Diners and drive-ins: Gino’s news, plus Burger Chef, Western Sizzlin’, Ernie McCall’s and more
Photo by flickr user Robert S. Donovan.
Psst! Breaking news about Gino’s came up last evening! Make sure you check it out. Could they end up in York again? Time will tell!
Last month, we did a fun roundup of some more restaurant memories.
Well, guess what? That generated more memories – big surprise, right?!
Bill Landes was kind enough to locate something that I’d heard of but couldn’t pinpoint. He writes, “If by Ernie’s you mean Ernie McCall’s North Pole Drive In – it was located at the southeast intersection of what is now Route 30 and Sherman Street. Ice cream in front and a grill that made the best sub sandwiches in York on the east side.”
Terry Downs weighs in on that one as well; he writes, “Now Joan, if we could get the wary travelers of pre-Route 30 to take a walk down Memory Lane: Of course most of us remember Avalong’s just beyond the Meadowbrook house (now site of Rutter’s), but just at North Sherman Street and Arsenal Road used to be ‘The North Pole’ which was a drive-in restaurant. Also just on the other side of No. Sherman was a restaurant which was named The Florida Room, and had a pool. I am not sure if there was lodging there or not. And at the far end of the stretch, when Loucks Road took you without any stops to Carlisle Road, down toward Kohler’s Hill was LeGore’s – a very popular spot with very inexpensive eats, again a drive-in. You could eat there for under a buck!”
Carol Woodbury says, “There was The Rambler way west on Rte 30 that may now be a bar, but in the ’50s it was a really good restaurant serving excellent roast beef. If you count downtown York as Rte 30, the Spinning Wheel across from the YWCA was a tea room sort of place with antiques.”
Bill Schmeer is a good Yorker – he remembers a good deal! He writes, “I remember Western Sizzlin’ Steak House had an All You Can Eat Sunday Brunch, which was great. Their steaks were also great and at a reasonable price.”
(Speaking of that: Does anyone remember Shoney’s out near the York Galleria, where Texas Roadhouse is now? They had a great buffet that I really enjoyed. There was also a place with a nice buffet near where T.G.I. Friday’s and Ruby Tuesday are now on Kenneth Road… it might have even been attached to the hotel there, but for the longest time I couldn’t place its name. Thank goodness for my commenters!)
Scott C. solved me mystery, saying “I would like to add Family Time to the list. It was a restaurant located adjacent to the Best Western Westgate Inn (Days Inn for a while). It has since been converted to a TGI Friday’s.” Oh, gosh, thank you, Scott; I was going crazy on that one.
He continues, “Another restaurant I remember going to was Rax near the Queensgate Shopping Center. It is now a Taco Bell. My grandparents would often take me to Subs Unlimited Plus at the Queensgate Shopping Center, which has since relocated to St. Charles Way.”
And Barry Ness writes, “What about the ‘Dog House’ on Memory Lane & East Market Street or even the old location for the Embers Resturant, Robin Hood, Polar Palace, Bright Star Restaurant. Maybe the Tropical Treat (Anderson’s) in Manchester?”
I know fellow Yorkblogger Buffy was talking about the Tropical Treat too. Sounds like that one was really popular!
Finally, another fellow blogger, Scott Mingus, sent me some details regarding one restaurant I’d had questions on. He says, “Burger Chef was a national hamburger chain, at one time second only to McDonalds in size. We had one in my hometown of Zanesville, Ohio, and it’s where I asked my high school sweetheart to go steady (we have been married for 34 years!)”
He continues, “The chain’s name and trademark food products (Big Chef, Super Chef, etc) are property of Hardee’s, which still uses the Burger Chef name in a couple of locations.”
Wow! Thanks, Scott, and thanks to everyone for continuing to combine two great things – food and memories! Keep “serving them up!”
