Upon hearing that Appleton contained the fine culinary institution that is George Webb Restaurant, we knew that we had to partake of its cuisine, and a Saturday night at 2 a.m. seemed somehow appropriate for such an excursion.
A friendly, drunken bearded man greeted us, waving excitedly as we entered the parking lot, and as we opened the car doors and made our first step towards nirvana, he beckoned us towards him as he walked closer to us. We ignored his gesture, unaware of how it foreshadowed our experiences yet to come.
We entered the restaurant and chose a booth near the door, already knowing this night would be something special. Between our booth and the “kitchen” area was a short partition, which gave us a sense of security, and this security was added to by the fact that our waiter never actually ventured beyond said partition. His warmth and friendliness, however, more than made up for our not knowing what he was wearing below the waist.
The menu was a smorgasbord of greasy vittles, and though the seven hamburgers in a bag for $7 special was tempting, we chose the safer option and the always fulfilling fallback of all-night cafes: breakfast food.
We gorged ourselves on hash browns, fried eggs and a delicacy called “strawberry wheat cakes.” All of the food arrived in quick order, but somehow the chef had managed to both undercook and burn the eggs.
Though the food was lacking, the true charm of George Webb is watching the drunks come out after closing time, and on this Saturday night, the café was full of them.
From loud older couples yelling about their marriage to younger bachelors tempting their bar-found ladies with fine food, if they are hilarious and drunken, they are likely at George Webb’s.
In the end, the food was supremely lacking, but that was not the point. George Webb is a restaurant known for great atmosphere, and in that realm, we got what we came for.
We give the local Webb five stars for late-night entertainment.
Eating Club Reviews Appleton Presents George Webb: the Man, the Myth, the Legend.
