Hot Rods 50’s diner in Alcoa, TN, USA

Hot Rods 50’s diner in Alcoa, Tennessee Monday is a holiday for my son and DIL. So after some binge shopping at Bargain Hunt and Ollie’s Army which I love, we headed to The Hot Rods 50’s diner. Bargain Hunt is one of my most favourite stores as we can get bargains there on branded clothes, like Gabes has in Knoxville. I mean I spied running tights for 10 $ and less which are really worth it, especially since they are Adidas or Reebok and last forever. I also got a pair of comfy walking shoes for 12$ which I could never smell in India for that price. And ofcourse a great wooden ( bamboo) cutting board for my close friend who plans to retire in India from Dubai. Then Andy arrived while we searched Ollies Army for my table mats and some hygiene products. I always shop in the US as the prices are way cheaper than India, forget the UK.

The Hot rod after which the diner is called. Off we went, jumping into only one car to go to the diner. Reminded me of the American Diner my friends took me to, in the Habitat Centre in New Delhi, when I went there for a conference and we all got together. Ofcourse it was much more upmarket and posh besides being expensive. This Diner in Alcoa Tennessee, is old world and quaint and can definitely look like it dates back to the ‘50’s with it’s rexine covered sofas and walls plastered with 50’s memorabilia. It has an exhaustive menu which we took time ordering from. For starters we ordered the Homemade Pimento cheese recipe made with a twist, using swiss cheese instead of sharp cheddar. The balls of cheese are lightly breaded and fried. Served with roasted red pepper cream sauce, they are to die for and the cheese is pretty hot and drippy when you bite into it.

'50's Grafitti on the wall just outside the diner I ordered a Bacon Sloppy Joe which cost. $8.99 and is their own recipe. It includes Angus beef sautéed with bacon pieces, onions, peppers and spices in a tomato sauce. The others ordered a Cajun Burger 11oz Steak burger, seasoned with cajun spices & topped with pepper jack cheese which was priced at $11.99. Served with a side of Cajun Mayo. We also ordered fried Okra on the side, which seems to be a Creole dish and pretty amazing to enjoy. For dessert we ordered Fried Swiss Cake Rolls which cost $5.99 The dish was little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls dipped in cake batter and fried to order. The rolls are served with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with fudge and topped with real whipped cream.

We all love fried okra! Their Hot Fudge Brownie which also costs $5.99 is an incredibly delicious, moist, and rich Ghirardelli brownie. Topped with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with fudge, and real whipped cream. Both desserts I could not even sniff at as I am diabetic. In typical American style, especially in small town America, there was an eating challenge on offer at the restaurant. The Chubby Challenge slaps down a giant 33 oz triple decker, smothered with American cheese, garnished with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. The burger is served with a pound of french fries and costs $19.99

The old Juke box which still works So what is the the Chubby Challenge about? If you eat it all including the french fries, within 30 minutes of its arrival, you get a FREE Chubby T-Shirt and your picture on the walls of fame. Considering the number of people whose pictures graced the wall, this is a popular challenge on offer, and many have tried it. As meats are cooked and sliced in house daily, the burgers are 100% ground Angus chuck steak with absolutely no fillers, hand pattied in their kitchen. I could vouch for that, my Sloppy Joe was delicious.

Quaint welcoming statue as we enter They have also done their best to accommodate customers and their different special diet needs to help make every visit a pleasurable one. There is gluten free, heart healthy and vegetarian symbols next to items to help in ones decision making. But to cover their backs -- American style, the mandatory sentence -- “Please realize that although we have researched gluten and healthier options, we can not guarantee 100% accuracy.” is omnipresent on the menu card.