an extra sheet of paper and make a makeshift salad. Was a fun night out with mom after my art class
We still have one near me and I really like their burgers. I always liked Five Guys but Fuddruckers is pretty dang good too. I also love the cafeteria concept because it lets me get exactly what I want
Oh man… I hope this man can revive the brand. I live in Illinois and I discovered Fuddruckers some time in the 2010s. Turns out it was only a few miles from my home, just a quick trip down the expressway. My best friend and I would treat ourselves to it every now and then, kinda became a staple spot to eat at from time to time. Then the pandemic hit and obviously I paid it no attention in recent years. My best friend passed away in 2020 so he never reminded me to see how the place was doing. Now I just bought a house literally right down the street from the place and the building is still there, it still looks like it could be a functioning building and the sign outside the building is only half lit at night, but there are never any cars in the parking lot. It’s clear that this location has closed down, and it’s a shame because it used to be my best friends and I’s special treat on occasion. Our favorite part was the toppings bar, so many things you could top a burger with, even nacho cheese! I miss it…
I hate to have to say it but the guy's a freakin' Idiot, running the business straight into the ground. The quality of their "food" and service is inexcusable especially knowing what it was before !!! Unless it's sold and bought up by someone with experience and care it is absolutely done for...
When I was little, my mother helped manage a hockey team for a Catholic high school (neither I nor any of my immediate family is Catholic, just the school) and she's told me that Fuddruckers was a popular meal spot for the team after games and/or practices. I live in Michigan and there was one about a half-hour's drive from my house, but I never went there. Strangely enough, however, I did go there a few times when I went to visit family in San Antonio at age nine.
Its sad that Fudd's has struggled so much, it is a really good restaurant and has long been a favorite. But as you pointed out, when money is tight, you are more likely to go grab a burger for cheap, than go get a higher quality one, which is I think the reality, even though they really do have one of, if not, the best burgers in the world.
@@finalcam1740 can’t post links here but google things like agricultural subsidies and true cost of hamburger. You should find a lot of information and be able to decide for yourself if it’s good or bad
Im from Mexico and used to go to San Antonio a lot for holidays when I was a kid. Fuddruckers was always a must when we went cause there was one spot so close to my house. I went last week with my own family and told my kid to get hungry cause at the evening we were going to the best burgers in the world. I was devestaed when I saw the "permanently closed" google tag when wanting to go to the restaurant. I felt like I was goimg to cry. Its one of the few things I eagerly waited to share with my kid from my youth. I really hope they bounce back.
Gooood before I moved up north I used to visit that one in San Antonio too. Brings back memories, the last time I went was probably 2017? Yeah unfortunate that it closed
I really miss Fuddruckers. Great burgers made with fresh ground beef and fresh baked buns. I used to stop in and buy a half dozen buns because they were cheaper than the grocery store and were far better. One was always eaten on the trip home... Hard to pass up fresh baked bread. RedRobin is nowhere near the quality that Fuddruckers is. Also went to Flakey Jakes when I lived in Hawaii and IMO they had a better menu variety.
@@charlottestreet3301 Yup. The bakery side where the ice cream and the bread baking and other stuff like the rice crispie treats were made you could buy both size buns and they would also occasionally have fresh baked loaves of bread. In the early days you could also buy fresh ground pattys and their own hotdogs and they even had fresh steaks you could buy as well but that was a long time ago. Often you would get the buns right out of the oven and you bought an extra or two to eat on the drive home. Fresh hot bread in the car there is no way to avoid eating some.
The Fuddruckers near me closed down and I’ve never been so devastated. Whenever me and my siblings go to Vegas there’s one casino that has the restaurant and take advantage for the burgers
Growing up, I really took Fuddruckers for granted. I enjoyed it, but I wasn't crazy about any burgers. In my 20s I really started enjoying gourmet hamburgers, and overall looked down on Fuddruckers with its kitschy rock and roll decor and pandering to families. They also didn't have many of the wildly creative burgers I enjoyed finding at other restaurants and food trucks. Then one day, I went again with my cousin and her young family. I re-discovered that Fuddrucker's patty and bun were truly fresher than a way more expensive burger! Sure the creativity and out of the box ingredients weren't present, but the core of a wonderful burger was represented marvelously! Add the toppings bar to that, and you have a gourmet burger experience for at least $5 less. That fresh ground beef and fresh baked bun really make a difference! Sadly, the pandemic closed the location closest to me and my Fuddruckers Renaissance ended prematurely.
Exactly my experience. My dad loved the place and as a kid I didn’t get it. Now as an adult who has gotten more into burgers and coincidentally living near what feels like one of the last ones that exist, I truly appreciate the quality of the ingredients, especially the meat and buns. Their cookies and shakes are great too. It’s well worth the higher price vs traditional fast food. The value and quality truly are there even in these down times.
Fuddruckers has historically been my absolute favorite restaurant. They truly did have the best burgers in the entire state, by far, and their cafetera bars were unique and the best anywhere. Everytime I have a birthday, I choose would usually choose to spend it at fuddruckers. They atmosphere, decorations, and booths they provide are also without compare in how awesome they were. But I haven't gone since the pandemic, since they had to shut down all their cafeteria stuff, including the salad bar and the toppings bar. The pandemic destroyed them. I hear they were able to reopen all that once the measures were over, but the change in ownership concerns me now. I hope they remain as good as they used to be.
I used to love going to Fuddruckers when I lived in Florida. I have fond memories of the burgers there. I hope they can rebound. The fact that the burgers were fresh and ground on the premises was always a big plus. And the toppings bar always seemed like a smart idea.
You ain’t kidding, I miss Fuddruckers like no other place on earth. I used to go to Fuddruckers all the time as a kid. Absolutely love, love, loved it.
By far one of my favorite burger places. Especially love being able to put your own toppings on them. That concept basically deals with the picky people who only like certain things on their burgers. THey dont' have to sit at the counter telling the cashier what they do and don't want on it. Would love to see them turn around and come out stronger than ever.
I live close to Round Rock and used to love going to that location. They got shut down, and there are now only two left in the Austin area, and they close pretty early which I honestly can't fathom cuz they were such a great dinner spot.
I went to one in Omaha once. First time I was ever there. I thought it was BRILLIANT. Before, it was next to impossible to find a bacon mushroom burger near me. They'd do bacon cheese, they'd do mushroom swiss, but putting bacon with mushroom was impossible to find.
Sad that they departed Minnesota; I remember going there on my lunch break in the early 00's and later taking my family there as the kids loved to pick out their own toppings plus play the arcade machines.
My family lived near one of the earliest Fuddrucker's locations and this was one of our favorite chain burger places for many years. We noticed a large decline in quality in the King Cannon era and our patronage declined about that time. We pretty much stopped going there after 2 or 3 visits after Luby's took over. The quality of the environment of the restaurant suffered a little under Cannon, and the quality of the food declined tremendously under Luby's. I'd love to see the brand make a come back. But only if it meant the quality of the food itself returned to its pre-Luby's era.
Much as I'd like Fuddruckers to make a comeback, I think it's fair to say that Five Guys took over their position as the "upscale burger" place quite a while ago. The only way they're going to claw any of that territory back is to really undercut Five Guys on price, and that usually doesn't end well for specialty restaurants.
Five Guys is disgusting. Easily the worst burgers I've ever had (not counting McDonald's or BK) I dont get the hype. They're mediocre and overpriced. I walked out spending close to $20 maybe a $22 on a burger fries and a large drink. Fuckin ripoff
@@hulkfan97 Just like every other chain restaurant over the last decade or so, their quality kinda went down as the cost of ingredients went up. And as I mentioned, being a specialty place that only really does one thing, they're never going to get the volumes of traffic that McD's or BK gets so that just makes the price creep even worse. Honestly i feel like Five Guys is starting to fall into its "Oops, we overexpanded during the good times" phase. They might end up in the same positions as Fuddrucker's before the decade is out.
Surprised to see you haven't done a video on TGI Fridays yet given all of the attention to restaurants and casual dining. They were SOOOO popular back in the day and they just up and disappeared from a lot of markets. Would love to hear more about what happened to them.
that place shoulda been called HSIOW....HOLY SHIT IT'S ONLY WEDNESDAY cus then people would order a whole lot more if they thought it was Wednesday everyday....eh it's a George Carlin joke....lol
I bartended for fridays for years. We were always rockin, then a new owner came in and they started putting locations just a few miles away from each other in Dallas and hiring managers that had little to no experience and could always be counted on to totally disappear. And endless apps were just a nightmare for FOH and the kitchen.
Man I've always loved Fuddruckers and Lubys as a kid growing up in Houston. Your video summarizes their decline that I saw growing up so well. The deli shop and the free balloons and free desert were the best. Also probably in 2012 they opened a fudds/lubys where I lived and both sides were sub par compared to a dedicated restaurant.
The Fuddruckers 5 mins away from where I lived in MD held so many memories for me. I can't count how many times my elementary and middle school had fundraisers there. I'll never forget the smell of the buns, the arcade games, the cool decor everywhere and just how good those burgers were. Big part of my childhood!
Was it the Fuddruckers near the Annapolis Mall? That’s the Fuddruckers that I loved going to, growing up in Maryland. It was almost an hour away from where I lived, so it was always a treat when we made that drive to the mall.
@@bravowhiskeysierra6944 That was the one I grew up with. Closed a few years ago and the building has been recently demolished. They made an incredible burger!
Last time I went to one was about a year ago and they were promoting a fish dinner that looked really good on the ad at the door. I ordered one and got a burned fried fish dinner that was horrible to eat. That was my last visit. They closed about a month later. Several locations are shuttered here in Houston. I hate returning food at restaurants as you never know who might get mad about it and sabotage it.
I sincerely wish the very best for the new owner, and I hope he is able to energize and revive Fuddruckers. I have a lot of warm memories of the place with my second husband!
every time it's 2am and i decide to do my own deep dive on a random topic or company from my childhood you make a video about it a few days later. I'm convinced you're in my brain
I can't be sure, but i've heard that wrapping a sheet of Aluminum foil around your head, and forming it into a hat shape, helps with kind of neurological intrusion.
Used to have a couple of them in my city, long gone now. I can’t vouch for “world’s best” but they are my all-time favorite. Super fresh and I loved being able to choose the toppings exactly how I wanted.
I have been to Fuddruckers a few times it is truly an entire experience I have with them, and honestly seeing them struggle is sad to see. especially since they had opened a restaurant near me, I might go next weekend after my finals and finally get my driver's license to support them for it.
i always loved them tbh. great burgers, fresh condiments, really good milkshakes, nice environment. still have 2 near me, haven’t been since covid but they’re still open it seems
We lost our location after COVID. Before that, I would go on the discount burger night, which was a fry drink and burger for under $10. The secret to the burger was to not order cheese, and then they had free hot cheese near the fresh veggies. One was regular, like ball park nacho cheese, and one was jalapeno with a bit of heat. If you bought cheese you were a rookie.
I used to have a local Fuddruckers. I went there a lot as a kid and always had a great time. Didn't go there as much as I got older and they eventually shut down. Happy to see that "decline in food quality" wasn't a topic in this video. Looks like just a lot of poor business decisions behind the scenes that are killing the company. Hopefully they can make a comeback.
Pretty much the same here. I remember I'd go with my dad a few times as a kid and enjoyed the atmosphere. I don't remember the games but I do remember the rock and roll theme and thought the ambiance was nice. Closed down I don't even know when so I can't say how good the food is. If they really are that good it would be nice if they could rise from the ashes again.
Can definitely confirm as a former Fudds employee who is still friends with the GM of the store I worked at when I was a teen, they really never abandoned food quality. All the same hallmarks of fresh baked buns and freshly ground meat are there. Sounds like bizarre corporate leadership decisions were making Fudds fail despite itself.
My mom used to be a manager of a Fuddruckers while I was in middle school, so I have fond memories of the chain. The only one left in my area, the one she managed as it turns out, still kept up the same level of quality and customer base being inside a major department and furniture store, but the other few shut down in the 2010’s for some of the reasons highlighted here. I don’t know what the future holds for them, but I hope they’ll stick around for a while longer.
Fuddrucker's was a place I'd go to time-to-time in the early/mid 90s as a mid 20 something. I am not sure how many locations there were in my city (I'm almost positive there was more than one, but I was only familiar with one of them) and I also can't quite recall when they folded up---it couldn't have been any later than the company bankruptcy in 2010. Without a doubt, the burgers were at least on par with any burger you'd get in a casual dining restaurant of the day, and miles beyond anything you'd get in a fast food joint. Random comment: When I was a kid, I had a weirdly incorrect idea about cafeteria style restaurants like Luby's (or Morrison's, or Piccadilly, etc). They always seemed to me to be a strange artifact of the first half of the 20th century, like automats or something. Mostly, I think, because 99% of the people I saw eating there were people 70 years old and up---I assumed this was because they liked the style of food or service---even though I thought it was strange for adults to voluntarily eat what appeared to be grocery store quality food in a place that looked like a slightly spruced-up version of the lunchroom at my elementary school. I now know it was probably more a financial choice for people on fixed incomes who also had the time in their mornings and afternoons to sit down for a meal in a restaurant (bingo, retirees).
In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which I’m pretty sure is the only or one of the only locations left in Canada, Fuddruckers is immensely successful and has a borderline cult following. It’s always packed full of diners. They even have a breakfast menu, and also an arcade, mini golf, and batting cages. It’s an experience. So it’s weird to see it on the decline in the US.
In Bahrain (a country half the size of Rhode Island), we have 6 Fuddruckers branches and they're always pretty busy (families especially love them). It's weird seeing many American franchises not even exist in most states, while in other countries, they're thriving.
Speaking as a millennial, I think focusing on the freshness is 100% key. I think that's a subtle key to Five Guys' success. But making the branding a smidge more modern and sleaker while keeping the southern family style vibe (here in Nashville we have a ton of places that crush using that). Maybe even having one more dynamic that seperates them and is more appealing to adults (since they have the money).
I have no idea what being a millennial has to do with this. Do you think millennials invented the concept of "freshness?" I know millennials are demented, but I had no idea it was this bad.
I'm from maryland and there was one down in The Inner Harbor of Baltimore as well in Owings Mills. My dad, step-mom, and sister went all the time. They had a few cool arcade machines, you always got a free cookie with your kids meal (I always felt big and responsible going up to get it and turn my ticket in 😅) they had a fix'ins bar to top your burger however you wanted and their chicken sandwich was actual pretty blaze. They since became office buildings (Owings mills) and other restaurants (downtown)
I don't know why this was suggested to me but this immediately brought back memories... I literally could taste their burger watching this... wish they'd make a comeback - especially since we have Five Guys and other more top tier burger chains
I went to 5 guys for the first time a few months ago and holy heck, never again. The burger was good but I think I spent almost $25 for a burger and fries.
When I was growing up there was a local fuddruckers, but my family moved away when I was young. For the majority of my life I have not lived nearby a fuddruckers. Once a year or so I may travel near Portland and stop by to get a burger and enjoy that sweet nostalgia. But, 2 years ago the only location left in the Pacific Northwest closed and I have to face reality that I'll likely never get to eat at one of my favorite burger places ever again.
Hate to hear that Fudruckers has been struggling for so long. I always loved going and they are always super consistent with quality and service. Hopefully they can stabilize and thrive in the future.
Me and my family went to Fuddruckers a few times when I was a kid. The food was great and it was a real treat, but it always took them sooooo long to cook our food - and I feel this is one of the reasons they've been struggling: It takes them too long to cook the food.
@@DD-oc5sh The last time I visited a Fuddruckers was in 1988 in Pasadena, CA. They did have some of the best tasting burgers out there, but based upon an earlier visit where I waited 30 minutes for my 2 burgers, this time I called ahead figuring by the time I get there they would be ready. Not so, I still waited 40 minutes for the two burgers I ordered. Needless to say I never went back.
If you want fast food head on over to Mickey D's, he's got you covered. Fresh food takes a minute to cook. I prefer waiting for fresh over stuff that has been sitting under a heat lamp to keep it warm until it's orderd hours later. That's why they went out of business, because people are impatient.
That was the problem with place IMO. Long waits at a restaurant just offering counter service. And the ambiance wasn't much better than waiting at a fast food place. Sure, the food may have been better, but there's more to the equation than just the food.
@@Steve-O_FPV Unless there's a line out the door it shoudln't take 30-40 minutes to get a burger. They're cooking them to order, not grinding the meat to order.
As a kid of the 90s, going Fuddruckers was a novelty in Charlotte, NC. My younger cousins and I always enjoyed their food and the fun game machines. But as we got older, we just stopped going at all. Haven't been there since I was a kid.
Fuddruckers were amazing. The concept of a half pound burger blew my mind as a kid. McDonald's et al were marketing their 1/4lb burgers as if they were a lot and they were never enough. Then there were the Fudd fries (seasoned fries), the toppings bar, the whole concept was family dining meets hamburgers and it was great. I wish they had more locations.
@@SimuLord As someone who really liked the Fuddruckers burgers, I do remember having the quarter-pound version once (Portland area). The bun kind of overwhelmed that burger, even if it was slightly smaller than the half pound version. And that’s where I think you’re right… mostly. I think those of us who liked Fuddruckers kind of fall between the old school (a lot of whom fondly recall a bag of burgers at 19¢ a pop) and those who understand a somewhat bigger patty but something cooked slower and with better toppings (fast caz with more deference to other things on the menu) and we in the middle aren’t that big a population. And, worst of all, if you’re changing tactics to appeal to kids using half-pound hamburgers, the parents with the actual money will eventually vote that down. Never mind the somewhat shrinking youth population in this country. Easy to see the demographic trends I cited being the larger problem.
Hopefully the new owner the video talks about can turn the company around and re-expand, cuz the burgers at fudds are just so much better than what you'd get at any fast food burger place.
Honestly, no matter where I've eaten, few burgers have ever come close to the ones at Fuddruckers, the buns, burger, cheese, and bacon are always so fresh and flavorful, and the veggie/condiment station is perfection. Extra pickles, two red onions, I'm in heaven. But I can't forget their seasoned wedge fries either man. Top 3 fries out there. I've NEVER had a bad experience at Fuddruckers. I've NEVER left feeling unsatisfied. And there's never been a restaurant name more fun to say out loud.
Yup. Everything was great. My buddies and I loved the place. It was often full of people. Then, suddenly it was closed. It was weird...all the crap chain restaurants around it stayed open, but this one (and only) very good one was gone.
I was an assistant manager at a Fuddruckers from 2016-2020... the covid panic killed us. We went from doing 4 grand that Sunday to doing $700 on Monday and each day after was just like that. It was already a thin margin but not even doing 1k every day just ruined it. Fudd's was the most fun job I ever had. The management team was great, we all got along and we had a good crew. It's a shame as the place was mostly well-liked and any time I tell people I worked there, they always reminisce about how good and fun the place was. Now the building sits empty and pretty much abandoned. At least I have my memories.
Yeah, but they got so expensive. You can read my comment above. I can't spend $15 bucks for my own burger. Then, I've got to think of wife & mother too. They charged too much. As I said above ... I really liked Fuddruckers, but they got to be TOO EXPENSIVE. I don't want to pay $15 bucks for a stupid burger. So, we only went on nights where they had a free kid's meal, if you got a big burger. So my wife got the kid's meal, and I ate the big burger. And, I haven't even thought of going back -- after COVID. It's just impossible to pay the prices everyone wants to charge now. Just easier to learn to cook it yourself. I don't want to buy the drinks, fries on side (which wife likes), then I gotta buy onion rings (which I like) separately), then buy two drinks at $3 each, and then a tip. Add all of that together, and it's quite a pretty penny for a so-so, or nice but not perfect burger. Easier to watch youtube and download Fuddrucker's Copycats online. If they had more meal-deals, sure, but don't care to go anymore. I'm a better cook because of Covid.
@@PoeLemic Eating out is a privilege and a treat, it should not be the basis of regular day to day food consumption. While I hear your argument (mostly because you've copied and pasted it onto multiple replies to this video), that's on you. You say, "Fuddruckers became too expensive." To you maybe, but $15 bucks for a good burger, hanging out with my friends, maybe having a beer - that's just the price of a good time to me. If money is that tight, don't go out to eat. If you have to make your wife order a kids meal just so you both can eat at a burger joint, jeez, your life sucks and spending $15 per person is the least of your worries.
@@PoeLemic Same reason I stopped going to my local Fuddruckers despite being a customer for almost 25 years, just got way too expense. To be fair this seems to be a problem almost everywhere. Prices for even basic fast food have gotten insane in the last decade, especially the last several years. Even something basic like KFC costs as much as a restraunt did ten years ago.
@@Klos1neMN While I kind of agree with you, a lot of these fast food style places rely on very regular customers to actually make a profit, not people that show up everyone once in a blue moon.
I used to go to Fuddruckers a lot as a kid. They had the touch-screen soda dispensers which was always fun, because I could get different flavors of Sprite that I usually couldn't get at other places. They also had an arcade and playground; I remember asking my mom for spare quarters for the arcade. Idk if it was just my local Fuddruckers, but the burgers were usually really dry and not that great, but food was food I guess
Some of my fondest memories were of my dad taking me to fuddruckers in Houston as a kid. Now years later, as a chef working in NYC I can see why. I loved the form and function of fudruckers. You would start with the ordering of specifically the meat, choosing your temp and etc.. and then assemble the toppings *yourself* with as much as you could need or want thus making it your worlds greatest hamburger. Seemed pretty efficient labor wise. Then you could go on to find a place to the theme of your choice, it was like walking into an applebees that had 10x the amount of decor. It was great for parties and stores tended to be decorated the same so you could always find your favorite booth/table in many different stores. All in all 19/10. Recently I have been a bit nostalgic and wanting to revisit - so thank you for your video!
My dad used to take me to Fuddruckers in Mexico city back in the nineties. It is one of my best childhood memories, I used to love that place. It was busy too. Then one day, suddenly, it was gone. Later traveled to California and saw them still alive and kicking. I had no idea that it didn't exist anymore! Thanks for making this video about this chain!!
Our Fuddruckers has been abandoned since 2011. I think another popular local restaurant/bar is taking their place but its crazy how long that space was vacant. It was huge. EDIT: So I actually did some research and it closed in 2016. A year after the owners purchased the franchise in 2009 corporate went bankrupt and the company was sold again and their original franchise agreement was gone. They had big plans for the restaurant but it was just too risky at that point. They actually owned other restaurants in the area and they were nice enough to honor leftover Fuddruckers gift certificates at any of the other different restaurants they owned!
The only one I remember in the Chicago area was around the Lake St/I-290/I-355 interchange. That bitch been abandoned since like 2008 and the building has just been returning to nature. You can still tell it used to be a Fuddruckers, the signage is still up but is all sun bleached. Even though that area has seen a bit of revival that massive lot is still vacant and overgrown and the building is falling in on itself. It's been ready to be demolished for a decade now. Too far gone to fix now.
@@SergeantExtreme The one in question was located in Appleton/Grand Chute and they have 2 current existing locations in Milwaukee and Madison. Quite honestly I'm in Milwaukee all the time and I don't even know where there's is located lol
Fuddruckers is amazing. The customizable burgers, the Coca Cola freestyle machines, and the fries?! I miss it so much. I used to have one near my house.
I was in Fuddruckers a few months ago. Honestly it was the saddest experience ever. There was only 2 barely considered to be called games and one was broken. The condiment bar had lettuce browning and tomatoes that looked like they were in their deathbed
Went with my grandma to our local Fuddruckers. Suffice to say it was the most fun I’ve ever had at a restaurant with my grandma and the food was amazing!
I've only eaten at the one in Dublin, CA while house sitting (it's still open, BTW) and I really enjoyed the food and would go back again in a heartbeat! I also got the opportunity to be "the cool uncle" when my niece and I went because after we ordered we waited at the taller tables I called "the bar" and when the food was ready we just stayed there because to me it made sense! She was thrilled by that because she said her parents always made her go sit at a regular table with them! Haha!
We had a Fuddruckers in my town, I loved that place. Great burgers and I also loved the fries. Unfortunately they shut the doors a few years ago. People still talk about how good it was and miss it.
Fudruckers in Florence, Kentucky closed due to mistakes by employees. It seems that the tea dispensers were cleaned with bleach and some of the bleach was left in the dispensers. A customer got tea to drink and when he consumed he immediately began having health problems. His kidneys shut down and he had to have a kidney transplant. Needless to say, that restaurant did not last long after that. I would assume that the customer sued and probably received a settlement, as he should have.
My dad always used to take us to Fuddruckers for special occasions, seeing all of the locations close down like this makes me sad considering the burgers and chili cheese fries are some of my all-time favorites. Last year, he took us all to Austin to eat at one of the last locations they have here in Texas, and it still tastes just as good as we remembered!
Went to Fuddruckers several times in my early 20s (a little over a decade ago) and I was always the only customer. It's a shame, their food was actually really good and the fact that you could buy beer there was mind-blowing to me at the time.
Yeah, but they got so expensive. You can read my comment above. I can't spend $15 bucks for my own burger. Then, I've got to think of wife & mother too. They charged too much.
My family went fairly often to the location near us in Cincinnati up until it closed in my teenage years. Those burgers (and especially that toasted, buttered bun!) were definitely yummy and the big thick steak fries were good too. I had just assumed the whole company was no more, since I've never seen another location in my travels haha. If there was a brand resurgence and they opened one anywhere near me I would happily support it!
Lost ours in my town in So Cal. Went there every other month or so. Also enjoyed it. Really a shame that it didn't make it after so many years. Their burgers were unusual and consistently good.
I remember calling Fuddruckers, Fudukaburgers as kid because the name was so ridiculous for a child to say. It wasn't until I got older that I started to appreciate the build your own burger concept. Hopefully the new owner will restructure this chain and find success.
Our fuddruckers was positioned right in front of a small lake that had lots of ducks. I remember everyone always bought an extra bun to go feed the ducks outside. Our fuddruckers is luckily doing well still.
I grew up going to my local Fuddruckers with my family. My dad is a big Beatles fan so it was always a memorable visit when we got to sit at the Beatles table. I even had my high school graduation party there. When my location closed up during Covid, I was devastated. I have so many childhood memories eating there and miss it dearly.
Having their own bakery and butcher shop within the restaurant was a great concept, and I remember it well. They first opened in the 80's near us in Flint, Michigan, and we loved it. I think they need to reconsider that part of the experience, bring it back to it being made more onsite. That's what people will pay extra for in a burger
Jeez - I am from Canada and my sister moved to the Flint area in the early 90's.Every time down we would go to Fuddruckers. I think it was on Miller Road - on the other side of the highway was a big mall we used to go walk around. Big and Tall store across the street from the mall. Memories...
It's a story as old as time. What made them great was a simple menu and fresh ingredients from top to bottom. Buns baked daily, fresh meat ground daily, etc., to shortcuts of frozen crap, buns shipped in loaded with preservatives, etc.
Man this was my favorite burger place growing up, I would go there for every birthday I had for like 10 years straight. When I visited my hometown and found out that location had closed down, I was absolutely crushed
There is one Fuddruckers location I've known my entire life. I don't know if it's been the same franchisees the entire time, but a few years back a truck drove straight through it and they kept operating with over half the building off-limits. They made it through the pandemic and I just checked and they're still open! It's been a few years, and this made me so hungry for a burger...
I know the exact one you're talking about, I live near it! I mean what are the odds that there's more than one Fuddruckers that's had a truck plow through it? I was just there yesterday and they noticeably have some issues with getting supplies but they still make a mean burger.
I used to love going to their locations back in the day. They closed every store in my state back in 2010ish. Sad part was some locations were still listed as open online and I wasted some time driving to a location just for there to be an empty lot. I loved the bison burger and the nearly endless topping bar.
The idea of the condiment bar is genius. Before Fuddruckers, there was a place on 6th St. in LA called Cassell's that cooked your burger on a really unique broiler, with your choice of Swiss or American cheese, on a big specially made tray. You would then go to the condiment bar and load up on all the trimmings. They had very fresh veggies and dressings, as well as fruit. You could pile it on the burger and make a salad on that big tray, too. They even had a delicious homemade potato salad, all free (one trip) with your burger. Eventually, the owner got old, and sold the place, but the spirit that drove the place was gone. He must have been quite a guy, very inventive (those grills!), and his employees stayed with him. Very few places like that any more... Fuddruckers was a kind of plastic version, and I enjoyed their burgers now and then, but Cassell's was a unique pleasure I never forgot...
@@__Mikee23 i think it is. They're on the smaller side, so if there's a line or you're hungry grab a couple lol. No fries, just bagged chips and canned soda. Bill has to be in his 90s by now. So everyday he's open is a blessing. I can't say they're the best burgers ever, but they're unique, in a good way. And I'm sure some of the flavor is from the seasoned griddle top he's been cooking them on now for literal decades.
It may be "genius", but was old hat to me, having gone to Adventurer's Inn in New York City and environs ca. 1960. Cafeteria for sandwiches and hamburgers (plus fries, pastries, etc.), condiments bar for both. Attached game rooms and one had outdoor rides ("Fun Fair") that might've been seen as the main business. So it was about equally suitable as family fast food and an outing. Nathan's bought some of the locations.
My hubby and I absolutely love Fudds. We consistently drove 45-90 mins to visit different locations as they started shuttering locations closest to us. All 5 are now gone. We love you got to decorate your own burgers. Amazing burger, buns, toppings, fries, and onion rings. Great cookies and milkshakes too. We enjoyed the decor too.
Probably not the "world's best hamburger", but for the price point and considering the toppings bar concept, it is absolutely the best you can get outside of the top end casual dining restaurants. And as a kid I absolutely loved putting as much cheese sauce on my fries as I wanted. I hadn't been to one since I was a kid until a couple years ago I found one in Virginia when I was working there, and sure enough it was just as good as I had remembered. It became a regular stop for lunch while I was working there and a way better value than going to some chain like Applebees, and definitely better quality than fast food. It sounds like mismanagement has been their issue as a company because it certainly isn't the food that is the problem. It would be a shame if Fuddrucker's disappeared.
That cheese sauce was great. I'd basically scoop the cheese sauce into my mouth using the fries as spoons. Being a kid, the first time I ate the 1/3 lb burger, I felt like such a big man - that I graduated from the 1/4 lb burger.
It's really interesting to hear that Fudds is struggling in the US. In Canada, the sole location for the longest time has been in Saskatoon, and it is easily the most popular burger place in the city. They even have an associated "Fun Centre" with mini golf, batting cages, and an arcade called Ruckers.
I always loved the cheese sauce they had at the condiments section, and I wish more places had that! Loved putting it on my burger and getting some on the side to dip my fries
The cheese sauce on their seasoned wedge fries is probably the comfort food from my childhood that I miss more than anything in the world. Fuddruckers was the go-to after baseball games and sporting events, and even though I was indifferent to the burgers (they're admittedly good, now that I understand it as an adult), but my excitement for their seasoned wedge fries with a cup or two of hot cheese sauce to dip them in was off the charts. So sad that most locations are gone, IMHO. None of what filled the closed locations shoes comes close to being as awesome, and I feel like I need to go out and find a Fuddrucker's in LA and have a feast if it's possible.
I’m writing this from a Fuddruckers right now lol. I used to go there all the time as a kid but it closed over a decade ago. I was driving for work and saw it on an exit sign on the highway in NJ. I didn’t even know they were still in business but apparently there are only 2 in Jersey now. I’m eating the Kobe burger and bun still tastes exactly like I remember it all these years later. I googled what happened to them and came across this video. It’s actually one of the best burgers I’ve had in awhile and pricing isn’t too bad. I really hope they can turn it around, seems like we’ve all got fond memories of it
Words can’t describe how much I miss going to fuddruckers as a kid, smelling the fresh buns when you walked in, playing the arcade games with friends, saving room for dessert and getting one of the brownies. Those times were the best.
Facts
Actually true
The rice crispy treats!!!
The free cookies for kids were awesome as well!!
their food is so good and high quality. fast food just has too much of a monopoly
This is honestly a good burger joint. I don't want them to disappear.
Im a fan, we have one 3 miles away from my apartment. It’s always been a good experience there and honestly I had no idea they were in trouble. I think another thing that this video didn’t mention is Five Guys. they are a huge competitor and it’s likely many people pick FG over Fuddruckers just due to familiarity.
@@Ferrichrome this is understandable. I've always had a good experience whenever I've stepped into a Fuddruckers, but I've DEFINITELY been to Five Guys more. And I hope Nick Perkins turns the former around-we almost shared an alma mater. I'm rooting for him
I had to sit down and think about it, been years since I been in one, but yeah, can't say they were ever a bad burger. Greatest in the World? A stretch, but still, a solid burger and can't ever recall being disappointed. I certainly don't want to see them go away.
Anyone saying the Fuddruckers is a good burger place either 1, has an INSANELY good running Fuddruckers near them or 2, doesnt know shit about burgers. I lean more towards for latter. Fuddruckers isnt a bad burger, but places like In-N-Out, The Habit, Shake Shack, Five Guys and Whataburger blow them out of the water. There are just too many better options for burgers these days.
@@silentk59 my man’s on the burger battalion💀
“Fuddruckers” always sounded to me like they meant to swear but a baby was in the room. Like “FUTHERMUCKER!”
Right!
Rocolate Chain!
You pop up so randomly!! I LOVE IT!
Idiocracy showed a fun devolution of the brand into "Buttfuckers", it was still a family restaurant.
I call them FUCKRUDDERS! LOL
One near me closed and I was devastated. I don't understand how a brand with as good of a product as they have, can be so mismanaged as to be in this condition.
In a world of ever increasing inflation and shrinking middle class, it's tough to run a concept that is billed as a premium product with a price to match. If you do go in for such an option you have to realize you are going to be marketing to a more upscale niche clientele and make the appropriate choices. They didn't. In stead of trying to convince the ppl who could afford their burgers regularly to come often and provide an upscale experience: they tried to convince average Joe he could afford it and to bring the kids! The problem is average Joe can't afford to do that but once every three months. The market they should have been aiming for was the same folks that shop at whole foods. They also franchised near shopping malls etc, instead of upscale areas where you might find a whole foods, or cheesecake factory. overall, just very bad realization of concept. Imagine if Fudruckers had marketed themselves in a similar was as apple computers inc did. IBM is for broke boring ppl, you are upscale and cool , you need an Apple.
@@jakeroon lol they filed for bankruptcy 13 years ago, why do people have to insert their personal politics or current events into everything
@@sdgc8667 What does anything I said have to do with current events or politics? I was speaking of what happened in the past. "...of EVER increasing inflation and shrinking middle class..." . That's been a thing since the turn of the century, not just today. It's a consequence of our shift off the silver standard in 1889 and into to fiat banking with the emergency acts of 1933. The last biggest hit which facilitated the trouble with Fuddruckers was the recession of 2008. Now don't you feel sheepish for trying to insert current modern politics into the conversation? Seems you are the one who has it on the mind.
The higher grade stuff started really drying off during the 2010s. Arby's lacked a value menu, and was getting hammers during this era too. I saw tons of Arby's locations close up near me. You needed to operate low to the ground to survive and anything that doesn't follow this thought process took major losses.
@@Lastjustice Yeah after the 2008 recession really started to hit, if you didn't have extremely good value (dollar menu etc) it was rough to have a huge amount of locations all over. If you wanted to go higher end you needed to run lean and trim your locations back to just the golf course areas.
The Fuddruckers in Fargo, North Dakota, had a mini golf/putt putt course attached to it called Fudd Putters and it was pretty much the best thing ever as a kid.
Truly the only thing to save them in the present day
There’s still one at the location in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan called putt n bounce, with batting cages, and an arcade called ruckers. It’s also located near a car wash called golf’s. I think it’s the lone one in Canada and am surprised this guy doesn’t mention it. Maybe it’s because it’s owner is separate from these other companies which is the namesake of golf’s carwash. Probably not too bad of a drive from ND!
Edit: I guess there is one in Regina which is closer lol
No fair! I’m jealous. The one that I went to growing up had to downsize after the recession in 2008. I’m kinda glad they got rid of the playground tho bc it got pretty nasty.
There was a Fuddruckers at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut but has since closed
@@tommyoconnor9283 to be a Wahlburgers
There was a single Fuddruckers near me growing up. Me and my Dad used to go there every time we passed it because we loved it so much. After his battle with cancer and his passing I used to go there alone because of all the amazing memories and of course the god tier burgers and fries. The day it shut down was quite sad, felt like a part of my childhood and time with my Dad was being destroyed. This place was incredibly underrated.
sorry for your loss
I have a very similar viewpoint with Luby's. I was raised mostly by my grandparents and we went there constantly. I still go with friends and other family, to remind me of them. The sad part is you can see just how dead the company is by eating there, and I love both of them, Fuddruckers and Luby's.
I'm so sorry :( we wanted to try Fuddruckers for the first time recently and the only one near us closed down!!! So we never got to try it.
@Logan McGlynn I do appreciate the sentiment, given that most RUclips comment sections are just filled with hate and vitriol. So it might just be a random person saying it but it still means a lot to hear, as much as I'm not looking for sympathy and just sharing my story of why this specific resteraunt holds a special place in my heart.
sorry man
Fuddruckers made awesome burgers. Their steak fries with cheese sauce and ketchup were next to Godliness. The buns were fluffy yet durable for the weight of a 1 lb slab of beef. Seeing Fuddruckers close stores in North Austin felt like an end of an era 😭
Mixing Cheese and Ketchup was the best!
There's still one on Burnet rd.
I drove past the Lakeline location today. Sad.
I loved the bison burger. Now it's one of those things I only did once or twice, then I'm sad to see it go even if I never did again.
locally for me they started going downhill when their burgers seemingly shrank half their size and prices increased. but yeah they were great at their peak.
What’s weird is that I never knew fuddruckers was a real restaurant. I always thought that it was a fictional restaurant that only appeared in the film idiocracy. But it was good to know that they were real and that lot of people actually liked it.
Same. And I think the decline is only because they are past due to call themselves "Futtbuckers."
They were real and very good food 🍔🌭🥔🍅🥬🧅🥒🍄🫑
K SAME!!! There is a Fuddruckers in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and I was BLOWN AWAY when I went. It was super cool tbh!!
Always hated Fuddruckers.
"So I have to add my own condiments!?"
"No! You GET to add your own condiments!"
There are one or two restaurants in northern Texas. I've eaten there a few times. The burgers are fantastic. The one I've been to is on State Highway 121 in Frisco, TX.
I miss this place. I don’t care what anybody says, they literally had the world, best burgers. There’s nothing like fresh beef, ground right there, the freshly baked buns, right there on the premises, and all of the major fresh ingredients. You just couldn’t beat it. So sad they went away.😢
They did have some tasty burgers 😢
making me cry i miss them as well
I worked at a Fuddruckers for about 6 months and I was impressed with the freshness of everything. They always put a premium on quality. Today it is still my preferred place to go for a hamburger
You're right!!!
same miss them
How many stocks do you own?
I worked there for summers during college and I loved it because I usually got day shift lol. The food was fresh and the buns/bread was all made from scratch and food was freshly prepped daily. I loved making my own burgers working there lol they were so good
Their buns were always toasted to a perfect crisp, those burgers really are special. We need to keep these guys around.
Iv seen them around but never eaten there , but now I wanna stop and try a burger.
@@zoultronzoultron9723 I honestly don't recommend it now, back in it's heyday you'd be a fool to not eat there but nowadays, I'd avoid like the plague.
Toasted buns suck. Never understood why people wanted their buns toasted.
Too late.
Ok so the bun was good, what about the rest of the sandwich?
I used to work on the marketing for both Lubys and Fuddruckers. Both franchises always seemed so tenuous like they were going to go out of business tomorrow. They were fun to work with and I think both brands were solid at what they did but some concepts can’t last forever.
Do you think they need a new marketing campaign to make a comeback?
My parents and I would go to Fuddruckers every other Friday night when I was growing up in the mid 90's- early 00's. I'll never forget the time my dad asked for "the biggest burger you have cause I'm REAL HUNGRY" and they took about twice as long to get our food ready. When they called his name and we went to the counter to grab it, they'd only charged him for a 1/3 pound but that thing was literally as big as a pizza. I'm not kidding, he had to slice it up like a pizza and everyone working behind the counter was losing it laughing at their prank. Other diners were so confused and coming by our table to see it. Super wholesome and I think it took him a couple days to get through the whole thing! 😂
Things that never happened for $1,000.
Probably why they are out of business. Couldn’t even charge for a 1/2 lb
@@Dalex3 They are hardly bankrupt. They have THIRTEEN locations in Texas and five in Florida and Virginia.
I loved their layout. they give you the bun and burger, and you get to select the veggies to place on it. And the dipping dispenser for the sauces instead of packets was great.
Holy hell, that cheese sauce. I miss Ruddfucker's.
How about that "Prime Rib" burger ?
I was a child in the early 90s. The way that burger and bun hit was unmatched anywhere else. I long to experience that burger again one day.
The economic crisis of 2009 really screwed a lot up for us 90s kids. Brands we like, jobs, housing...
We have a few locations in south Florida. I go almost every week lol
@@35mm21 Depends on where you were in the world. I barely felt it. In fact, I got my business model from the effects of it. Namely stock.
@@the_kombinator it's almost like I was making a general statement about people struggling and you decided to come brag. Almost
@@35mm21 Brag. Yeah, that's it kiddo. I see you're well on your way on getting that GED in Professional Victimhood. Grow a pair and make something of your spare time instead of commenting nonsense.
As someone who has lived in San Antonio all his life, Luby's is a sad restaurant, with both a very old clientele and employees. They partners with HEB (how have you not made a video about them yet??) to sell some of their more popular items as frozen foods, most notably their almond encrusted fish, but at a high price it was basically DOA. Really interesting case study about the death of a restaurant due to the failure to modernize.
Luby’s has all the charm of an old folks’ home. And the same feeling of impending death. When the one in our town was replaced by a Torchy’s Tacos, I think the whole town was grateful.
I love Luby’s and hope they never leave San Antonio. I’ve loved it since I was a child, and the one I go to stays busy.
We loved going to Luby's growing up in South Texas. The Salisbury steak was my go to.
I think everyone here is proving my point; the only people who still actively eat at Luby's are people who grew up with it, the aging clientele that will eventually disappear...
Whataburger 😎
Of all the restuarants that have closed, Fuddruckers was the only one that I miss like crazy. Best burger ever. We would take my son's soccer team there after games. Smell of fresh baked buns and the big window where you could see the patties being hand formed, the area where you could buy a baked good and the fresh toppings area with the melted cheese. Nothing but good memories.
Prove it
Fuddruckers after a soccer was the beez nees
@@sebastianoliva8361 prove it
Fuddruckers is good. It’s one out not too far from my house and I love going in and being able to enjoy a sit down meal whenever I’m not getting it to go. 😋
I truly miss those days, it was a go to for all my family's birthday parties, the pathetic quality of the "food" and service now at the 2 or 3 locations here in Houston is so bad it'll make you cry 😢
I had been going to Fuddruckers since the early 80's. I loved everything about that place. From the burgers with their fixings bar and fantastic seasoned fries to the bakery. Please make a comeback, we miss you.
My local Fuddruckers originally had a glass window, displaying an entire side of beef hanging in a meat locker. We would watch butchers carve out pieces of the beef and freshly hand-grind them, then hand forming each one pound burger patty in 1982. The buns were baked in-house. The produce looked like they came straight from the harvesting farm. It was delicious and amazing I got to experience this process from start to finish. Even though In N Out and Wendy's kinda comes close - I still have never seen such scratch made freshness since.
How can you categorize In N Out with Wendys?🤯 J/k it's your opinion. Just when I (rarely) find myself eating Wendy's I'm just getting a starchy bun with condiments dumped into it with a slouchy piece of lettuce. The beef just tastes... "off." I WILL vouch for those homestyle fries though.
@@mr.voidout4739 - I’m only comparing because they also never freeze their meat
@@mr.voidout4739 Not sure if it helps, but I have taken to ordering Wendys hamburgers through the website or app, and having them hold the mayo, and sometime all the condiments. It seems like less is more where the flavors of the meat and bun pop more if they aren't drowned in sauce. Whether those are good flavors for you is a question I cannot answer.
@@mr.voidout4739 what is it with people and in and out? I have tried a few locations and found it pretty bad.
Dry fries and bland burgers .
In-N-Out is the most overrated burger out there. It's so salty for starters. The only thing it has going for it is its rather low price.
One of my favorite childhood memories was going to Disney World and then hitting Fuddruckers on the way home and getting a side of chili cheese fries. This weekend my wife and I went to Sea World and I was like “Let’s go to Fuddruckers!” only to quickly discover that they had closed last year. 😭
I loved Fuddruckers. Their burgers were so good and I loved how you could add your own toppings and make it just the way you liked.
That was the "burger bar" :)
Yep....miss it out here....a damn shame.
I miss Fuddruckers. They had a really solid burger, but the one near me closed down due to the pandemic. I hope they can make a comeback.
In Miami most of them are still open and get slammed
CORRECTION: no business closed due to the plannedemic; they closed due to lockdowns which is nothing but a political artifice. The plannedemic was only the pretext used to implement lockdowns.
Same happened to the one near me. It got replaced by a Smack Shack. I enjoyed eating at Fuddruckers when I did go there, but admittedly did not eat there much.
I’ll miss their great burgers and their toppings that you could pick to add to your burger and their cheese sauce which I enjoyed with their french fries.
I miss Fuddruckers! Always looking for a good large hamburger that I can enjoy without the bun. I am on Keto. Not everyone has a burger that can stand alone!
I’m not sure if it was exclusive to my local location but for the kids meals they used to give cookie ticket vouchers which was a fun way to offer a simple dessert
Same! (well I mean, assuming our locations were different. Mine was Lakeline Mall in Austin)
@@RyanTosh it was infact a different location
Getting to choose your dessert was the most exciting part lolol.
I remember those being underneath the basket as kind of a hidden treat. I grew up poor so I was under 12 until I was like 15 for the free hotdog meal for kids.
They did that at the one near me too! Wish there was still one around.
I remember going to fuddruckers as a kid, I loved nearly every bit of it
I remember the area being relatively opening enough and somehow memorizing a tae kwon doe form within the restaurant, I remember winning something from one of those claw machines and giving it to my mom as a “birthday present” and I remember the specific aura of the restaurant and taste of the food
When my local one shut down, I was devasted. It really sucks to see this once-amazing place be pushed into the ground fast 😔
I love reading the comments about everybody's memories💖 I have so many memories of going to Fuddruckers with my family, particularly my dad and grandma. My dad is a huge rock music junkie so it was the perfect place to sit down and teach me everything about rock and roll. The cheese dip with the wedge fries, the baked goods before we left. The arcade. Everything. Reading all these similar experiences is so heart warming but so sad because I miss it so much. I miss the concept, the atmosphere, and the memories. I hope the new owner brings life back into it with the same old traditions.
Your not missing it. Your reliving it as you talk ang relive how good it felt.
I miss the fuddruckers near me so much. There was something special about being able to put your own toppings on the burger.
yeah, best thing was the toppings bar.
I grew up on that, I'm now nearly 40. I used to ask for an extra sheet of paper and make a makeshift salad. Was a fun night out with mom after my art class
We still have one near me and I really like their burgers. I always liked Five Guys but Fuddruckers is pretty dang good too. I also love the cafeteria concept because it lets me get exactly what I want
Yeah, this video made me think about them for the first time in ages. I checked on Google Maps and there isn't a single one left in my entire state.
Only place that wouldn't trouble me about having nacho cheese on my burger
Oh man… I hope this man can revive the brand. I live in Illinois and I discovered Fuddruckers some time in the 2010s. Turns out it was only a few miles from my home, just a quick trip down the expressway. My best friend and I would treat ourselves to it every now and then, kinda became a staple spot to eat at from time to time. Then the pandemic hit and obviously I paid it no attention in recent years. My best friend passed away in 2020 so he never reminded me to see how the place was doing. Now I just bought a house literally right down the street from the place and the building is still there, it still looks like it could be a functioning building and the sign outside the building is only half lit at night, but there are never any cars in the parking lot. It’s clear that this location has closed down, and it’s a shame because it used to be my best friends and I’s special treat on occasion. Our favorite part was the toppings bar, so many things you could top a burger with, even nacho cheese! I miss it…
@Larry S Nope, Matteson.
I hate to have to say it but the guy's a freakin' Idiot, running the business straight into the ground. The quality of their "food" and service is inexcusable especially knowing what it was before !!! Unless it's sold and bought up by someone with experience and care it is absolutely done for...
@Larry S lol that's the one me and my best friend used to go to
When I was little, my mother helped manage a hockey team for a Catholic high school (neither I nor any of my immediate family is Catholic, just the school) and she's told me that Fuddruckers was a popular meal spot for the team after games and/or practices. I live in Michigan and there was one about a half-hour's drive from my house, but I never went there. Strangely enough, however, I did go there a few times when I went to visit family in San Antonio at age nine.
Its sad that Fudd's has struggled so much, it is a really good restaurant and has long been a favorite. But as you pointed out, when money is tight, you are more likely to go grab a burger for cheap, than go get a higher quality one, which is I think the reality, even though they really do have one of, if not, the best burgers in the world.
Funny thing, if beef wasn’t subsidized burgers wouldn’t be cheap at all!
@@manatee_flips6811 Id like to learn how beef is subsidized can you point me in the right direcrtion?
@@finalcam1740 can’t post links here but google things like agricultural subsidies and true cost of hamburger. You should find a lot of information and be able to decide for yourself if it’s good or bad
I come from a farm family and I have never heard of a "beef subsidy."
Because there isn't one and dude is just making sh*t up
Im from Mexico and used to go to San Antonio a lot for holidays when I was a kid. Fuddruckers was always a must when we went cause there was one spot so close to my house. I went last week with my own family and told my kid to get hungry cause at the evening we were going to the best burgers in the world.
I was devestaed when I saw the "permanently closed" google tag when wanting to go to the restaurant. I felt like I was goimg to cry. Its one of the few things I eagerly waited to share with my kid from my youth. I really hope they bounce back.
im so sorry. :( we have 2 in new mexico. come to albuquerque but be careful here don’t get in with the wrong crowd.
@@pipsuki The wrong crowd?!
This person just wants a burger from Fuddruckers, they’re not trying to screw over Gustavo Fring! 🤣
@@pipsuki stupid comment
@@SoCalJellybean
I shouldn’t laugh but that was hilarious 🤣🤣
Gooood before I moved up north I used to visit that one in San Antonio too. Brings back memories, the last time I went was probably 2017? Yeah unfortunate that it closed
I really miss Fuddruckers. Great burgers made with fresh ground beef and fresh baked buns. I used to stop in and buy a half dozen buns because they were cheaper than the grocery store and were far better. One was always eaten on the trip home... Hard to pass up fresh baked bread. RedRobin is nowhere near the quality that Fuddruckers is. Also went to Flakey Jakes when I lived in Hawaii and IMO they had a better menu variety.
I completely agree that Red Robin sucks, vs. Fuddruckers!
So you were albe to buy the fresh baked buns on there own instead of buying a burger
@@charlottestreet3301 Yup. The bakery side where the ice cream and the bread baking and other stuff like the rice crispie treats were made you could buy both size buns and they would also occasionally have fresh baked loaves of bread. In the early days you could also buy fresh ground pattys and their own hotdogs and they even had fresh steaks you could buy as well but that was a long time ago. Often you would get the buns right out of the oven and you bought an extra or two to eat on the drive home. Fresh hot bread in the car there is no way to avoid eating some.
The Fuddruckers near me closed down and I’ve never been so devastated. Whenever me and my siblings go to Vegas there’s one casino that has the restaurant and take advantage for the burgers
Growing up, I really took Fuddruckers for granted. I enjoyed it, but I wasn't crazy about any burgers. In my 20s I really started enjoying gourmet hamburgers, and overall looked down on Fuddruckers with its kitschy rock and roll decor and pandering to families. They also didn't have many of the wildly creative burgers I enjoyed finding at other restaurants and food trucks. Then one day, I went again with my cousin and her young family. I re-discovered that Fuddrucker's patty and bun were truly fresher than a way more expensive burger! Sure the creativity and out of the box ingredients weren't present, but the core of a wonderful burger was represented marvelously! Add the toppings bar to that, and you have a gourmet burger experience for at least $5 less. That fresh ground beef and fresh baked bun really make a difference! Sadly, the pandemic closed the location closest to me and my Fuddruckers Renaissance ended prematurely.
Nothing wrong with family friendly
@@SquareOVision Not at all!
Exactly my experience. My dad loved the place and as a kid I didn’t get it. Now as an adult who has gotten more into burgers and coincidentally living near what feels like one of the last ones that exist, I truly appreciate the quality of the ingredients, especially the meat and buns. Their cookies and shakes are great too. It’s well worth the higher price vs traditional fast food. The value and quality truly are there even in these down times.
Should have been less foolish
There is no such thing as a "gourmet" burger at any U.S. chain.
Fuddruckers has historically been my absolute favorite restaurant. They truly did have the best burgers in the entire state, by far, and their cafetera bars were unique and the best anywhere. Everytime I have a birthday, I choose would usually choose to spend it at fuddruckers. They atmosphere, decorations, and booths they provide are also without compare in how awesome they were. But I haven't gone since the pandemic, since they had to shut down all their cafeteria stuff, including the salad bar and the toppings bar. The pandemic destroyed them. I hear they were able to reopen all that once the measures were over, but the change in ownership concerns me now. I hope they remain as good as they used to be.
I used to love going to Fuddruckers when I lived in Florida. I have fond memories of the burgers there. I hope they can rebound. The fact that the burgers were fresh and ground on the premises was always a big plus. And the toppings bar always seemed like a smart idea.
we still have one down in Pembroke Pines in south florida like 6 mins away from my house, definetly going tomorrow to indulge
Theres three near me. One in Doral, one in West Kendall and one in Palmetto Bay.
There was like a couple in central Florida but closed down :(
You ain’t kidding, I miss Fuddruckers like no other place on earth. I used to go to Fuddruckers all the time as a kid. Absolutely love, love, loved it.
By far one of my favorite burger places. Especially love being able to put your own toppings on them. That concept basically deals with the picky people who only like certain things on their burgers. THey dont' have to sit at the counter telling the cashier what they do and don't want on it. Would love to see them turn around and come out stronger than ever.
I live close to Round Rock and used to love going to that location. They got shut down, and there are now only two left in the Austin area, and they close pretty early which I honestly can't fathom cuz they were such a great dinner spot.
I went to one in Omaha once. First time I was ever there. I thought it was BRILLIANT. Before, it was next to impossible to find a bacon mushroom burger near me. They'd do bacon cheese, they'd do mushroom swiss, but putting bacon with mushroom was impossible to find.
Of all the businesses that’ve closed down over the last 15 years, Fuddruckers is the only one that still hurts my heart
Jesus how greasy is the food?
@@EskenRocklol nice ..
It's just a chain restaurant. Nothing about it should hurt your heart.
Dude they still have almost 100 locations open lol. It’s not fully closed
Sad that they departed Minnesota; I remember going there on my lunch break in the early 00's and later taking my family there as the kids loved to pick out their own toppings plus play the arcade machines.
My family lived near one of the earliest Fuddrucker's locations and this was one of our favorite chain burger places for many years. We noticed a large decline in quality in the King Cannon era and our patronage declined about that time. We pretty much stopped going there after 2 or 3 visits after Luby's took over. The quality of the environment of the restaurant suffered a little under Cannon, and the quality of the food declined tremendously under Luby's. I'd love to see the brand make a come back. But only if it meant the quality of the food itself returned to its pre-Luby's era.
Much as I'd like Fuddruckers to make a comeback, I think it's fair to say that Five Guys took over their position as the "upscale burger" place quite a while ago. The only way they're going to claw any of that territory back is to really undercut Five Guys on price, and that usually doesn't end well for specialty restaurants.
Five Guys is disgusting. Easily the worst burgers I've ever had (not counting McDonald's or BK) I dont get the hype. They're mediocre and overpriced. I walked out spending close to $20 maybe a $22 on a burger fries and a large drink. Fuckin ripoff
@@hulkfan97 Just like every other chain restaurant over the last decade or so, their quality kinda went down as the cost of ingredients went up. And as I mentioned, being a specialty place that only really does one thing, they're never going to get the volumes of traffic that McD's or BK gets so that just makes the price creep even worse.
Honestly i feel like Five Guys is starting to fall into its "Oops, we overexpanded during the good times" phase. They might end up in the same positions as Fuddrucker's before the decade is out.
Surprised to see you haven't done a video on TGI Fridays yet given all of the attention to restaurants and casual dining. They were SOOOO popular back in the day and they just up and disappeared from a lot of markets. Would love to hear more about what happened to them.
Covid hurt them considerably, and then during covid they completely switched over to a delivery/take out model, leaving very few dine-in stores left.
that place shoulda been called HSIOW....HOLY SHIT IT'S ONLY WEDNESDAY cus then people would order a whole lot more if they thought it was Wednesday everyday....eh it's a George Carlin joke....lol
I’m actually surprised to read this. The one in my town is still open and poppin lol.
I bartended for fridays for years. We were always rockin, then a new owner came in and they started putting locations just a few miles away from each other in Dallas and hiring managers that had little to no experience and could always be counted on to totally disappear. And endless apps were just a nightmare for FOH and the kitchen.
@@BlackPaladin2
I know that imaginary virus was a bummer mainly because too many lost sheeple fell for it.🐑🐑🐑😂🤣
Man I've always loved Fuddruckers and Lubys as a kid growing up in Houston. Your video summarizes their decline that I saw growing up so well. The deli shop and the free balloons and free desert were the best. Also probably in 2012 they opened a fudds/lubys where I lived and both sides were sub par compared to a dedicated restaurant.
The Fuddruckers 5 mins away from where I lived in MD held so many memories for me. I can't count how many times my elementary and middle school had fundraisers there. I'll never forget the smell of the buns, the arcade games, the cool decor everywhere and just how good those burgers were. Big part of my childhood!
Was it the Fuddruckers near the Annapolis Mall? That’s the Fuddruckers that I loved going to, growing up in Maryland. It was almost an hour away from where I lived, so it was always a treat when we made that drive to the mall.
@@ksurah Is that the one that got torn down recently and they are now constructing a massive office building in its place?
@@bravowhiskeysierra6944 That was the one I grew up with. Closed a few years ago and the building has been recently demolished. They made an incredible burger!
We had one in Owings Mills. My friend and I would go there on occasion. Really wasn’t the greatest in my opinion.
@@MH-ej1mq I can't answer your question, I have not lived in Maryland since 2007. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if it was.
Last time I went to one was about a year ago and they were promoting a fish dinner that looked really good on the ad at the door. I ordered one and got a burned fried fish dinner that was horrible to eat. That was my last visit. They closed about a month later. Several locations are shuttered here in Houston. I hate returning food at restaurants as you never know who might get mad about it and sabotage it.
I sincerely wish the very best for the new owner, and I hope he is able to energize and revive Fuddruckers. I have a lot of warm memories of the place with my second husband!
every time it's 2am and i decide to do my own deep dive on a random topic or company from my childhood you make a video about it a few days later. I'm convinced you're in my brain
We knew you would post this🤣
I can't be sure, but i've heard that wrapping a sheet of Aluminum foil around your head, and forming it into a hat shape, helps with kind of neurological intrusion.
Company Man is my guilty pleasure!
Used to have a couple of them in my city, long gone now. I can’t vouch for “world’s best” but they are my all-time favorite. Super fresh and I loved being able to choose the toppings exactly how I wanted.
I have been to Fuddruckers a few times it is truly an entire experience I have with them, and honestly seeing them struggle is sad to see. especially since they had opened a restaurant near me, I might go next weekend after my finals and finally get my driver's license to support them for it.
That name is ridiculous
It's ruddfucking ludicrous
Yes it is. And it’s glorious
You're ridiculous actually
*beautiful. Fixed that for you. You're welcome
Boomer
Fuddruckers has always been a favorite of mine. I hope they make a huge comeback!
i always loved them tbh. great burgers, fresh condiments, really good milkshakes, nice environment. still have 2 near me, haven’t been since covid but they’re still open it seems
Loved it when they added kimchee to the vegetable bar. Unfortunately, of the many that were open in California, there is one left in Concord.
We lost our location after COVID. Before that, I would go on the discount burger night, which was a fry drink and burger for under $10. The secret to the burger was to not order cheese, and then they had free hot cheese near the fresh veggies. One was regular, like ball park nacho cheese, and one was jalapeno with a bit of heat. If you bought cheese you were a rookie.
Hot damn, what a deal.
Name checks out. What a chad.
covid ruined everything
Was it in Minnesota? Same.
orr somone just prefers slices and not “cheese sauce”
I used to have a local Fuddruckers. I went there a lot as a kid and always had a great time. Didn't go there as much as I got older and they eventually shut down. Happy to see that "decline in food quality" wasn't a topic in this video. Looks like just a lot of poor business decisions behind the scenes that are killing the company. Hopefully they can make a comeback.
Pretty much the same here. I remember I'd go with my dad a few times as a kid and enjoyed the atmosphere. I don't remember the games but I do remember the rock and roll theme and thought the ambiance was nice. Closed down I don't even know when so I can't say how good the food is. If they really are that good it would be nice if they could rise from the ashes again.
Raul Pudd loves the place
Can definitely confirm as a former Fudds employee who is still friends with the GM of the store I worked at when I was a teen, they really never abandoned food quality. All the same hallmarks of fresh baked buns and freshly ground meat are there. Sounds like bizarre corporate leadership decisions were making Fudds fail despite itself.
My mom used to be a manager of a Fuddruckers while I was in middle school, so I have fond memories of the chain. The only one left in my area, the one she managed as it turns out, still kept up the same level of quality and customer base being inside a major department and furniture store, but the other few shut down in the 2010’s for some of the reasons highlighted here. I don’t know what the future holds for them, but I hope they’ll stick around for a while longer.
We used to eat at one that wasn't too far away when I was a child. Prior to seeing this video, I wan't aware that they were still around
Did they do anything special to their ground beef? The flavor was always great.
@@binobones It was probably human flesh
Fuddrucker's was a place I'd go to time-to-time in the early/mid 90s as a mid 20 something. I am not sure how many locations there were in my city (I'm almost positive there was more than one, but I was only familiar with one of them) and I also can't quite recall when they folded up---it couldn't have been any later than the company bankruptcy in 2010. Without a doubt, the burgers were at least on par with any burger you'd get in a casual dining restaurant of the day, and miles beyond anything you'd get in a fast food joint.
Random comment:
When I was a kid, I had a weirdly incorrect idea about cafeteria style restaurants like Luby's (or Morrison's, or Piccadilly, etc). They always seemed to me to be a strange artifact of the first half of the 20th century, like automats or something. Mostly, I think, because 99% of the people I saw eating there were people 70 years old and up---I assumed this was because they liked the style of food or service---even though I thought it was strange for adults to voluntarily eat what appeared to be grocery store quality food in a place that looked like a slightly spruced-up version of the lunchroom at my elementary school. I now know it was probably more a financial choice for people on fixed incomes who also had the time in their mornings and afternoons to sit down for a meal in a restaurant (bingo, retirees).
In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which I’m pretty sure is the only or one of the only locations left in Canada, Fuddruckers is immensely successful and has a borderline cult following. It’s always packed full of diners. They even have a breakfast menu, and also an arcade, mini golf, and batting cages. It’s an experience. So it’s weird to see it on the decline in the US.
We had them in Calgary too in the late 90s I beleive, but they did not last.
In Bahrain (a country half the size of Rhode Island), we have 6 Fuddruckers branches and they're always pretty busy (families especially love them). It's weird seeing many American franchises not even exist in most states, while in other countries, they're thriving.
I always stop in to eat at the Saskatoon location when I'm in town. The locations in Edmonton closed in the 90s.
Regina SK has one too! Though not as great/cool as Saskatoons
@@leswhynin913 Hmm, so they did badly in Edmonton and Calgary... I wonder why they didn't seem to last in Alberta
Speaking as a millennial, I think focusing on the freshness is 100% key. I think that's a subtle key to Five Guys' success. But making the branding a smidge more modern and sleaker while keeping the southern family style vibe (here in Nashville we have a ton of places that crush using that). Maybe even having one more dynamic that seperates them and is more appealing to adults (since they have the money).
Maybe it's my location, but I had Five Guys to go once, and my bag was saturated in oil when I got home. Can't do that place again.
Five Guys sucks
@@bleeneo101 nah
Five Guys is insanely expensive. Good, but overpriced.
I have no idea what being a millennial has to do with this. Do you think millennials invented the concept of "freshness?" I know millennials are demented, but I had no idea it was this bad.
I remember going to my local fuddruckers all the time with friends in high school. Good times. It sucks that its gone
I'm from maryland and there was one down in The Inner Harbor of Baltimore as well in Owings Mills. My dad, step-mom, and sister went all the time. They had a few cool arcade machines, you always got a free cookie with your kids meal (I always felt big and responsible going up to get it and turn my ticket in 😅) they had a fix'ins bar to top your burger however you wanted and their chicken sandwich was actual pretty blaze. They since became office buildings (Owings mills) and other restaurants (downtown)
Boy it was parodied in Mike Judge’s Idiocracy!
I don't know why this was suggested to me but this immediately brought back memories... I literally could taste their burger watching this... wish they'd make a comeback - especially since we have Five Guys and other more top tier burger chains
I went to 5 guys for the first time a few months ago and holy heck, never again. The burger was good but I think I spent almost $25 for a burger and fries.
When I was growing up there was a local fuddruckers, but my family moved away when I was young. For the majority of my life I have not lived nearby a fuddruckers. Once a year or so I may travel near Portland and stop by to get a burger and enjoy that sweet nostalgia. But, 2 years ago the only location left in the Pacific Northwest closed and I have to face reality that I'll likely never get to eat at one of my favorite burger places ever again.
I am only 2 miles from that location... we sure do miss it too. The government forcing closures to falsely protect us from the china flu killed them.
Hate to hear that Fudruckers has been struggling for so long. I always loved going and they are always super consistent with quality and service. Hopefully they can stabilize and thrive in the future.
Me and my family went to Fuddruckers a few times when I was a kid. The food was great and it was a real treat, but it always took them sooooo long to cook our food - and I feel this is one of the reasons they've been struggling: It takes them too long to cook the food.
It does take a little longer to cook REAL food and I think is well worth the wait
@@DD-oc5sh The last time I visited a Fuddruckers was in 1988 in Pasadena, CA. They did have some of the best tasting burgers out there, but based upon an earlier visit where I waited 30 minutes for my 2 burgers, this time I called ahead figuring by the time I get there they would be ready. Not so, I still waited 40 minutes for the two burgers I ordered. Needless to say I never went back.
If you want fast food head on over to Mickey D's, he's got you covered. Fresh food takes a minute to cook. I prefer waiting for fresh over stuff that has been sitting under a heat lamp to keep it warm until it's orderd hours later. That's why they went out of business, because people are impatient.
That was the problem with place IMO. Long waits at a restaurant just offering counter service. And the ambiance wasn't much better than waiting at a fast food place.
Sure, the food may have been better, but there's more to the equation than just the food.
@@Steve-O_FPV Unless there's a line out the door it shoudln't take 30-40 minutes to get a burger. They're cooking them to order, not grinding the meat to order.
As a kid of the 90s, going Fuddruckers was a novelty in Charlotte, NC. My younger cousins and I always enjoyed their food and the fun game machines. But as we got older, we just stopped going at all. Haven't been there since I was a kid.
Fuddruckers were amazing. The concept of a half pound burger blew my mind as a kid. McDonald's et al were marketing their 1/4lb burgers as if they were a lot and they were never enough. Then there were the Fudd fries (seasoned fries), the toppings bar, the whole concept was family dining meets hamburgers and it was great. I wish they had more locations.
@@SimuLord As someone who really liked the Fuddruckers burgers, I do remember having the quarter-pound version once (Portland area). The bun kind of overwhelmed that burger, even if it was slightly smaller than the half pound version.
And that’s where I think you’re right… mostly.
I think those of us who liked Fuddruckers kind of fall between the old school (a lot of whom fondly recall a bag of burgers at 19¢ a pop) and those who understand a somewhat bigger patty but something cooked slower and with better toppings (fast caz with more deference to other things on the menu) and we in the middle aren’t that big a population. And, worst of all, if you’re changing tactics to appeal to kids using half-pound hamburgers, the parents with the actual money will eventually vote that down. Never mind the somewhat shrinking youth population in this country.
Easy to see the demographic trends I cited being the larger problem.
Hopefully the new owner the video talks about can turn the company around and re-expand, cuz the burgers at fudds are just so much better than what you'd get at any fast food burger place.
Honestly, no matter where I've eaten, few burgers have ever come close to the ones at Fuddruckers, the buns, burger, cheese, and bacon are always so fresh and flavorful, and the veggie/condiment station is perfection. Extra pickles, two red onions, I'm in heaven. But I can't forget their seasoned wedge fries either man. Top 3 fries out there. I've NEVER had a bad experience at Fuddruckers. I've NEVER left feeling unsatisfied. And there's never been a restaurant name more fun to say out loud.
Wish I’d been to one they sound exceptional🙂
That melted cheese was special
Remember the Ribeye Sandwich ?
Yup. Everything was great. My buddies and I loved the place. It was often full of people. Then, suddenly it was closed. It was weird...all the crap chain restaurants around it stayed open, but this one (and only) very good one was gone.
I was an assistant manager at a Fuddruckers from 2016-2020... the covid panic killed us. We went from doing 4 grand that Sunday to doing $700 on Monday and each day after was just like that. It was already a thin margin but not even doing 1k every day just ruined it.
Fudd's was the most fun job I ever had. The management team was great, we all got along and we had a good crew.
It's a shame as the place was mostly well-liked and any time I tell people I worked there, they always reminisce about how good and fun the place was. Now the building sits empty and pretty much abandoned.
At least I have my memories.
How sad, but those memories are probably really nice
Yeah, but they got so expensive. You can read my comment above. I can't spend $15 bucks for my own burger. Then, I've got to think of wife & mother too. They charged too much. As I said above ...
I really liked Fuddruckers, but they got to be TOO EXPENSIVE. I don't want to pay $15 bucks for a stupid burger. So, we only went on nights where they had a free kid's meal, if you got a big burger. So my wife got the kid's meal, and I ate the big burger. And, I haven't even thought of going back -- after COVID. It's just impossible to pay the prices everyone wants to charge now.
Just easier to learn to cook it yourself. I don't want to buy the drinks, fries on side (which wife likes), then I gotta buy onion rings (which I like) separately), then buy two drinks at $3 each, and then a tip. Add all of that together, and it's quite a pretty penny for a so-so, or nice but not perfect burger.
Easier to watch youtube and download Fuddrucker's Copycats online. If they had more meal-deals, sure, but don't care to go anymore. I'm a better cook because of Covid.
@@PoeLemic Eating out is a privilege and a treat, it should not be the basis of regular day to day food consumption. While I hear your argument (mostly because you've copied and pasted it onto multiple replies to this video), that's on you. You say, "Fuddruckers became too expensive." To you maybe, but $15 bucks for a good burger, hanging out with my friends, maybe having a beer - that's just the price of a good time to me. If money is that tight, don't go out to eat. If you have to make your wife order a kids meal just so you both can eat at a burger joint, jeez, your life sucks and spending $15 per person is the least of your worries.
@@PoeLemic Same reason I stopped going to my local Fuddruckers despite being a customer for almost 25 years, just got way too expense. To be fair this seems to be a problem almost everywhere. Prices for even basic fast food have gotten insane in the last decade, especially the last several years. Even something basic like KFC costs as much as a restraunt did ten years ago.
@@Klos1neMN While I kind of agree with you, a lot of these fast food style places rely on very regular customers to actually make a profit, not people that show up everyone once in a blue moon.
I used to go to Fuddruckers a lot as a kid. They had the touch-screen soda dispensers which was always fun, because I could get different flavors of Sprite that I usually couldn't get at other places. They also had an arcade and playground; I remember asking my mom for spare quarters for the arcade. Idk if it was just my local Fuddruckers, but the burgers were usually really dry and not that great, but food was food I guess
Some of my fondest memories were of my dad taking me to fuddruckers in Houston as a kid. Now years later, as a chef working in NYC I can see why. I loved the form and function of fudruckers. You would start with the ordering of specifically the meat, choosing your temp and etc.. and then assemble the toppings *yourself* with as much as you could need or want thus making it your worlds greatest hamburger. Seemed pretty efficient labor wise. Then you could go on to find a place to the theme of your choice, it was like walking into an applebees that had 10x the amount of decor. It was great for parties and stores tended to be decorated the same so you could always find your favorite booth/table in many different stores. All in all 19/10. Recently I have been a bit nostalgic and wanting to revisit - so thank you for your video!
It was never like that for me when I went there.
The one on I-10? I loved that one as a kid
My dad used to take me to Fuddruckers in Mexico city back in the nineties. It is one of my best childhood memories, I used to love that place. It was busy too. Then one day, suddenly, it was gone. Later traveled to California and saw them still alive and kicking. I had no idea that it didn't exist anymore! Thanks for making this video about this chain!!
It still does exist. Didn't you watch the video?
@@albtckl dude they probably mean that Mexico City location specifically
Our Fuddruckers has been abandoned since 2011. I think another popular local restaurant/bar is taking their place but its crazy how long that space was vacant. It was huge.
EDIT: So I actually did some research and it closed in 2016. A year after the owners purchased the franchise in 2009 corporate went bankrupt and the company was sold again and their original franchise agreement was gone. They had big plans for the restaurant but it was just too risky at that point. They actually owned other restaurants in the area and they were nice enough to honor leftover Fuddruckers gift certificates at any of the other different restaurants they owned!
The only one I remember in the Chicago area was around the Lake St/I-290/I-355 interchange. That bitch been abandoned since like 2008 and the building has just been returning to nature. You can still tell it used to be a Fuddruckers, the signage is still up but is all sun bleached. Even though that area has seen a bit of revival that massive lot is still vacant and overgrown and the building is falling in on itself. It's been ready to be demolished for a decade now. Too far gone to fix now.
*that's what she said
@@maquesim4296 I'm in Wisconsin and that sounds just like our abandoned one 😂
@@CubsFan2812 As someone who was born and raised in Wisconsin, I never even knew we had a Fuddruckers.
@@SergeantExtreme The one in question was located in Appleton/Grand Chute and they have 2 current existing locations in Milwaukee and Madison. Quite honestly I'm in Milwaukee all the time and I don't even know where there's is located lol
Glad that there are 2 Fuddrockers in my county.
One 20 minutes and one 4 minutes from my house.
Guess I am lucky.
They need to make a comeback. I miss them.
Fuddruckers is amazing. The customizable burgers, the Coca Cola freestyle machines, and the fries?! I miss it so much. I used to have one near my house.
I was in Fuddruckers a few months ago. Honestly it was the saddest experience ever. There was only 2 barely considered to be called games and one was broken. The condiment bar had lettuce browning and tomatoes that looked like they were in their deathbed
That is my memory of all three times I’ve eaten at Fuddruckers.
I eat there for the food. The games were actually new here in Florida. Didn’t work but honestly didn’t care that much
Oh you must have meant to eat lunch at an arcade.
This and the Hungry Howies all you can eat pizza buffet were the culinary highlights of my family's yearly sping break trip to Florida.
Went with my grandma to our local Fuddruckers. Suffice to say it was the most fun I’ve ever had at a restaurant with my grandma and the food was amazing!
I've only eaten at the one in Dublin, CA while house sitting (it's still open, BTW) and I really enjoyed the food and would go back again in a heartbeat! I also got the opportunity to be "the cool uncle" when my niece and I went because after we ordered we waited at the taller tables I called "the bar" and when the food was ready we just stayed there because to me it made sense! She was thrilled by that because she said her parents always made her go sit at a regular table with them! Haha!
We had a Fuddruckers in my town, I loved that place. Great burgers and I also loved the fries. Unfortunately they shut the doors a few years ago. People still talk about how good it was and miss it.
Fudruckers in Florence, Kentucky closed due to mistakes by employees. It seems that the tea dispensers were cleaned with bleach and some of the bleach was left in the dispensers. A customer got tea to drink and when he consumed he immediately began having health problems. His kidneys shut down and he had to have a kidney transplant. Needless to say, that restaurant did not last long after that. I would assume that the customer sued and probably received a settlement, as he should have.
My dad always used to take us to Fuddruckers for special occasions, seeing all of the locations close down like this makes me sad considering the burgers and chili cheese fries are some of my all-time favorites. Last year, he took us all to Austin to eat at one of the last locations they have here in Texas, and it still tastes just as good as we remembered!
Im not so sure about one of the last lol. Theres 10 in the Houston metro alone…
As a Texan, I grew up as a kid in the 90s, eating Fuddruckers all the time. It was, and is still delicious. Good memories
The used to have them in Los Angeles too.
Went to Fuddruckers several times in my early 20s (a little over a decade ago) and I was always the only customer. It's a shame, their food was actually really good and the fact that you could buy beer there was mind-blowing to me at the time.
Yeah, but they got so expensive. You can read my comment above. I can't spend $15 bucks for my own burger. Then, I've got to think of wife & mother too. They charged too much.
My family went fairly often to the location near us in Cincinnati up until it closed in my teenage years. Those burgers (and especially that toasted, buttered bun!) were definitely yummy and the big thick steak fries were good too. I had just assumed the whole company was no more, since I've never seen another location in my travels haha. If there was a brand resurgence and they opened one anywhere near me I would happily support it!
Lost ours in my town in So Cal. Went there every other month or so. Also enjoyed it. Really a shame that it didn't make it after so many years. Their burgers were unusual and consistently good.
I remember calling Fuddruckers, Fudukaburgers as kid because the name was so ridiculous for a child to say. It wasn't until I got older that I started to appreciate the build your own burger concept. Hopefully the new owner will restructure this chain and find success.
We called them Fuckrudders. They were great.
Ruddf***ers
Our fuddruckers was positioned right in front of a small lake that had lots of ducks. I remember everyone always bought an extra bun to go feed the ducks outside. Our fuddruckers is luckily doing well still.
Billings MT?
Yo Where at?
you used to feed ducks fake bread? your neighborhood sounds like fools who don't really like ducks. You probably gave them cancer or worse.
Lucky ):
Don't feed bread to ducks. It is very bad for them and they cant digest it.
A buddy took me to the first one in San Antonio when I was stationed there. Love the burgers, but I’ve just rarely lived near one.
Loved Fuddruckers! Best wishes for much success bringing the franchise back!
I grew up going to my local Fuddruckers with my family. My dad is a big Beatles fan so it was always a memorable visit when we got to sit at the Beatles table. I even had my high school graduation party there. When my location closed up during Covid, I was devastated. I have so many childhood memories eating there and miss it dearly.
Having their own bakery and butcher shop within the restaurant was a great concept, and I remember it well. They first opened in the 80's near us in Flint, Michigan, and we loved it. I think they need to reconsider that part of the experience, bring it back to it being made more onsite. That's what people will pay extra for in a burger
Was the water the best part?
Agree, and we used to love to buy fresh loaves of bread there
Jeez - I am from Canada and my sister moved to the Flint area in the early 90's.Every time down we would go to Fuddruckers. I think it was on Miller Road - on the other side of the highway was a big mall we used to go walk around. Big and Tall store across the street from the mall. Memories...
It's a story as old as time. What made them great was a simple menu and fresh ingredients from top to bottom. Buns baked daily, fresh meat ground daily, etc., to shortcuts of frozen crap, buns shipped in loaded with preservatives, etc.
Man this was my favorite burger place growing up, I would go there for every birthday I had for like 10 years straight. When I visited my hometown and found out that location had closed down, I was absolutely crushed
There is one Fuddruckers location I've known my entire life. I don't know if it's been the same franchisees the entire time, but a few years back a truck drove straight through it and they kept operating with over half the building off-limits. They made it through the pandemic and I just checked and they're still open! It's been a few years, and this made me so hungry for a burger...
I know the exact one you're talking about, I live near it! I mean what are the odds that there's more than one Fuddruckers that's had a truck plow through it? I was just there yesterday and they noticeably have some issues with getting supplies but they still make a mean burger.
Fuddruckers the Invincible
I used to love going to their locations back in the day.
They closed every store in my state back in 2010ish. Sad part was some locations were still listed as open online and I wasted some time driving to a location just for there to be an empty lot. I loved the bison burger and the nearly endless topping bar.
The idea of the condiment bar is genius. Before Fuddruckers, there was a place on 6th St. in LA called Cassell's that cooked your burger on a really unique broiler, with your choice of Swiss or American cheese, on a big specially made tray. You would then go to the condiment bar and load up on all the trimmings. They had very fresh veggies and dressings, as well as fruit. You could pile it on the burger and make a salad on that big tray, too. They even had a delicious homemade potato salad, all free (one trip) with your burger.
Eventually, the owner got old, and sold the place, but the spirit that drove the place was gone. He must have been quite a guy, very inventive (those grills!), and his employees stayed with him. Very few places like that any more... Fuddruckers was a kind of plastic version, and I enjoyed their burgers now and then, but Cassell's was a unique pleasure I never forgot...
@@gilmeza is it really that good ? I’m by van nuys lol I’ll probably give it a try
@@__Mikee23 i think it is. They're on the smaller side, so if there's a line or you're hungry grab a couple lol. No fries, just bagged chips and canned soda. Bill has to be in his 90s by now. So everyday he's open is a blessing. I can't say they're the best burgers ever, but they're unique, in a good way. And I'm sure some of the flavor is from the seasoned griddle top he's been cooking them on now for literal decades.
It may be "genius", but was old hat to me, having gone to Adventurer's Inn in New York City and environs ca. 1960. Cafeteria for sandwiches and hamburgers (plus fries, pastries, etc.), condiments bar for both. Attached game rooms and one had outdoor rides ("Fun Fair") that might've been seen as the main business. So it was about equally suitable as family fast food and an outing. Nathan's bought some of the locations.
My hubby and I absolutely love Fudds. We consistently drove 45-90 mins to visit different locations as they started shuttering locations closest to us. All 5 are now gone. We love you got to decorate your own burgers. Amazing burger, buns, toppings, fries, and onion rings. Great cookies and milkshakes too. We enjoyed the decor too.
Probably not the "world's best hamburger", but for the price point and considering the toppings bar concept, it is absolutely the best you can get outside of the top end casual dining restaurants. And as a kid I absolutely loved putting as much cheese sauce on my fries as I wanted.
I hadn't been to one since I was a kid until a couple years ago I found one in Virginia when I was working there, and sure enough it was just as good as I had remembered. It became a regular stop for lunch while I was working there and a way better value than going to some chain like Applebees, and definitely better quality than fast food.
It sounds like mismanagement has been their issue as a company because it certainly isn't the food that is the problem. It would be a shame if Fuddrucker's disappeared.
That cheese sauce was great. I'd basically scoop the cheese sauce into my mouth using the fries as spoons. Being a kid, the first time I ate the 1/3 lb burger, I felt like such a big man - that I graduated from the 1/4 lb burger.
No it's the best I've talked to the official burger guy
It's really interesting to hear that Fudds is struggling in the US. In Canada, the sole location for the longest time has been in Saskatoon, and it is easily the most popular burger place in the city. They even have an associated "Fun Centre" with mini golf, batting cages, and an arcade called Ruckers.
Not sure if it’s still this way but kids meals used to come with a coupon for a couple tokens at the arcade
There is one in Regina too! Last time I was in SK I went to both!
@@benjaminrklein Yeah all of us Saskatoonians were quite upset when that happened! 😅
@@PlasmaTwa2 haha I didn’t know it was there. I guess I almost never go to Regina.
This is exactly what i was thinking. I went at 845 two weeks ago on a Thursday and it was packed. Place is always busy in Saskatoon.
I always loved the cheese sauce they had at the condiments section, and I wish more places had that! Loved putting it on my burger and getting some on the side to dip my fries
The cheese sauce on their seasoned wedge fries is probably the comfort food from my childhood that I miss more than anything in the world. Fuddruckers was the go-to after baseball games and sporting events, and even though I was indifferent to the burgers (they're admittedly good, now that I understand it as an adult), but my excitement for their seasoned wedge fries with a cup or two of hot cheese sauce to dip them in was off the charts.
So sad that most locations are gone, IMHO. None of what filled the closed locations shoes comes close to being as awesome, and I feel like I need to go out and find a Fuddrucker's in LA and have a feast if it's possible.
I’m writing this from a Fuddruckers right now lol. I used to go there all the time as a kid but it closed over a decade ago. I was driving for work and saw it on an exit sign on the highway in NJ. I didn’t even know they were still in business but apparently there are only 2 in Jersey now. I’m eating the Kobe burger and bun still tastes exactly like I remember it all these years later. I googled what happened to them and came across this video. It’s actually one of the best burgers I’ve had in awhile and pricing isn’t too bad. I really hope they can turn it around, seems like we’ve all got fond memories of it