There Are No Krystal Or White Castle Locations In Colorado — So Visit This '80s-Founded Fast Food Chain For Burger Sliders

Colorado has plenty of burger chains: Whataburger, In-and-Out, Shake Shack — the list goes on. But it doesn't have two of the country's most popular: White Castle (which literally invented the slider) and Krystal, home of Elvis Presley's favorite fast-food burger. While it may not have those mainstays, the state has its own homegrown fast-food haven, Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard.

Good Times has 27 locations in Colorado and two in Wyoming. The chain has its own mini-burger, the Bambino Cheeseburger, which is comparable to those of the aforementioned competitors in size. However, while White Castle and Krystal use square patties and steam their burgers, Bambinos are made to order on the grill with all-natural beef, American cheese, pickles, and Bambino sauce. They come in a pack of three but can be ordered solo, too.

Locals love Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard and sing its praises online, especially for the sliders. "Big fan of the Bambinos ... we love getting a bag of Bambinos to split," says one Redditor. "It's local from the owners to the dang meat!" says another Redditor. "Bambinos three-pack feat. cheese with wild fries is exceptional," says another.

Good Times opened in 1987 but is the little sister to Round the Corner, a Colorado burger chain that started in 1968. Round the Corner was a sit-down fast-food joint where orders were made from the table using telephones. Good Times was a drive-thru spin-off, though Round the Corner eventually closed all its locations by 2000.

Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard may not be one of the most unique dining experiences in the state, but the menu includes regional flavors. The fast food chain uses all-natural, hormone-free beef, chicken, and dairy, celebrated with the saucy tagline "At least something is drug-free here in Colorado." 

White Castle paved the way for fast-food burgers, but Good Times' menu is uniquely Colorado. It embraces quintessential regional ingredients like green chiles in items such as the Colorado-style breakfast burritos and green chile and cheese Wild Fries  — you can even order a side of chiles with your Bambinos. Other staples to order with your Bambinos are its legendary Wild Fries & Dippin' Sauce  — removing the lightly battered, spiced fries from the menu caused so much uproar, the chain had to reverse course. Good Times is also famous for its blended frozen custards (aka Spoonbenders), but Colorado is such a dog-lover's state that there's one for pups called the Pawbender, with frozen custard, dog biscuits, and peanut butter drizzle. Coloradans wait for the seasonal Oregon blackberry frozen custard with anticipation.

Redditors love more than the Bambinos. "Green chile cheese fries, drool," said one. "I love their Oregon blackberry custard more than I've ever loved anything/anyone in this world," says another. So if you find yourself hungry and in Colorado, pull up to a Good Times and get yourself an order of Bambinos, green chile and cheese Wild Fries, and an Oregon blackberry custard.