LUMS - Back from the Dead! .... or not?

 
Maybe this is old news here. ...  Sorry if this has been mentioned before.  Anyway, I just recently learned that a "new" LUMS opened in Sekonk, MA last year.   Some online reviewers say they love it.  Others say it's not like the old LUMS that they have memories of.    Anyway, the supposedly last surviving LUMS, which was in Davie, FL, closed in June 2009.  A little research showed this to be FALSE.  Yes it did close, but there is still another LUMS still surviving in Bellevue, Nebraska.
  
Now there is the new LUMS in Seekonk, MA.   Has anyone tried this Seekonk location? 
I don't know if this belongs in Roadfood or not, but I figured they are no longer a big chain ... only 2 locations....one old one and a new one .... that it might be okay in a non-Franchise part of the site.  ??
 
I could go for a Lum Dog steamed in beer with a frosty root beer right now!
 
 
Glenn
 
 
 
 

I believe that it ceased being a chain many years ago.  Restaurateurs are just using the name, and there is no other connection.  At least, that was the case when I went to the Davie LUMS in 2008 and I asked about that.

Here is the web site.  Boy, there are a lot of negative reviews out there.  I see that it is next to Providence, RI.  Calling wanderingjew!

Just using the name,huh? Anyone want to open a Howard Johnsons or a Burger Chef??

Miami Don - 
 
 Thanks for the link.    I don't know if it's because it's been so long, or if they added things to the menu. ...But,  I don't recall chowder and clamcakes on their menu.  Geez, I don't even recall the roast beef.   Maybe it's because I pretty much always got the Lum Dog and a rootbeer, and never bothered looking at the menu.  ??
 
 
Glenn
 
 

Massachusetts has this thing with roast beef shops, and  the chowder and clamcakes are self-explanatory, I guess. 
 
 I wonder if they really have an Ollieburger.  There have been some discussions about the Ollieburger here, with some conflicting input as to just what it was.  I don't remember it from when I was a kid - like you, I pretty much stuck to the LUM-dog.

MiamiDon


I believe that it ceased being a chain many years ago.  Restaurateurs are just using the name, and there is no other connection.  At least, that was the case when I went to the Davie LUMS in 2008 and I asked about that.

Here is the web site.  Boy, there are a lot of negative reviews out there.  I see that it is next to Providence, RI.  Calling wanderingjew!

 
Sorry,
 
I have ZERO desire and couldn't be any less interested..... and honestly, couldn't care less............

 
I heard that the story behind the Ollie Burger was that Lums got it from "Ollie's Burgers" in Miami Beach way back.  ?? 
 
I do know about the MA thing with roast beef.  (I'm orginally from neighboring RI, and I like RI's version called "Walt's Roast Beef"... a mini-chain of about 4 locations.)   
   I just figured that if this new LUMS was going to try to be like the original, then they would try to follow the original menu. 
   Then again, maybe all the LUMS used to have regional variations on their menus?
 
 
Glenn
 

AW...........WJ..Come on!.I just looked at their menu and they have a whole belly friedclam plate and clamcakes with chowder!
I can tell I gotta fly up to Stanley Green to visit with my sister on Cape Cod (where clam cakes or clam fritters are hard to find!).but punctuated by a stop in good old Seekonk!

If they had spoonbread WJ might change his tune ;)

Fried Clam Fanatic and NascarDad
 
It's not that, its just that I don't eat at National Chains, alive, revived or dead.
 
In addition, when I'm home, unless I'm going out with friends, out of town guests, girlfriends , etc I eat healthy- whole grain, lo carb, hi protein, high fiber.
 
Besides, how does everyone think I manage to keep up my boyish figure???

leethebard


Just using the name,huh? Anyone want to open a Howard Johnsons or a Burger Chef??

  I used to love Burger Chef
 
Burger Chef and Jeff
 
Al

wanderingjew


Fried Clam Fanatic and NascarDad
 
It's not that, its just that I don't eat at National Chains, alive, revived or dead.

In addition, when I'm home, unless I'm going out with friends, out of town guests, girlfriends , etc I eat healthy- whole grain, lo carb, hi protein, high fiber.

Besides, how does everyone think I manage to keep up my boyish figure???

  Hey, I grew up in West Greenwich and went to North Kingstown High , I was born and spent the first years of my life in Oakland Beach.  But who cares
 
Al

All these fond memories of Lum's.  Why did they fail?
I went for the hot dogs steam in beer, the Ollieburgers and the wine coolers.  But even though there was a Lum's close to campus and the place had buzz, I (and people I knew) only went there occasionally.  Basically, it was fast food (pretty good fast food but still fast food) with table service and higher prices.  If I wanted a sit-down experience, there were casual restaurants with better food and surroundings at the same price.  People seemed to go to Elias Brothers (Home of the Big Boy) a lot more than Lum's.  If I wanted fast food, Mikey D's and the rest were faster and cheaper and the food was as good (sometimes better).  Besides, hot dogs steamed in beer is not as good as hot dogs with beer, and there were places with better hot dogs.  Steamed in beer was a gimmick that didn't add much to the hot dog.  In a blind tasting, I doubt anyone could tell the difference.

Bellvue, Nebraska LUMS
 

I looked at the menu on the Mass Lum's website.  Lum's did have sandwiches other than hotdogs and Ollieburgers.  Maybe they are just emphasizing roast beef because they no longer have the rights to the Ollieburger.  I notice they don't have the wine coolers either.  Looks like Lum's is dead but somehow some old franchisees have the right to use the name on their own. 
 
After Lum's started to fade, I came across a few lunchwagon type places called Ollie's Trolley selling Ollieburgers.  Anybody know if any of them are still around?

I sure loved Lum's.  And Hojo, too, for that matter. 

I' finally got to the Seekonk location on my birthday 10/05. I purchased 2 hot dogs steamed in beer with Sherry Kraut. It was fantastic . I messed up though I put mustard one one and it's so much better w/o. It was tasty but I seemed to remember the Kraut with Caraway and it wasn't on this dog. Each dog was $2.29  it was $4.90 w/tax. They do have a Ollie burger which I want to try next time and they seem to advertise the Roast Beef most of all.
some items on the menu
roast beef 1/4 lb 3.99  1/2 lb 7.99
sloppy lums  (made w special meat sauce 3.79
turkey sandwich with lums seasonings4.99
ollie burger 1/2 lb 5.99
mama mia dog (meat sauce kraut, onions, celery salt & fries 6.50
hot dog steamed in beer w kraut or chili 2.29
fish & chips 8.99
whole belly fried clams  (market)
clam cakes and chowder (3 cakes)7.99
sides
1 chicken tender
pickle wedges
eggplant fries
cole slaw
fries
 o rings
baked beans
fountain soda lg. 2.29
I don't remember pickle wedges at the old Lums either but  if they are the deep fried type I'm trying them. If you've never had fried pickles try them if you can find them on a menu they are tasty and I try them whenever I can can find them on a munu.

For what it's worth, some online comments seem to indicate that the Bellevue, Nebraska LUM'S does not have the old signature food items like the Ollieburger, etc. on the menu.  It is just another local "greasy-spoon" diner.

Lum's maybe got in to trouble when they went big business and bought Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino back in the '70s.  Something had to give.

My dad loved going to LUMs.  me the stupid kid wanted to go to McDonalds.  And this was before Happy Meals, maybe it was the shakes and hot apple pies. Or that we got to eat in the back seat..

This place claims that it bought the rights to several lum's recipes.  

The roast beef is good, order rare for medium rare (they say you cant have rare, but then they will try harder for your med-rare); i'd say better than most of that sort your gonna get around here.  The chicken sandwich is good.  The hot wiener is actually pretty damn good, though they use a big, high-quality dog, and its 1.99.  The beantown dog was horrible (and a low-quality wiener).  The chowder was too buttery/heavy-creamy for my tastes.  Cakes were ~okay~.  Still looking to try the fish and chips and the o-burger.

Prices were uniformly highish. 

 
asa.bender -
 
Does your review pertain to the LUMS in Sekonk, MA or the LUMS in Bellevue, Nebraska?
 
Thanks.
 
Glenn
 
 

Lums has always had roast beef I used to go to lums in the 70's and I always got the roast beef it was the best i ever had. If yo do a search on google for lums menu you can find an oraginal menu from the 70's.