July 11, 2005
A while back I wrote about [the unfortunate decline of an important American restaurant genre, the Greasy Spoon][1]. Now, I'm on a mission: a quest across Kansas for a real Greasy Spoon. A Greasy Spoon is a place that scorns health regulations, established social etiquettes and even basic standards of human decency, and still delivers a satisfying experience. Which is not to imply that a bad restaurant is automatically a Greasy Spoon; a bad restaurant is just bad--cheap or expensive. The Greasy Spoon transcends its professional failings through value and a vehement refusal of popular pretensions and affectations. There's something beautifully punk about a real Greasy Spoon.As the French say, there is a rapport between price and quality. And in the restaurant game, there is a rapport between success and regular customers. Many times, I've waited over an hour for a seat at a Greasy Spoon, only to be shown to a dirty table where I was abused and perversely amused by the server (one morning, I was tersely informed that things were slow because the server had diarrhea). I listened to the cook curse my order (every ticket was an affront), and watched him pick his nose and drip sweat on my food as he banged his pans and harangued the dishwasher. Eventually, the server dumped a grimy plate in front of me, a bacon and cheddar omelet which could only be charitably described as something from the mind of Joseph Beuys. And it tasted good! The eggs were just right, there was plenty of cheese and bacon, and the home fries were crisp and greasy, the perfect complement to half a bottle of ketchup. Some days I woke up craving that omelet, and when I returned to the Greasy Spoon, I'd recognize all the other faces in line.Restaurants are much more than food. While I am undeniably food-centric, I believe that food is only 50% of a restaurant. People willingly overlook bad food for good service or an appealing atmosphere, or for comfortable seating and clean bathrooms. The experience must be evaluated as a whole, exclusive of expectation, for what it is and how it makes you feel. At a Greasy Spoon, you can have an experience that is just as vivid and complex as a swooning night at The French Laundry (dinner for two, $400), for five bucks. The only difference is the vision. Adding up time and ingredients, eating at a Greasy Spoon is usually cheaper than eating at home, and with that understanding, most people are willing to overlook the shortcomings and invent the charm.The increasing scarcity of the Greasy Spoon is directly related to Americans' increasing knowledge of food and food preparation, and to food safety concerns greatly heightened in our brave new world of genetic engineering and bio-terrorism. Americans tend to respond to long-ignored problems only when frightened, and, at last, considerations of food provenance and the purity of our food supply are in the public forum. Health Departments are cracking down. Astonishingly, by my observations, the incidence of poisoning by Greasy Spoons is no greater than by any other type of restaurant. Food handling at any level is always risky; only through the accidental virtues of rapid turnover and limited inventory does the common Greasy Spoon narrowly evade disaster.Greasy Spoons are an essential service for many cultural and socio-economic groups--certainly, every college town should have one. Greasy Spoons are more than just a place to get food; like any restaurant, they are their own societies, they offer warmth and community to their regulars. For many people, the Greasy Spoon is the only luxury within financial reach--and everyone needs a meal out now and then. In terms of style, the Greasy Spoon is a unique entry in the vast and varied catalogue of restaurant types, a form that is immediately understood, democratizing and often enough an outrageously good show. ![][2] When the opportunity arose to spend Memorial Day weekend in [Elkhart, Kansas][3], I jumped. Perhaps, like the coelacanth in a Madagascar bay, some small prairie town harbored a bona-fide Greasy Spoon.The Crossroads Restaurant (since 1974), Ellsworth.Country Fried Special![][4] They call it "country-fried" at the Crossroads--a pointed distinction or a genuine cultivar? And this masterpiece (the photo is a poor hint), is the Country Fried Special ($6.95): two eggs--exactly over easy, glittering with oil--and the best chicken-fried or country-fried steak I've had to date. No fooling; I mean fried meat nirvana: a good piece of beef pounded tender and well-salted; a light batter; a quick dip in hot oil--crisp on the outside, moist within; smothered in velvety white gravy with not a speck of stray flour, just peppery enough, interrupted by big chunks of spicy country sausage. At least half a pound of exemplary hash browns served as the divan for this country-fried maja, bolstered by oversized pillows of buttered muffin. Five packaged jelly choices, but still no black currant (which I know they still make--but that's another quest). And the orange slice is a friendly cliche we see far too little of anymore. Our waitress was a card. When I asked for ketchup, she barked: "No! Never! You'll ruin it!" Two minutes later she was back with the ketchup. "If it'll ruin it, I don't need it," I apologized. "Oh hush up," she said, "I'm just bein' a smartass."If you go, you might also be tempted by: - Country Boy Feast. It comes on two platters, the same components as the Country Fried Breakfast, but in staggering quantity. Probably best if you're alone in the car or working in a field. ($8.95) - Santiago. A mysteriously-named melange of ground beef, onions and peppers encased in glistening Cheddar and Jack, set up with those wonderful hash browns, salsa, biscuits and gravy. ($5.95) - Smoked Sausage with Sauerkraut, choice of potato, roll and vegetable ($6.45). - Dessert is Pie: Apple, Chocolate, Coconut or Lemon Meringue, $1.95 a slice (ice cream and chocolate syrup if you like, for not much extra).At a front table sat four old boys in Nascar shirts and Deere caps. There was a celebration going on: mugs of coffee all 'round, oxygen tanks and a birthday cake. Everybody's smoking. A skeletal guy gesticulated and cussed extravagantly."That's David, the one cussin'. He's the birthday boy," the waitress divulged. "It's a pineapple upside down cake. He's 79. He died twice in the past month. This birthday's important." "Damn the government!" David shouted. Medicare. His buddies grumbled in agreement. "David, quit cussin'!" hollered an elderly woman of great dignity seated at the counter, "you're cruisin' for a bruisin'!" The dignified woman was the baker of the birthday cake, and, I suspect, the owner of the restaurant. You could tell she was fond of David--everyone seemed fond of him. Then the waitress threatened David with an ass kicking if he didn't settle down.Crossroads doesn't qualify as a greasy spoon: the place is spotlessly clean, even the men's room; the cooks are too careful, and the spoor of an avid decorator-in-residence is strong. But the vibe is right--sassy, warm and familial--and they serve simple, well-made, great-tasting food in generous portions, at very fair prices--but not Greasy Spoon prices. ![][5] Obvious proprietary pride keeps Crossroads above the Greasy Spoon benchmark. What Crossroads is, is a good restaurant: seven out of ten. Don't pass up the Country Fried. And I hope you get to hear David cuss.Next: On to Elkhart. [1]: http://www.lawrence.com/blogs/foodways/2004/mar/21/whither/ [2]: http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/foodways/crossroads.jpg [3]: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=elkhart,+kansas&ll=37.005911,-101.896133&spn=0.035878,0.049168&hl=en [4]: http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/foodways/countryfried.jpg [5]: http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/foodways/roadahead.jpg
Comments
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pc (Phil Cauthon) says...
if there's a market for menu-writing consultants, you need to be in it.
i HATE chicken, country, whatever fried steak. it was always a distant last behind meat loaf, pot roast, butter beans, and hominy (ok maybe not last behind hominy...or butter beans) as THE most foul of all foul things that might be passed off as a meal. i love the rest of my mom's cooking, but that stuff was foul.
somehow this piece has inspired in me something i didn't previously think possible -- an urge to eat this chicken fried steak of which you speak.
if you know of some around here -- within day-trip distance from lawrence, anyway -- i'd appreciate the tip
July 11, 2005 at 8:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tomking (Tom King) says...
Ellsworth is a three hour drive. You can stop in Abilene, which has plenty of things to do, or roam the Smoky Hills. There's an adult superstore on the way, as well as America's Warfighting Center.
KDOT's rest stops are clean and kinda pretty. Take the Deep Creek Road exit in Riley County and drive south.
Come on boy, you're a Kansan. Go for the country-fried at Crossroads. You know you want it.
July 11, 2005 at 8:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
edie_ (anonymous) says...
I love that adult superstore (The Lion's Den) because it's DIRECTLY next to a huge sign that proclaims PORNOGRAPHY DESTROYS FAMILIES.
I go to KC sometimes to hit Nichol's, which still has a diner counter. Also there's Cici's (formerly the Jayhawk Cafe) which is like a greasy spoon but it's more about coffee and pie for tweakers. I think the broken regulations there are less related to the health codes. There's a back room with video slot machines where people go in, but they never come out.
July 11, 2005 at 9:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scary_manilow (anonymous) says...
Nichol's Diner is an honest to god greasy spoon, from way back in 1929. Persons of less discriminating tastes can still get pig brains with their scrambled eggs, but personally I would stick to pancakes. If you go around four in the morning, you'll get to watch off-duty drag queens mingle with trailer-trash speedfreaks... It's a joy to behold.
July 11, 2005 at 9:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
toreador (Michael Austin) says...
The quest for the greasy spoon, and I am on a quest for hamburger joints. After watching Hanburger nation I would really like to find some really good "greasy spoon" hamburger joints. Good story, and you are making me hungry!
July 11, 2005 at 11:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ladylaw (Terry Bush) says...
It doesn't match some of the more hallowed Greasy Spoons, but for a shorter trip (From Lawrence) then Ellsworth, may I recommend "The Hanover Pancake House" In Topeka? Right off of 10th street (coming from I-70) south 1 block on Kansas Ave. OLD waitresses (who speak like they've smoked since age 3), big helpings fixed fast, and a clientele of all ages and kinds. It's nothing fancy or expensive...and I like to get my lunch/breakfast there often! And when they serve something with gravy, there is enough gravy for 2....
July 12, 2005 at 9:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bugmenot (anonymous) says...
Having just last week ventured into Clay's Cafe at 19th & Haskell, I'd have to say that it most definitely qualifies as a greasy spoon. Little attention has been given to decor or ambience. White toast with margarine accompanies all of the meals. The menu consists entirely of variations of eggs and bacon and sausage.
I don't know if you've been there yet, but if Greasy Spoon is what you crave, give Clay's Cafe a shot.
July 12, 2005 at 9:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
edie_ (anonymous) says...
Clay's strikes me as being too clean to be a true greasy spoon. But it's still divine.
July 12, 2005 at 9:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jd (anonymous) says...
Buzz Cafe, 820 Main, Sabetha, Kansas - Absolutely some of the best country food in the state and possibly the best home made pies in the country.
July 12, 2005 at 9:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ahenry (Amanda Henry) says...
You must try the Friendly Cooker in Wamego, KS. Complete with packs of gum and peppermint patties for chump change in the lovely display counter by the pie case.
Whenever we are on roadtrips, it is requisite that we stop at a greasy spoon/roadside diner both to and fro our distination. I am a sucker for some bad coffee and damn good homemade pie. Fuck that McDonalds playland kids, let's really see America!
As a matter of fact, we were just at "Home Cookin" in Elk City, OK last week. Surrounded by good ole' HALLIBURTON workers! The pie was devine, the coffe was foul, the eggs were perfect and toast was oleoed (applied haphazardly with a paint brush I'm certian). There were two waitresses for the whole joint and their blue jeans were painted on. Blue eyeshadow and fake lashes for miles. Oh, and they did have currant jelly!
Viva la' greezy spoon!
July 12, 2005 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theemotleycrude (anonymous) says...
Sharon's Billtown Cafe. Just outside of Lawrence in Williamsburg, about 10 minutes. Go north on Highway 24 - it's painted like a holstein cow. There are no words for how good this food is, especially the made-from-scratch peanut butter/chocolate pie - only $1.50. You have to share tables with strangers and the bathrooms are outside. One waitress and Sharon, the one cook.
Maybe I shouldn't have shared this secret...
July 12, 2005 at 1:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lazz (anonymous) says...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You ratted out Sharon's! You shall be denied pie henceforth ...
July 12, 2005 at 1:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
linswri (anonymous) says...
Toreador-
As far as greasy spoon hamburger joints go, if you are ever out in western Kansas, Kates in Dodge City has some of the best damn hamburgers i've ever eaten. For 4.00, you get a burger the size of your head, paired with a heart attack style portion of fries. As far as ambiance goes, the decor is resemblant of Louise's West, and I swear i've seen the fry cook making burgers, smoking a cigarette with at least an inch of ash on it. Kate's is about as greasy spoon as you can get...
July 12, 2005 at 3:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
toreador (Michael Austin) says...
I will have to try that. Hayes and LC's are good ones so far in KC. I need to search furthur afield!
July 12, 2005 at 4:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
OtherJoel (anonymous) says...
If you find yourself in Springfield, MO, there used to be a tiny little place called Taylor's just east of downtown that had the best burgers I've ever tasted.
July 12, 2005 at 4:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
obuchanan (anonymous) says...
Damn! Y'all beat me to Sharon's! And it's WilliamsTOWN, by the way. In true Greasy Spoon tradition, you aren't sharing a table with strangers, you've just made a few new friends...
July 12, 2005 at 11:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
twiggle (anonymous) says...
Someone up there mentioned Abilene... best fried chicken anywhere at the Brookville Hotel.
Definitely not a greasy spoon, but the place to have the BEST fried chicken.
No foolin'.
July 13, 2005 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theemotleycrude (anonymous) says...
"And it's WilliamsTOWN, by the way."
Obuchanan - I'm offended by the ALL CAPS! Besides, the locals call it "Billtown." But you're right about the friends not strangers part. You've probably sat with my father several times as he eats both breakfast and lunch there Monday thru Friday.
July 13, 2005 at 1:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
obuchanan (anonymous) says...
No offense intended, just meant to emphasize the difference. Hear many different versions, and run across many people who can't reconcile Williamstown with Billtown.
Yes, I probably do know your father, rural Jeff county is a small place
July 13, 2005 at 3:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tomking (Tom King) says...
The Tally Thus Far:
OKLAHOMA
Elk City--Home Cookin'
MISSOURI
Kansas City-Hayes
LCs
Nichol's
CiCi's (Edie, please define tweaker)
Springfield-Taylor's (burgers)
KANSAS
Lawrence--Clay's Cafe
Williamstown-Sharon's Billtown Cafe (Going there this weekend. I sense remorse from some at the outing of this place.)
Topeka-Hanover Pancake House (ladylaw-recommendations?)
Wamego-Friendly Cooker (great name!)
Sabetha-Buzz Cafe, 820 Main
Abilene-Brookville (fried chicken)
Dodge City-Kates (burgers)
July 13, 2005 at 6:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scary_manilow (anonymous) says...
It might actually be spelled CeCe's, you'll have to double check... Don't want you to get mixed up and end up at some crappy pizza buffet!
Tweaker: A meth addict, the kind you see hanging out at all night diners in their underwear.
July 14, 2005 at 2:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mitzibel (Misty Nuckolls) says...
If you're ever down south, you absolutely must go to Bailey's, in Coffeyville, KS. Ask a local where to find it, but ignore the looks of horror and disgust they're going to give you when they find out that you're both sober AND seriously looking to eat there. It's the only place in the world where you can get a heaping PLATTER of tater tots for 95 cents, chug a bottle of A-1 on a dare, and have the tweety-bird-t-shirt-clad waitress mumble around the Marlboro butt hanging off her lip, "If y'all drink the whole bottle, we're gonna have to charge ya an extra buck." They also have the best cherry limeades EVER.
July 14, 2005 at 4:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mitzibel (Misty Nuckolls) says...
PS--the sheer joy and devotion evident in this piece made it a pleasure to read, and, in my opinion, your best offering yet. Kudos.
July 14, 2005 at 4:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Joel (Joel Mathis) says...
World's best hamburger is at the Newkirk Sale Barn, Newkirk, Okla.
July 14, 2005 at 5:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pecos (anonymous) says...
winfield kansas is home to the best burger in the state. the Burger Station is a carryout only establishment that has been churning out the best Kansans could dream of for over sixty years (the fries are limp and soggy, never crisp and the triple chili cheese burger renders the brown paper sack it travels in transparent).
July 15, 2005 at 5:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tomking (Tom King) says...
Pecos: Thats it!
July 15, 2005 at 7:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jester (Nick Spacek) says...
Victory Junction. Parallel Parkway & K7.
They have chicken fried steak in both regular and large varieties. I've gotta venture into the depths of WyCo on Tuesday and I'm torn as to whether I should go there or Go Chicken Go...
July 17, 2005 at 2:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MKlady (Sarah Rahija) says...
Jay's in Emporia, KS provides great all-you-can-eat grease flavor! This small eat in or out place is characterized by the sticky red seats/tables, counter with round stools (also sticky/gummy), newspapers scattered all over the place, staff that know the customers by name, free ice cream while you wait and after you eat, and the best burgers n' fries you might imagine! Someone else mentioned the brown paper bag ... yep, and the red and white wrappings that are both soaked through with grease by the time you get to the park to eat! Drinks come in plain white styrofoam cups, and they use crushed ice! Thinking about it makes me sooo hungry! Even though the thought of that grease before noon is a little revolting :) Jays is located on South Commercial St. in Emporia. You'll recognize it from the white/red peeling paint, and it is next door to a laundromat and across the street from PJ's Pie and Ice Cream.
July 18, 2005 at 11:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MKlady (Sarah Rahija) says...
Jester -- my inlaws live about a mile or so East of Victory Junction, and would you believe I have never eaten there ... I'm going to request it for our next "after church Sunday dinner outing!" Thanks for the suggestion!
July 18, 2005 at 11:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tomking (Tom King) says...
Jester: you've been absent--good to see you back. Missed the sass.
July 18, 2005 at 5:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
funkdog1 (anonymous) says...
Beto Juction!
July 18, 2005 at 7:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wprop (anonymous) says...
whitting,kanzas
the cafe, an adventure,,,worth the trip.......w prop
July 19, 2005 at 6:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
boydweyser (anonymous) says...
Ahhh yes... greeezeeey vittles cooked up and slung out for those with only the strongest of intestinal fortitude to process the lubricant required to keep from un-chiseling them offa the grill.
I'll have Tabasco with mine.
Cassoday Cafe (wayyyy south of Larryland - toward Wishytah on 35S)
Beto Junction Truck Stop (US75 & 35) - With a name like BETO, can it be anything but good?
The grease at these places is still called lard... ENJOY!
July 19, 2005 at 8:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MKlady (Sarah Rahija) says...
The cinnamon rolls at BETO are fabulous! They beat my gramma's rolls in a heartbeat ... and they are so HUGE! Mmmm ... good times!
July 19, 2005 at 10:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
r_doke (anonymous) says...
For those who want a truly great burger and are near southern Oklahoma, there is a gem in the Wichita Mountains. Meers Cafe in Meers, Oklahoma has burgers that are so good, Life Magazine did a story on them in the 50's. Meers was a mining town and the cafe is in the original post office, tucked into the mountains. Just outside of Lawton, Oklahoma, the home of Ft. Sill Army Base, Meers only serves Longhorn beef, a beef that is leaner and tastier than your standard ground round. All of their Longhorn's are raised on-site. The burgers are served in pie pans and are the size of your face, cut into quarters. I also recommend the fried green tomatoes. After your meal, you can drive to the top of MT. Scott and watch the sunset while climbing amongst the many large boulders.
August 5, 2005 at 1:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tomking (Tom King) says...
Good tip, r_doke; thanks.
August 10, 2005 at 9:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
r_doke (anonymous) says...
to back up my claim, here is a link of interest -
http://www.hamburgeramerica.com/
r_doke
January 31, 2006 at 4:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )