Krystal is prevalent in this here area. As a transplant, it always struck me as a White Castle analog, which is rather odd since i'd never lived anywhere White Castle had shops. Howerver, i suppose my father's wistful recountings of getting sacks of White Castle (where if you asked for no onions, the gentleman would obloging wipe the onions off with the edge of his hand, careful not to drop ashes from his cigar as he grinned at you), jumping onto the streetcar and heading to the "talkies" all for a nickel in the youth of his St. Paul. I think the "talkies" were a bit of a stretch, much like the 5 mile, uphill struggle through snow and grizzly to an educational facility manned by militant nuns hellbent upon causing permanent joint failure in the hands of the entirety of Minnesotan youth through swift justice applied by wooden rulers.
They tore down the Krystal and are building a walgreens.
The only white castle i can disctinctly recall eating at was in Louisville, and while the "hamburgers"' mere odor turned my stomach, i remember being distinctly taken by the tiny little chicken sandwiches made of chicken patties in an "o" shape. "oh, it's a chicken patty!"
I have never heard of "Five guys", i have heard of Rally's but do not recall seeing one; although it is possible i saw one in Cincinati but have blocked those thoughts from surfacing along with other Cincinati memories.
Cotton Patch? while i will readily admit to having been in The South only 10 years or so, i can not imagine i would want to eat in a Cotton Patch.