Stratford's Old Danny's Drive-In Is Flipping Burgers Again, and Two Still Cost $6.50

For 87 years, if you were hungry on Ferry Boulevard, you knew where to go. Danny’s Drive-In fed generations of Stratford families before it closed in 2022. Then the little building became a bagel shop, and for a lot of locals, that felt a little wrong.

One man who grew up on Danny’s burgers did something about it. Burgers and hot dogs are back at 940 Ferry Boulevard, and two of them still cost $6.50.

The kid who missed Danny’s

Restaurateur Richard McLain told Susan Braden of the CT Post this summer that the idea started with a craving. “Now, I was a kid that grew up eating Danny’s hamburgers… they were the best burgers,” he said. “And then all of a sudden I went there one day, like last year, it was a bagel place.”

McLain is no newcomer. He owns the Nataz restaurants in Southington, North Branford and Clinton, which the CT Post described as fine dining. Next to the Southington and North Branford locations, he built a fast, cheap sister concept called the Great American Street Food Company, better known as GASFCO.

Bagel Boutique, which had spent about three years in the old Danny’s building, closed earlier this year, according to Patch. McLain grabbed the spot, and in September The Connecticut Scoop reported that GASFCO had opened in Stratford and in Clinton, at 1 West Main Street.

A burger stand that dodged I-95

The site has more history than most fast-food counters. According to the history on Danny’s former website, as summarized by Patch, Danny’s opened in 1935 as a three-season hamburger stand with a flip-up facade. When the interstate highway system came along and I-95 was headed its way, the stand moved out of the path and reopened on Ferry Boulevard in 1952.

That’s 70 years in one spot, which is why so many Stratford, Milford and Bridgeport families have Danny’s stories. To be clear, GASFCO isn’t Danny’s and doesn’t claim to be. But the building is back to doing what it was built for.

Stratford’s economic development director, Jim Capra, liked the match. “This is a fantastic addition to the community and a great use of the space,” he told the CT Post in an email. “GASFCO will offer a menu similar to the historic Danny’s Drive-In, featuring high-quality food at very reasonable prices.”

‘It’s our grind’

Ask McLain what makes the burgers different and he’ll point to the meat. “It’s our grind,” he told the CT Post. GASFCO takes the prime Black Angus beef trimmings from his full-service restaurants and grinds them into an 80/20 blend of lean meat and fat.

The hot dogs have a Connecticut story too. McLain said the “dogs” are actually small kielbasas from Martin Rosol’s in New Britain, the company known across the state for its franks and Polish sausage.

The other trick is the format. Almost everything comes in twos. Two burgers, two dogs, two chicken sandwiches, or four tacos, for about what one combo costs at a drive-thru chain. McLain told the CT Post the place is built around takeout, with ordering online or at a kiosk out front, which saves on labor and overhead and keeps prices low. “We’re gonna be friendly, we’re gonna be engaging, but really, the new way of doing things is online,” he said.

What to order

Prices below are from GASFCO’s online ordering menu for its Clinton and Stratford locations as of Oct. 11. Check the menu before you go, since prices can change.

Bleu Cheeseburgers (2) — $6.50

The one the CT Post singled out: two burgers, each with bleu cheese crumbles, melted sliced cheese and garlic aioli. If you want the plain version, the Hamburger Hamburger and Cheeseburger Cheeseburgers are the same price, dressed with lettuce, tomato, onions and GASFCO’s Glick Sauce. There’s also a Shrooms Burger with sautéed mushrooms.

Chicago Dog (2) — $6.50

Two Rosol’s dogs on poppy seed buns with the full Windy City treatment: mustard, bright green relish, sport peppers, tomato, a cucumber spear and celery salt. Want it simple? The Lenny is two dogs with relish and mustard, also $6.50.

Cincinnati 3-Way (2) — $6.50

Two dogs topped with Cincinnati-style chili, diced onions and shredded cheese. It’s the closest thing on the menu to an old-school drive-in chili dog.

Daily Taco (4) — $5

Four street-style tacos on warm flour tortillas with shredded cheese, coleslaw, peppers and onions. There’s a vegetable version, the Vaco, at the same price.

Bronx Chopped Cheese — $7

Seasoned chopped beef grilled with onions under melted cheese, finished with lettuce, tomato and relish. It’s the one item on this list you get one of, and at $7 it’s still cheaper than most delis.

Klucker’s Nugs (12) — $5

A dozen chicken nuggets in a corn-flake batter, made for dipping. Feeding kids? This plus a $2.50 side of fries or onion rings is hard to beat.

Also worth a look: the N’awlins Shrimp Po Boy (two buns, three fried shrimp each, $9), the Detroit Klucker chicken sandwiches (two for $5), and shawarma wraps (two for $5). Salads run $5 to $9.

What we couldn’t confirm

GASFCO’s Stratford location is only about a month old, and we couldn’t verify posted hours for Ferry Boulevard, so check the online ordering page before you drive over. The CT Post’s summer preview also mentioned a New Haven-style porketta sub, clam strips, whole bellies and lobster rolls. Those weren’t on the online Clinton and Stratford menu when we checked, so don’t count on them yet.

Been already? Tell us how it stacks up against your memory of Danny’s. We’d like to hear from readers who ate at the original.