Ghetto Burger – Lunch with Tanya and Jamal

I was just thinking about this past weekend. You know I’m not the most patient person in the world. So why did I wait over an hour for an $8 burger? I’ll tell you why, because one of my best friends, Tanya, was visiting me from Chicago and insisted we check out one of the joints from her Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives list.

Okay, so let me tell you about our dining experience. The place was super small. It seats eight people inside (that’s right eight barstools and a grill), and about that many outside on the screened in patio.  So we climb the four steps to the door, open it, and the owner tells us we can’t come in. Say what?  I would have loved to see our faces myself, because I’m sure we were looking real crazy. It wasn’t just that she basically told us to get out, but it was the way she said it. …or maybe it was the way I heard it.  So when she shooed us out, I’m thinking – cool- I’m outta here. I was ready to hop back in the car and go up the street to Checkers.  But nooo, Tanya wasn’t hearing it. She’d come too far to check out this ghetto burger that G. Garvin said was a must have. 

Okay, so we back out the door and down the stairs. Of course it’s at that point we notice this little itty bitty sign on a window on the side of the door that says you can’t come in until there’s an empty seat available.  I’m thinking, she could probably keep more customers if that sign was bigger AND posted ON the door.

And you’re probably wondering where Jamal fits into this story, huh? I sat next to him, on one of the eight bar stools, and we all had a good laugh at the fact we were all sitting there waiting for a burger, but being treated like crap. At least G. Garvin had warned that we probably wouldn’t receive any southern hospitality. Poor Jamal hadn’t received a heads up – so he was kinda sittin’ in shock – and it turns out, he’d been there forty minutes prior to our arrival and we received our food maybe two seconds before he did.

Throughout our waiting experience, we watched as the owner shooed customers out of the shack, telling them they can’t come in. I’m sitting there thinking, so that’s what we looked like when we got shooed out. Many got back into their cars and drove off, but surprisingly, many stayed.

BTW, did I happen to mention that you don’t get a choice of eating inside? Nope, since the place only seats eight, if you want to eat
there, you have to eat on the patio.

But on a serious note, since the burger was pretty good I’ll give you the name of the place – Ann’s Snack Bar.  Just keep in mind – if you go, be prepared to wait…outside.

Sharon C. Cooper

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