Runza

I have to assume you are only reading this if you aren’t from Nebraska, because if you are, you already know. First, to put Runza in context with the rest of the restaurants on this site, it is a fast food chain. But it is a fast food chain that originated in Lincoln, and besides a couple random locations in the surrounding states, is a Nebraska-only fast food chain. So my comparison of Runza is relative to other fast food chains … and it just flat out dominates all of them.

Ok, fine, I’m pretty biased here, Runza is Nebraskan comfort food. But seriously, in the fast food world, their burgers are awesome, their fries are great, chili & cinnamon rolls are fantastic, and of course my favorite, their Runzas are one of a kind.

This probably sounds strange, but “Temperature Tuesdays” in the winter sums it up for me. On temperature Tuesdays, the price of a Runza is the temperature outside that morning. I’m not a frugal person and saving a couple bucks on a fast food item has never made me excited. But there’s something about freezing temperatures and waiting in line for a half an hour to get a Runza that makes me feel super Nebraskan. What does this all mean for you, non-Nebraskan reader? It means if there is one thing you do on your visit, that one thing should be to get a Runza (original, without cheese) before you leave town. When in Rome …

---