From: dye@i88.isc.com (Ken R. Dye )
Newsgroups: rec.food.restaurants,alt.restaurants,misc.consumers
Subject: Belated Summary: Maid-Rite Sandwiches
Date: 20 Aug 92 02:35:01 GMT
Article-I.D.: i88.1992Aug20.023501.8460
Organization: INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation, Naperville, IL

A while back, I posted a request to the net:

>	I'm trying to make a list of known operating (or even defunct)
>restaurants that make "Maid-Rite" sandwiches.  Kind of like a dry
>sloppy joe, with peppery steamed hamburger.  Please reply via 
>E-Mail; if there is any interest, I'll post a summary.


I had always loved the special childhood treat of going to Greenville, OH
when visiting my parents' hometown of Union City, IN to eat these delights.
They went there in their childhoods as well, quite a hang-out.
I had always thought this was the only place, but on a trip through
the Quad Cities (IL/IA), searching a side road off of the interstate
for gas, found another place (really old "shack") that served them.
Then I saw a modern one that was either under construction (or defunct)
in Minneapolis.	 Several years later, I found the one in Beloit, WI
and figured there might be more than these 4 places and did the posting.

The response I got back was more than I expected, 30 very helpful
people...some actually taking the time to hit the phone book and
getting exact addresses!  Thanks to all who replied; those who
requested a summary were mailed one as well.

I still know nothing of the actual history of the company (save
for the "since 1926" on the logo.  I got varied comments from "love them"
to "hate them" (summary of these at end of this article).  Some of
the ones in  the quad cities are in Mini-malls and quite new; the
franchise may be bouncing back.

Here is a summary of the info I got back:

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For Sure, in business recently:

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COLORADO:

Denver, CO

	Maid-Rite of Denver #1
	1010 S. Peoria Aurora..................340-4188


Louisville, CO

	820 Main Street      
	Louisville, CO 80027      (Just north of Denver, East of Boulder)
	(303) 666-9636

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IOWA:

Ames, Iowa

	North Grand Mall

Bettendorf, IA

	779 Middle Road

Davenport IA

	3708 Division

Cedar Rapids, IA

	Maid-Rite Lindale Mall, Cedar Rapids, IA

	Maid-Rite West Side, Cedar Rapids, IA

	Maid-Rite Westdale Mall, Cedar Rapids, IA

	Maidrite Eastside, Cedar Rapids, IA

Independence, IA

	"a small town near Waterloo"
	Confirmed by two people, but no exact address

Iowa City, IA

	Maid-Rite Corner
	630 Iowa Ave

	Taylor's Maid Rite
	Marshalltown, IA  50158
	(It's right next to the hospital)

Marion, IA

	Maid-Rite, Marion, IA

Mason City, IA

	On South Federal Av.
	"Shill's Maid-Rite"
	"It's been there forever,and is apparently one of the original
	Maid-Rite franchises".

Mount Pleasant, IA

	"near the center of town on US Highway 34"

Otumwa, IA

	There's a resturant (or was ~1985) in Otumwa Iowa that made sandwiches
	just as you describe. It's the only place I've found them.


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ILLINOIS:
Springfield, IL

	"Donley's"
	118 N Pasfield, Springfield, IL
	Downtown...Jefferson & Pasfield
	"home of the first drive up window"...1920's vintage...homemade rootbeer



Peoria, IL

	Willow Knolls Court (corner of U.S. 150 and Willow Knolls Dr.)
	"Nicest I've seen in Central Illinois.
	It is fully decorated and has a more extensive
	menu.  It's packed on Saturday nights and the 50's
	music is cranked on the jukebox".

	Campustown (corner of Main St. & University St.)

	2240 W Glen Ave
	"oldest, serves breakfast, greasy spoon type"

Rockford, IL

	State Street Maid-Rite
	4770 E. State Street

Silvis, IL

	(near Rock Island, quad cities)

Milan, IL 

	(Rock Island County)
	205 West 1st AV

Moline, IL

	4100 4th Avenue

	Southpark Mall

	2036 16th Street

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INDIANA:

Monticello, IN

	"They are called Steam Burgers at this location. 
	Its located on U.S. Hwy 24."


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KANSAS:

Leavenworth, KS

	"on Kiowa St. between 5th and 6th"

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OHIO:

Greenville, OH

	Right off the town square on U.S. 127.
	Trademark "gummed" drive-thru wall

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MINNESOTA:

Eden Prairie, MN
	(surbarb of twin cities)
	"in a small mall off Shady Oak Road..."

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WISCONSIN:

Beloit, WI

	South Beloit Maid-Rite
	Hwy. 2 at State Line
	South Beloit, WI

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Not Sure, defunct or non-exact info

Colorado Springs, CO

	"It closed sometime in the late 50's or early 60's, I think".

Golden or Quincy, IL

	"My wife told me about Maid Rite and I thought she was goofy!  She
	finally took me to one in either Golden Illinois or Quincy Illinois.
	I didn't care much for them :-(  "

Penkin, IL

Grinnell, IA

	"I don't know if they're still in existence, but there was one back
	in 1974 in Grinnell, IA (sortof midway between Des Moines and Iowa
	City). They may well be defunct by now; they looked close to it then...

	"There was (is?) one in Grinnell IA, I believe it was called Collins'
	Maid-Rite, on US Hwy 6.  It was there about 10-15 years ago, but I
	don't remember seeing it at the last reunion (not that I looked for it)"

Ogden, IA
	"There is one still operating (I think) in bustling downtown Ogden Iowa
	(located near the intersection of US Highways 30 and 169)."

Souix City, IA
	"a long time ago"

Muscatine, IA
	"used to be several"

Minneapolis/St Paul, MN
	"I think there's some more in the Twin Cities area...."

Hammond, IN
	Now Defunct.


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Known "oldies"

Springfield, IL

	"Donley's"
	118 N Pasfield, Springfield, IL
	Springfield, IL
	Downtown...Jefferson & Pasfield
	"home of the first drive up window"...1920's vintage...homemade rootbeer

Greenville, OH

	Right off the town square on U.S. 127.
	Trademark "gummed" drive-thru wall

Peoria, IL

	2240 W Glen Ave
	"oldest, serves breakfast, greasy spoon type"

Mason City, IA

	On South Federal Av.
	"Shill's Maid-Rite"
	"It's been there forever,and is apparently one of the original
	Maid-Rite franchises".

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Humerous/notable comments:

"What an odd request."

"My wife told me about Maid Rite and I thought she was goofy!  She
finally took me to one in either Golden Illinois or Quincy Illinois.
I didn't care much for them :-(  Actually I didn't care for Quincy Illinois
as I lived in Chicago at the time!  Small towns just don't mix well with me."

"I love Maid-Rites!
We had them so often as a kid, that we call any kind of burger a 
"Maid-Rite" rather than burger, sandwich, etc.  Gets you kindof
funny looks when you go to other parts of the country and order
a Maid-Rite in a restaurant!"

"since I grew up in the Midwest I LOVE maidrites; when I lived out
East nobody knew what I was talking about!!!"	

"There is a Maid Rite on 80 (I believe. Its the hwy that goes thru the
center of Iowa) Anyway, Its either around the Illinois border or just over
it. (sorry, someone made me stop and I did my best to forget the whole
experience except to remember not to stop at a Maid-Rite ever again)

"I'd never had a Maid-Rite before, but now I'm hooked."

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--Ken
Newsgroups: rec.food.restaurants