Last week I spent way too much time researching the Texas Weiner and Texas Lunch phenomenon for my hot dog of the week illustration on serious eats. And noticed there are still a whole bunch of Texas Weiner / Texas Lunch style hot dog restaurants all across Pennsylvania.
So on the way to go camping in West Virginia I decided to do a hot dog tour starting with Historic Texas Lunch in Chambersburg, PA... an amazing half-empty small town that looks like it hasn't changed in 100 years except for the Mexican stores and tacquerias that are filling up vacant storefronts (save that for another trip I guess).
Historic Texas Lunch has been around for 40 years, remodeled in the 80's but still has an amazing diner atmosphere. It wasn't quite what I had expected, the menu was more diner than hot dogs, complete with creamed chip beef on toast, cheesesteaks, chicken croquettes, spaghetti and meatballs. But we came for the hot dogs that were served up in the Pennsylvania Texas Weiner style, split and grilled, covered in greek sauce, mustard and a massive pile of onions.
The dogs were great but the people looked at us like we were from outer space. Definitely a townie spot minus the usual hospitality. Maybe they're just fed up with city folk with cameras treating their hometown diner like a curiosity. Either way the dogs were decent and Chambersburg is an awesome looking town.
Historic Texas Lunch
108 Lincoln Way W (PA Route 30)
Chambersburg, PA 17201
9 comments:
I've been there! That town really is strange. I kind of wanted to go to the ice cream place across the street from the restaurant...but didn't.
Did you got to Ernie's in Gettysburg? My family has been going there whenever they visit the area for more than forty years.
My thoughts can be found here:
http://mealsihaveeaten.blogspot.com/search?q=Texas+lunch
The Ice cream place was closed (we were there at 9:30 am.. had to make a special request for the hot dogs).
Wanted to hit Ernie's also but it was just too far out of the way. It looks amazing.
There's a Texas Lunch place in Norristown, PA that now is a Texas Lunch/Mexican place. They are slowing morphing into one.
Uhhh. that's amazing,
My husband & I eat at Ernies Texas Lunch in Gettysburg every week when we drive over from carlisle to Bendersville to visit Pappy. They are the best!
I grew up in Chambersburg and still have to stop there when I'm in town. The family that owns the place used to have another restaurant on Main St. (The Original Texas Lunch) but it's now a church parking lot. Personally, I like the "texas style" cheeseburger (oval shaped and served on a hot dog bun). Locals are big on the fries (with gravy).
i live in chambersburg and never expected to see texas on a food blog. it made me giggle a bit. im glad to hear you think our town looks interesting, if you ever want a tour of the place stop by my dads store, its not far from texas, just park on the square and walk on the right side of south main street, its KFB Jewelers. my dad has written books on the local history here. thats if you are interested in that stuff lol
My ex-gf and I stopped late night to the Texas Tavern in Roanoake, VA. When we went in the waitress turned to the cook and the back and said "hey, we got another one!" I guess food tourists just freak some people out.
Main Street was The Famous Hot Weiner, not Texas.
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