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Cool Stuff About Business and Entertainment in the Greater Harrisburg, PA Area. |
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Cool Stuff About Business and Entertainment in the Greater Harrisburg, PA Area. |
Smokey Pig — Bar-B-Que |
Cheap Lunch with Betty Gardenia Family Restaurant 508 S. 29th Street Harrisburg, Pa 717-233-3722 To the passerby in a rush, the Gardenia does not seem like a place for a quick and cheap afternoon meal. However, nestled snugly between two gas stations in Harrisburg, the Gardenia is more than it seems. A family owned and operated restaurant, it is a haven of hot, home-cooked and inexpensive food. Every weekday, the Gardenia runs several lunch specials. The regular lunch special is
an Italian cheesesteak accompanied by french fries and a pickle, which carries the tiny
price tag of $3.95. My dining companion decided to indulge in this special on our lunch
break. What arrived at our booth was a surprise to us both. The hot sandwich over-flowing
with The other regular weekday special is soup, sandwich and dessert combination for $3.75. The choices for this combo change daily. On the day I was there, the soup choices were chili, tomato or chicken noodle and the sandwich was a grilled ham and cheese. The alternating selection coupled with a dessert, make this meal a supreme bargain. Despite the tempting lunch specials, I opted to have a gyro. When the pita arrived oozing lettuce, tomatoes, onions, meat slices and dripping with Tzatziki sauce I knew I would not be eating again for a week. This delicious Greek treat was served with french fries and a pickle and came to the grand total of $3.95. The Gardenia has a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, like the chicken salad sandwich ($2.25) and the fried Haddock ($2.60) which are complemented by a pickle and chips. Additionally, there are a variety of salads and diet delights that stay under the $5 limit. However, if regular lunch fare is becoming old hat, the Gardenia serves breakfast all day. A Cheese Omelet with french fries and toast is $2.75 and two eggs with ham, bacon or sausage is only $3.10. Of course I didn’t forget a drink to wash down all this delicious food. Fountain cokes are $.95 and iced tea is $.85 and includes free refills. But, if you want to splurge and make it a $7 lunch, The Gardenia has great ice cream, and a milk shake of ice cream soda will only cost you $1.80 more. So, for fast, friendly service and a delicious, low-cost lunch, drop on in to The Gardenia. Smokey Pig — Bar-B-Que As you probably guessed from the name, the Smokey Pig is a restaurant that serves barbecue. But, they don’t just serve pork barbecue. They have barbecue beef, marinated chicken, smoked turkey, baby back ribs, spare ribs, pulled pork and catfish fillets. Obviously, as you can see from the above list, lunch at the Smokey Pig is a bit of a break from the usual lunch parade of deli sandwiches and salads. The Pig offers several kinds of barbecue sandwiches which can be coupled with a variety of side trimmings and a drink, yet still remain under $5. I indulged in a Charbroiled Breast of Chicken sandwich ($3.75). It was superb. The
chicken was tender and the barbecue sauce did not overshadow the smokey flavor of the
meat. The interesting thing about my sandwich, and all the others, is that the barbecue
sauce is spread My dining companions sampled the bar-b-que beef and bar-b-que pork. These sandwiches as well as the smoked-turkey come in regular and jumbo sizes. The regular beef and pork are $2.75 and the jumbos are $3.75. Turkey is slightly more expensive at $3.50 and $4.25. Sandwiches are normally served with a pickle, but for only $1.75 you can turn a plain sandwich into a Sandwich Plate. This just means that you can add two side dishes to your meal for a discounted price. You can choose from barbecue beans, potato salads, coleslaw, french fries, or corn bread. If you would rather only have one side dish, they are $.99 each. I would recommend the coleslaw, which, according to my dining companion, "has a little kick." Adding a beverage to your sandwich and side still keeps you under $5. They come in three sizes and the Pig has everything from bottled water to orangeade. All food orders are placed at the counter and can be eaten in or taken out. If you choose to stay, the Pig offers several picnic benches inside to complement the restaurant’s barbecue theme. The Smokey Pig Bar-B-Que in Hartzdale Plaza is open everyday, except Sundays, from 11am-8pm. However, there is a second location in the West Shore Farmers Market, which is open Fridays from 9:30am to 5p.m and Saturday from 9:30am to 2pm. If you are on the West Shore and are looking for a different kind of lunch check out the Smokey Pig.
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meat
and melted American cheese was enough for two people. This cheesesteak was so big that my
companion opted to eat it with a fork rather than embarrass himself. Piled along side was
not the normal side dish of five soggy, undercooked potato wedges, instead there was a
mound of hot, golden, crunchy french fries. 
along
insides of the roll. The breast itself was marinated, but not heavily. Instead, the amount
of drippings you want your sandwich to have can be easily controlled. When you place your
order, make sure you specify whether you want hot or mild barbecue sauce and how much you
want.