Jeannie's Restaurant closing
According to WDAZ, Jeannie's Restaurant is closing its doors after many years on South Washington Street. The restaurant's owners are retiring and the building will be replaced with an auto parts store.
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29 comments:
ANOTHER auto parts...yay...when will we get another Toppers? I LOVED that resturant!
Will the auto parts store serve breakfast?
It's difficult to believe they'd close, since they seem so proud to continuously advertise such delicious sounding food as a "Liver and Onions Special." [/sarcasm]
Didn't they get a shiny new sign just a year or two ago? I suppose now that smokers can no longer paint the ceiling yellow there's little point in continuing. So it goes.
You G.F. bloggers kill me. You'll pine for shitholes like Denny's and Olive Garden, and then slam a locally-owned business every chance you get.
anon-
Your hilarious, you've obviously never been or SEEN Jeannies ;o)
I don't even think it is that she couldn't make it. She stated she knew it was time to retire...and who really would buy that building for a restaurant?
Ahhh, how many times did I goto Jeannies lat at night and not remember in the morning that I ate there until the indigestion kicked in (and I sobered up...).
Another auto parts store is just stupid though. Are there really that many people buying auto parts in GF? Really, what are you all doing with those auto parts? North Dakota really is the Alabama of the north, isn't it?
"She stated she knew it was time to retire."
Jeannie died some year ago of cancer, so "she" had nothing to do with the decision. Perhaps her parents made it.
EC99 - the DAZ interview said that she and her husband started the business 25 years ago. Her name wasn't Jeannie, but Jeanette. Or maybe I was seeing the very first interview with a ghost??
Jeannie was the daughter. When she died, it was reported she was the owner. Perhaps the Herald screwed up then and the parents were the real owners.
Jeannie's folks owned the Golden Hour downtown at one time, if memory serves me right.
I loved the hot beef sandwiches and also enjoyed many a chocolate malted milk or a piece of lemon meringue pie at that restaurant when I was a teenager. No franchise, just an incredibly wonderful family restaurant.
Jeanie's actually has some pretty good food, maybe not the greatest in town, but considering it as a locally owned busines it was pretty good. It was a local hangout growing up, and it's too bad many people never gave it a chance because of its perceived atmosphere.
I remember a couple years ago a trio of coworkers who admitted they were snobs and one of them were talking about how they got dragged to go Jeanie's against their own goodwill because of how bad he heard that place was, but after he ate there, he ended up a fan of the place.
Too bad to see it go. I must go and get one more latenight special before they close!
We went there once in a while, and while I never found the food to be bad, it never resonated enough to merit frequent returns. It was the "Gramma Butterwicks" of the west side of Washington. Or maybe that place is the "Jeannies" of the east side of the street.
Mostly, it will be remembered for the incredibly outdated decor and clouds of cigarette smoke.
But, another auto parts store? Having one per block isn't enough, we need more?
I've heard about the legendary Golden Hour, but I think it must have closed long before I came around, huh?
I have actually never set foot in Jeannie's or Gramma Butterwicks. Still, it's sad to see places which are such a part of the community close after so many years.
Someone told me that the Jeannie's building used to be a Country Kitchen. GF/EGF used to have four or five Country Kitchens, but that too was before my time...
Gramma Butterwicks was, without any exaggeration, the worst breakfast I've ever had. Rude, surly waitress, and without a doubt the worst coffee I've ever had in my life (like brown crayons melted in water). My wife and I both took a sip and almost spat it out on each other.
Strange as it may sound, I'm going to miss seeing the Jeannie's wait-staff in their turquoise "scrubs" and their little maroon hats. You probably won't see that kind of restaurant uniform anywhere else in the world.
You certainly step back in time when you go to Jeannies; back to the days when paneling and orange upholstery were all the rage.
Seriously though, I've never had a bad meal at Jeannie's; the service was fast and the wait staff was friendly.
It's sad to see another local restaurant close its doors, especially to make way for ANOTHER auto parts store. Kinda like when Player's restaurant got torn down for the same purpose. I still miss Player's.
Someone told me that the Jeannie's building used to be a Country Kitchen.
I came here in 1980, but don't remember it being a Country Kitchen, so maybe it was something between that and Jeannies in 1982. There was one on Gateway, I think, and definitely one on 220 in EGF during the 80s (a friend of mine liked going there, but referred to it as "Country Duck" for some reason.)
Gramma Butterwicks was, without any exaggeration, the worst breakfast I've ever had. Rude, surly waitress...
Hey, that's part of the allure of the place :-)
Hey, that's part of the allure of the place :-)
If the food was any good, or even the kitsch factor high, I could live with it. But it's got none of those things.
Jeannie's was, indeed, once a Country Kitchen. One only has to look at the physical layout of the building to authenticate that, given that many of you aren't as old as this guy and have no recollection of those days. :o)
While we're on the topic, does anybody recall what Gramma Butterwicks was originally?
Hint...let's just say the chain's name wasn't P.C.
"While we're on the topic, does anybody recall what Gramma Butterwicks was originally?"
I know, I know! Black Sambo's? Way before my time, but I think that's what I've heard. Very hostile and abusive...
Close...."Sambo's". The chain even had an "Aunt Jemima" looking woman in their logo.
My ex-wife was an assistant manager of "Sambo's" in 1981. That job brought us to GF. She worked there while I worked at Surplus Outlet in the sporting goods section, lower level. $3.35/hr minimum wage and nobody counted the hours either.
I conducted an interview there once for a sociology class project. I remember all of the free coffee refills!
I am very ticked off about the closing of this restaurant. I demand justice!!!! when will people learn we already have 2 advance auto parts and 2 checker auto parts. BUT WE ONLY HAVE 200 half good restaurants. JEANIES WAS ONE IN A BILLION! fess off auto parts I LOVED THEIR WORK UNIFORMS! appart from how nasty they were.
Jeannie's family was associated with the Palace Cafe-where Scott's Music on North 3rd St is now located. The Golden Hour was owned by the Oliver family. I used to go there as a child. They were known for their halibut sandwiches. I thought it was gross at the time but wish I could try it now.
You know one of you anonymous guys i dislike your messages half of them arent even real. you guys are losers. but my profile isnt working right now.
BEN
I'll miss that place. I had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving in 1987 (I was from Rhode Island, a student) and I went there and had a B.L.T. I had almost no money, but I'll always remember that place.
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