Quaker Steak & Lube
Quaker Steak & Lube is a casual dining restaurant chain based in Sharon, Pennsylvania. The original restaurant was built in 1974 by George "Jig" Warren and Gary "Mo" Meszaros in an abandoned gas station in downtown Sharon, and decorated with license plates and old automobiles. Originally a "cook-your-own-steak" establishment, Quaker Steak's signature dish is now its chicken wings and the variety of sauces used to season them.[1]
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Casual dining |
| Founded | Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States (1974) |
| Founder | George "Jig" Warren III, Gary "Moe" Meszaros |
| Headquarters | Sharon, Pennsylvania |
Number of locations | 50 in the United States |
Area served | North America |
| Parent | TravelCenters of America |
| Website | thelube |
The name is a play on that of the motor oil product Quaker State.
History
In 1974, gas stations across the country were closing in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis. George "Jig" Warren III and Gary "Moe" Meszaros came up with the idea of preserving the culture of old gas stations and high-powered muscle cars. They opened Quaker Steak & Lube, initially a "cook-your-own-steak" restaurant that showcased old muscle cars. The original location includes a 1936 Chevrolet on the original hydraulic grease rack.[2]
On November 16, 2015, the company was acquired by TravelCenters of America (T/A) immediately after Quaker Steak & Lube filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. T/A plans to expand the chain both in its chain of truck stops as well as in standalone locations.[3]
Locations
As of October 2016, there are 50 restaurant locations in 12 states. The majority of the current locations operate in eastern Ohio and western and central Pennsylvania. Locations do, however, span the United States including one location each: outside Clearwater, Florida, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Sulphur, Louisiana & Columbia, South Carolina. There was also a Quaker Steak & Lube location inside the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 2009 to 2014. The original location in Sharon, PA hosts Bike Nite every Wednesday in the Summer. This tradition has expanded to other locations as well.
Wing sauce
| Flavor | Scoville units[4] |
|---|---|
| Eat Heat | 1,500,000 |
| Triple Atomic (discontinued) | 500,000 |
| Atomic (discontinued) | 150,000 |
| Super-Charged (formerly "Suicide"[5]) | 30,000 |
| Dusted Ghost Pepper | 11,700 |
| Buckeye BBQ | 5,000 |
| Cajun | 3,870 |
| Hot | 3,000 |
| The Lube's Sriracha (Discontinued) | 2,750 |
| Dusted Mango Habanero | 2,550 |
| Arizona Ranch | 2,050 |
| Golden Garlic | 2,030 |
| Haute Parm | 1,935 |
| Thai 'R' Cracker | 1,850 |
| Dusted Salt & Vinegar (Discontinued) | 1,500 |
| Medium | 1,440 |
| Thaisian | 1,400 |
| Premium Garlic (Discontinued) | 1,300 |
| Smoked Jalapeño Honey | 1,250 |
| Louisiana Lickers | 1,220 |
| Fiery BBQ (Discontinued) | 1,190 |
| Tequila Lime BBQ (Discontinued) | 1,150 |
| Boom Boom | 1,130 |
| Asian Sesame | 930 |
| Dusted Chipotle BBQ | 900 |
| Parmesan Pepper | 870 |
| Mild | 740 |
| Honey Mustard (Discontinued) | 310 |
| Smokin' Texas BBQ Lite (Discontinued) | 110 |
| Kentucky Bourbon | 110 |
| Dusted Tex Mex Ranch (Discontinued) | 100 |
| Smoky Gold BBQ (Discontinued) | 90 |
| "Original" BBQ | 90 |
| Ranch (Discontinued) | 90 |
Awards
As of 2009, the chain has won over 100 awards.[6]
Media
The Pointe at North Fayette location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was featured in the Travel Channel series Man v. Food.[7] The episode's challenge was to consume six "Atomic" chicken wings, at the time the strongest wings on Quaker Steak's menu.[7] Host Adam Richman completed the challenge in the allotted time and was awarded a commemorative bumper sticker and a place on the restaurant's "Atomic Wall of Flame".[8]
The chain has since discontinued Atomic and added a "Triple Atomic" sauce, which registered 500,000 Scoville units. The Triple Atomic was discontinued and replaced with an even hotter sauce, the scorpion pepper-based Eat Heat. In order to complete the hot wing challenge, one must sign a waiver.
References
- Roknick, Michael (15 August 2015). "Community leader, Lube co-founder, Gary Meszaros dies". The Herald. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- "Quaker Steak & Lube - History". Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- "Bank says Quaker Steak in default on $4.3 million loan".
- "Quaker Steak and Lube menu" (PDF). Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- The News Now Network » Quaker Steak Caves To Community Complaints
- "Quaker Steak & Lube - History/awards". Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- "Quaker Steak & Lube featured on Travel Channel". Youngstown Vindicator. December 16, 2008. Archived from the original on August 24, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
- Rozwadowski, Thomas (January 8, 2009). "Viewers win battle of "Man v. Food"". Green Bay Press-Gazette.