For anyone looking for an offbeat (and economical) Valentine's Day dinner, I highly recommend making a reservation at White Castle. Yes, you will need a reservation, and you will be directed to a busier-than-usual drive through if you don't have one. Yes, they only do this one day a year.
You'll be treated to a host stand and table service at a fast food purveyor known for selling miniature hamburgers "by the sack." The floors are carpeted with paper "rose petals," there's an area with a background for taking selfies, there are decorations hanging from the ceiling and in the windows... There are plastic tablecloths, a rose-like decoration, a battery powered candle, and chocolates on the tables.
Don't expect "fast food" or an attentive server (remember, they only do this one day a year)... But, it's a fun experience. Some people dress up, and you see families with kids, girls' night out, etc. They print special menus, but you can also order off the regular menu. Unfortunately, our location was out of Sloppy Joe sliders (clearly marked on the menu board when we walked in). They were also out of the Mac n Cheese Nibblers, which our server informed me after I tried to order them. I did get to try the French Toast Slider with bacon and jalapeño cheese, and it was really good, although a bit light on the bacon. The jalepeño cheese had a bit more kick than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. The rest of my order consisted of four regular sliders with brown mustard--those are my go-to (although not all locations will put mustard on the sliders and I'm pretty sure not all locations use brown mustard instead of yellow as standard).
