Lisa P.
Yelp
SO.
FREAKING.
HAPPY!
I totally KNEW there was one or two in town, but just randomly drove by the other night... yes, I swerved at almost 9 o'clock and got a FULL freaking meal. WHAT? I grew up with this stuff!
It's part of a Love's truck stop/weigh station/regular gas station complex... and the Carl's part of the sign is TINY. Seriously, I had to circle a few times just to get into the parking lot (don't turn in from the access road and take the first right thinking you're getting in from the back... you'll exit the weigh station's driveway and circle AGAIN!) - but it didn't cool my jets one bit.
Also, I'm kinda half in love now with the flirty, silly guy with gold toofs running the cash register. Hey, I'm easy. Whatev.
Carl's is a little step up from normal fast-food burgers... and although I loves me some Western Bacon Cheeseburger (bacon, cheese, bbq sauce, onion ring), it doesn't love me. Who cares when they have a Charbroiled Chicken Club?! (The CC Salad is the tits, too)
So, to set the scene: whole wheat bun, mayo, just-crispy enough bacon, swiss-ish cheese, leaf lettuce (my burning hatred for shredded is well-documented), and maters. LOTS of maters the way I do it (could've sworn it used to have sprouts? Who cares, I'm at CARLS!!). That's the stuff that surrounds the magical chicken. Whole breast , with just a bit of some sauce... not bbq exactly, just a little sweet-ish tangyish addition. And this IS magical chicken - it is so tender and not dry and almost fluffier than usual or something.
Hard to explain, but trust me - it was like When Harry Met Sally in my car all the way home: MMmmm! Oh. Oh, mah GAWD! YES!!... like that. Shut up, don't judge - it had been EIGHT YEARS. Also, I texted everyone I know who used to live in CA but doesn't anymore: Don't hate, congratulate! Guess what I'm getting all over my face right now? (Carl's' old slogan: if it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face!)
Honestagawd, they could tell me that the sauce is a highly addictive carcinogen that will make me grow bawlz or something, and I'd probably still be back. It's tasty.
Cris-cut fries are yum (think ChickFilA waffle fries), as are lots of other things here. Not the point. The food is good, but that's almost secondary to me. Just try it and then spread the word so that this place never goes away, please!