tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post1358621963930820703..comments2024-03-26T21:06:08.519-07:00Comments on Sky City: Retail History: Pal's "Sudden Service" Restaurants: Fast Food in the Tri-Cities RegionJ.T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04208881715255029485noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-25270008938259782202015-02-13T13:42:59.754-08:002015-02-13T13:42:59.754-08:00Pal's restaurants consistently garner outstand...Pal's restaurants consistently garner outstanding health ratings, often getting 100 percent. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-40437595193023933472014-01-24T08:15:14.527-08:002014-01-24T08:15:14.527-08:00they do have the best of the fast food.... always ...they do have the best of the fast food.... always fresh & hotAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-71291749876983885682014-01-24T08:13:01.369-08:002014-01-24T08:13:01.369-08:00the Pal's in Greeneville is a dine in... it...the Pal's in Greeneville is a dine in... it's in the jc penney/kmart shopping center.i live in Kingsport & I always eat at this Pal's when in Greeneville it's one of the BESTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-51573865630654004092013-12-13T11:06:09.606-08:002013-12-13T11:06:09.606-08:00I live about 30 minutes outside of Greeneville Ten...I live about 30 minutes outside of Greeneville Tennessee and we now have 2 Pals. Both on Andrew Johnson Highway (US 11E). You have got to try the Big Pal's Cheese Burger, Frenchie Fries and a chocolate shake. Don't be afraid of the outside...the food is to die for. Always fresh and hot and very generous! What is the old saying..."Don't judge a book by its cover".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-67361335355565415072012-10-25T13:56:39.913-07:002012-10-25T13:56:39.913-07:00Try the Pal's inside The Mall in Johnson City ...Try the Pal's inside The Mall in Johnson City as there is plenty of seating.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-44507617089108132422011-10-17T18:47:44.052-07:002011-10-17T18:47:44.052-07:00would be so nice to have a Pal's where you can...would be so nice to have a Pal's where you can dine in.Tammy Bakernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-63164002498216282052011-01-15T19:42:13.682-08:002011-01-15T19:42:13.682-08:00Pal's is the only fast food type restaurant I ...Pal's is the only fast food type restaurant I know of that has won the Malcom Baldridge Award - and excellent it is!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-42418155647790707722011-01-14T13:58:14.007-08:002011-01-14T13:58:14.007-08:00If your ever back this way dont be afraid to stop ...If your ever back this way dont be afraid to stop in. The burgers are great but you have to have a chili dog. The owner, Pal Barger, was an old army budy of Ray Kroc who founded Mcdonalds. When in the service, they both said they wanted to open a hamburger chain. To keep it local and so he can check in, Pal wont build one thats not within a days drive of the original. To make sure everything stays fresh, they change out their fries every 3 minutes and burgers and hot dogs every 5.Minister of Defensehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08971776540821186169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-66977710732362465772010-10-19T19:02:26.210-07:002010-10-19T19:02:26.210-07:00Pals #2 has a unique design unlike Pals #1 and the...Pals #2 has a unique design unlike Pals #1 and the subsequent units. #1 and #2 appear to have opened about a decade apart, and were the only 2 Pals locations until the 80's. Pals #2 is located near #1 in suburban Lynn Garden on the northside of Kingsport near the Virginia border.<br /><br />It reminds of an old McDonald's but the lighting is more like vintage Burger King/Carrols location, but with a Paul Bunyan sized mascot. <br /><br />http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Kingsport,+TN+Pals+&sll=37.09024,-95.712891&sspn=33.435463,107.138672&ie=UTF8&hq=Pals&hnear=Kingsport,+Sullivan,+Tennessee&ll=36.57749,-82.567749&spn=0.125446,0.41851&t=h&z=12&layer=c&cbll=36.577361,-82.567728&panoid=PrcqR2G3uRymCrT4AQ5_sA&cbp=12,271.68,,0,-6.83Kennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-73652659080459550872010-10-15T19:03:36.136-07:002010-10-15T19:03:36.136-07:00Fifty years from now when our grandchildren are in...Fifty years from now when our grandchildren are in their fifties, they'll look at pictures of these Pal's and label them perfect examples of "retro googie" architecture. As for now, you're right...they're scary. Hopefully there will still be one standing fifty years from now to appreciate.<br /><br />We pass by these often while on vacation, but haven't ever had the courage to go and actually eat something from there. There's enough of them in the tri-cities region that they can't be all that bad. They can't be any worse than Jack's, although Jack's in Alabama and NW Georgia do tend to really look like fast-food restaurants rather than free-standing cartoons. <br /><br />As for Varsity...they just closed their first branch, the Varsity JR. near the corner of Cheshire Bridge and Lindbergh. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted them as saying they didn't have room to expand. They mentioned there would be two new Varsity locations within a year. One was to be in Alpharetta, but I don't remember the other one. Varsity, with a long-time location in Athens, GA, could almost now be considered a regional chain, but it will always fall into the cult classification. Are there other chains like this that actually take their food on the road to small towns for street festivals? Varsity takes themselves all over the metro area with food trucks.JimBobGAhttp://skycity2.blogspot.com/2010/10/pals-sudden-service-restaurants-fast.html#commentsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-17485464781939683512010-10-13T18:53:28.107-07:002010-10-13T18:53:28.107-07:00The "flagship" is more 50s in font and d...The "flagship" is more 50s in font and design than 60s. <br /><br />California, esp. southern California actually has lots of local fast food places--small chains like "The Hat" (Pastrami), Tops (one of many local burger chains, this one in Pasadena), Tommy's (more burgers), plus a couple that have broken out to other states: Fatburger and the now heavily hyped "In and Out Burger". <br /><br />As for why some fast food joints stay local--The Varsity is the only place where I've truly gotten heartburn--I suspect that this has kept it in the range of cult status, although the onion rings are probably the only decent ones in ATL.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-89353686061343412002010-10-13T02:50:48.787-07:002010-10-13T02:50:48.787-07:00I just heard about this chain for the first time a...I just heard about this chain for the first time about a week ago from a thread at roadfood.com and I'm scheming to visit the nearest one as soon as it's feasible. Probably December!G.G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14139897093825738777noreply@blogger.com