The three Corvairs parked side-by-side tipped off my wife and me: we were about to go back in time. Our portal to the past was Roy’s Grill, a cafe located on Chickamauga Avenue in Rossville, Ga. While the restaurant’s neon-draped white exterior is the first indication that it’s no modern day greasy spoon, the long red counter and black-and-white interior decor evoke a palpable sense of nostalgia. Instead of hitting patrons over the head with cheesy model cars and Coca Cola memorabilia, a life-size Elvis cutout, a jukebox and cherry red booths stir up a subtle sense of the past. The only thing missing is George McFly telling Lorraine Baines she’s his density.
The low-key nature of the interior decoration lends an air of authenticity to Roy’s Grill. Indeed, you can stand at the bottom of the staircase leading to the upstairs dining area, look on the wall at a photo of the restaurant taken on opening night in 1949, and then turn around and see the same thing the photographer saw, right down to the “Go to Church on Sunday” sign above the front door. Another photo shows Roy, decked out in a paper hat, a white shirt and a bowtie. Roy’s Grill is dripping with history.
And its food is dripping with hometown taste. When I asked our server why people come to Roy’s, she mentioned their hamburger, and then said a lot of folks like their Philly Steak, Reuben Sandwich and Bologna Burger, too. I went with the hamburger, while my wife chose the Philly Steak.
Roy’s hamburgers come the way I like ‘em: a big slab of grilled ground beef, juicy but not pink; cheese; mayo; mustard; and fresh tomatoes, onions and lettuce. I like for my first bite to be all cheese and meat, which means the burger has to be bigger than the bun and the cheese has to cover the meat, and that’s what I got. I also got a pleasing “crunch” when I bit into the fresh toppings on my second bite. Although Roy’s is about nine miles from our home in Ringgold, I can see driving that far to get a burger. (Doing so would involve bypassing Steak ‘n Shake on Battlefield Parkway, and I’m OK with that.)
Now, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen my wife scrunch up her nose in disapproval as she’s bit into a Philly Steak. Coming from New York City, she has high standards when it comes to certain foods, including Philly Steak sandwiches. But her eyes lit up as she tasted the chewy hoagie bun, the salty meat, the melted Swiss, and the grilled peppers and onions that make up Roy’s version. Since then, she’s mentioned several times how good the sandwich was, and I’m sure if I make the trip to Roy’s for a burger, she’ll be tagging along to get the Philly Steak.
Roy’s also serves a Blue Plate special that I did not try but about which I have heard good things. For just under eight bucks, you can get either a fried chicken breast, a hamburger steak or a country fried steak and two sides. Sides include baked beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed corn, green beans, collard greens, pintos, fried okra, white beans, baked mac ‘n cheese and more.
Have you ever eaten at a restaurant that described its cooking as “down home,” only to them, “down home” means opening a can? That’s not the case at Roy’s, where the crew makes all of the sides I mentioned from scratch. Their baked beans start out dry, our server told us about how she loves peeling potatoes and then watching the “big machine” mash them up, and owner John Arnold, Jr., batters and fries the okra himself. Even the chips that came with my hamburger were homemade.
The only things that are frozen at Roy’s are the crinkly fries and the onion rings – and my stare when I saw the chocolate shake and the brownie à la mode my wife and I ordered for dessert. “That looks good!” I told our server. “I don’t know any other way to make them,” she said, laughing.
Although Roy’s has been at 116 Chickamauga Avenue for over 60 years, it’s changed hands a number of times. Arnold took over in August 2011 following a failed attempt by a group of real estate investors to run a restaurant. As word has it, the food was anything but good, and business took a significant dip as a result. However, with Arnold at the helm, Roy’s has returned to its former glory.
Roy’s is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., though Arnold told us he’ll probably start staying open until 10 sometime in April. To find out what the special of the day is, call 706-956-8317. For example, on Fridays, Arnold smokes a mean barbecue plate.
In addition to serving meals in house, Roy’s can accommodate event meetings and cater a party. On the day of our visit, Arnold delivered over two dozen Blue Plate specials to a local hospital, so the word is out about the restaurant’s food.
Chattanooga is packed with great restaurants, many of which serve upper-class cuisine. But when you want a meal that puts the “comfort” in “comfort food,” you’d be hard-pressed to find a place that does it better than Roy’s.
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.