When Uncle Crappy’s readers have a question, I try to respond.
A search that has been bringing people here a lot recently: “Closest White Castle to Pittsburgh.”
I’m not sure why Mr. Google thinks I’m an expert on White Castle — and all the associated steamy, luscious, oniony goodness — but I’ll let someone else worry about that. Here’s your answer:
1) 2900 S. Arlington Road, Akron, Ohio This is actually just off I-77 between Akron and Canton, easily accessible from a nearby exit. Google Maps says this is 110 miles from my front door in Brighton Heights, and that it’ll take 1 hour and 58 minutes for me to get there. I know for a fact, however, I can get there much faster.
2) 5095 Northfield Road, Bedford, Ohio I can’t vouch for this White Castle personally, but it looks to be a pretty easy one to find as well. It’s in Cleveland’s east suburbs, kind of out by Solon and Chagrin Falls. From my house? About 115 miles or 2 hours and 6 minutes.
It’s got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it’s got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It’s a model made before catalytic converters so it’ll run good on regular gas.
It’s 110 miles to Akron, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses.
hit it.
About two years ago(+), I nearly got Mrs. Woy to hop in the car and make a day trip to Cleveland to partake of the White Castle.
Frozen version available at Giant Eagle, not as good, but close. We used to have a chain called White Tower that made small burgers but they were round (and good), my local White Tower sat right next to the theater in Oakland.
Woy: Try something like this: “Honey? I’m going to take WoyGirl for a ride. We’ll be back in four or five hours.”
BEV: I’ve always wondered about White Tower. Similar to the taste of White Castle at all?
And — I hesitate to recommend the frozen ones to anyone who hasn’t had them before. They’ll do in a pinch, but if you’re trying White Castles for the first time, you should do so at one of the restaurants. Preferably sometime after midnight. And several drinks.
How sad is it that as I was reading the Akron distance, I was thinking, “Dude, I could get there in 90 minutes. Tops.”
Mind you, I lived about five minutes from there during college. Good ol’ Arlington Road was a frequent shopping destination for us.
Also, it very much so sucks that the White Castle in Stow closed. That would be 10 minutes closer, if it were still there.
I was very young when White Tower was around, I remember them having the same chopped onions, but not like getting a twelve pack of WC’s at 210 am. Now a joint called Krystals is very close, had them in Georgia and other states down south, almost identical, square even.
I’ve had Krystals once, a couple years ago in the airport in Atlanta. Pretty good stuff, but they’re not my Castles.
When I was at a conference in New Orleans in my last job, every late night meal (post beverages) was Krystal. Agree with @unclecrappy – it’s close but no cigar.