A quick dip into the mailbox today; I want to share a letter with you that came from Shirley Kline of Manchester Township.
Shirley writes, “Remember Howard Johnson’s Restaurant on East Market St.? (Presently Stony Brook Family Restaurant.)”
She says, “They had the best onion rings and clam strips (always freshly breaded). Also, the weekly fish fry – I think every Wednesday. I worked there as a waitress in the ’60s.”
That’s one I had not heard about before, though I know the fish fry tradition still continues at many places in York County; back during Lent, especially, there were tons!
Does anyone else remember this restaurant – and its onion rings or clam strips? And where do you get good onion rings now? They’re one of my mom’s favorites!
My name is Joan and I'm a lifelong Yorker. Throughout high school and college, I swore I was getting out of here as soon as possible. Now, a few years later, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be. I love my town. And, as a local editor, I hear every day how much you love your towns, too. So please, connect with me and let's share what makes life in York County great. I'm here to help you enjoy this place as much as I do!
I thought that the Howard Johnson’s restaurant was on Route 30(Arsenal Road) in front of the Howard Johnson’s hotel. The hotel became York View Hotel last year after operating as a Days Inn since the early 1990′s. The restaurant has operated as Round the Clock Diner since 1993 and is a popular place to eat in York.
There were actually two Howard Johnson restaurants, one on East Market Street and one on Arsenal Road. I worked at both of them when I was in high school. My personal favorite was the clam roll. The weekly fish fry was on Wednesday and it was an all you can eat.
Tender sweet fried clams and the hot dog buns which were New Englnad style–split from the top.
I wasn’t around York when those H. J. restaurants were in business, but I remember eating the all-you-can-eat fish fries and those great fried clams at other H. J. restaurants. There was one on Rt.15 in front of the Camp Hill Mall for many years and on our trips back to PA to visit relatives we often stopped at that one. One should not forget the ice cream also served in them. What was it–21 flavors?
As for great onion rings–unless things have changed–there are none better than at the Padddock, out East Market St. I will be there on the 20th for lunch with classmates and cannot wait for more.
The fish fry was always the best around. If was always busy on that night
My parents loved going to Howard Johnson’s in the 1960′s! My dad always got the clam strips dinner, and my mother loved the pulled pork BBQ sandwich — served with cole slaw on top!
My fondest memories are of my birthday dinners there– a complimentary turkey dinner for “Little Ho-Jo’s” of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and peas. Each part of the dinner was served in a separate part of a plate with compartments. When you finished each part, you were “rewarded” by a nursery rhyme character at the bottom. (As a picky eater, it often took an incentive such as that for me to eat my dinner.)
The best partof any meal, though, was choosing from the 28 flavors of ice cream. The scoops of ice cream were pointed, not round, because of the unusual scoop they used.
I worked at the HoJo on East Market Street shortly after it opened in either 1957 or 1958.
As a counter man, my job included making sundaes for the waitresses to serve at booths and serving patrons at the counter. By the end of that Summer I knew all 28 flavors of the ice cream.
Company policy was that when serving a plate of food, the HJ logo (Simple Simon and the pie man) had to be facing the customer.
We also got to eat one meal per shift on the house.
I worked at the HoJo on East Market Street shortly after it opened in either 1957 or 1958.
As a counter man, my job included making sundaes for the waitresses to serve at booths and serving patrons at the counter. By the end of that Summer I knew all 28 flavors of the ice cream.
Company policy was that when serving a plate of food, the HJ logo (Simple Simon and the pie man) had to be facing the customer.
We also got to eat one meal per shift on the house.
I did not work in York but in Gettysburg in the 60′s at HoJo’s on Steinwehr Ave..
I do remember the 28 flavors of Ice cream because so many people would ask what they were,and in the end would always want Vanilla.
I also remember the Paddock as having good onion rings when my dad would get us carry-out in the sixties.