This graphic, from the York, Pa., Daily Record/Sunday News, provides an interactive timeline of iconic snack food maker, Snyder’s of Hanover. Martin’s chips has also been in the news recently because of its expansion. Which brings us back to the question: Who makes the best potato chips in York County, Martin’s or Utz? Or someone else? Go to commenting on this post to weigh in. Or comment below. Also of interest: Chipmaking of the potato kind has deep roots in York County and Agricultural fair, Bricker’s fries, Chicken corn soup: The ABCs of the ‘ABCs of York County’ and Fastnachts are a York County delicacy. But how are Fastnachts different from donuts?
Neat stuff from all over … .
So I was at one of my favorite York eateries, Beck’s Ice Cream Parlor, in The Avenues.
And I saw a hamburger in tomato sauce among the specials that day.
Is this a Bury’s Famous Hamburger? I thought… .
Usually, the only time to get the burger – unless you use the secret recipe to make the famous tomato-sauce covered burger at home – is at the York Fair.
At least, that’s been the case since the last Bury’s – the original burger chain in York County – close its last restaurant in the 1980s.
Well, I ordered the burger and gobbled it down.
It wasn’t billed as a Bury’s, and it didn’t taste like a Bury’s.
And it didn’t have that onion on top.
But it was good, and its presence on the menu, however occasionally, beacons you back to, well, Beck’s.
Recommended Web post of the day: This York Daily Record/Sunday News story about Gino’s updates former fans about this one-time York County icon.
Recommended blog post of the day: Writing about hamburgers, Yorkblogger Joan Concilio did that Gino’s piece, and she did this about a rare, upcoming German church service.
Forum of the day: Did York County’s community bulletin board The Exchange get its 100,000th post? Find out here.
Welcome to York Town Square, 8 years of daily posts about journalism and history, topics that can easily become plodding and self important. My goal is to keep this blog fun and accessible. And I try to say something in each post. I welcome your comments and respond to every one you write. Please contact me at 
Good topic Jim, I’m not going to say which chip is better, for each manufacturer has varieties, but what I long for is to buy them at our local Markets – Farmers’ Market, Central Market House & Eastern Market as they were sold as recently into the early 1990′s in wax paper bags – filled in front of your eyes with big stainless steel scoops so you could munch your way thru the market! That and a Knaub’s cake piece — such a revelation once again at Market!
I remember–before permanently leaving the York area in the late 1950s–seeing the Utz chips scooped up into bags at market–and by the time one arrived back home the oil from the chips would have penetrated thrughout the paper bag. In my earlier years living in the Washington suburbs we longed for Utz chips which were not available anywhere in the area. (Didn’t know about Martin’s back then.) One day a few years later, while shopping in a discount grocery store in suburban Montgomery County, MD I spotted Utz chips. This was an exciting moment for transplanted Pennsylvanians. Living in northern Virginia, this meant driving 45 minutes (pre-Beltway days)across the Potomac and thru the city to replenish our Utz every so often. Next came Charles Chips, delivered weekly to the front door and suddenly, Utz chips were not all that importtant any longer. Even occasional trips back to PA no longer necessitated resupplying with Utz before heading back to Virginia. Today–I try to not eat any chips but will admit my resistance falters at times.