Pal’s Sudden Service is unlike any fast food restaurant you’ve ever seen
There is a clamor for a famous burger chain or two to set up shop in the Smokies.
Some want Whataburger. Some crave Fatburger.
While others want an In-and-Out. But what if I told you they don’t need these West Coasters to come to the mountains?
What if I told you the best burger chain in America sits just a few miles up the road from Sevierville and Pigeon Forge and it’s located in a building that looks a lot like a Lego block?
Pal’s Sudden Service is a burger chain slowly working its way over from Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Founded in the 1950s with 31 locations, Pal’s has built a cult-like following with its relatively small menu, efficient service model and tasty treats.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Pal’s & Their Secret Menu
Pal’s Sudden Service is a bit of a throwback in the fast-food industry.
There’s no indoor seating in most of them, and you can find outdoor tables at the original location in Kingsport, TN.
Pal’s is a drive-through without a speaker box.
That’s right, this restaurant relies on nothing but pure face-to-face human interaction.
The light blue/teal Lego buildings are instantly recognizable for the giant hamburger, hot dog, large drink and Frenchie Fry placed on each location’s stair-stepped façade.
The staples are basic. The Big Pal. The Frenchie Fry. The hotdog with chili, mustard and onion. There’s nothing flashy or fancy.
That said, Pal’s isn’t afraid to get a little weird with it either. You can order the Chilidog without the dog – aka the Chilibun – or the Sauceburger, a burger drenched in the slightly spicy ketchup-based Pal’s Famous Sauce.
There’s even a “secret menu” for the locals. Aka off-menu items that you have to be “in the know” to order – like the Dipped Big Pal and a Peachy Sprite (we’ve already said too much!)
If you’ve ever seen “The Founder” – the Michael Keaton movie about how Ray Croc kinda stole McDonald’s from the McDonald’s brothers – Pal’s gives a vision of what might have happened if the brothers kept the chain.
Pal’s is world-renowned – it won a prestigious international award for its quality service. How they get people to operate so efficiently in such a small space is nothing short of a miracle, frankly.
Why Are People So Obsessed?
I mean, it’s good and part of that is that it’s a franchise that hasn’t outgrown itself.
If you go to a Pal’s in Johnson City your experience is going to be just like the Pal’s in Jefferson City or Morristown.
And that goes to the ingredients as well.
Look, I’m going to talk here about anecdotal experience and some things I believe to be true.
You know how Red Lobster just went bankrupt?
Well, for years, I’ve thought Red Lobster just wasn’t hitting the way it did when I was a kid.
Well, when the bankruptcy stuff came down, I found out that Reb Lobster had changed ownership at least once or twice and now a seafood company had a least a piece of the chain and was forcing it to buy its seafood in-house.
It wasn’t as good as it had been when I was a kid.
The same thing can happen when large corporations get in the way of management decisions. Corners get cut in quality and over the years, things can change.
With local leadership, Pal’s is thankfully, still Pal’s.
Largely due, I suspect, to the founder Fred ‘Pal’ Barger’s original mission to never build a location farther than 60 miles from the flagship store in Kingsport.
I reckon a Big Pal today is pretty much the same Big Pal it was 20, 30 or 40 years ago.
Also, the burger is real. You know how they can take some fast-food burgers, leave them out and they’re so chock full of preservatives they don’t go bad?
Pal’s ain’t like that. It’s a real burger with the grease to prove it.
Real ingredients make for a better dining experience.
What’s On the Menu?
We talked about the Sauceburger and the Chilibun, but Pal’s also serves a Chipped Ham Sandwich and the Big Chicken, which is slices of deli-style chicken meat served like a hamburger on a bun with lettuce, tomato and a slice of American cheese.
It just looks wrong to me. But it is a favorite amongst at least one of our staff.
But that’s not the wildest thing. Currently, Pal’s is offering the LiL Philly Chicken Melt. It looks a little like cooked chicken salad on a hotdog bun.
It may violate the Geneva Convention – I’m sure it does. But I’m comforted by the fact that it’s there.
Like most corporations run their menu items through 17 levels of committees. Pal’s apparently has a guy in the back of the Elizabethton location throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.
Every so often they’ll put something out of left field on the menu for a limited time. Sometimes it works – like the patty melt – and sometimes it’s like a science experiment broke out of the lab.
Two more menu items. The Cheddar Rounds – essentially tater tots injected with melty cheddar cheese – and the milkshakes are to die for.
Fans have been begging Pal’s to offer Cheddar Rounds outside of breakfast for years. So far, without success.
If you want the full Pal’s experience get the Frenchie Fry – they come with a hearty dusting of seasoning salt – and a Dr. Enuf, a Sprite-like beverage that is beloved in Upper East Tennessee and unknown most everywhere else.
Finally, Pal’s wouldn’t be an East Tennessee institution without a proper sweet tea. Sure, you can get the regular tea but consider living on the edge with the Peachie Tea or the Razzie Tea. Do they have unsweetened tea? I’ve never thought to ask. I suspect if you did, they’d toss you out of line and ban you for life like “Seinfeld’s” Soup Nazi.
You can see their full menu (minus their secret menu items) here.
Closest Location to the Smokies
Currently, the closest location to Sevier County is Jefferson City, located at 104 Mossy Creek Drive.
There are also two Pal’s in Morristown and Greeneville. So, if you’re coming down to the Mountains along I-81 you shouldn’t have any problem finding a Pal’s.
Currently, Jefferson City is as far down as the franchise comes but I have to think it will only be a matter of time until you’re buying Big Pals in the Smokies, Knoxville and Maryville.
While Sevier County and the Smoky Mountains are pining for a classic hamburger chain to make its way East from California, there’s a better option just 30 miles up the road in Pal’s Sudden Service.
The regional chain with the cult-like following is slowly marching towards Sevier County and the day it arrives – like a conquering hero – there will be much rejoicing.
Read More…
These Are the 5 Best Foods and Snacks To Try at Pal’s Sudden Service
East Tennessee local shares list of best food and snacks at Pal’s Sudden Service
Pal’s Sudden Service – the regional fast-food chain in Northeast Tennessee with a cult-like following – is an institution for some and a total mystery to others.
It was founded on an ideal of rapid service – hence the name. There’s a fairly basic menu with better ingredients than most national chains.
Yes, Pal’s burgers do have grease. The chain with its unusual architecture is growing its footprint and also gaining national attention.
That means Pal’s is getting close to the Smokies. So, what do you, a Pal’s neophyte exploring the region, choose for your first Pal’s experience? Reader, I’m are here to help.
Pal’s Sudden Service is a regional fast-food chain beloved in Northeast Tennessee. For years the public has been clamoring for Pal’s to move south into Sevier County and beyond.
With locations in Jefferson, Hamblen, Hawkins and Greene counties (and also several Virginia locations) Pal’s is now on the cusp of the Smokies.
The best menu items at Pal’s
1. Cheddar Rounds
Friends, we are starting with some controversy at the top. There is a schism among Pal’s devotees.
For instance, some recognize the Cheddar Round as the peak of culinary fast-foot achievement and some are wrong.
Cheddar rounds are tater tots injected with molten lava-style cheddar cheese. They are snackable.
They don’t need any condiments. I think they should be available 24/7 and not just for breakfast.
Not for nothing, but the rest of the Pal’s breakfast feels like it’s in development.
The biscuits and gravy are OK, but the rest of the breakfast biscuits are just some kind of meat – sausage, bacon, country ham – on a biscuit.
They need a little something like egg or cheese to combat the dry nature of the biscuit.
I don’t want to get into secret menu territory, but a splash of gravy on your sausage biscuit is a difference-maker.
2. The Big Pal
Pal’s has a classic burger with mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion.
You may be tempted to go for the Double Big Pal, but I think the extra meat throws the ratios off a bit.
Stick with the classics. This can be ordered with cheese or bacon also.
3. The Frenchie Fry
These are golden brown shoestring potatoes with more than a dash of “special” seasoning salt. What’s special about the seasoning salt?
I think it’s probably just the paprika-looking seasoning salt you get at the store, but let’s not quibble.
If McDonald’s can call Thousand Island dressing “special sauce” then Pal’s can have a special seasoning salt.
4. Peachie Tea
Pal’s makes sweet tea in a way that angers the British.
It’s super sweet and comes in a massive cup of ice. The key – however – is the peach flavoring that gives it just a little extra taste of the American South.
Peachie tea should be the official drink of freedom.
There’s also Razzie Tea – made with raspberry flavorings – but I think it is inferior to Peachie Tea.
5. Sauce burger
I’ll get more into this in a bit, but part of the reason Pal’s is beloved is that there’s a strange mid-scientist-at-work vibe to the menu.
Say hello to the Sauce Burger. It’s a Pal’s patty soaked in Pal’s Famous Sauce – which is akin to a mildly spicy ketchup and served on a bun.
You can add stuff like cheese or bacon to it, but you shouldn’t. It’s already perfection.
Honorable mentions
The Pal’s menu is odd.
Pal Barger – who founded the company in 1956 – was an odd man. In addition to the usual fast-food staples, old Pal or his descendants committed a certain peculiarity in their menu.
In addition to out-of-the-ordinary seasonal choices like the chicken cheesesteak which looks like a crime against humanity, there are menu items that make you believe somewhere Pal got a good deal on random surplus items like chipped ham and decided to throw it on the menu.
Other times, it’s time it’s like Pal’s is being strange just to be strange. Does Pal’s serve a chili dog without the dog?
Yes. It’s called a Chilibun and is listed on the menu under hot dogs despite a decided lack of a hot dog.
Does Pal’s sell a grilled cheese with lettuce and tomato on an inverted hamburger bun?
Yes, but why is the bun inverted? I suppose it is to save money on having to order bread.
Does Pal’s have a sandwich called the Big Chicken? Yes, it’s shaved chicken deli meat. So, does Pal’s have any sort of grilled chicken?
Aside from seasonal, occasional specials, nope. They just have the sliced deli chicken.
So, Pal’s Sudden Service is a Northeast Tennessee institution.
With its signature bright blue building that looks like a Lego block covered in fast food items, Pal’s is a classic but somehow unique take on classic burger grill dining.
If, when you travel, you want to try pieces of local flavor, Pal’s is worth the drive to Jefferson County or beyond.
Read More…
The Secret Way To Order at Pal’s That Will Make You Rethink Your Entire Meal
How to order the former ‘secret menu’ items from Pal’s Sudden Service
Somewhere out there, fast-food test kitchens are cooking up wonders to present to the rest of the world.
That’s how KFC delivered the Double Down – a questionable chicken sandwich that used breaded chicken breasts instead of bread.
But those of us in the know don’t need to wait for mad scientists in the Midwest to come up with something new.
Welcome to the wonders of the “secret menu” in which the consuming public uses its knowledge of available ingredients to create something unique.
What’s the best place to try a secret menu item? It’s hard to say, but for me, it’s probably Pal’s Sudden Service.
Fast food secret menus are all the rage. Getting to order something off-book and getting something kind of new can break up the monotony of your typical fast-food experience.
Does Pal’s still have a secret menu?
Pal’s corporate once sanctioned a secret menu that was hidden on the website.
For instance, visitors could poke around a bit on the website until they found a clickable brick leading to the menu.
However, Pal’s employees have kindly let us know that the official menu is no longer officially available. That said, some of the menu items were so popular that customers still request them.
Fortunately for us, Pal’s and their associates are friendly and want to please.
If they already have the ingredients, they generally don’t mind modifying their regular menu items for the “secret menu” customer.
Keep in mind, the following menu items no longer have official names, so you’ll have to ask for the modifications accordingly.
What to order from the old secret menu
1. The Dipped Big Pal
Pal’s is known for its menu quirks, but its signature burger isn’t quirky at all. It’s 1/3 lb of beef with lettuce, tomato and optional cheese or onion.
I find the Sauce Burger, however, a little quirky. It’s a burger patty drenched in Pal’s Sauce – which I find to be like a runny, spicy BBQ ketchup.
Where the secret menu shines – and I think you know where I’m going with this – is when you take both worlds and collide them together in one massive, messy fast-food amalgamation.
That’s right. the “Dipped Big Pal” is like a Sauce Burger and a Big Pal loved each other very much and made a burger baby. But regular-sized.
This is what the secret menu life is all about. To order it, get a Big Pal and add Pal’s Special Sauce.
2. The Dipped Dog or Cheese Dog
Pal’s Chili Dogs are certainly a customer favorite. Luckily, similar to the dipped Big Pal, a customer can request Pal’s Sauce or cheese on a hot dog, chili dog or bun.
To order it, simply add Pal’s Sauce to your regular hot dog.
Editor’s Note: The hot dog, plain chili cheese is one of my go-to orders. Adding the Pal’s Sauce gave it some extra tasty flavor that I might just make my new normal, but it can make the hot dog a little greasy.
3. The Neapolitan Shake
This one isn’t as far out there as the Dipped Big Pal. But Pal’s has three excellent ice cream shake flavors – vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.
Which of course, happen to be the same flavors as Neapolitan ice cream.
Get a large shake, 1/3 chocolate on the bottom, strawberry in the middle and vanilla on top, and now you’re L-I-V-I-N-G.
For this one, you can simply request a Neapolitan shake and they will whip one up for you.
4. The Frenchy Rounds
Again, simplicity and beauty are found on the secret menu.
The Cheddar Rounds – hash brown potato tots injected with molten cheddar cheese – are maybe Pal’s best menu item.
So there’s no need to keep them up a notch. But if you want to push the limits – have your rounds hit with a blast or two of the seasoning salt they use on the Frenchy Fries.
It’s as close as many of us normal humans will understand how it felt when Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon.
Again, Frenchy Rounds is just my name for them. I don’t know if it’s even caught on in the secret menu community.
If you pull up to the Pal’s window and ask for Frenchy Rounds, you might be met with stunned silence.
So to order it, ask for Cheddar Rounds with Frenchie salt. That should translate better.
Also, Pal’s associates will accommodate third shifters by allowing lunch orders at breakfast.
But no one has convinced the eatery to offer the beloved Cheddar Rounds at any time other than during the breakfast menu hours.
5. Chipped Ham and Cheese
If I’m being honest, Pal’s sandwiches strike me as odd.
But get a ham sandwich and hold the lettuce, mayo and pickle, add some cheese, and throw it between two toasted buns?
Now you’ve got something.
To order, get a Chipped Ham, plain with cheese.
6. Peachy Mello Yello or Razzie Dr. Enuf
Pal’s carries both peach and raspberry syrup for its Peachie and Razzie teas. However, nowhere is it written that you can’t add those flavors to other Pal’s beverages.
My two favorites – through some trial and error are the Peachy Mello Yello and Razzie Dr. Enuf. I assume everyone is familiar with Mello Yello in the Mountain Dew family.
However, Dr. Enuf has a very limited regional reach.
I don’t know anyone outside of Upper East Tennessee and the surrounding region who knows of it. It’s in the Sprite family – but not quite the same.
I can’t explain the flavor difference, but it tastes slightly more medicinal to me. Whatever makes Dr. Enuf taste like Dr. Enuf goes well with Razzie.
To order, simply ask to add Razzie or Peachy flavoring to your drink of choice.
7. The BLT
Pal’s already serves its quirky toasted cheese with a flipped over a hamburger bun, toasts the insides, and adds cheese, lettuce and tomato.
Have them replace the cheese with bacon and you’ve got a quality sandwich. Or if you prefer, simply add bacon for a BCLT – if that’s your thing.
To order, get a Toasted Cheese add bacon, or have them remove the cheese according to your preference.
The official Secret Menu of old is no longer available according to Pal’s.
Today, it’s the good-natured fast-food employees willing to go outside the box and make you something not offered on the menu.
If you roll up to a fast-food place hoping to try “secret items”, remember there’s no official obligation on the employees’ part to do extra work.
But, if they are willing to play along it can be a nice way to mix things up, try something slightly new or different, and enjoy familiar flavors in a new way.
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