Restaurant Review: Shoneys

Okay so I should probably explain why this place is so close to my heart and the fond memories of my childhood.  I was a Shriner's patient.  First of all, let me say the Shriners were God-sent for my family.  If they had not helped me as a child, I would have been crippled by the time I was 21.  I'm now 28 and getting around great.  The nearest Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children was in Lexington, Kentucky, approximately 6-7 hrs from our house.  They would make an appointment for me and a van with two Shriner's aboard (a driver and an escort) would stop and pick us up (me and my mom) and drive us to the hospital.  The whole thing ended up being a great experience for me.

I eventually had corrective surgery and had staples inserted into the growth cartilage in my knees and then I had several follow-up appointments until I was 18 to make sure the staples did their job.  We made countless trips to Lexington for my legs and we had so many good times on the road.  The Shriners did the whole thing and never charged us a dime.  They treated us like family and were always so polite and understanding.  They'd wait for hours for my appointments and tests to be over and then take us all the way back home.  They stopped to feed us going up, paid for our food in the cafeteria while we were there, and even stopped on our way home.  In the mornings, we would always stop at Shoneys and it's been a fond memory for me for as long as I can remember.

Even if I was the only patient going, they still made the trip just for me.  The men were volunteers and were all so sweet.  Most of them were really funny and told stories and jokes the whole way.  I remember one trip, we were in a 15-passenger van and I was in one of the seats asleep and my mom was in another seat.  There was  a lot of construction on the interstate and we heard *BANG --- WHISTLE - WHISTLE - WHISTLE*.  It must've scared the guy driving because he slammed on the breaks and the jarring was so bad it rolled me out of the seat and into the floor.  We stopped at a rest stop to see what had happened.  We honestly thought we blew a tire or something.  The tires were fine so we got back on the road; we laughed after we realized we were okay.

We got almost to the next rest area and it happened again.  We pulled off at the rest stop and we discovered both mirrors on the sides of the van were folded in against the windows.  The driver had been switching lanes and had gotten too close to the orange and white striped signs in the construction zones and had hit both mirrors and hadn't even noticed it. The whistling was the wind rushing between the mirror and the windows. They flipped the mirrors back out and we laughed the rest of the way home.  Its funny what selective things you remember from your childhood and its amazing how a scent, atmosphere, or food can trigger a memory.

But let me close this little story by saying:


If you see a Shriner, shake his hand.  You'll never meet a more kind-hearted, self sacrificing giver in a common man. They see the big picture and all the differences made by the little things.  They give their time, their money, and their all to help children of families they have not even met.  If you see one of their vans pass you on the street, tip your hat and wave. 




If you see a man with a funny hat, outside of a store selling pecan logs, consider buying one to support his cause.  This little act provides care for sick and handicapped children.  They have a circus to put a smile on every child and they are always driving their little cars and miniature motorcycles in local parades.  Their hospitals are some of the top hospitals in the nation and they only recruit the best.  All of the staff -- from the cashiers in the cafeteria to the doctors treating the patients are wonderful.  Even getting blood drawn is less traumatic for the children because if they can't get the blood in one stick, they get someone else who can.  They don't let them just keep sticking and traumatizing the patients.  

The hospital I was in was geared towards children.  I remember the therapy rooms were filled with over-sized games and furniture (like really huge checkers and other board games) and everything was colorful, stimulating, and positive.  Even the main waiting room was circular and all around the entire circle were plush benches and comfy furniture and there were skylights in the ceiling and it was sort of dome-shaped and had carosel horses mounted on the inside of the raised circular ceiling with the light from the sky shining down on them.  The whole environment creates a positive impression and a supportive healing environment for the kids and was memorable for me as a child.


They helped me when I was in need with no questions asked, even if all I could give them was a "thank you" and a hug. They made a difference in my life and because of them, today I walk on two feet and am not in a wheel chair.  I can walk today because someone took the time -- the time to donate, the time to volunteer, and the time to care and for that I'll be forever grateful.  I was one of the lucky ones, for some children and families, all they have is time and sometimes, their time is cut short. 

To give to the Shriner's Hopsitals for Children, call 1-800-241-GIFT or click here

Please support our local branch:

Alhambra Shrine
1000 Alhambra Drive
Chattanooga, TN  37421-3701
Phone: 423-892-0223  Fax:  423-892-0224

The Shriners Creed

Shriners believe in God and that He created man to serve His purposes, among which is service to others in His name.

We believe that care for the less fortunate, especially children who suffer from burns and crippling diseases, is our institutional calling.

We are patriots, each willing to serve his country with fidelity and courage. We cherish independence under law and freedom with responsibility.

We honor family. We respect our parents, wives and children. We should instill in our children the tenets of this creed, and the heritage from which it emanates.

As individuals we pledge ourselves to integrity, virtue and nobility of character. Our intentions will be honorable, our relations will be trustworthy and our spirits forgiving of each other.

As brothers we offer each other fraternal affection and respect. Together we will support each other in adherence to this creed, so that we and our communities will be the better because of our fraternity and its principles.

As Shriners we look beyond ourselves to serve the needs of others, especially children who cannot help themselves. We believe Shriners Hospitals to be the world's greatest philanthropy, and we covenant with each other to support its "temples of mercy" with spirit, time, talent and means

Okay back to the Restaurant Review:  

Target:  Shoneys                                      

Location:  Fort Oglethorpe, GA

We bought a house two years ago and we went to the Shoneys just down the street from our house.  Honestly, our visit to this Shoney's branch left a bad taste in our mouth.  We were seated immediately but waited 20 minutes before a server even approached our table.  It was clean and the food was good, but the service was terrible. We decided to not let one person's poor performance ruin a whole chain of restaurants for us; especially a chain that I have such fond memories of and which holds the capability of giving us excellent experiences in the future.  We found another Shoney's located about 15 minutes from our house.  We went there because it was less crowded than other restaurants on the same strip and we prefer the quieter establishments so we can have a semi-private dinner experience with very little intrusion and disruption from a large crowd.

My husband ordered the "bar", which was their dinner buffet, but I ordered butterfly shrimp, chicken fingers, and fries.  We even sprang for dessert.  I of course had the difficult decision of either ordering the strawberry shortcake or the strawberry pie.  My husband Johnny and I were planning on splitting a dessert and I knew peanut butter was his favorite so I ultimately ordered the peanut butter pie.

 He surprised me though and ordered strawberry shortcake (which he knew was my favorite) and when they were delivered to our table, we quickly switched desserts with much delight. I tasted his pie (for quality assurance purposes only of course). The pie was rich, but the filling was velvety and delish!  The shortcake was the best restaurant shortcake that I have eaten in a while.  Instead of the typical strawberries dumped over sponge cake or angel food cake with canned whip cream on top, it was strawberries layered with vanilla ice cream in a butter yellow cake with whipped cream that was somehow light, rich, and comforting.  I guess it was so delicious because it was the closest to my own recipe that I make at home and all of my family fights over.

My memories given to me by the Shriners of Shoneys will never change.  I'll always be grateful for everything the Shriners do for others, for me, for children all over the country, especially the memories they gave me.

My Restaurant Review for the Fort Oglethorpe, GA Shoneys:

Two Knives & Forks:   Acceptable

We ultimately had a nice dinner and a delightful time, especially compared to the previous experience and we would return there again.  It isn't exactly "fine dining" but it was edible and pleasant none-the-less.