Seems as if the 50s was an era of burgers. Quite a few of the more well-known burger joints (McDonald’s and In-N-Out, for example) started midway into the 20th century.
Nation’s Giant Hamburgers is another burger joint in that club. The first location opened in Oakland in 1952, and today, there are 25 locations around the Bay Area.
Famous for its “giant” hamburgers and whole pies, the Nation’s on University Avenue seemed like the perfect place to stop by for a late-night meal with ABA Cabinet (woo!).
I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with “ole” green chilis, as well as a slice of apple pie. The burger itself was pretty tasty – nicely sized, with lots of condiments. The chilis added a mild kick of flavor, but the burger fell apart after a couple bites, forcing me to eat the rest of it with a fork.
The apple pie was pretty average – maybe because it was late at night and no longer that fresh. But I do hear that Nation’s is well-known for its banana creme pie.
My only gripe with the place was that service was pretty abysmal. Again, it might have been because it was pretty late and they were severely understaffed (quite a crowd of hungry people, too), but I had to wait at least 25 minutes for my food, and they kept messing up on the orders.
Apart from that, Nation’s seems like a good place to grab a quick and tasty fast food meal.
Nation of burgers at www.thefoodspotlight.com.