On a drizzly, dark December night, I followed the neon lights zipping around the building of Dub’s Place. Like a moth to a flame, I walked into the 1950s-era diner under the sign that proclaims, “Shakes, Malts, Sundies” to all those who pass on Dayton Boulevard.
The glass block windows on the corners of the restaurant emit a warm, yellow glow. Inside, the dining room is filled with chrome plated tables and chairs, old license plates and framed newspaper articles.
This place is filled with memories. A couple came here on their first date — little did they know, they’d be back 63 years later to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Folks come in asking for the crumble burger they’d had as a kid on the back of their dad’s pickup truck. It’s a nostalgic menu item, somewhat akin to a sloppy joe in texture, but stewed with onions and salt, sans sauce.
Dub’s Place
— Location: 4408 Dayton Blvd.
— Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m. Sunday
I’d been here once before and remembered the staff being incredibly kind and friendly. My memory was correct. Katie Harris took our orders and told us she’s been working at Dub’s since earlier this year. She told us stories about the “precious” customers, the blue-collar workers and the firemen. The families and the older folks looking for a trip down memory lane.
The restaurant was bought and revitalized in 2011 by Red Bank resident Jordan Miller, transforming it from a seasonal restaurant open in the summer and fall into a year-round staple in the area.
Per Harris’ suggestion, I ordered the half-pound packed patty “all the way.” The warm, juicy burger was heaped with all the fixin’s under the soft doughy bun: lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, mustard, ketchup and mayo. I ordered a side of tater tots. (I have now realized in the span of only three months in this job, I have managed to write about tater tots three different times — a tot for every month, perhaps?) These were the salty, crunchy, delight bites I always hope for in a tater tot.
They also have a fabulous selection of barbeque, like smoked pork with homemade sauce or smoked chicken with Alabama white sauce. If you’re a vegetarian, they have a grilled cheese sandwich, advertised as “gooey,” and honestly, I appreciate a descriptive adjective in a menu item name.
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And then, of course, there are the selections of ice creams. It is quite a tongue-twisting bevy of options. One could get lost in the fountain soda floats and hot fudge toppings. If only Dorothy had been chanting “Milkshakes and sundaes and malts, oh my!” on her way to Oz, I feel like she would have had such a better experience on that yellow brick road.
I like to keep it classic, so I ordered a chocolate shake (with whipped cream and a cherry, obviously, because I’m not an animal). When Harris brought out the shake, the burger and the tots, and the rain pattered on the window, I thought this is the place, indeed. Dub’s Place.
Contact Lyric Lewin at llewin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6215. Subscribe to her newsletter, What To Eat Next.