White Castle — Restaurant in Maplewood

I have been going to this White Castle ever since this BUILDING was built and I went to the FORMER White Castle building in THIS location BEFORE this CURRENT building was built.

We used to go to the Maplewood White Castle after watching the football game and the Marching band at Maplewood High school across the street and even when Maplewood used to have Hardees up the street. So, I know the history of Maplewood's White Castle.

White Castle has been in Maplewood since at least the 80s and has always been one of Maplewood's major restaurants. This is one of the locations that people from out of town goes to and experience White Castles for the first time or other people may have been away from St. Louis for a while, and want to experience White Castles again. Thus, they'd go to this one.

I'd say from the last White Castle building to THIS current building, White Castle has always been good. But, it seems like the quality of the food (at least their burgers) has gone down SLIGHTLY since this building was built a long time ago. Maybe they changed the recipe for their burgers and took out 1 or 2 ingredient or something. I guess the same is true with other White Castle locations and this might be universal with the White Castle franchise as a whole. But, they need to put those missing ingredients back.

My other complaint is White Castle has gotten significantly more expensive compared to back then. Those small burgers cost around $0.70. In fact as of now, if White Castles don't have good specials, you are better off going to Jack in the Box or going to McDonald's. McDonald's is located on a nearby street called: Hanley.

I truly think that White Castles is doing themselves a disservice by making their little tiny burgers super expensive and HAS lost money to many of the other nearby restaurants. Because, ever since they have gotten expensive, even I have been going to other restaurants.

My final complaint is minor but it is something that urks me: But, since when have they been calling their burgers "Sliders????" It's called "White Castles" not Sliders!! White Castles was the name that me, most of my friends, family, classmates, and neighbors remember! In fact, we actually did a Facebook survey and we all agree! Nobody liked the name Sliders. Again, this is minor, but the word Sliders seens off to me and a lot of people. I will ALWAYS remember their burgers as White Castles because it's what I am used to and it actually sounds better in my opinion. And it seems White Castle is getting away from their roots by calling their burgers something other than what their burgers has ALWAYS been!

As for the Maplewood location itself: The location is great. It's very easy and self explanatory to get your order whether one goes through the drive thru or goes inside. It has ALWAYS been clean inside from the YEARS that I have gone there and it's a nice place.

Thus, if you want White Castles as they CURRENTLY are, then go to the Maplewood...

Waited at the drive thru window for 10-15 mins for my order and there was no one in front of me! It appeared they had a big order that had came from the dining room and they appeared to be directing ALL of their energies to that order and none to the drive thru. As I waited several people that had placed orders behind me drove off rather than wait. My reward for waiting? Room temperature/cold White Castles. I've never had anything but hot WC from the drive thru window so this was a new low. Cold food and slow service is not what I crave.

Update: Went back to this location and AGAIN they had ANOTHER big order the were working on as I sat at the windows watching 2 workers prepare the "big order" everyone in drive thru was at a complete standstill. I've seen the way WC employees can quickly get these burgers ready - but unfortunately it looked like they had two people that looked like they just started THAT DAY getting the sliders ready while we all waited for the grass to grow. Seriously they were putting these sliders together with a slowness ive never seen before in a WC. I understand everyone needs to start somewhere - but how about when you DONT have a giant order and drive thru has cars wrapped around the building? FINALLY aster 10 mins or so one of the more seasoned workers started helping them, but by that time i had already waited long enough. Never during my wait did anyone instruct me about the wait, had i known they were busy with a big order and training new people, i would have happily went elsewhere.

Another update: I guess i'm a glutton for punishment but I gave this location another try. Big mistake! With only two cars ahead of me i waited 15 mins..finally i left. They were probably working on another big order because they SURE weren't tending to...

I grew up eating at this White Castle (80s-90s). I even stopped here on my Senior Skip Day to have lunch.

They DEFINITELY changed.

The burgers were completely undercooked. I threw half of them away because I couldn't muster eating them all (I even wonder if they gave me vegan burgers).

I pre-ordered and even arrived 10 minutes after the time the app provided for when my order would be ready for pickup.

A young lady greeted me as she was coming out of the restaurant to give someone their food. I proceeded to stand in the restaurant for a few minutes, looking around, waiting for someone to address me. Finally I saw a more mature-agee woman come from the back, who made eye contact with me, but did not acknowledge me. The young lady returned and then she and the mature-agee woman started to converse as they made their way to the counter. I was then asked for my order, which I told them I was picking up the online order under my name, before being asked if I wanted anything else. The young lady handed me my food and then returned to conversing with the more mature-aged woman before I was told that they had to refill the shake machine and it would take an additional 5-6 minutes to wait. I I formed them that I did not have that time available and proceeded to leave; having to lose out of my shake as well as ultimately having burgers that tasted like I was eating...