Die-hards get it, while others just don’t understand why Nite Owl can’t stick to consistent hours. Roepke follows the rubric his grandfather started when he christened the place back in 1948. Chris’ father, John, 78, started cooking there in 1956 and is still doing it.
“It is a labor of love,” says Chris. “We normally sell out every day till mid-September.”
Folks who want their food ready for mobile consumption make up most of the business, says the owner. But the small dining room – checkerboard floor, booths, chrome chairs – has a nostalgic charm.
The menu is tasty, classic, throwback drive-in fare – hot dogs, grilled cheese, fish sandwich, chicken strips, shakes, malts, floats and sundaes.
The fish sandwich is a warm fast-food memory for me. Nite Owl’s version ($5), which adds American cheese, leads me to think nostalgia sweetened that remembrance. The bun holds two rectangle-shaped fish patties, tender but pedestrian.
Nite Owl
830 E. Layton Ave.
414-483-2524
HOURS:
Tues-Sat, 11 a.m. until sold out. Cash only.
PRICES:
$3-$10
SERVICE:
Friendly. There will be a wait at the walk-up counter.
The burger here clearly outshines the other sandwiches. These are filling, generous halfinch patties cooked through, but not dry (get a double for $7!). Three slices of melted American is how they crown a single cheeseburger. Not my fave, but if you love American cheese, this will rock your world. The crinkle-cut fries are soft-crisp ($2), a better choice than the flaccid onion rings ($3.50).
Ice cream is obligatory, whether it’s a thick, smooth chocolate malt or a sundae such as the Dusty Road ($4.75), whose combo of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, crispy malt powder and whipped cream tastes like a Kit Kat. So good. And that’s not nostalgia talking.
Visits to Nite Owl require patience (you might wait 30 minutes for a carryout, making it a very slow take on fast food) and flexibility (come early!), but you will be rewarded.
