Maryland may lack a White Castle restaurant, but the state can now boast of some of the chain’s most celebrated fans.
Based in Columbus, Ohio, the iconic fast-food joint has been immortalized in movies and music, and has developed a cult following of “cravers” who can’t get enough of those tiny square burgers that rest on a steamy bed of onions between two square buns.
For the most elite eaters, though, there is the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame: the equivalent of the Grammys or Oscars for hardcore devotees. Each year, 10 or so loyal fans from across the country are inducted into the ring of honor.
This year, a family from Clarksville in Howard County made the cut — after submitting a nomination called “It’s All in The Family.”
Barbara Smole shared the honors with her son, Sean, and her father, Dick Sorenson, who lives in Columbus. Smole’s entry recalled her father’s insatiable love of White Castle, and how it has been passed down to a new generation.
Smole’s best childhood memories, she said, were special days when she approached the door of her childhood home in Columbus to the smell of onions even before the door opened.
A defeated mom
For Smole, that odor meant a sack of White Castle hamburger sliders was inside, along with an angry mother who claimed defeat knowing that her well-planned dinner was being overshadowed by a hamburger in a cardboard box.
“My dad loves White Castle,” Smole said. “His excitement for White Castle was palpable. You could see it in the twinkle of his eye as he placed a bulging bag on the table for us. My mother would usually roll her eyes, knowing that our appetites for her dinner would be ruined. No other food could compare to the delicious little sliders in front of us.”
Smole’s father was such a fan that he even purchased 400 sliders and had them placed on silver platters for guests at her 2002 wedding reception.
“The place went wild,” she said. “Our late-night snack is still talked about all these years later.”
Later, Smole said her son developed a love for the burger and became his Papa’s slider buddy.
Every time the Clarksville family went back to Columbus, grandfather and grandson would take a trip to White Castle, where they would dine on sliders and craft towers out of burger boxes, competing for the tallest construction.
The tower lives among other memorabilia in the Smole house, including a White Castle candle that smells like the burgers.
Creativity helps
That generational loyalty that earned the Smoles the nod from the company, which owns 350 stores in 13 states. Overall, to determine the hall of fame’s most worthy Cravers, the judges set criteria based on loyalty, creative presentation, originality and magnitude of the crave.
“As a family-owned business for over 100 years, the Smole family’s story quickly resonated with us,” said Jamie Richardson, White Castle vice president. “Reading their entry about three generations connecting through a shared love of White Castle quickly stood out as a true Cravers-Hall-of-Fame-worthy story.”
Smole and the other members of the 2020 class participated last week in a virtual induction ceremony that featured acceptance speeches, appearances by White Castle leadership and family members. In addition to getting recognition at the ceremony, the 2020 inductees also will receive a commemorative plaque and their stories will be featured on the restaurant’s slider box packaging in 2022.
“This whole thing has been crazy, but it’s so exciting,” Barbara Smole said. “When I told my father he was a recipient as well, he didn’t understand. He thought I was the winner. It’s so exciting because being in the Hall of Fame was on his bucket list.”
White Castle created the Hall of Fame in 2001 as a way to reward its most passionate fans. The inductees – 262 to date – are chosen from hundreds of entries that show just how far White Castle super fans will go to satisfy their burger crave. The would-be hall of famers are expected to tell their funny, heartfelt and personal stories of love for the slider and how their experiences have created lasting memories.
“Year after year, we are amazed at the stories people share about their strong and unique connections with White Castle,” said Lisa Ingram, president and CEO at White Castle and a fourth-generation family member. “It’s so gratifying to know that we’ve played such a significant and memorable part in the lives of so many people.” Ingram joked that it’s easier to get into Harvard than to enter into the Craver’s Hall of Fame.
Sliding the slide
Smole said she also looks forward to visiting the chain’s headquarters in person with her family.
“The first thing I want to do is to slide down the slide,” she said, referring to a two-story, spiral contraption (in case you want to skip the stairs) within the building inspired by White Castle bakery chutes that spit out the square burger buns.
While some say it’s more difficult to be inducted in the White Castle Hall of Fame than to get into an Ivy League college, Smole laughed. “Sean has dreams of going to The Ohio State University, but Harvard would be nice,” she said. “And then after he’s done, an internship or job at White Castle would be great, too.”
To find the White Castle location nearest Baltimore, or to read more about the Cravers Hall of Fame and the Smoles award, click here.
