Youngstown - A&W Restaurant Last Meal

A&W Restaurant

A&W Family Restaurant located on Route 224 and West Boulevard is closing tomorrow. The details are sketchy but apparently the owners wanted to retire and attempted to sell the business but there were no takers. So, on December 31st, 2011, A&W will serve it's last mug of root beer and close it's doors for good. I believe Advanced Auto Parts purchased the property and will begin building shortly after the new year.

A&W was one of those old fashioned fast food restaurants. So old fashioned that they had car ports and waitresses would come out to your car and take your order and bring it out on a tray and attach it to your car window. Just like at Arnold's from the Happy Days television sitcom. The car ports are still there but alas, that type of service was discontinued a long time ago.

However, I remember back in my teens I would take my 68 Camaro to A&W and order up some cheeseburgers and root beer floats. The food was good as fast food goes, and the root beer was unique, a very good blend. Those were the days. But those days are gone my friends.

Patty and I went inside to order, it was not busy, perhaps 10 people sitting in the booths and two people ahead of us in line. We placed our order, I went with the double cheeseburger special. (A double cheeseburger and Root Beer for $3.49) I added a large order of french fries ($1.99) to complete my last meal at A&W.

Cheeseburger And Fries

Our meal took about five minutes to be ready and we took the tray of food to our table. As I unwrapped the cheeseburger, it didn't look at all like the A&W burgers from old. The bun was a generic bun, you can see the powder on the top of the bun. It was not buttered, not toasted, not warmed, just a plain old generic small bun. The burgers were also small, not at all as I remembered. And the taste, well, it was nasty. I liken the taste to horse meat. Patty told me to keep my voice down as I was ranting about the terrible taste. I replied, "What are they going to do, close the place down!" I choked down half the burger and left the rest in the wrapper.

I had hope for the fries. Alas, they were simple standard generic fries. No real taste to them and salty as all hell. And for $1.99 I was expecting perhaps a little more fries.

A&W Root Beer

Perhaps the root beer would be better than the meal. After all, the root beer is what made the restaurant favorite. I remember the tall thick frosty mugs they used to serve for in dining orders. That root beer just tasted fantastic. Not today's however. It was in a paper cup, and was flat and stale. No fizzle, no taste. I would think it was perhaps the worst soft drink I had the displeasure of tasting.

That was strike three for me. Patty however, said the chili dog was excellent so we have that.

Perhaps the restaurant was merely unloading what was buried back in their freezer long ago. (They never did find Jimmy Hoffa's body you know) Perhaps they didn't want to change the CO2 tanks in the soft drink machine. Who knows. Who really cares anymore. The place will be open only another 24 hours or so.

With heavy heart, because I really wanted A&W to go out of business on a high note, The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 1 out of 5 shots for the final meal at A&W Family Restaurant in Boardman, Ohio.

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C Staples - BBQ Chicken Dinner

Charlie Staples Chicken And Ribs

Charlies Staples BBQ restaurant has been around Youngstown for many years serving his own special blend of BBQ Ribs, Chicken, Pulled pork, and even Fish. This evening I was in the mood for chicken.

The restaurant was crowded, must have been a party happening that evening. (Wink) I made my way to my table and was quickly approached by our waitress who asked us for our orders. Very nice waitress and very fast service. I commend them for such service on such a bust evening.

The dinner consisted of four pieces of chicken smothered in a tangy BBQ sauce, two pieces of bread, and french fries. I received a breast, leg, thigh, and wing. The breast was the main part, and was fair sized and meaty. All the pieces were well cooked. The BBQ sauce just tangy enough to let you know you were dining in a BBQ restaurant.

The fries were surprisingly good. Well cooked and crunchy enough. I left the white bread alone.
The cost was just under $10 dollars with a diet Coke which was very reasonable.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 3.5 out of 5 shots and recommends C Staples Restaurant  for dinner.

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Metro Grill - Cheeseburger And Fries

Metro Grille - Chicago

I was in town during the Transworld Halloween show was in Chicago and made my hotel reservation with the Crowne Plaza. The Plaza is just a five minute walk to the convention center where the show is housed. Winning! Being in a suburb of Chicago and without a car, the dining experience was limited. The first night I opted for the hotel restaurant, the Metro Grille.

The restaurant was not crowded when we walked in. I recall perhaps ten people dining. Perhaps this wasn’t a wise choice. The hostess seated right away and brought us some water. A few minutes later our waitress took our order.

Cheeseburger And Fries

I went with a safe bet, a bacon cheeseburger and fries and a diet Coke. Like Indiana Jones, I choose wisely.
In about ten minutes my order was delivered to our table.

As you can see, it was a bacon cheeseburger. Upon further inspection, I noticed the bacon was not cooked completely. It was still fatty and greasy. I could overlook that if the rest of the burger was alright. A quick glance to my left to survey the french fries, which were well cooked and standard tasting, but seriously, if you can count the fries on your plate, the portion is small.

To the burger itself. The bun was fresh, lightly buttered and toasted. The beef was well cooked, well done as I specified. It was juicy with good flavor and the cheese melted added that extra touch. It wasn’t a big burger, certainly no half pounder, perhaps a little larger than a quarter pound, but no more. Nothing special, nothing terrible, just a typical burger.

The cost of this feast was $15 dollars without tip. Let’s see, uncooked bacon for a topping, a scant amount of french fries, a less than average size burger, for $15 dollars. It should have been set at around $10 dollars, no more.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2.25 out of 5 shots and only recommends Metro Grille Chicago for dinner for it’s convenience and proximity to my hotel. If you have a car, take the ride to plenty more options.

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Moore's Tavern - Cheeseburger Take Out

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Cheeseburger In Paradise - Orlando

Not Wasting Away

During Spring Break, Patrick, the Lead Scientist ventured to a warmer climate to soak up the suns rays and investigate several conspiracy theories the Grassy Knoll Institute is working on.

Patrick found himself at Universal Theme Park (Of course he was hard at work chasing down a hot lead concerning Amanda Bynes and thong underwear, or lack thereof)

I Like Mine With...

After a very thorough investigation, Patrick stopped for dinner at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville located inside the theme park. Although the restaurant was busy, it was not crowded and was seated right away. The waiter came over promptly and took their orders.

Of course, Patrick ordered the famous Cheeseburger In Paradise, well done, with fries on the side. A very short wait and the sensuous treat on a big old bun was brought to the table.

The burger was cooked perfect, just exactly as asked. the cheese melted but not sloppy. The tomato and lettuce were crisp and fresh, and the bun warm and toasty. Fries were an after thought, but could stand alone as they were well cooked and plentiful.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards the cheeseburger in paradise 4.5 shots out of 5 for Margaritaville in Orlando, Florida for dinner.

I'll leave you with the lyrics to Jimmy Buffett's famous tune, cheeseburger In Paradise.

Tried to amend my carnivorous habits,
Made it nearly seventy days.
Losing weight without speed, eating sunflower seeds,
Drinking lots of carrot juice and soaking up rays.

But at night I'd have these wonderful dreams,
Some kind of sensuous treat.
Not zucchini, fettucini or bulgur wheat,
But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat.

Cheeseburger is paradise.
Heaven on earth with an onion slice.
Not too particular, not too precise.
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise.

I like mine with lettuce and tomato,
Heinz Fifty-seven and French fried potatoes.
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer.
Well, good God Almighty, which way do I steer,
For my cheeseburger in paradise.

Heard about the old time sailor men,
They eat the same thing again and again.
Warm beer and bread they say could raise the dead,
Well, it reminds me of the menu at a Holiday Inn.

But times have changed for sailors these days,
When I'm in port I get what I need.
Not just Havanas or banana or daiquiris,
But that American creation on which I feed.

Cheeseburger is paradise,
Medium rare with mustard be nice.
Not too particular, not too precise,
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise.

I like mine with lettuce and tomato,
Heinz 57 and French fried potatoes.
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer,
Well, good god Almighty which way do I steer.

For a cheeseburger in paradise,
Making the best of every virtue and vice.
Worth every damn bit of sacrifice,
To get a cheeseburger in paradise.
To be a cheeseburger in paradise.
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise.

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1. 
   

   Max Jackl said

   June 24, 2008 at 6:29 pm e
   Looks tasty, a little lacking on lettuce, but good looking.
   Reply
2. 
   

   Gumby said

   June 25, 2008 at 9:20 am e
   Buffett gone commercial. When will the insanity end?
   Reply
3. 
   

   Jack Sparrow said

   June 25, 2008 at 9:41 am e
   It’s my favorite place when I’m in port.
   Reply
4. 
   

   Aintgotno said

   June 25, 2008 at 2:01 pm e
   every time i visit this blog i have to go get a snack
   Reply
5. 
   

   Contessa Confessa said

   June 25, 2008 at 11:10 pm e
   The pic of the margarita is what I want to see… 
   Reply
6. 
   

   Anderson said

   June 25, 2008 at 11:41 pm e
   I like fried onion rings as a topping, crunchy onion rings. Thats a cheesebueger in paradise.
   Reply
7. 
   

   808stevan said

   June 28, 2008 at 1:21 pm e
   True fact: Jimmy didn’t go commercial at first. A couple of saavy ladies and a dude opened a burger joint on Maui called “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. It opened right on Front Street in Old Lahaina town. It is a very successful and reputable business (amidst many a food poisoning claim). The menu features big burgers, but none that look as good as the picture in this blog from Margaritaville. Anyhoo, they also featured a continuous soundtrack booming the CB-Paradise song about every tenth song or so. This place is so busy, I know a Wairess there who sells about $400,000 worth every year. She makes about as much $$$ as the Mayor of the island. Infact, everyone hits a similar mark in the 20 or so wait help that run the place. A big success, but they had to settle a suit filed against them by the Buff master himself to cease and desist use of his trademark sing. An out of court settlement, rumoured to be in the millions came forth and this led to Jimmy’s folks to wonder,”Why don’t we open our own burger joints?”Which they did, however, they unfortunately could not use the name Cheeseburger in Paradise because they had already licensed the name in that aforementioned settlement.
   Reply

Hoss's Restaurant - Grove City - Chicken Strips

Typical Hoss Salad

Hoss's Steak House In Grove City, Pennsylvania has many an entree's on it's menu. I have sampled many of them. Today's offering is chicken strips, french fries, and salad bar.

I started with the salad bar that has a generous selection of items. Of course I constructed a standard salad, plus macaroni and cheese, potato wedges with hot cheese, chicken noodle soup, lemon cookies, jello, pudding, and ice cream.

Chicken And Fries

The main entree was chicken planks and french fires. The chicken strips was a generous portion and cooked to a golden brown, wasn't greasy, and lightly seasoned. The taste was very good. The french fries were also well cooked, crunchy, hot, and very good tasting.

The service was good, a sort of a help yourself plus waitress server, very friendly, and well priced at $9.99 plus tip.

The Grassy Knoll Diner awards 4 out of 5 shots to Hoss's Steak House and recommends them for lunch and dinner.

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1. 
   

   Ulla said

   July 27, 2008 at 9:17 am e
   i wanna have lunch with you.
   btw can i be the official lesbo of the grassy knoll?
   Reply
2. 
   

   LOTGK said

   July 27, 2008 at 11:08 pm e
   I thought you’d never ask.
   Reply
3. 
   

   Bitzky said

   July 28, 2008 at 11:08 am e
   Can I be the official moomin then?
   And it might be weird but I love such posts. I’m always curious to see what people are eating in other countries 
   Reply
4. 
   

   LOTGK said

   July 28, 2008 at 12:54 pm e
   You are the official moonin of the site. I made you a sign and everything……
   Reply
5. 
   

   Ulla said

   July 29, 2008 at 7:40 pm e
   did i get a sign too?
   and i agree with luke, it’s seriously cool to see how other ppl eat
   Reply
6. 
   

   SKA2682 said

   July 30, 2008 at 7:31 am e
   Did the salad bar actually have mac and cheese, or was that seperate? I have never seen a salad bar with that or potato wedges, or cheese sauce. Usually it is the standard salad fair, ie: bacon bits, shredded cheese, cottage cheese, and maybe jell-o.
   Reply
7. 
   

   Bitzky said

   July 30, 2008 at 8:47 am e
   Not a moonin! A MooMin! >.<
   I don’t moon people ;P
   Reply
8. 
   

   LOTGK said

   July 30, 2008 at 11:24 am e
   Ska2682,
   Yes, the salad bar had mac and cheese,also pizza, three types of soup, chili, potato wedges, pasta, cookies, cakes, breads, ice cream, pudding, pie, fruit, jello, and other delights. It very well could be an entire meal in itself.
   Bitzky, whoops, sorry, you are also the official Moomin as well.
   Reply
9. 
   

   LOTGK said

   July 30, 2008 at 11:26 am e
   Blue, no you didn’t, but I will have it done very shortly.
   Promise…..
   Reply
10. 
    

    Anti-Christ said

    July 30, 2008 at 11:45 am e
    You want a sign? I’ll give you a sign. Gas prices are soaring forcing a conflict with the middle east nations which will bring to a head the rise of me, the Anti-Christ.
    Reply
11. 
    

House Of Blues Restaurant - Bacon Cheeseburger

Blues Menu

Walking the streets of Houston, we happened upon the House of Blues restaurant. Of course, we had to sample the food there. We entered and we were seated quite quickly. I noticed how dark it was. Ambient lighting I guess, but damn, it was dark.

The Mood

So there we are, at our table, sitting in the dark, and 20 minutes pass by until our waitress comes to our table. She asked if we were ready to place our order. Seriously! I took a look around, and there were only four tables with people at them. We were close to walking out a minute before our waitress appeared. We placed our orders reluctantly and hoped for the best.

A Blues Bacon Cheeseburger

Another 20 minutes went by and finally our order was brought to our table. (Perhaps with it being so damn dark in the restaurant the waitress couldn't find us) Sorry for the dark photo of the cheeseburger, but it was so dark.

Anyway, the burger was well cooked, the bun was fresh and not soggy, the cheese melted, and two hearty strips of cooked bacon topped the burger. Tomato, lettuce, onion, and pickles were on the side. The taste was good. Not great, not bad, but as burgers went, it was good. The french fries were plenty, cut thin, well cooked, and hot. They were good. If only the service was there, it would have been a pleasant experience. However, customer service is a big part of the dining experience.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2 out of 5 shots and Does Not Recommend Houston House Of Blues for dinner. The food was good, the service was lousy. there is no excuse for that.

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Eddie’s Grill - Cheeseburger- Take Out - Geneva

Iconic Eddie's Grill

Eddie's Grill is a classic iconic restaurant located at Geneva On The Lake, in Ohio. Established in 1950, Eddie's Grill is a traditional lunch and dinner stop for thousands of returning patrons, young and old. Eddie's captured the 1950's diner mystique and hasn't changed in all the years I have been eating there. Which is about 45 years now. Anyway, on to the food critique.

Eddie's Grill Take Out Service

Last Friday Eddie's was packed, (SRO) so we decided to get take out instead of waiting an hour for a table inside. There are some nice park benches and picnic tables just across the street so we would be fine.

As you can see, I ordered the cheeseburger and fries. The cost was $6.05 which isn't bad, not great, but not bad. The cheeseburger was hot, fresh, and very tasty. The patty was of course styled old school, meaning that the patty was smashed down on the grill instead of the pre-made pre-formed patties at most burger joints. The bun was fresh, sesame seeded and not soggy. The french fries were hot, well cooked, and tasted good.

I talked to a few patrons while standing in line and everyone of them said they have been coming to Eddie's Grill for years. Every time they come to Geneva-On-The-Lake they make sure to stop at Eddie's for lunch and or dinner. Now that is a testimonial.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4.5 out of 5 shots and recommends Eddies Grill at Geneva On The Lake for lunch and dinner.

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Steak N Shake - Cheeseburger And Fries

Steak N Shake Double Cheeseburger

About 15 years ago there was a fast food restaurant in Boardman, Ohio called G.D. Ritzys. It reminded me of another old time restaurant open in the 1960's and 70's, Mister Wheelers. Both Ritzys and Wheelers had some fantastic cheeseburgers and unique french fries. Steak N Shake is close to these restaurants.

I pulled in to the parking lot and found myself inside Steak N Shake. I took a seat at the counter and the waitress took my order almost immediately. Of course, I ordered the double cheeseburger and fries.

From my vantage point at the counter, I watched the grill boy take two balls of hamburger and slap it on the grill. Using his spatula he smashed them into very thin patties. A couple minutes later he flipped them over and placed a slice of cheese on top of each patty. It looked just as Ritzys and Wheelers burgers looked. A minute later, my fries were being shuffled into a cardboard box and my burger was being wrapped in a paper sack. (A good omen indeed) I paid the cashier, cost was just under $6 dollars which included a drink and drove home.

The cheeseburger was hot, well cooked, the bun fresh and not soggy, and the cheese melted. The taste was one of the best fast food burgers on the market today. They call it a steak burger, but they are all hamburger meat. The burger was juicy and tasted very good. The show string fries were plentiful, more than i anticipated, well cooked, a little salty, but very good tasting. This meal brought back memories of the old Mister Wheelers restaurant from so long ago.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 4 out of 5 shots and recommends  Steak N Shake double cheeseburger for lunch and dinner.

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Conneaut Lake Park - Corn Dog And Fries

Conneaut Corn Dog And Fry Shack

Conneaut Lake Park, old time amusement park, home of the Blue Streak roller coaster and one of only two left Tumble Bug rides left in existence, still draws a small crowd. Located in Conneaut, Pennsylvania, is just an hour ride from home. After a long day at the park, we stopped for some amusement park food.

Conneaut Corn Dog

I ordered a corn dog and an order of french fries. The corn dog was quite small in size. Pathetic actually. The taste was standard fare, but I believed they were recently microwaved. Any corn dog fan knows a microwave destroys the corn dog. This cost $3 dollars. Clearly not worth it.

Conneaut Fries

The saving grace was the fresh cut french fries. The portion was adequate for $3 dollars. The fries were hot, well cooked, in relatively fresh grease and the portion was good. The taste was very good.

A corn dog and an order of fries cost $6 dollars. There were other food stands with more choices and better prices which I will post in a future update. However, I am going to barely recommend the shack for several reasons. One: It's amusement park food, there are no five stars ratings on the marque. Two: Perhaps I received the runt of the corn dogs. The next one could have been regular size. Three: The fries were hot, and very good.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 2 out of 5 shots and recommends Conneaut Lake Park French Fry Stand  for dinner.

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1. 
   

   Rich said

   September 10, 2010 at 5:29 pm e
   Way too much for the corn dog but than I don’t know what corn dogs are going for in the State Fair in Dallas this year.
   Reply
   • 
     

     LOTGK said

     September 19, 2010 at 8:24 pm e
     Agreed! It was way to much money for the small corn dog.
     Reply
2. 
   

   Moominboy said

   September 13, 2010 at 2:35 pm e
   A simple meal but still good 
   Reply
   • 
     

     LOTGK said

     September 19, 2010 at 8:32 pm e
     Yes, very simple meal. A staple food for all fairs and amusement parks.
     Reply
3. 
   

   Now See Here said

   September 14, 2010 at 10:46 pm e
   you can buy a six pack of corn dogs for five bucks at the store. what a rip.
   Reply
   • 
     

     LOTGK said

     September 19, 2010 at 8:35 pm e
     Absolutely you can. But what is the fun in that?
     Reply
4. 
   

   Gumby said

   September 16, 2010 at 2:08 am e
   How is Vegas Pat? when do you return?
   Reply
   • 
     

     LOTGK said

     September 19, 2010 at 8:36 pm e
     Las vegas was great. Very hot. And San Francisco was awesome.
     Reply
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