Return to Rob's Good Time Grill- Shamokin, PA

Over a year ago, I reviewed Rob's Good Time Grill.  It might even have been longer than that, but I have to do my actual job today so I don't really have time to look back in the archives and see.

Regardless, at the time I lamented what had become of this establishment in its transition time between moving from the corner of Mulberry and Market in Shamokin to the bigger, more restaurant friendly location two blocks down (now the corner of Spruce and Market).

I've been back a few times since, but hadn't given an update until now.  I had been back before for their bargain 2-Can-Dine-for-$12.99 Sunday afternoon deal, as well as for their Wednesday Night Polish Night (the latter is especially good), but haven't gotten to write about a recent experience until now.  Here goes!

My wife and I walked down the street (it's only about two blocks from our house) on a Saturday afternoon to have a late lunch a few weeks ago.  We were quickly seated and given our menus.

The first thing you notice when you walk inside of Rob's Good Time Grill is the huge bar and television screens.  At least, it was the first thing I noticed.  There's also a very large cooler with just about any kind of takeout beer you would want.  I glanced by and found Woodchuck Cider, one of my personal favorites but something that not everyone carries around here.

Anyway, I ordered my traditional favorite, the Smokehouse Cheesesteak, while Michelle ordered a grilled chicken sandwich.  We also had Onion Dippers as an appetizer.  These are very similar to the onion petals that Arby's has as a menu option, except crunchier and with a very, very nice kick that doesn't come in the sauce.  I wonder if there's sriracha in the batter.

After those were done, we received our sandwiches.  I was nervous about my order, as before I had ordered the Smokehouse Cheesesteak, which is supposed to have barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese, in various variations, some of which included tomato sauce, some of which were just straight barbecue sauce with no cheese, and one which actually matched the menu description.  That said, those orders were a long time ago.

My sandwich this time, in the here-and-now, was exactly what it was supposed to be.  I did notice that Rob himself was around (I think he was carrying items into the kitchen), as was Pam, his wife, so I'm willing to bet that they've been trying to monitor what comes out of their kitchen (and I do stand corrected- Rob apparently has never cooked in either this restaurant or at the Six Pack Shack).  Whatever they've been doing, it's working.  The Smokehouse Cheesesteak at Rob's Good Time Grill stands as one of my favorite cheesesteaks I've ever had.  The barbecue sauce has a way of mixing with the cheese to create a wonderful, smoky, sweet, spicy taste adventure that is just pure enjoyment.

I also tried their chili coco wings, which sounded different enough to appease me.  They were very good, sweet but spicy, with a definite coco undertone.  They're probably not everyone's bag, but I could have had more (I ordered a half dozen, which was probably enough with a cheesesteak).

About a week later, Michelle and I decided to call down to Rob's for a takeout order.  I once again opted for the Smokehouse Cheesesteak.  I wanted to check with the person on the phone that I was getting the right thing, so I asked, "what all comes on that?"

"Uh, well, I don't actually know," the girl on the line said.  Then she giggled a little bit.

This did not leave me feeling confident that I was going to get what I wanted.  I think she should have been a bit more familiar with the menu.  Even if she had one right there, which I know they do, she could have taken a moment or two to look and tell me.

I let the order stand anyway, waited about 20 minutes, and picked up the order.

When I got home, it was once again the correct Smokehouse Cheesesteak in all its glory.  Michelle still got the grilled chicken sandwich.  It was still good, so she said.  She gets those things fairly often because of the health thing.  I didn't care that day.  I just wanted some good ol' red meat with cheese and barbecue sauce, health be darned.

Anyway, Rob's Good Time Grill's growing pains seem to be over.  They've gotten back onto our regular rotation, which means they get our business about 2-3 times a month.

Rob's Good Time Grill
100 S Market St, Shamokin, PA 17872
(570) 648-1191

Diner Showdown- Kumm Esse vs. Heisey's

Diners are a part of the tableaux of the United States of America, and Pennsylvania is not any different.  I have reviewed a diner or two already on this here blog- Frackville's Dutch Kitchen comes to mind, for one.

Lately Michelle and I were cruising down through Lebanon and Lancaster County, and we ended up stopping for lunch and dinner at two separate diners.  I thought it would be a neat idea to compare them and see which one is better.

Kumm Esse Diner- Myerstown, PA

We arrived here on a Friday afternoon.  My sister-in-law had just moved to a new house, and we stopped by to check it out.  About five minutes away stands this diner, which I had driven past hundreds of times in the year I had worked in Lancaster.

Myerstown sits on the intersection of US Route 422 and PA State route 501.  501 is the road I would drive on all the time.  Anyway, the name "Kumm Esse" literally means "come eat" in German/Pennsylvania Dutch, a nod to the PA Dutch history of the area.  Outside of the name, the next thing you will notice on their signage is "TRY OUR STRAWBERRY PIE" in big blue letters.  I have heard of this legendary Strawberry Pie, though I have yet to try it.

If you are looking for a fancy place, this isn't it.  But I found the service to be very good, as we had a very attentive waitress.  The inside looks old-fashioned, like the diners of my youth.  The seats are small, the tables are close together, but it didn't feel uncomfortable.  It felt kind of like coming home again.  I remember an old small chain of restaurants called the Amity House, which was owned by Weis Markets.  The interior of this restaurant reminded me much of that old place.  While the inside looked liked it was built sometime between the mid 60's and the late 70's, it was kept up very, very well.  No dirt, no dust, just a classic looking place.

Let's get to the food.  I ordered the Beef Heart dinner, which came with potato filling, pepper slaw, lettuce with hot bacon dressing, and some banana bread.  Yes, I said Beef Heart.  As in the part of the body that pumps blood through the cow.  I know that some would consider it worthy of Bizarre Foods, but in this part of Pennsylvania (aka "Dutch Country"), this is a common dish for some.  I had never had it before, so I was curious.

It was the best decision I made all day.  If you didn't know this was beef heart, you'd think you were just having some of the best roast beef you've ever eaten.  You got some thick slices, with delicious (I'm guessing) homemade gravy.  The whole experience was melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.  The texture was a little different, but I truly wonder if that was just because I knew what I was eating.  It was satisfying, one of those stick-to-your-ribs meals that can keep you going for the better part of the day.  The potato filling that sat under the slices of heart were a perfect compliment, having enough lumps in it that you knew it was homemade but with a delicious, hearty flavor of its own.

Serving banana bread instead of regular rolls is a genius stroke, but I happen to be a fan of banana bread whether it be homemade or from Entemann's.  The hot bacon dressing was also homemade, tick and rich, served with enough lettuce that it wasn't soup like some other places.  It had a strong, sweet and sour flavor that served as a good side dish.  The pepper cabbage was extremely strong, maybe too much so.  I still ate the whole thing, as I found it a good counterbalance to the beef heart.

Prices were reasonable, and from what I could tell, this is a favorite of the locals, which is always a good sign.

Let's see how Kumm Esse compares with the other diner I ate at....

Heisey's Diner- Lebanon, PA

It was much later that day, around 9:00 PM.  Michelle and I had just seen the excellent movie Enough Said (known mainly because it was James Gandolfini's last film), and now we were driving home looking for something to eat along the way.

I still had the memory of Kumm Esse in my mind, but I wasn't about to drive back to Myerstown.  It was getting late, so a lot of the mom-and-pop restaurants in the area were starting to close.  We drove completely out of the town of Lebanon towards Interstate 81, and along the side of the road we spotted Heisey's.  It looked like a building that has been there for a long, long time.  It had "Diner" in its name.

I was excited and pulled over, waiting to hopefully have just as great an experience, if not better, than the lunch of the day.

Heisey's has obviously been around for a long time.  When you walk in, you are looking at a classic built prefabricated metal structure, now bricked up and expanded upon.  The inside, except for the doorways to the other parts of the building, looks like you could expect Ralph Malph and The Fonz to come strolling in at any minute.

I love old diners.  It's tragic when they get "bricked up", as this one had (similar to the Dutch Kitchen in Frackville), but I understand the desire to modernize.  It's still cool to sit in one of these things and take a look around at what used to be the standard in American food service.

Anyway, at one point I had to use the bathroom, and walked from room to room to room to room etc. to finally find a very new section, with a fairly clean bathroom.  That's always a plus.  Also, they have huge rooms that I found out are used for many local groups and clubs, including church groups and things like the Rotary.  It's good to know they are involved with the outlying community.  That's a plus for Heisey's.

As for the food..... well, it sure is good that Heisey's is involved with the community.  Yesiree, it is.

I don't want to be mean.  It was edible.  But much of it was obviously canned.  The pepper cabbage at dinner didn't have any flavor, nor did the grilled pork chops I had.  At some point I will add a picture, but the two pork chops looked sad and pathetic sitting there on that oval plate.  They weren't with any flavor, either.  I salted them like I was trying to give myself high blood pressure (and maybe I did).

I had lettuce with hot bacon dressing here, too, and it wasn't hot nor was it very bacony.  It was kinda bland.  I continued to be more and more disappointed the more the meal went on.

I dug into the mashed potatoes.  Yup, creamy and bland.  No flavor to be had here, either.

My meal came with an apple dumpling.  It was okay.  There's something to be said for the sadness of seeing your server pick one from a tray and put it in the microwave.  I'm aware that many restaurants probably heat up things like apple dumplings this way, but I'd just rather not see it.  Oh, well.

The waitress was very, very nice.  I lied when she asked me how everything was, replying "great", because she reminded me of a few bright and cheery people I knew way back in the past.  The food was not great.  It was edible.

So in this battle of the Dutch Country Diners, I give the victory, by far, to the Kumm Esse Diner.  Heisey's isn't the worst thing in the world.  It sure is nice they are involved with the community.

Kumm Esse Diner
101 W Lincoln Ave  Myerstown, PA 17067

(717) 866-4000

Heisey's Diner
1740 Pennsylvania 72  Lebanon, PA 17046

(717) 272-0891

The Lyric- Shenandoah, PA

"Stay out of Shendo"- my mother,when I told her I was taking a drive as a teenager.

"Nothing but trouble happens in that town" - countless other Frackville residents, while I was growing up.

Yeah, Shenandoah, known by many names other than its actual name (such as Shendo, Chendo, Shanadoor, and 462 Land), has quite a reputation around these parts.  When I was a teenager, it was known as the place where teenagers engaged in "cruising"- driving one's car in a gigantic figure eight loop through town, yelling at people you knew as you passed by, and the frequent fights that occurred.  Shenandoah has been home to quite a few interesting characters.  I remember specifically seeing a crazed-looking gentleman in his 40's getting in quite the argument with a parking meter.  By the way, there was no car parked in the parking meter's spot- he was pretty much just yelling at an inanimate object.

What a town.  It also has its fair share of food establishments, but my two favorites growing up, Socca's Bakery and Armando's Pizza, are long gone.  Still standing, and probably will be for years to come, is Kowalonek's Kielbasy shop, which will deserve its own entry in the future.  In the meantine, just trust me: go get some Kilbo there.  Lucky's Deli by the high school is also pretty good for Kielbasa.

Standing near the main intersection of Shenandoah is the old Lyric Theater.  I cannot recall what this building was used for in my youth, though I think it was just a series of bars for awhile.  At one point, many moons ago, it was indeed a movie theater, just like many towns in the area had small theaters during their boom period.  The Lyric looks to be a nice size; I bet that it was a nice place to see a film in its day.

Now the Lyric is a restaurant that has retained the name of the old theater, and a fairly popular restaurant in the area to boot.  I have eaten there a number of times with family and also with work colleagues, so I think I have a pretty good handle on what it has to offer.  I wish I could say that it had something good to offer.

Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh with that last sentence, but I had a horrible experience there today, and I must admit that it has colored much of my memory about eating here.  Before tonight, I would have told you that the Lyric was a place that served pretty standard food.  If you asked for a bottle of hot sauce, you weren't getting anything special, just a bottle of Texas Pete's.  Their pierogies were the same Mrs. T's you could buy in the grocery store (after all, the Mrs. T's Company is based right in this town).  The Lyric is fine for what it is, but it's not anything special, nor does it really have to be in this area.

There are some different items on the menu.  Sriracha Chicken Bites for one.  I love sriracha, and the bites they serve are pretty tasty.  They also happen to be available at Sam's Club, and I think it's the same ones that they serve here.  The French Fries are pretty standard, as are most of the menu items.  Tonight I had Coconut Shrimp, and I think these are the same frozen Coconut Shrimp they sell at Boyer's.  My family likes it, and it's not anything offensive, so I eat here from time to time.

That might change, though.  If you're going to serve such standard food, you need to stand out in other areas.  I have had issues with service before, but tonight took the cake.  We arrived at 5:30, and stood at the front of the restaurant waiting to be seated.  Nobody on the staff came up to us to ask us if we needed a seat, or tell us to pick a table, or anything like that.  We just stood there, looking confused, and to be honest, I didn't know the seating policy, as every other time I've eaten there I arrived after my party was already sitting somewhere.  My wife and I just sat at a table, which must have been alright, since nobody asked us to leave.  They didn't ask us anything.  We just sat there for awhile until finally, maybe 10 minutes in, a waitress asked us if we were waited on.  She gave us menus, dropped some off for the rest of the party which had yet to arrive, and went on her way.

Family arrived shortly thereafter.  Someone came by and got our drink orders, promptly bringing by our drinks.  We ordered, and we sat.  And sat.  And sat.  I picked up my phone to play Tetris because I was bored.  My wife told me that was rude.  So we sat.  And sat.  And shared the news of the day with each other.  And sat.  And sat.  And started to feel very hungry.  And sat. And sat.  And sat.  And finished our drinks.  And got no refill offers.  And sat.  And sat.  And sat.  And looked around as a big steak was dropped off at the table next to us, and as the waitress yukked it up with those people.  And walked right by ignoring us.  And sat.  And sat.  I was hungry.  And since I had drank all of my water with no refill since the first glass, I was thirsty too.  I was also pretty angry.  Sorry for the short sentences.  I type short sentences when I am frustrated.  Like this.  And this.

My family was getting peeved as well.  My grandmother, completely out of character, took her spoon and hit her soda glass, making a loud "ding" that the waitresses ignored.  My aunt, wanting to find some humor in the situation, took her fork in one hand and spoon in the other and feigned banging a beat out on the table.  She does things like that when she's mad.  It's passive-aggressive.

It was after 7:00 until we received our food.  We got a brusque "sorry it took so long", but that was pretty much it.  And then, when we finally received our food, I looked down and prepared to chomp down on those popcorn shrimp.  They weren't anything special, but I had been waiting an hour and a half, so at the time they looked like the best thing I've ever eaten.  I picked up one of my shrimp---

"HOLD ON!!!  DON'T EAT THAT!" my waitress yelled as if eating it would end my life and possibly all of civilization.  I dropped it as if it were a grenade and backed away from the plate.  That was wierd.

She took my plate, said "I'll be right back," and soon dropped the plate back in front of me.

There were three shrimp missing.

Now, at eight shrimp, it looked like I got a good bang for my buck.  But with the remaining five, plus the crumbs left behind from their three missing siblings, it was looking pretty scrawny. 

I ate quickly and fumed.  The waitiress ignored us much of the time while she laughed and joked with more than one other table that was around us.  She took our orders and had us sit for over an hour.  She tried to avoid making eye contact with any of us.  I felt like a leper.

Then she gave me a generous helping of shrimp, and yelled so loud the whole restaurant could hear, and then took away much of that helping.

I wasn't impressed with this restaurant before.  Now I'm REALLY not impressed.

I bet people who watched movies in the Lyric had a better time than I had tonight.

I'm sitting watching Pleasantville as I type this.  It's a better movie than the Lyric is a restaurant.  Reese Witherspoon is in it.  I bet she could make me better food than what the Lyric served me tonight.  Tobey Maquire also is in this movie.  I bet he could make me a good meal, better than what I had tonight.  I bet Tobey Maguire knows how to make a mean Coconut Shrimp.  And I bet he wouldn't yell at me when I first started to chow down, too.

Stay away from this place.

Lyric, get your act together.

Lyric Restaurant
33 W Centre St  Shenandoah, PA 17976

(570) 462-1631