Dining With Plastic Forks

Kale G: So, we were at a loss. We hadn’t planned where to go, or even what cuisine we desired, and it was just about time to head out. Scratching our heads, Phil and I pondered our predicament. Fortunately, our former boss Jason decided he could help, and reminded us that not far from our first review sits Wally’s.

Phil B: Jason definitely gets ‘marked up’ for telling us about Wally’s – any place with a motto like “Oh By Golly, Gotta Have a Wally” so totally embodies the spirit of DWPF. Exciting stuff.

KG: It’s kind of cool that there at the intersection of our first review is a second restaurant of suitable DWPF quality. Especially since the intersection only seems to have two restaurants.

PB : Well, there is that Burger King there…

KG: Like I said, two restaurants.

PB: Hmm, will have to concede on that point. Calling BK a ‘restaurant’ is a bit of a stretch …

KG: Wally’s Roast Beef Sandwiches, established in 1969, is a veritable slice of Americana, served on a bun and topped with gravy. They even have a Blue Plate Special! And it comes on a Blue Plate!

PB: We noticed that they have a Red Plate and a Green Plate Special on the menu as well. Didn’t look to see if they had red and green plates for these items, but I’m guessing that they do.

The décor is totally retro, complete with linoleum floors, oilcloth-covered tables, a jukebox, and gas station signs. It’s like stepping into a time warp back to the ‘60’s.

KG: We surveyed the room for religious icons, and while we didn’t find any per se, we did find something like a religious icon:

PB: I beg to differ … that much-ballyhooed symbol is the object of more worship and fanatical devotion from its followers than most things you’ll find on the planet. If that isn’t a religious icon, nothing is.

KG: We meandered over to the counter, and Phil was unable to resist the lure of blue plastic, so his choice was done. I have always had something of a fondness for the French Dip sandwich, so quickly my course was set too.

PB: Hey, this was an exciting moment in my life. The Blue Plate Special is firmly seated in the lore of Americana -- along with roadside diners, Route 66, the ’56 Ford pickup, Airstream trailers, and waitresses that call you ‘Hon’. And here was an opportunity to try it, on a genuine blue plate.

KG: Now, they have other things on the menu: meatloaf, turkey, BBQ pork, even hamburgers. But any place that proudly proclaims one meat above all other on their board better be able to back it up, and here’s the good news: Wally’s can.

Their roast beef is made fresh and cut on site with a deli slicer, and it is delicious. Medium rare, a nice thickness to the cut, and perfect tenderness all combine into one of the best roast beef sandwiches a consumer could ask for. Add gravy or au jus, and then we’re really talking.

PB: Yep, the Blue Plate Special is a hot roast beef sandwich, served the way God intended it: Smothered in brown gravy, with homemade mashed potatoes and some corn on the side. Perfectly seasoned with a little salt and pepper. For this reviewer, it doesn’t get any better than this.

The French Dip sandwich is also very good, if you are looking for slightly lighter fare. But this time the heart attack on a blue plate really did it for me.

KG: The sandwiches are cheap, filling, delicious and quick. They’re not earth-shattering or anything like that, but it’s solid food solidly made. I was a little disappointed that the French Dip didn’t have Swiss cheese or onions, but the bread used soaks up the au jus very nicely, and on Phil’s it supported the gravy ably.

The mashed potatoes are also quite good, if a little lumpy, which was nice. The corn that came on the Blue Plate was also good, if a bit plain. But like I said, this isn’t haute cuisine.

It’s just straight up Dining With Plastic Forks. Four tines.

PB: Four tines from me, too. When are we going back?