Bluto Eats Hambugers at Carey's

One day I took Bluto to Carey’s Hamburgers for lunch. I thought he would find this joint interesting. I was right. Carey’s is across a boulevard from Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta. I didn’t know of its existence until I read an article by Lewis Grizzard raving about their hamburgers and the down-to-earth of the place. He also hinted that there were some racial overtones there.

I first went to Carey’s alone in a December when nearby Christmas shopping. It just seemed like a big hamburger joint, nothing fancy. The room was big and dark. I ordered a hamburger. Shortly after I ordered it, the cook came out, who I think was probably Carey and the man that took my order told the man I think was Carey another hamburger, and Carey started cursing. He said the worse goddamn thing ever he did was let that damn reporter interview him, now he doesn’t have any goddamn fucking time to rest…. Everybody wanted a fucking hamburger.

It was a delicious hamburger. It was juicy and had herbs and spices on it that just made it heaven sent. The big thick slice of onion helped too.

While I was eating a group came in. One of the people in the group was black. There was an office park nearby so the people in the group were probably co-workers on their lunch break. After the waiter took their order he hand delivered it to the back where Carey was. A moment or two later Carey emerged and put a coin in the juke box and left. The juke box played a song about “Niggers who think they are white.” I couldn’t see the expressions of the people at that booth but I would think they didn’t see the humor in it.

And a few years is when I brought Bluto to Carey’s. They had remodeled since I was there the last time. Things were brighter and it was even crowded. A lot of people were eating the special hamburger and there I noticed even blacks were coming and going with no problems. The hamburgers were as delicious as before and Carey made an appearance with an apron on and did the small talk chat at each table with a big smile on his face, even at a table with all blacks. I think after Carey got a taste of money the greed instinct kicked in, wanting more money, it was time to shed his primitive prejudices and smile all the way to the bank…. And just pay someone else to cook the hamburgers.

The Waiter that waited on me last time wasn’t there. In his place was a sexy girl with short shorts. Carey also figured other ways to attract customers. I still wasn’t satisfied – I brought Bluto there to show him a touch of the old south I told him about at Carey’s and it didn’t appear to be around anymore.

I noticed two juke boxes side by side. One was unplugged. The one that wasn’t unplugged had your top 40 rock and country. The one that was unplugged had the racist songs on it. I saw four or five with “Nigger” in the titles. I called Bluto over from our booth to look at them. He was amazed.

I asked our leggy waitress did they ever plug in the other juke box and she looked at me with a smile like a flirting “You naughty naughty boy you”. But, I still didn’t know, not that it matters.

The last time I rode by there I noticed a car rental agency had taken over the space Carey’s was in.