Whataburger with Jon Gabrus (LIVE)

"Whataburger with Jon Gabrus (LIVE)" is Episode 138 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Whataburger with Jon Gabrus (LIVE)" was released on January 25, 2018.

## Synopsis

On the final stop of the Doughboys' Texas tour, Mitch, Wiger, and guest Jon Gabrus (*Raised by TV*, *High & Mighty*) pay a visit to iconic local burger chain Whataburger.

Recorded live at the Texas Theater in Dallas.

## Nick's intro

"*Everything's bigger in Texas.*"

The origin of this unofficial motto of the Lone Star State is uncertain, but was widely in use by the 1950s. But Texas isn't actually the biggest of the U.S. states; it comes in second to Alaska, which has more than double its land area.

And in population, Texas also ranks second to that left-coast liberal enclave, California. But while the differing state-level politics of these two territories practically puts them on different planets, they overall have more commonalities than contrasts. Both are economic powerhouses representing the top two economies of the U.S. and two of the three biggest agriculture producers in the nation. Both have three of the ten biggest cities in America and both are the home state of three U.S. Presidents. Both have historically elite NFL franchises that have each won five Super Bowls (the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys). And, unique among states, both were briefly independent nations before joining the U.S., the California Republic and the Texas Republic.

And there's another point of view of these geographically sprawling, culturally diverse [?] that each border Mexico and the ocean: the cheeseburger.

Both states are home to beloved regional burger chains that inspire fierce loyalty from locals and weary skepticism from outsiders.

In 1948, in the inland SoCal city of Baldwin Park, California, Harry and Esther Snyder opened their drive-in restaurant, In-N-Out Burger.

And in 1950, in the coastal south Texas town of Corpus Christi, Harmon Dobson and Paul Burton opened their quick-service eatery with a name meant to reflect what a customer might exclaim when tasting [??].

But these burger-based businesses took different paths to the top. The one in California with a red, white, and yellow poster and packaging with palm trees and Bible verses, and the Texas one with orange/white decoration.... [*the music swells drown Nick out here*].

While In-N-Out has resisted franchising, the Texas chain has embraced the industry standard practice and now has 25 franchisees and expanded their brand throughout the South and Southwest.

While In-N-Out has remained laser-focused on the simple lineup of burgers, shakes, and fries, its Texan counterpart has embraced a typically sprawling menu of a modern fast-food chain, offering chicken sandwiches, patty melts, and a full array of breakfast options. And while everything may not be bigger in Texas, in this case it is. While In-N-Out Burger has 326 locations, Texas's burger icon has 805.

This week on *Doughboys*: Whataburger.

## Fork rating

* Whataburger Patty Melt
* Whatachick'n Bites
 Mike Mitchell
* Whataburger Jr.
* Monterey Melt
* Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich
 Jon Gabrus
* Chorizo Burger
* Whatachick'n Sandwich
 shared
* Onion Rings

With these scores, Whataburger joins the Golden Plate Club!

## The Wiger Challenge

In The Wiger Challenge, Nick presents Mitch and the guest with a mystery beverage and they try to guess what it is. The closest guess is declared the winner.

For this episode, the mystery drink was Big Red Cream Soda.

 audience member Skylar

## Quotes

**Mitch:** Fat Train.
**Jon:** I'm Engine, and this is The Caboose! We'll see you in the ring, brother!

**Jon:** It's like brushing your teeth, but worse.
**Mitch:** It's like brushing your teeth, but you suck on the toothbrush until it turns into a knife.

## #hashtags

* #DeadDadsClub vs. #WellAdjusted
* #UniversalDip

## Related Episodes

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* 136. Shipley Do-Nuts
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## Photos (via @doughboyspod)

Whataburger Jr.Honey BBQ Chicken Strip SandwichOnion RingsPatty MeltDouble Meat WhataburgerFrench FriesSpicy Ketchup, Fancy Ketchup, Salsa Verde