Quaker Steak and Lube
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States (1974) |
| Founder(s) | George "Jig" Warren III, Gary "Moe" Meszaros |
| Headquarters | Sharon, Pennsylvania |
| Number of locations | 38 (37 in the United States, 1 in Canada) |
| Area served | North America |
| Industry | Casual dining |
| Website | QuakerSteakandLube.com |
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.
The name is a play on that of the motor oil company Quaker State.
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[edit] 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 included a 1936 Chevrolet on the original hydraulic grease rack.[1]
[edit] Locations
As of 10 August 2009[update], there are 38 restaurant locations, with the majority operating in eastern Ohio and western and central Pennsylvania.[2]
[edit] Wing sauce
The restaurant is known for its chicken wing hot sauce flavors, which are depicted on the Scoville scale. The hottest flavor is the "Atomic Sauce", which is made from the habanero chile. The Atomic flavor is sold individually in a dropper bottle sealed in an oversized childproof prescription container. Customers must sign a liability waiver before ordering it, freeing Quaker Steak from any liability.
| Flavor name[3] | Scoville units[3] |
|---|---|
| Atomic | 150,000 |
| Super-Charged (formerly "Suicide"[4]) | 30,000 |
| Buckeye BBQ | 5,000 |
| Cajun | 3,870 |
| Hot | 3,000 |
| Arizona Ranch | 2,050 |
| Golden Garlic | 2,030 |
| Thai 'R' Cracker | 1,850 |
| Dusted Salt & Vinegar | 1,500 |
| Medium | 1,440 |
| Premium Garlic | 1,300 |
| Louisiana Lickers | 1,220 |
| Tequila Lime BBQ | 1,150 |
| Asian Sesame | 930 |
| Dusted Chipotle BBQ | 900 |
| Parmesan Pepper | 870 |
| Mild | 740 |
| Honey Mustard | 310 |
| BBQ | 90 |
| Ranch | 90 |
[edit] Awards
As of 2009[update], the chain has won over 100 awards.[5]
[edit] Media
The chain was featured in the Travel Channel series Man v. Food.[6] The episode's challenge was to consume six "Atomic" chicken wings.[6] 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".[7]
[edit] References
- ^ "Quaker Steak & Lube - History". http://www.quakersteakandlube.com/. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ "Quaker Steak & Lube - Locations". http://www.quakersteakandlube.com/. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ a b "Quaker Steak and Lube menu" (PDF). http://www.lubewings.com/food/menus/core_menu.pdf. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ The News Now Network » Quaker Steak Caves To Community Complaints
- ^ "Quaker Steak & Lube - History/awards". http://www.quakersteakandlube.com/. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ a b "Quaker Steak & Lube featured on Travel Channel". Youngstown Vindicator. December 16, 2008. http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/dec/16/region/.
- ^ Rozwadowski, Thomas (January 8, 2009). "Viewers win battle of "Man v. Food"". Green Bay Press-Gazette. http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/ic/blogs/channelsurfing/2009/01/viewers-win-battle-of-man-v-food.html.
