What was your favorite off-campus place to eat during your time in Rolla? Historian Larry Gragg, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor emeritus of history and political science, recently posed this question to our readers. Here are a few of your answers.

Ahh, the Wee Chef Diner, of course. Had great burgers and fries. Used to have a chocolate shake each night to try to put weight on my skinny, young body. WOW! Have times changed!

Dave Law, EE’59
Springfield, Ohio

Alex’s Pizza, of course! Their cheese balls were the best!

Amanda Withers, CE’99
Springfield, Ill.

Tim’s Pizza. I loved their salads piled high with shrimp and cheese.

Patricia (Peick) Daluga, CerE’84
Princeton, Ill.

Bill’s Burger Basket on South Highway 63 was a Sunday favorite.

Bill Alexander, ChE’70
Fort Collins, Colo.

Alex’s (but usually got it delivered or take out). Tim’s Pizza was a good place to sit down. I was at UMR when they opened the McDonald’s in 1975, I believe, and I think I ended up there three times opening day — and I didn’t even have a car and lived at the Sig Tau house. Can’t recall how I got there, but I was NOT intoxicated. The A&W was a good place on Tuesday nights when Coney dogs were like 15 cents apiece. Until these two places opened, the DQ was about it for fast food, and it was on the way home.

Jim Rau, CE’78
Ponca City, Okla.

Leo Cardetti’s — I proposed there! Tim’s Pizza — Home of the “kitchen sink” pizza that had everything on it … but the kitchen sink. And last but definitely not least, Johnny’s Smoke Stak. Best burnt ends ANYWHERE. I would stop in Rolla if I happened to be passing through that way for years to stop at Johnny’s. Saddened me to see it go.

Steven D. Hoernig, CE’93
Benton, Mo.

Phi Kappa Theta chapter house. I was the steward in 1961–62.

Jim Haffner, CerE’63
Sun City, Ariz.