Although I heard of it long ago, today we ate at the Downtowner in (where else) downtown Topeka. Just a couple of hundred feet east of Sixth and Kansas, the Downtowner has been a fixture for years. If you’re tired of being handed a pager that goes off when your table is ready, or wait people who are dealing with the pains of puberty, and want to find that long-ago ambience, food, price and service, this is the place.
Pat and I each had a hamburger deluxe. I had a side of cole slaw and a piece of sour cream raisin pie, and we both had iced tea. The total bill, including tax, was $9.89. The menu said that a fried chicken dinner, meat loaf dinner, or roast beef dinner could be had for $4.50. That included veggie, potato, and salad. Tea and coffee were 60 cents. My pie was $1.50 and was better than anything I’ve had that cost twice that much at a more popular joint.
The hamburgers, seared on a hot grill and injected with just the right amount of grease, were steamy and good. The toasted buns had soaked up just enough grill grease to be crispy and delicious. The fries were great, the slaw was OK, and the pie was pretty good, with crispy crust even underneath.
If you’re happy with Tiffany, Brianna, and Caleb waiting on you, go ahead and patronize the high-class joints. But if you want the quiet competence of a Marge, Dorothy, or Hazel cooking and waiting tables, the Downtowner is the place to go.
No comments:
Post a Comment