After more than 35 years, Howard Howser has retired and given up ownership of Howard's Pantry in Van Dorn Plaza on South 48th Street. Fortunately (or not, depending on your perspective), few major changes are planned. Oh yeah, except for one little thing: they're going to sell booze. Maybe I'm misjudging the restaurant's core audience, but they just don't seem like the types to order Bud Light with their patty melts. But what do I know?
My first trips to The Pantry were just a few years after Howard's arrival. My Grandma Ethel -- yep, I had a Grandma Ethel -- would sometimes take us there for lunch when she was in town to shop at Knights or ... well, wherever it was that she shopped 30+ years ago. (I personally preferred Bishop Buffet, but I got mashed potatoes and gravy either way so I was happy.) My most recent visit was a few years ago. Very little had changed.
Whenever a big change like this happens I always wonder what comparable thing we'll be talking about decades down the road. In this case, who's the next Howard? I guess we'll find out soon enough.
Comments
See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.
I worked at the Pantry in highschool (1990) and have been going back ever since. I’m surprised that it’s not going to stay within the family. I really hope that this is the demise of the place. I have kept going back, year after year, because the food is good. Their gravy is freshly made in house and not out of a package. Their hamburgers are probably the best in town. Their onion rings are breaded by their workers. It’s real food. That is the food it’s clientele liked. And that clientele is not a group that I can see being big time drinkers. They are older (60+ with many much older), on budgets and went to the Pantry because it gave them great food at a good affordable price. Yeah, the inside hasn’t changed… but it never has had to. The food hasn’t changed. Again, because it doesn’t need to. But with a new owner, I don’t see things not changing… and that’s unfortunate.
This will make Mr. Wilson’s head explode, but… I have lived in the LNK since 1985, and have never once set foot inside The Pantry.
I forgive you.
The Pantry is one of those places that everybody has been to ... except those who haven’t. There are several such places around town. The Isles is a good example. Two examples on my list of never-visiteds—dare I admit this here?—are the Tastee and The Steak House.
Tastees is one of those places that is all kinds of wrong while being all kinds of right. I’m not in love with their Tastee burgers, but man those onion chips/dip…
Never been to The Steak House. I’m not even sure I know where it’s at.
I’ve also never been to Misty’s but I use their seasoning salt here at home.
Share your thoughts with the community.
Commenting is no longer permitted on this post.