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Hidden in a part of town that to many screams "Danger! Danger, Will Robinson," is a soda fountain-meets-diner establishment by the name of Crown Candy Kitchen.
Since 1913 (when it was opened by Harry Karandzieff and his best friend Pete Jugaloff), this small business has been dishing out some of the best malts, shakes and diner food one could ever taste.
While the location in Old North St. Louis might make some wary, do not let the rough looking surroundings deter a trip. The food is more than worth it.
The ham and cheese sandwich is chocked full of exactly that…ham and cheese. The sandwich is at least two inches tall and the perfect consistency of delicious cheese and delectable ham make it a delight. Along with the sandwich come chips and a pickle. Hope you are hungry.
If bacon is a staple of your diet, order the BLT. If the ham and cheese is chock full of its ingredients, then the BLT is piled high with thick, cooked-to-perfection bacon. There is more bacon on this sandwich than you could dream would find its way on to a piece of bread. Chips and a pickle come with this also.
The chili alone is worth the trip. Cooked without beans, it is some of the heartiest, most filling chili. You expect restaurant chili and what you get is a better than homemade bowl of perfectly seasoned, incredibly flavorful chili.
If chocolate or strawberry or vanilla or really anything sweet is more your style, enjoy a rich malt or shake. If you would rather not have the cold and just have the chocolate, there is a display case showing off all of the delectable sweets the kitchen makes in-house as well.
Think you can drink five malts or shakes in 30 minutes? Take the challenge. If you succeed, the drinks are on the house and you get your name inscribed on a plaque. If you do not, then you have to pay for them.
Do not expect the waitresses to write down your order like in most other restaurants, because they will not do it. Your entire order is memorized and comes out exactly how you ordered it. When they have to do this with over a dozen tables, it is a pretty impressive feat.
Crown Candy Kitchen is like a home away from home. When you walk in, you feel most welcomed, despite the usual crowd and small interior (It seats around 50 people at a time). The environment is friendly because the low booth walls allow you to talk to the people sitting next to you, and talk they will.
To drive this point home, on the day of this review, there were six Army Reserve members eating at the restaurant. They gave their credit cards to the waitress who then returned with them moments afterward with no receipts. It turns out that two older women in the restaurant had paid for their entire bill. They both wanted to remain anonymous but the waitress and the Army Reserve members would not have it. A little while later, each and every one of them came up to personally thank the women.
As a sign of appreciation, the restaurant gave the women complimentary candy caramel apples.
Located at 1401 St. Louis Avenue, the restaurant is open Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. until 10 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. For more information, go to http://www.crowncandykitchen.net.
A word of warning though, go earlier rather than later in the day, especially during Easter/Lent/Christmas because the line will be out the door and around the corner.
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