One-of-a-kind Burger Joints

It had been 15 years since I had a burger at this place. I didn't know it was still there until I saw it while riding by at lunchtime today.

Roy's Big Burger, on Lakeside Ave. in Richmond, Va. has been there for at least 30 years. A guy I was standing next to while we awaited our order said that he thinks that Roy died awhile back, but we were both happy to see that his wonderful burger joint was still going strong.
-Frank



This is a regular Roy's Big Burger with fries that I had for lunch...

No photos, but Wimpy's, on Hillsborough Road, in Durham, NC is another one (across the tracks from Duke east campus [but a lot of things are]). A real, in-the-shop-made burger.

Longhorn Grill, Amado AZ:

quote:

Originally posted by GordonW

across the tracks from Duke east campus [but a lot of things are]).

Including the place I used to live while attending said institution of higher learning (Go Blue Devils).

The burger at El Cap, site of the recent Florida Roadfood Meet, was very very good. It's at 3500 Fourth St. North in St. Petersburg, FL.

The Maid-Rite in Greenville, OH. Combination bar/tavern/restaurant. Best hamburgers in the world. You can pick them up from your car by driving thru the pick up window on the side and stick your gum to the side of the building. It's a tradition that's been going on for over 65 years.

Powers Hamburgers - a mini diner - on S. Harrison St. in downtown Ft. Wayne , Indiana. Been around since the 1930's - great little mini burgers loaded with stranded grilled onions dangling out the side of the bun. There was a second Powers on Ft. Wayne's east side until this past fall when it closed because of slow business - sad to say.
http://www.hollyeats.com/Powers.htm

quote:

Originally posted by carlton pierre

The Maid-Rite in Greenville, OH. Combination bar/tavern/restaurant. Best hamburgers in the world. You can pick them up from your car by driving thru the pick up window on the side and stick your gum to the side of the building. It's a tradition that's been going on for over 65 years.

Hey CP: couple of things

1) Can you delete your post in http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6556? It is very nice, and I thank you kindly, but want to keep the focus on the eats :-) in that thread.

2) I had thought Maid-Rite only did loosemeats? are you saying this particular maid-rite does patties?

TJ, tell me how to delete my own post, and I will.

The Maid Rite in Greeneville is a loosemeat as opposed to a pattie. Isn't it still a hamburger?

Well, hmm, I suppose it depends on who you ask, but to me, a hamburger is a patty....

I think of the maid-rite sandwich as a different animal altogether.

On the other hand, I had no idea there was a maid rite even remotely this close to us in Cincinnati. Looking at the map, I'd say it is about an hour and a half away, which ain't bad. I thought they were all in Iowa....

How to delete post: Look at the 4 icons above any of your posts. the first three are "show profile", "edit post", and "reply with quote". The 4th one, which looks like a piece of paper with a trashcan, is the "delete post" icon. It'll ask you to confirm the delete by enterign your password again....

TJ, read my post again. This is NOT a chain, this is not part of the chain in Iowa, this is Roadfood. RT 127 is a great road with lots of interesting places along the way to Greenville. The Maid-Rite has been in business at least 65 years and I'm sure even longer than that.

Response deleted

quote:

Originally posted by carlton pierre

TJ, read my post again. This is NOT a chain, this is not part of the chain in Iowa, this is Roadfood. RT 127 is a great road with lots of interesting places along the way to Greenville. The Maid-Rite has been in business at least 65 years and I'm sure even longer than that.

Carlton Pierre,

I found this on the internet, about the real Maid-Rite in Greenville, Ohio.

http://www.datasync.com/~w8je/maidrite.html


The chain that's called Maid-Rite copied this place?

Frank

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson


On the other hand, I had no idea there was a maid rite even remotely this close to us in Cincinnati. Looking at the map, I'd say it is about an hour and a half away, which ain't bad. I thought they were all in Iowa....

There are Maid-Rites in Illinois, too.
If anyone needs a Maid-Rite "fix" and can't easily get to one, check out this website:
http://www.maidrite.com/send_maid-rite.html

I've been to the Maid Rite in Peoria, while this seemed good to me back in college in northern Iowa 40 years ago, it doesn't do much for me anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by fcbaldwin

quote:

Originally posted by carlton pierre

TJ, read my post again. This is NOT a chain, this is not part of the chain in Iowa, this is Roadfood. RT 127 is a great road with lots of interesting places along the way to Greenville. The Maid-Rite has been in business at least 65 years and I'm sure even longer than that.

Carlton Pierre,

I found this on the internet, about the real Maid-Rite in Greenville, Ohio.

http://www.datasync.com/~w8je/maidrite.html


The chain that's called Maid-Rite copied this place?

Frank

Frank, where the red van is pulling in is the drive thru window. That side of the building is covered in chewing gum. Just always been a tradition.

I have no clue whether this started the Maid Rite chain. I had a maid-rite or two in Iowa and they taste very much the same. I make them myself, but in a double boiler rather than frying.

I've always thought of this, based on what I read on this site, as an Iowa thing. I don't doubt it has spread a little bit, tho :-)



Take a look at
http://www.maidrite.com/maid-rite_history.html
and
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=489&RefID=489
and
http://www.maid-rite.com/aboutus/unique.shtml

TJ, cut it out with the photos, man, you're making me too darn hungry.
Suggestion, take 127 to Greenville and check it out for yourself. Maybe they'll tell you their history. I don't know it. Then, come back thru Dayton over to Yellow Springs and visit the grist mill there, Young's Dairy Farm, and of course there are lots of neat old places in Dayton.

see, the weird thing is, if it isn't part of the maid-rite chain, or at least associated with in in some way, how did it get named maid-rite and also have the loosemeats like the Iowa maid-rite? It's too much of a coincidence, from where I stand. There has to be a connection. :-)

(oh, and throw me some comments over on http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6556, so I can paste them into the reviews and then badger you incessantly to delete the posts later, hehe)

So be a good little investigative reporter and "give us a full report" to paraphrase Willie Cunningham.

You must have mistaken me for a single man without kids who has tons of free time who can drive to north of dayton on a whim :-)

We have such a joint here in Austin, MN. Very good, they are made on a big steam table. It's a tiny place, just two counters, room for 12-14 people I would guess. They have the best malts also. This would be considered a road food place. Don't have a picture, but I actually have a little drawing of the building as I own a t-shirt shop.

[IMG]http://tinypic.com/1rp8j7[/IMG]

How far from I-90 and US-218 is this? I have a friend who's going to Osage IA by way of Austin tomorrow and I could direct him to Tendermaid if it's not too far out of the way. I can only imagine his reaction when I ask him if he wants to stop and have a tender maid on his way through Minnesota...

Brad O.

It's only 8-10 blocks off of I-90 which runs right through Austin. The address is 217 4th Ave NE. If he see's a guy with three basset hounds on 218 on his way out of Austin have him honk, it's my brother.

I just noticed that star is on the wrong side of main street. Move it a half inch to the right, below the cedar river.

[IMG]http://tinypic.com/1rpwqo[/IMG]

Hey Edge, I loved the drawing of the burger joint. But what I really want is a t shirt with this map printed on it. can you do that?

I could make a t-shirt with the map on it, but it would be very expensive. The map is a bitmap image. I would need to create vector art, produce color separations, make films and burn screens. You’re looking at $200.00 worth of set up charges.

An inexpensive way would be to find one of those people that can print out a transfer on hp printer. But think by the time you blew the photo up to a decent size it would still get blurry.

[quotequote:
Originally posted by GordonW

across the tracks from Duke east campus [but a lot of things are]).



Including the place I used to live while attending said institution of higher learning (Go Blue Devils). ]

Those of us from Chapel Hill can't resist. You got us, but VT got you. We'll see....

Jeez..still can't get this quote stuff....

quote:

Originally posted by GordonW

Jeez..still can't get this quote stuff....

Allow an old Blue Devil to explain: Just surround the word "quote" with brackets to begin the quoted section, then "/quote" surrounded by brackets to end it. We are used to explaining things to folks from Chapel Hill.

But, of course, I do recall that Durham back then was a pretty dull place with a serious deficiency of places to get roadfood or any other kind (the one exception being a place called "The Ivy Room") and we used to have to go to Chapel Hill or Raleigh for food and/or fun.

DYERS!---on Beale Sr in Memphis---was there for the first time with the gang from the West Tenn Glee Club Reunion on friday night---HAD to try them and i must say that when i heard that they were cooked in grease that is "92 yrs old" and in a deep fryer--i expected an artery clogging experiance of the Nth degree---not so---tasty burger that was pretty grease free---but Povety Pete and i agree---the patty could be a bit bigger---get the double! There may be pics available on the BBQ--West Tenn Glee Club forum---maybe we can get some one to post them here.