Living in California certainly has a bounty of benefits: the weather, the beach, the entertainment…but it’s not without its negatives. The two biggest bummers: Insane taxes and a complete and utter lack of Whataburger.
I’ll save my detailed Whataburger rave for another time (it’s lengthy), and I won’t even entertain the In-N-Out vs. Whataburger silly debate (’cause that’s like arguing what’s the better car: a Yugo or a Benz). I’ll just explain to my friends who have never tried a Whataburger, that it is the best fast food burger, period; boasting a great patty, always crispy veggies, and that perfectly and lightly toasted and buttered bun. In fact, I’d even choose a Whataburger with cheese over one of those fancy, giant steakhouse burgers anytime.
Anyway, I’m in California now, where the nearest Whataburger is a seven-hour drive to Tucson. Yeah, just a little out of the way for those random, often late night Whataburger cravings. (Don’t think I haven’t contemplated driving to Tucson just for one!)
So when I am visiting Arizona, Texas (birthplace of the WB) or any other state with a Whataburger, best believe I will always, always make s stop. Or multiple stops.
Houston‘s George Bush Intercontinental Airport is one of my favorite connections, because even if I’m on the way to a Whataburger-less state, I can always enjoy my favorite hamburger during my layover. I’ve almost missed flights because of this addiction and sometimes I’ve even bypassed a non-stop flight for a flight with a connection in Houston, just so I can get my Whataburger fix.
One time (at band camp), before the Houston Airport Whataburger ever even existed, I left the airport to take a cab to a nearby Whataburger during my layover. I couldn’t stand the thought of being in Texas for three hours and not having one!
So why in the world doesn’t DFW (Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport) host a Whataburger??? You think it would be a natural for one of the world’s biggest airports, located in Texas, right? Thankfully, the hamburger gods heard my prayers and are finally bringing a Whataburger to DFW!
I only found out about it today on my DFW layover. As I do every time I’m at DFW, I do an online search for “Whataburger DFW,” which usually comes up empty, but I always check “just in case.” I literally cried out loud today, when this time, my Google search brought up news of the new Whataburger at DFW. People stared at me as I blurted out a hearty “Hell yeah!”
Sadly, the reports I pulled up online didn’t give a specific date, other than “July,” and today is June 29th. Drat! But that’s okay…I don’t mind waiting a little longer. Just knowing that there will eventually be a Whataburger at DFW warmed my soul.
I was almost to my D gate when I turned around. I had to stop by…I had to see it. Even though it wasn’t open, I couldn’t leave Dallas without seeing something. So it was back on the SkyLink and over to Terminal E to see if could scope out this new Whataburger in progress.
Like most guys, I refused to ask for directions and spent about 40 minutes wandering aimlessly around Terminal E, looking for some kind of Whataburger storefront “under construction.” Didn’t see a darn thing.
I finally asked an airport employee who showed me the way to the special Terminal E “satellite” offshoot, and I was on my way!
It was down some escalators and then across a very long hall, I assume under the runway. Then back up some escalators. Upon ascending into the mini-terminal, I immediately saw a cordoned off storefront that I suspected might be the new Whataburger. The man at the nearby Starbucks confirmed it: it was in fact the new Whataburger. I was sooooo close…but Phooey! It was completely hidden–very well–by tall dividers, with not so much as even a crack to peek through! I was afraid my lengthy and out-of-the-way trip to Terminal E had been in vain. I wasn’t expecting a special “coming soon” stand with free hamburgers, but I at least wanted to see what the new storefront looked like, take a selfie in front of it, etc. Man, I couldn’t just leave now, I was so close!
So when traffic died down, I looked around and when I saw that there were no airport employees in sight, I quickly moved one of the dividers to slip inside. I imagined getting hauled off by airport police for a security breach, and missing my flight, all because I wanted to see a fast food logo, but it was worth the risk. But I was foiled again! Once inside the dividers, I was immediately met with a giant wall of drywall. I heard activity going on behind it, but I’d hit a complete brick (or drywall) wall. There was no way in and no signs of anything “orange.” Just a big, menacing wall.
