SMORGASBORD - SPENCER, IN 

By Duncan 

Steven Garrity - Chambers Smorgasbord - Spencer - 50 years in business. 

A Personal and Very Close friend of mine, Steven Garrity, called and suggested we do a small road trip, and I, of course, said, 

“Road Trip, where do ya want-a go?” 

,

After an hour or so of messing around with “Let’s go here, or let's go there,” we decided on a small mom-and-pop restaurant in the boondocks. Spencer, Indiana.  

With a population of 2,426 people, how many restaurants are there in Spencer?  Are the restaurants open during the day? Much to my surprise, there are quite a few places to have lunch in Spencer. 

HillTop, El Ranchero, Main Street Coffee, Chambers Smorgasbord, Civilian Brewing, Birdhouse, Jit’s Thai Bistro, Hickory Room, Spencer Coffee House, Chicago’s Pizza, McDonalds, Subway, Casey’s, Burger King, Pizza Pantry, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s, Dairy Queen. 

Wow, seventeen places to eat with a population of 2,426?  That means dividing the population by the number of places to eat means each restaurant gets 142 customers. How do you make any money in the restaurant business in Spencer? 

After tossing out the fast food and pizza places, we decided to give this Chamber Smorgasbord place a shot. It was set. We were both open on a Friday and agreed to meet at the restaurant at noon. Garrity lives in Martinsville, an hour out, and I live almost two hours away in Indianapolis. 

The ride was mundane until I got about a half hour from Jasper. The roads became hills and valleys, and trees and foliage were beautiful. I’ve got to remember this road for the fall colors. 

I remember once upon a time when it was stylish to attend group sales meetings. Big Sales meetings. One of the speakers was a business card expert. His “stick” was a business card that should be simple. Who are you, What do you do, and How do I get a hold of you. He had a cartoon character on his business card, showing a cow standing on a pair of skis with a bowling ball in its hand/hoof? Can you guess his name? “Bukowski.” 

As you will see, the name of our restaurant has mastered the technique. It’s simple and to the point. Who are you? Chambers Smorgasbord. What do you do? We do Smorgasbord. And how in the world do we get a hold of you? Been in business 50 years, ask anybody in town, they know where we are located. Simple enough. I asked Google Maps to take me to Chambers Smorgasbord Spencer, and Google said, “Follow my instructions.”  

I arrived at noon on the dot. Garrity was already waiting in the parking lot for my arrival. The entrance was on the side of the building. I told Garrity to take a picture of me outside of Chambers Smorgasbord. 

We entered the building and looked over the offerings first. We picked an excellent place to have lunch. It might be called “Good old down-home cooking.” The mashed potatoes were real, and they had white and dark gravy. Fried chicken, fried fish, slavery steak, and a couple of other things I can’t remember. Okay, it looks good to me. We then picked a table far away from the steam tables so we could talk and be left alone. 

Our waitress came to our table, and we asked her name, and she said her name was Christine. I, of course, was in a good mood and, as usual, a little over the top. Some call it flamboyant. 

“Tell me, Christine, this is the first time I have ever been to Chambers Smorgasbord; what do I need to know about this place? I assume this is owned by a mom-and-pop?” 

Christine asked where were we from? Garrity stepped up and said he was Martinsville, and Duncan was from Fishers on the north side of Indianapolis. Steve was quick to tell Christine we both had the same first name, “Steve.”

So, I continued, “So, has this place been operated by the same family all these years?”

Christine began, “I believe the Chambers started this place in the early 70s. Mr. Chambers died a few years back, and Mrs. Chamber and her son (Jim) are operating the restaurant now. It’s been in the family for 50 years.” 

“Okay, wow, are you guys open all day every day?” 

“We close on Tuesday and Wednesday.” 

“Why do you close on Tuesday and Wednesday? Is it because there is no business in this current economic environment?” 

“No, to be honest, we can’t get help. No one wants to work.”

“If you could get help, would you have business on Tuesday and Wednesday?”  

“Oh yes, that is not the problem, we would have the normal traffic we have every day. But, we can’t find enough people to work.” 

“Christine, Mr. Garrity, and I are contours of good old home cooking. We have very high standards. Do you think this place is up to the task of providing us with an excellent meal?” 

“I’m going to suggest you take advantage of our smorgasbord, and I want you to tell me what you think. Make sure you try the salad line, the main course line, and the desserts. I will be asking you for a grade on each of the things you taste.”  She walked away with our drink order.   

Garrity and I looked at each other and thought, wow, we have a real sweet waitress here. This is going to be a lot of fun. Got to remember her name. 

Well, this place is all about comfort food. Home cooking. The salad line was outstanding. The main line? I went back twice. Fried biscuits and apple butter. Green beans, with bacon, And a host of other vegetables. And finally, I sampled two small desserts. I was full. 

Christine came back to our table and wanted the verdict. “Well, how did we measure up?” 

I began my diatribe. Well, Christine, as I sat back and gave off the physical show of putting my fingers in my suspenders. (Even though I don’t wear suspenders.) I went through the salad table with her. The salad table is really well laid out and has more than I could want. I was impressed.  

Christine gave me a big smile. “Jim, son of mom, is really picky about the salad table. He will be glad to hear your comments. Okay, continue.”

The main line is really good. Lots of choices, and I really liked the mashed potatoes with my choice of white or dark gravy. The spuds were really good. I got the fried chicken and the fish, excellent. The veggies were good, but the corn was not hot, just warm. But everything else was spot on. As far as the desserts, I only was able to sample two small portions. But this has been a pleasant experience. 

Christine was smiling from ear to ear. She then said, "I need to tell you two something. My last name is Chambers.”  

I laughed out loud. “Are you a daughter of the mom and pop?” 

No, I married Mom and Pop’s son, Jim. Jim is in the kitchen. And I work in the front of the building. So, can I assume you Boy Scouts are going to be coming back? 

“Only if I can get a picture of you and me!!” 

“Let me take a picture of you two first,” Christine said. 

  

Good old home cooking, Jim in the kitchen, and Christine in the front of the building. Who could ask for more? “Does Jim carry a gun? Asking for a friend.”  

Bye-bye, boys, come again soon!