Cheap Lunch With Betty: Coach's Corner • Rosie’s East End Restaurant

Where To Find That $5.00 Lunch...

Coach’s Corner
209 Third Street
New Cumberland, PA
774-4781
One of my favorite towns in Central PA is New Cumberland. It’s one of the few remaining towns in the area that has it all. A variety of different schools dot the landscape, and public transportation is convenient. There is also a movie theater, a library, a park, a liquor store, health food and fast food, coffee shops and bars, and let’s not forget what I consider to be a decent selection of pizza places and restaurants. This is a town where you don’t need to own a car to have a life.

Tucked away on Third Street, about a block from Bridge Street, I found Coach’s Corner Sports Tavern & Restaurant. From the outside, Coach’s Corner looked inviting — flyers posted on the windows featuring upcoming local performers, nice big windows. Then, in my always-fruitful quest to find a good cheap lunch, I couldn’t help but notice their specials board out front. Before I knew it, we were inside ordering lunch!

My companion and I decided to share two of the lunch specials they were featuring that day. One dish we felt compelled to try was Chicken Athena, an expertly prepared dish that was packed with chunks of chicken, green and red peppers, onions, mushrooms, and feta cheese, all sautéed in a pungent white wine sauce served over wild rice. It really jump-started my palate! We also tried the Italian sausage sub, which I thought was excellent. It came grilled with sweet peppers and onions and was served with a generous portion of fries. Both dishes were $4.95. On my visit, they were also featuring a seafood bisque that day at $1.95 a cup or $2.95 a bowl. Other lunches you can find for under five dollars include the San Diego Chicken Cheesesteak, Blackened Chicken Tenders, and a variety of made-to-order deli sandwiches, all served with fries.

I found Coach’s Corner to be comfortable, and I thought that the white linens on the table were a nice added touch. There is an adjacent barroom that occasionally features live entertainment in the evening and from what I hear, you can always find awesome chicken wings. They just opened their rooftop deck for the season — it will be open every evening for dinner. For good food at affordable prices next time you’re in New Cumberland, you’ll want to seek out Coach’s Corner.

Rosie’s East End Restaurant
300 East Main Street
Hummelstown, PA
566-8823
I heard about the East End Restaurant, as it is commonly called, from a friend who said I probably couldn’t find anything over five dollars on their lunch menu if I tried. He was exaggerating, of course, but not by much. The East End is now run by fourth-generation family members who are proud of their 60-year legacy in Hummelstown. Their menu features vintage pictures from the early days and truly looks like a place that has enjoyed thousands of happy memories. Although the dining room was remodeled within the last 10 years, it still maintains that retro look reminiscent of diners from another time — cozy booths, businessmen fixated on their notes for their next meeting, servers who knew what their customers wanted before they approached the table … In fact, I got the feeling that the other patrons in the restaurant have been coming to the restaurant for years.

Rosie’s East End Restaurant The East End specializes in pasta, but on my visit, I had the Crabcake sandwich ($2.50), a selection that I enjoyed with a cup of French Onion soup ($1.50). Believe me, the menu offered something for everyone. There were dozens of smart choices and there were some inventive sandwiches, as well, including breaded oyster sandwich, a pepperoni sandwich, and even a tomatoburger! On that Day, however, my companion chose the Chicken Parmesan sandwich ($3.50) and a side of fries ($1.25). The chicken sandwich featured lightly breaded white meat; the sauce had a sweet tomato flavor and the whole thing was smothered in cheese. But the best part of the meal was the dessert, Chocolate Lovers Cake ($2.00) — drizzled with raspberry sauce — it was out of this world!

Their sandwich selection is extensive and most are under four dollars. East End offered a number of good looking salads, including the traditional Italian Antipasto Salad ($4.75) and unusual appetizers like celery sticks with anchovies, stuffed spanish olives, and oyster stew, all for under four dollars.

With good food at bargain prices like these, it’s no wonder that the East End Restaurant has been in business for longer than most of us can remember. For a cozy lunch, you can definitely count on Rosie’s East End Restaurant.