1 Carl's Jr. -- hold the Paris Hilton

No, Tacoma, Carl's Jr. did not fail the WASL: $4.19 is the price of Carl's Jr.'s Original Six Dollar Burger. Carl's just calls it that because the Southern California-based burger chain –- to paraphrase corporate burger-speak -- markets restaurant experiences at fast-food prices.

Carl's Jr. opens its first outlet in the greater Tacoma-Seattle area today, in a brand-new building at 5925 Sixth Ave., just west of Pearl Street in Tacoma. Carl's will expand into the greater Tacoma-Seattle area with about a dozen stores over the next three years.

If you've eaten at any of the 15 Carl's Jr. restaurants in Eastern Washington and around Vancouver, you might know that the Original Six Dollar Burger has been served with all kinds of toppings -- from jalapeno peppers to Portobello mushrooms to onion rings.

If you've had a similar burger in the Midwest or Southwest, you'll know Carl's Jr. as Hardee's.

If you've seen Paris Hilton's sudsy yet slutty commercial for Carl's big burger, you'll know that the company (3,000 outlets 43 states and 13 countries) isn't blowing char-broiled smoke when a press release claims that it's "known for its hip, edgy television advertising."

(Speaking of Paris Hilton, the skinny strumpet digs fast food. When she was pulled over on a drunken driving beef Sept. 7, Hilton said she was heading to In-N-Out, one of L.A.'s finest (but not national) burger chains. Recently, Hilton was pan-handled coming out of a McDonald's drive-thru and gave the burger beggar $100. Click here for more celebrity fast food news.)

As reported in the TNT's business section, Carl's Jr. seems to be thumbing its nose in general not only at competitors but at the healthier fare touted by McDonald's and Wendy's. CKE Restaurants Inc., the parent company of Hardee's and Carl's Jr., just introduced a jumbo-sized cheeseburger smothered in sliced steak, and a burger weighing in at 1,420 calories. Carnivores and grease lovers, rejoice.

"I think the health craze is happening mostly among journalists," CKO CEO Andrew Puzder told stockholders this summer.

This story was originally published September 20, 2006 at 11:45 PM with the headline "1 Carl's Jr. -- hold the Paris Hilton."