The Great Dennys Roadtrip
One of my greatest discoveries whilst riding in America would undoubtedly have to be Dennys.
Always open
Dennys is a chain that seems to be present everywhere a traveler would most need one; that is, along main routes between states, truck stops and everywhere in between.
Pancake breakfast with apple pie milkshake
I hesitate to call it fast food as although they are fairly quick with their service, the food cannot and should not be compared to some of the other American junk I tried such as McDonalds, Wendys, Arbys, AW, DQ Orange Julius….Yes I ate a lot.
Chicken fried steak with root beer float
As a 24 hour restaurant its also available at any times, especially useful when getting into town late in the evening.
Chicken fried steak with apple pie milkshake
Although a lot of people criticised me for eating at Dennys, it was affordable (at around $10-15 per meal) and accessible. And when you’ve spent the whole day riding, simply getting a warm and wholesome meal into your stomach is a lot more satisfying than hunting out the local gourmet cuisine…or eating a sandwich from the service station.
Sizzling hot plates
More than just the food though, Dennys was a also a great place to people-watch and of course, steal their wifi.
One of the best Dennys experiences I had was in Utah where I sat for a couple of hours talking to a heavily pregnant server (not like I had any schedule to keep to). She told me how the servers received about $3.16 per hour and were expected to make up the rest in tips, giving me a much better understanding of tipping culture in America.
Heartwarming pot roast
She also mentioned that as she was originally a California girl, it was one of her dreams to see the beaches of Australia. So, along with a generous tip I also left her a little something extra which I hope brightened her day a little. Small souvenir koalas which I left for or gave to people I encountered along my journey. Unfortunately in some cases I just didn’t have them on me when I happened to interact with people.
In addition to this great interaction, I was also ‘lucky’ enough to see guys in full cowboy attire just chilling, an arrest being made outside the front door and of course enjoy Dennys after a few too many drinks; all of which I am assured adds to the ‘authentic Denny experience’
Dennys locals….cowboys
On a closing note, I would totally be open to sponsorship by Dennys.
