Home of the Smashburger

When I travel, I love to try out regional diners. I like to hear the conversations of the local people, listen to their dialects and eat their food, although in some places it might not have been such a good idea. I figure that's why they make Immodium.

Anyway, traveling through Pikeville, KY brought me to Dairy Cheer, Home of the Smashburger. I'm not a big fan of burger joints, to be quite honest. I much prefer a grilled cheese sandwich and pickles at some diner counter, but it was lunchtime, and the rules of the road for that day didn't allow much time to locate food. Having never been to a Dairy Cheer, but suspecting it was much like a Dairy Queen, it was something for the Been There, Done That log book.

First of all, I still don't have any clue what the actual definition of a "Smashburger" is, or why it's called that, other than the obvious. The menu also listed a "Smasharue," which I can only determine is a "Smashburger" with cheese. I ordered a "Smashburger," with onion rings on the side. When I got it, it was wrapped in foil, and was fairly flat. The buns were very soft and oversized. The meat was, shall we say, some combination of meat and something else. It came with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle just as most burgers do. It wasn't hot, and tasted a bit like it had been under a warming unit for a while, but what the heck.

The onion rings reminded me of the ones I used to order when I lived in Atlanta, GA, and went to the Varsity for lunch. It was right down the street from where I worked, and it was back in the early 80s, so it wasn't as notorious or packed to the gills with people as it is now. The onion rings from the Varsity were over-fried and greasy, just the way junk food should be. Loved 'em, and still do. It's a cholesterol dilemma for me, but since I don't make a habit of eating them every day, I figure I can get away with it from time to time.

The other menu items were typical: corn dogs, hot dogs, fries and a whole complement of ice cream products. The menu looked very much like Dairy Queen. The names were changed to protect the corporate innocents.

I doubt I'll drive off the interstate to visit another Dairy Cheer, but at least I can say I've been. And, for someone who is always on the lookout for somewhere new around the corner, I'm happy to have stopped. The onion rings are great. Order them.