Mcl Cafeteria

My parents jokingly asked me if I wanted to go to "The Wrinkle Room" with them for dinner last weekend.

It's probably been a decade since I last had a meal at MCL, so my memories of the place were a bit foggy, but I decided it was a free meal, so I might as well tag along.

The line on this particular Friday night was short.  (At least compared to the lines I remember being backed up close to the entrance of what was then Woolworths.)  However, what the line lacked in length it made up for in time.  We seemed to wait forever.  My mom peeked around and determined that the holdup was caused by some "pickpuss" (her word) who wanted to be sure the pork roast was at an ideal temperature.  A big negative is the disappearance of the old menu board advertising the entrees of the day.  Still having this would save some time as it's difficult to see what's on the cafeteria line coming around that corner.

Once that was straightened out and the line began moving, I was pleasantly surprised at some of the changes.  The salads were no longer dished out from sterile looking metal containers.  They were presented in on very contemporary plates.  I almost opted for the Cobb salad, but decided to see what was on the entree line.

I narrowed down my choices to the pork roast or the spaghetti.  However, the meat sauce looked as if it had been sitting for some time in the steam table.  I chose the pork.  Initially I requested the Mayfield's Value Plate (previously known as the "Jack Benny Special"), but was disappointed to find out that it wasn't available with that particular entree.  So, I had to have a full portion.

In addition to the three nicely sized slices of pork with gravy (I opted against the dressing), I ordered mashed potatoes with gravy and steamed broccoli.  For a beverage, I had unsweetened ice tea with lemon.

The pork roast was very juicy and the gravy was an excellent complement.  I didn't find myself reaching for the salt or pepper once.  I questioned the origin of the mashed potatoes.  While MCL prides itself on cooking from scratch, these seemed to be instant.  No lumps, no skins.  That aside, the server did a good job to create a reservoir for the gravy so that it all stayed inside the potatoes.  The broccoli was fresh and served in two large stalks.  This was a vegetable serving of the knife and fork variety.

I don't know what it is about Irani brand iced tea, but it must be popular since they sell boxes of it at the counter.  I had two glasses and would have had another had the server been a little more attentive.

The interior has seen better days.  Some of the booths were worn, but the restaurant was clean for the most part.

By the way, my parents ended up opting for just dessert and coffee.  The total bill was $18, which I thought was a bit pricey, but expected given my past experiences with cafeterias.

Overall, cafeterias are a dying breed.  Just last week, Weinbach's Cafeteria in Evansville closed for good.  It had been an institution in the city for more than forty years was one of my favorite places to eat when I had a few extra bucks in college.  MCL is one of the last chains out there.  The only other I can think of still operating is Piccadilly Cafeterias in the southern US.  With all-you-can-eat buffets being the new norm, it's nice to see that places like MCL are still plugging away.  However, the slow death of its once prime location and aging clientele in Anderson could mean its days are numbered here.  (I have nothing to base that on other than observation of the mall and city's population.)  Which would be sad, because I love that pork roast.

Pretty accurate discription of "Shuffle" as I call it. Think about it-folks shuffling along with their trays. You can see the menu each day on line for each particular restaurant. If you go between 2 and 5 and you are over 55 (not sure about that) you get 10% off your bill. The best thing is carry out. It is packed nicely and you get more than with dining inside. I was told that it is by design as they are done with you and have your $ and no clean up etc. If I am careful, I can get another meal or partial meal out of one order. They also have a club you can join on line that sometimes offers neat things. For instance, Valentines day 2 for one desserts.

Don't forget tuesday is salmon patty day.  yummm

Isn't there an age requirement for being in that place?

I threw off the median age about two decades the minute I crossed the threshold.

Depends on what you are looking for.  They do not serve bloody marys.

Cross them off the places I'll be eating

Put some in your hip flask.  You may get dragged along with me sometime.

I will have to be drunk before we leave!