Remembering McCook restaurants from the 1960s

1963 was a sad year for my family as we lost two very precious family members just a few months apart. As I was entering my teenage years, these were the first losses that I faced with full knowledge the finality of death. Then, with the assassination of President Kennedy, I grasped the concept of true evil in the form of man. Everyone has a moment when they understand that the world is not the loving sheltered environment their childhood has been, perhaps mine came to me later than most but that moment occurred for me in 1963.

I’ve written before about the strong women that I was surrounded by as I grew up. When I entered the job market beyond mowing grass or babysitting, the list of women who shaped my life or taught me skills that serve me yet today, expanded with each new job. Kathryn Vap, Betty Leitner, Vivian Pasquan, Teckla Allen, all ladies under whose supervision I worked and soaked up all the lessons they could pass along.

Last week a very special lady left this world, Lorna (Stewart-Wagner) Trupp. I worked for Lorna when she had the Chief Steakhouse. I don’t want to leave out her sister, Joan (Stewart) Gillen when talking about the café, but it was Lorna that had a firm directive for each of the waitresses which was “no empty hands”. You were not to enter or leave the kitchen with empty hands. There was always something to serve, clean, or pick up all day, every day, during your shift. That philosophy also covered no standing around looking like there is nothing to do, there was always something to do! She was a good person to work for when you were totally inexperienced. She didn’t yell or belittle you, she just set you straight and got you back to work.

In 1963 Lorna and her husband, Bob Wagner, were running Ed’s Grill at 404 West B. Ed’s was open 6 days a week from 7 am to 10 pm and featured steaks, chicken and sea food.

They had a lot of competition in the food industry in those days. A man from North Platte, George LaLanne was operating the Chef Lalanne Kitchen where Lorna’s Chief Steakhouse would end up being in 1968 which was right next to the Chief Motel.

Larry’s Café at 224 West B, owned by Don and Mabel Modrell, boasted the motto, “People come back to Larry’s Café”, and served breakfast, lunch and dinner also. Modrell’s café at 312 Norris Ave., owned by Lyle and Bertha Modrell came back with this catchy wording, “A Real Place to Eat”. Their ad in the directory said they were 1 ˝ blocks north of the stop light and were AAA approved.

The Hi-Way café, Vern and Beatrice Blake owners, sat at 105 East B street. Just down a few doors sat the Moffitt Café at 115 East B, proprietors were Irving and Alta Moffitt. The next closest East B location for food was at 1227, the East Side Drive-Inn & Café, Mrs. Kitty B. Malson owner.

The Bus Café, I can attest to, had the best cinnamon rolls around when you were waiting for your dad’s run on the railroad to be completed. They were located at 101 Norris Ave., Ray and Irene Gibson owned this all-night eatery, opening at 8 PM and closing promptly at 10 AM in the morning.

All of us remember the M & E Café, owned by Earl and Mary Fuller at 218 West B, where many a young person got their start in the work force under their direction. Less well known, at least to me, was the Little Casino, 114 A West B, Mrs. Ann Russel, manager, or the Leon Price Restaurant, 416 West B, Leon and Norma Price owners. Rounding out the restaurants listed was the Lucky Leven, 200 West 1st, with the well-known cook, Amy Winn, at the helm.

Going through old city directories brings back a lot of memories and faces from days gone by. SWNGS library has a nice selection of them along with phone books that help when doing research of McCook and the surrounding areas. Visit with us on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-4 PM, weather permitting at 110 West C, Suite M-3. This Saturday is our monthly meeting starting at 1 PM.