Cozy Inn Makes List Of Best Quality Budget Restaurants
KSAL Staff - Thu 03:09 PM 07/12/2012
A long-time Salina eatery makes the list of best quality budget restaurants in the country.
The Cozy Inn has been chosen as a AAA One Diamond level establishment.
AAA annually ranks the best 50 quality budget restaurants in the country. Inspectors evaluate restaurants on a scale of One to Five Diamonds, from simple eateries with specialty menus to fine-dining restaurants with renowned chefs and expert service staff.
The quick-serve Cozy Inn burger eatery was built in 1922, when hamburger stands were revolutionizing American dining. It has a "cozy" atmosphere with only six wooden stools and a small waiting area. It features simply delicious burgers and palm-sized sliders nicknamed "Cozies."
AAA says that the Cozy Inn is "definitely a nice slice of Americana".
Full list of 50 AAA Inspector Picks for Budget Dining:

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getumgranny
Thursday 12 July 2012 16:21 Report this comment
Wonder how come they haven't been on that show, Drive-ins, Diners and Dives!! That guy goes to all kinds of places.
TheMan
Thursday 12 July 2012 17:03 Report this comment
AAA better eat at "White Castle" way better than Cozy. White Castle has the true "Slider's". Cozy Inn 2 locations in Kansas, White Castle has several locations in several States. Give me a break.
TheMan
Thursday 12 July 2012 17:07 Report this comment
I better add that White Castle started in 1921, in Wichita Kansas, and that Cozy is copycats. I have seen White Castle burgers in the frozen food seciton of several supermarkets, but have not noticed Cozy burgers there.
footballfever
Thursday 12 July 2012 18:26 Report this comment
2 guys started a business...one wanted a franchise, the other didn't...so they parted their ways and Cozy Inn was born. They didn't copy White Castle.
TheMan
Thursday 12 July 2012 19:00 Report this comment
fooballfever read Cozy's own website and you will see that they followed White Castle, and followed the fad.
jimdingo
Thursday 12 July 2012 19:33 Report this comment
Cozy's have more class and taste than any White Castle I've tasted. Grab a bag and take them home. Heavenly.
2gud4u
Friday 13 July 2012 00:01 Report this comment
There is something this burger joint has that not one single white castle joint has.. Cozy has the one and only grill ever used since the business began..
2gud4u
Friday 13 July 2012 00:08 Report this comment
The story behind the grill. Years ago the grill they have now was in bad shape and needed to be replaced. So they tore the grill out and put in new grill. Customers were complaining the burgers did not taste the same and this went on for days. The orignal grill had been thrown out. Then was decided to be brought back in. The new grill was taken out and the old put back in.
2gud4u
Friday 13 July 2012 00:10 Report this comment
The burgers just did not taste the same on the new grill compared to the old.. All due to the grill was already seasoned from years of use..
2gud4u
Friday 13 July 2012 00:27 Report this comment
http://kansastravel.org/cozyinn.htm
GETALIFE674
Friday 13 July 2012 12:53 Report this comment
COZY BURGERS SUCK AND ARE WAY OVER PRICED. WHITE CASTLE IS DEFINATELY NUMBER ONE PLUS YOU DO NOT LEAVE A WHITE CASTLE SMELLING LIKE SOMEONE'S TOILET.
GETALIFE674
Friday 13 July 2012 12:57 Report this comment
JIMDINGO YOUR CRAZY AND YEA GRAB A BAG OF COZY'S SMELL UP YOURSELF AND CAR TAKING THEM HOME. DO NOT DARE GO OUT IN PUBLIC AFTERWARDS BECAUSE YOU WOULD REEK OF SMELL. iF ANYONE EVER BUILT A WHITE CASTLE IN SALINA COZY INN WOULD DISAPPEAR IN 3 MONTHS OR SOONER. WHITE CASTLES COST LESS AND ARE BETTER TASTING.
equineman7
Friday 13 July 2012 13:03 Report this comment
I grew up on white castle burgers and when I came out to Kansas everyone in salina said how great cozy's were. Not even close but in the years I have been here I have eaten a few until the price went up to over eighty cents. I can still buy white castles cheaper and yes like the other person stated not smell like a toilet when I leave the restaurant. I do not know how many times I have ruined jackets trying to get that smell out of it. Evidently whoever gave them the award did not come into that joint.
equineman7
Friday 13 July 2012 13:07 Report this comment
2gue4u oh that grill that spent time in the city dump yea you should be so proud to bring that up. Plus you never know what you are going to get when you order a cozy. Depends on who is making them and I have got some that could not even be used as a hockey puck. Not so with White Castle's they are uniformally made and taste the same whether you eat them in NEW JERSEY or Ohio.
equineman7
Friday 13 July 2012 13:11 Report this comment
2gue4u you forgot to mention the city dump. The health department should of closed them down back then but they did not. If they tried that today they would shut them down immediately. And actually the burgers tasted better on the new grill.
equineman7
Friday 13 July 2012 13:12 Report this comment
Granny you think guy wants to leave the cozy smelling like he was swiming in the sewage treatment plant. Plus he probably does not want to smell up his carmaro.
djnoclaf
Friday 13 July 2012 18:04 Report this comment
I would support the smaller family owned restaurants any day rather than a chain. Cozy Burgers are awesome. White Castle freezer burgers?? Booooooooooo
djnoclaf
Friday 13 July 2012 18:07 Report this comment
to The Man: How many preservatives are added to your White Castle freezer burgers?
ROCKER
Friday 13 July 2012 18:35 Report this comment
WONDER WHY THE SCHEME DIDN'T GET RANKED, FOR THEIR OIL SLICK PIZZA'S ,AND A ROLL OF PAPER TOWELS TO SOAK IT UP ..
Iamgonnagetu
Friday 13 July 2012 19:19 Report this comment
Djnclaf first I could not imagine a greasy cozy being frozen. Naturally any frozen food is not going to taste the same. But if you compare hot off the grill cozy does not compare. Let's compare the real thing. The only reason to buy frozen ones is that I am not alway's in an area that has a Castle. I do not believe you ever ate at a white castle.
Iamgonnagetu
Friday 13 July 2012 19:29 Report this comment
One other note since ownership of the cozy changed the quality has dropped while the price has soared. Plus I agree that the help turnover is great and the people doing the cooking has been terrible and non-consistant there have been times I wish I could get my money back. The burgers were much better 30 or more years ago. All the new owners want to do is raise prices and they are not interested it what the public is being served and the low quality meat being used is greasy as hell.
m674011
Saturday 14 July 2012 06:52 Report this comment
Triple D is coming to cozy inn just not sure when white castle made sick ever time i had then If u don't care to have that great cozy inn smell on u then stay away from area
TheMan
Saturday 14 July 2012 08:03 Report this comment
I am going to throw in another twist. If you have ever been to the South East there are Krystal Burgers. They look like Castle burgers but still dont have the great taste of a Castle burger hot off the grill. But even Krystals is better than Cozy. Sure you can buy Cozy's by the sack but White Castle burgers are so good you buy them by the "Crave Case".
TheMan
Saturday 14 July 2012 08:35 Report this comment
A thought just came to mind, and I am sure some of you can remember the Burger King commercial back in the day, where there is a little old lady and she say's "Where's the Beef". If the poor old woman saw a Cozy burger I am sure she would be saying that. Cozy all bun.
Iamgonnagetu
Saturday 14 July 2012 19:23 Report this comment
Theman it was the Wendy's commerical.
Iamgonnagetu
Saturday 14 July 2012 19:31 Report this comment
M674011 So you love the the cozy BO smell evidently you never take a bath and it covers your normal body odor. More people get the trots after eating cozies than any other place in Salina. Might be that dirty unit the meat is stored in under the counter. So they are going to do a triple probably charge over $3 for it. Just shows the demise of cozy is getting closer.
tlamastus
Saturday 14 July 2012 22:40 Report this comment
I like cozy hamburgers, how ever they do give me diarrhea, and besides that they will cause your arteries to clog up. These hamburgers are NOT at all healthy for you then they ask you what kind of chips do you want. Needless to say No More Cozzies for me!
TheMan
Sunday 15 July 2012 18:45 Report this comment
Iamgonnagetu, I believe you are correct and that it was Wendy's old lady that coined the phrase "Where's the Beef". Poor tlamastus stick with White Castle the original gut bomb.
Iamgonnagetu
Monday 16 July 2012 21:34 Report this comment
Whoever owns the cozy is living on its past reputation. The constant turnover of those cooking has caused a decline in consistency of the cozy.