1950’s Diner – 3rd Visit!

Another day another meal… When Laurie’s sister Bonnie and her husband Bill visited us from Missouri, we ate out a few times.  When we discovered that we’d never taken them to Hot Rod 50’s, a diner in Maryville Tennessee, I had an opportunity to try a few more items on the menu…and write about the place for the 3^rd time!

This photo of Bill and I has been inserted just to prove that we were there… I was planning to use a previous photo of the outside of Hot Rod 50’s with this blog but, as it turns out, I’d already blown it away and I couldn’t capture it from my earlier blog on the diner.  To view the outside of the restaurant and food items not covered in this blog, you can go to an earlier blog to learn more about this place. http://bigdaddydavesbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/2012/08/hot-rods-50s-diner-tennessee.html.

Two appetizers were ordered…and the plate pictured above shows a sampling of both of them.  Bill ordered the Crispy Chicken Livers, ($4.99), and I ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes. ($5.99) I’m not into Chicken Livers but Bonnie and Bill reported that they were OK…but maybe a bit too crispy.  However, we all agreed that the Fried Green Tomatoes were terrific!  In truth, they were the best I’ve ever had… It’s just ranch dressing on them so the flavor that makes these pop comes from something in the batter.   

Laurie ordered Bacon Cheese Burger. ($6.99) This is a 1/3 pound steak burger topped with Swiss cheese, (her choice), onion, pickles and mayonnaise.  Instead of the usual French fries, she opted for Tater Tots.  There was more than enough to eat, the burger was cooked medium rare as requested and the Tater Tots were a nice change of pace.

Bonnie opted for the 1/3 lb. Blue Cheese Burger, ($6.99), accompanied by these beautiful looking fried onion rings.  According to everyone who tried them, they tasted great too! 

The steak burgers are hand shaped daily using only 100% fresh ground Angus chuck steak.  The meat is never frozen and no fillers are used.  Another positive for the burgers at Hot Rod 50’s is that they grill the buns…

For his ‘light’ lunch, Bill ordered the 2/3 lb. Egg Burger with Swiss cheese added on. ($10.98) This big steak burger patty is topped with an easy-over fried egg and plenty of bacon.  Bill chose the baked beans from among the twenty (20) side dish options.  The baked beans were OK and the burger was perfect!

NOTE: There are no less than 45 different burger options on the menu at Hot Rod 50’s!  Believe it or not, there are also classic sandwiches, specialty sandwiches, ‘huge’ hoagies, entrees, casseroles and an Italian corner, in addition to desserts, shakes and smoothies.

I just couldn’t resist.  This is “The Hog”! (It’s only $7.99!) This is Hot Rods signature sandwich, a huge cut of ‘pork chop thick’ pork tenderloin breaded in their homemade bread crumb mixture and pan fried to perfection.  Believe me, it is perfection.  I have never had a better pork tenderloin sandwich and I’m from the upper Midwest where pork is king!  This sandwich is almost as big as my head…  I had to skip almost all of the French fries…

If this isn’t a big enough sandwich for you, how about going for Hot Rod 50’s ‘Chubby Challenge!?’ ($16.99) The Chubby Challenge is a giant 30 oz., (almost 2 lb.), triple decker steak burger, smothered with American cheese.  It’s garnished with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles...and by the way, it’s served with a pound of French fries.

If you eat it all, (including French fries), within 30 minutes of its arrival at your table, you get a FREE Chubby T-Shirt and they post your picture.  What stuns me are the amazing number of people who have their photos on the wall!

This is a fun place…a nifty diner…with lots of good food at a good price.  Hot Rod 50’s is open 7 days a week.  It’s located at 323 Hannum Street in Alcoa Tennessee.  Phone: i65-984-7171.  Website: http://www.hotrods50sdiner.com/.  Note: There are lots of photos on their website.

Just click on any of the photo to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to check out our ‘little’ meal!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave