Mom and Pops

[CourierDriver]

List your town and favorite Mom and Pop restaurant or hamburger spot. We do not have to eat at fast food all the time, aka squirt gun food prepare-rs. Yep, the Mom and Pops are still here, but you most likely will not see 300 chains of them.............

Mine: Merv's, Chattanooga tn, Mountain Creek Road.

 

[Bandito440]

Lupo's Char Pit
Endicott, NY

Jumbo cheeseburger and a greasy bag of fries. Mmmmm.

 

[SatinSilver]

There's this mom and pop diner in downtown Cleveland. On thursdays they have a turkey dinner special for $5.99. Oh and you can see the real turkeys being brought out of the oven and real mashed potatoes. But having it for lunch means being stuffed and having food coma. I need a nap afterwards. Link:

http://www.pjslunch.com/thursday

 

[JANDSZIRKLE]

Bar-B-Q Ranch. Harrisonburg, Va. The best bbq with coleslaw sandwiches you will ever have. Had the same waitstaff for almost 40 years, same cooks, original owner from what I understand. Great treasure in the Valley.

 

[SatinSilver]

Post some links guys:

Mervs:

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mervs-res...yhf-W9H7rbUquJw

Lupos:

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lupos-cha...feki2SrA1SZFlHQ

Bar-b-q Ranch:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bar-b-q-ranch-harrisonburg

 

[SLCraig]

They are the only way to go.
I generally avoid chains when all possible and eat at the almost always better mom and pop shops.

I am a new member of Yelp if anyone knows it, because I love finding and talking about the little gems in each city.

I have lots of favorite spots.

 

[JHZR2]

I can think of any number of diners and BBQ restaurants that are mom-and-pop and really good.

This is a really good thread, and Ill have to organize some of my favorites and post a list when I have time.

 

[SatinSilver]

Here's the yelp link from the place I mentioned earlier:

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/p-js-lunc...2dN0MRqn6aI-0MA

Good food, reasonable prices and very friendly owners.

 

[bvance554]

Fredericksburg, VA

Allman's BBQ!

 

[SatinSilver]

Best corn beef around:

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/slymans-r...4oBVx-IZqv6loRw

Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Usually split one with my dad. They have great fries also and a line out the door for take out. People leave with a cardboard box filled with sandwiches for their coworkers. It's funny seeing people taking pictures of their sandwich before eating. Fresh horseradish on the table that can get pretty hot along with mustard. The meat is only sliced when the order comes in and not before hand. Oh boy...

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: bvance554
Fredericksburg, VA

Allman's BBQ!


http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/allmans-b...CnMGdjCJLuUdNfw

Nice...

 

[dwcopple]

Grampa Tony's Bay City, MI.
Wheelers Restaurant Standish, MI

 

[SatinSilver]

Wheelers:

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wheelers-...DTriiBk0ejIWUZw

Yep, looks good.

 

[440Magnum]

Austin TX:

Top Notch drive in (popular long before 'Dazed and Confused.')

http://www.topnotchaustin.com/

And after 10 years, we still miss the Holiday House, finally put out of business by an angry militant vegan idiot who inherited the property and wouldn't renew the lease on any business that sold animal products:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2004-04-30/208405/


We also have Dan's/Fran's Hamburgers:
http://www.dans-hamburgers.com/


We are lucky to have a flood of much newer but locally-owned food spots:


Kerbey Lane isn't all that new (mid 80s)
http://www.kerbeylanecafe.com/

And neither is Waterloo (mid 70s):
http://www.waterlooicehouse.com/

P. Terry's is a newcomer:
http://www.pterrys.com/locations.html

As is Phil's Icehouse:
http://philsicehouse.com/

Mighty Fine feels like a bigger chain, but it's local:
http://mightyfineburgers.com/


Those last 3 have pretty much squashed attempts by Red Robin and 5 Guys to move into the Austin Market. We hear rumors that In & Out is going to give it a shot here... good luck. I've had In & Out, and all the above are way better.





Waterloo:

 

[CharBaby]

Rocky's! A very small Itilian Resturant in Rochester that is only open from 11am-2pm & 4pm-7pm.

Excellent Itilian food. Waliking into Rocky's is like walking back in time to the 1930's even still, though they've renovated over the years.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Hudson, FL

Ram's Family restaurant. Excellent home style diner chow. Great meat loaf, excellent breakfast, just a bit better quality than many others, and IMMACULATELY clean!

 

[rjundi]

Incredible place of oddball burger combinations. All burgers including red meat, chicken and bean are yummy. The french fries are handcut.

If anyone is passing thru NH via RT95 just minutes off the Portsmouth exit before Bridge to Maine.

http://lexiesjoint.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lexies-joint-portsmouth

Lexie's Joint Portsmouth NH

I am very happy to live 12 minutes drive from it.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Goody Cole's Smokehouse on route 125 near Epping,New Hampshire.

 

[GreeCguy]

Here where I live now, there was a nice little Mom and Pop Mexican restaurant that served great food with super friendly service. Sadly, they closed a few months back and the building is now vacant.

When I lived in Alabama, "Sparky's" was the classic Mom and Pop. The building was ancient and about to fall down, but they made the best food and the prices were very good.

Lee and Ricks in Orlando Florida is another classic. Oyster bar with a poured cement bar and the best oysters I've ever eaten, but the building looks like it's sinking into the ground and the roof is rather "wavy."

Finally, "Golden Corral" in Brooksville Florida has wonderful food and all you can eat. It's good ole fashioned southern cooking which this ole Florida boy truly loves.

 

[Phishin]

Marvin's in Greencastle, IN. Home of DePauw University.

Their known for their GCB's....Garlic Cheese Burgers.