Gene's Fine Foods (Closed)
Union, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The sign for Gene's Fine Foods in Union, SC certainly did its job because even though I had eaten lunch not long before I had to see if the burger lived up to the claim found on the sign. Can't complain here, larger than most if not all of these independent classic roadside burger joints. It was quite tasty. When I went back for more sugar for my ice tea, the fellow behind the counter introduced himself as Gene, the founder and owner for 46 years. He told me he uses only Tyson chicken because it is the best and how Tyson footed part of the bill for the Chicken on the truck parked next to the sign and how people keep trying to buy the thing from him. He has a speaker in the chicken that he will play a clucking sound from time to time. As Gene headed back inside someone drove in and jokingly asked if he could buy the chicken. Ah yes, Americana at it's best. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 02-08
Gene's began life in 1965 as a Little Mint before owner Gene Gregory made it his own, renaming it Gene's Fine Foods in 1968. For more than 50 years, Gene greeted customers with a smile while serving up hefty burgers, fried chicken, seafood, and his famous Big Fellow burger. The burgers certainly lived up to their reputation, easily rivaling the size of just about any classic roadside burger stand around.
Gene's Fine Foods
Union, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
During this visit, Gene was happy to explain the story behind the giant chicken. He insisted on serving Tyson chicken because he believed it was the best, and Tyson even helped pay for the oversized bird perched on the truck. Gene also mentioned that people were always trying to buy it, but it wasn't for sale. Hearing the chicken suddenly start clucking while customers laughed in the parking lot made it obvious that this was more than just another roadside restaurant.
Gene became as much a local landmark as the restaurant itself. A Union native, he spent decades behind the counter visiting with regulars and travelers alike, and the diner became a familiar campaign stop for politicians from across South Carolina. It was the kind of place where the owner knew your name, had time for a story, and made everyone feel like a regular.
Gene's Fine Foods
Union, SC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
Roadside stops like this are becoming harder to find. A memorable sign, a larger-than-life owner, and a giant clucking chicken beside the highway are the kinds of things that made traveling the back roads so much fun.
UPDATE: Gene's Fine Foods closed in 2020 after more than five decades in business. Gene Gregory passed away in 2022 at the age of 88, ending the story of one of Union's best-known roadside restaurants. 08-26
This is a sign using the old style logo for Hardee's. It is on Creedmoor Road in Raleigh NC. This logo is not seen these days. Many thanks to Tait Hilliard for info. 08-08
Here's something you don't see much anymore. This Hardee's sign along Creedmoor Road in Raleigh still carried the chain's old block-letter logo, long before the smiling star took over. It may have been a simple fast-food sign, but by 2008 it already looked like a leftover from another era.
Hardee's signs like this once dotted highways and shopping strips all across the South, pointing the way to burgers, biscuits, and a quick stop off the road. The restaurant itself followed the familiar formula, but that older sign gave this Raleigh location a little extra roadside character.
UPDATE: The Hardee's remains open, but the old-style sign has since been replaced with the modern star logo. 08-26
Carter's Hamburgers (Gone)
Alma, GA Photo courtesy Tony Craig
If you're driving through Alma, Georgia, it's hard not to notice the tall sign for Carter's Hamburgers. Topped with a giant ice cream cone, it was one of those classic roadside landmarks that let hungry travelers know burgers, fries, and a milkshake were just ahead. 11-10
Located along U.S. Route 1, Carter's was a longtime favorite for both locals and highway travelers. The walk-up burger stand featured a distinctive sloping canopy and served the kind of simple roadside fare that made independent hamburger joints so popular throughout the South. While the food brought people in, it was that towering sign with the oversized ice cream cone that made the place memorable.
Although Carter's is no longer serving burgers, the old building escaped demolition. Today it houses a different restaurant, but its familiar mid-century shape still stands along the highway, offering a reminder of one of Alma's longtime roadside stops.
UPDATE: Carter's Hamburgers closed around April of 2014 and the sign disappeared right around 2020. The building appears to be vacant. 08-26
Gene's Fine Foods (Closed)
Gene's Fine Foods
Gene became as much a local landmark as the restaurant itself. A Union native, he spent decades behind the counter visiting with regulars and travelers alike, and the diner became a familiar campaign stop for politicians from across South Carolina. It was the kind of place where the owner knew your name, had time for a story, and made everyone feel like a regular.
Hardee's (Rem.)
Carter's Hamburgers (Gone)
