I never thought I'd write a review about White Castle, but after last night's experience, they're truly deserving of one. It's a little lengthy but trust me, once you start, I'm sure you'll finish it. lol
My son's friend wanted to treat me to White Castle, but was still at work. He said he'd call it in and pay for it, if I picked it up. I told him to choose the location on the corner of Main and S. Hamilton (Whitehall area). He used the White Castle app to order the "20 Sliders for $10" special (have to do it on the app or online), then texted me to tell me it was done. Being caught up in our activities at home, I wasn't aware that he'd already placed the order. When I saw the notice on the phone, it was 15 minutes after. This is important because it's a 15-minute drive to the restaurant, so by the time I got back home, the burger would be at LEAST 45 minutes old.
I sped over to White Castle, saw several cars in the line and decided to run in. After notifiying them of the order, they checked for a few minutes and told me that they didn't have any order in the system. After brief discussion, they noted that there was another location, further south on Hamilton. I called Tim (son's friend) and asked where he placed the order. He checked his confirmation and gave me the address. Yup, further south (another 10-15 minutes). I asked the store manager if it were possible to transfer the order (knowing it had long since been made) as well as the payment (a longshot). He said they could switch the order, but he couldn't transfer payment. I fully understood and thanked him as I exited the restaurant.
As I was driving, I called Tim and asked him to call the other location, acknowlege our mistake and ask if it were possible to make a fresh batch. He did, called back and told me that they said it would be no problem. I arrived about 5 minutes later, at the drive-through and identified myself. Since these were customized sliders, I knew they weren't going to just grab any other pre-made burgers, unless they used the previous order.
To my surprise, they hadn't begun the replacement order and told me that they wanted my order to be fresh. I confirmed the special order and they went right to it. They produced a pre-paid receipt, which they had me sign. Upon reading it, I noticed that it was for 2 orders, totaling 40 burgers. I asked if they were supposed to make 40 and they said yes. I texted Tim, asking if he ordered 40, but didn't receive a reply, so I took the order and sped home. From this location, it was only about 15 minutes.
By the time I returned, he had texted "yes" and all was good.
I'm giving them 5 stars because for starters, I love White Castle hamburgers, despite the negative opinions of my friends. I think the meat and subtle moisture of the mildly crispy buns taste greate! I grew up on them, remembering when they were 25 cents, loving the compact size (I prefer them without the pickles or onions; only ketchup and mustard. That combo made them more pleasant for my wife and kids). Anyway, I was extremely impressed at how helpful the management and crew were at BOTH locations, including their kindness, considering they had to throw away 40 sandwiches.
And yes, the burgers were fresh and warm when I got home. At least, the remaining 34 were.
[Yes, I know this review could have been shortened to one paragraph, with fact only, but what's the fun in that? lol] read more