Foster’s Freeze, started in Inglewood, California by George Foster in 1946, and claims to be California’s oldest fast food chain. They now have nearly 100 locations, as well as a marketing agreement with El Pollo Loco, which sells their ice cream (soft serve) products.
The full name is Foster’s Old Fashion Freeze, and the full-line cafes come in a variety of shapes and sizes with full menus that include burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and rings.
I was rolling through Lucerne, California, (“America’s Switzerland” – but don’t tell the folks of New Glarus, Wisconsin, or my pal Alicia Spradlin that!), the other day, Northern California’s beautiful lake country, and spotted a roadside Fosters at high noon. I am en route to Porkland, OR, but it was still a long hike.
Being as it was also time to download the morning’s coffee, it seemed like an excellent opportunity to revisit this California icon.
I say icon, because in one tale, the a Foster Freeze was where the “t-bird” girl was parked, who was later memorialized in the Beach Boy’s song “Fun, Fun, Fun.”
The standard burger at Fosters is called “The Original”, about a 1/4 pound and comes dressed with lettuce, tomato, and gobs for Fosters secret sauce, on both the top and bottom of the bun. The special sauce, as at most places, is a variation of thousand island. This particular Fosters was very generous with the sauce.
As you can see from the pic of the entire sandwich, the bun was beginning to show its age, but overall, this is a good burger, and I like the fact that with the combo, they give you a choice of fries, waffle, or rings at the same price.
Ambience is one thing that makes for a pleasant burger experience, of course, and sitting in the sun, next to California’s largest natural lake (entirely within California), made for a pleasant Foster’s burger stop!
Fosters Freeze Review