h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I live in America but traveled to Sweden in October 2002. I was actually a little surprised at the quantity and prominence of U.S.-based fast food company restaurants. Convenient, but not quite what I was looking for.

The kebab places had a good variety of relatively inexpensive items for those looking for something other than hamburgers, though they often offered some type of hamburger option. I enjoyed chicken salad, gyro salad, gyro sandwich and meatballs with mashed potatoes at various kebab restaurants.

Kebabs usually kept later hours - for example, until 2200 or 10 p.m. Cafes and sandwich shops often had daytime only hours, until 1600/4 p.m. or 1700/5 p.m. or so. Kebab service is not quite as "instant" as a fast-food restaurant might be, as they assemble your meal to order. But it's usually only a matter of a minute or two.

In Arvika, Värmland, I actually walked out of my hotel restaurant, where I had contemplated the featured three-course dinner, because the server was so slow to return to take my order and I had not even been served a drink yet. For my supper that evening, I instead went back to a place called Danny's where I had a nice lunch the day before, and this time made sure to take a menu with me when I was finished. They are a good example of the potential variety in a "kebab" restaurant, with a nearly 100-item menu of pizza, salad and hamburgers as well as kebab, priced from around 40 to 60 SEK.

So next time you're in Sweden, try a meal at the place with the "Kebab" sign.