I Haven’t Eaten Here in Over 20 Years – It Was Perfect

I hadn't been to this place in a very long time. But I found myself at 1 am Black Friday with a craving...and this was a God send.

It was good ol' Denny's!

It wasn't any ol' Denny's. It was the one on Brighton Avenue in Portland. It's been easily 20 years since I've been to that Denny's. It's probably been a good 10-15 since I've been to any Denny's.

Here's how I got there at 1 am on Black Friday.

I had just finished up handing out Dunkin' coffee and such at the lines at 3 different Walmarts. I noticed that the McDonald's in Windham was open! On Thanksgiving! Well, that got me thinking, that sounds good.

I figured when I was done with the Walmart in Scarborough, I'd hit up the McDonald's on St. John Street in Portland on my way bringing the Q Van back to the station.

It was not open. Mmmmmm. Okay, the one on Morrills Corner in Portland must be.

Nope. Well, at this point, I should just let it die - but the craving was strong. And now I was on a mission. I drove down Warren Avenue and thought, 'Oh Wendy's and Burger King with the GIANT sign I bet are open.'

Nope.

Wait - there's a McDonalds on Larrabee Road!          Closed.

I was dejected and thinking...I'm an idiot. Go home. I was driving up Riverside to Brighton Avenue when I saw it. The Denny's sign. Lit and open! 'They have burgers!'

I drove in and walked in and ordered a cheese burger to go. I sat at the counter while my order was cooking. It was so funny. I remembered going to this Denny's another life ago. Perhaps nursing a hang over...and needing some sort of slam. It didn't seem to have changed much and looked like the perfect setting for a movie. Ya know, the kind where the protagonist stops in at 3 am and thinks about how to get the girl back.

I loved it. I plowed through my cheese burger while driving the Q Van back to the station at around 1 in the morning on Black Friday. A perfect ending to a crazy day.