The Invisible Man WENT AND GOT IT

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In The Marietta Daily Journal, Thursday, in the food section, had an article about the fairly new eatery COME AND GET IT.

The article said COME AND GET IT is owned and operated by the grandson of the man who owned and operated FAT BOY’S on Concord Road in Smyrna. I already knew that. I used to love FAT BOY’S foot long hotdogs. They couldn’t be beat at the time. I think after a while FAT BOY’S added foods vegetables and other meats than hot dogs and hamburgers to their menu. I don’t think I ever wandered off my proven course of the foot long hotdogs. It was also obvious that a family of Greeks ran the restaurant.

The article said COME AND GET IT is located in the old Elizabeth Feed and Hardware store on Church Street Extension. It said the restaurant takes up most of the building.

It is next door to the RED-EYED MULE and RUN-A-ROUND SUE’S and just about a block away from BRANDI’S WORLD FAMOUS HOTDOGS.

One person, a local eatery connoisseur, said RED-EYED MULE was good but she didn’t have a high opinion of COME AND GET IT. Of course, in this conversation it went without saying that BRANDY’S ruled.

The article inspired us to visit COME AND GET IT the next day. It must have been more inspiring than I realized. We had a hard time getting a parking place and had to park in RED-EYED MULES’ parking lot. The line was out the door when we entered.

That is what you do to save money on waitress-pay. You go to the counter and place your order and when it is ready they will call your name. And if there is a line, which there was that day, you get at the end of the line.

I noticed as we got closer one of the key elements of the order was to get your name. Then when it was ready, of course, they would use that information to call your name.

We ordered but I didn’t remember giving the order taker, which I think was the owner, our name. We paid him and I asked did he get our name. He said he did.

We just finished jumping the hurdles of no-parking space, waiting in a long line, and the next was to find a place to sit. You have to sort of keep your eyes roving over a big dining room waiting to swoop down like a hawk as soon as you notice someone scooting their chair getting up. It is also helpful to keep up with what everybody is eating and how close to finishing they are.

We pounced and got a table by the door where the line was extended to. The people getting up said they didn’t leave a mess, we have a clean table. We thanked them. “warm seats too”, I thought.

We waited and we waited.

A high school friend, Stanley B. and his friend got into line. He told me that he has been there several times to eat. He said their hamburgers and chili-burgers taste exactly like Varner’s. Now, that is a complement.

An elderly couple walked up and for whatever reason didn’t realize we were waiting on our order. They thought we just finished eating and was just sitting there letting our food digest and watching the people look for seats. They sat down with us.

They said they just went to visit the Elizabeth Seed, Feed, and Hardware Store to buy seed and feed for their visiting deer and Canadian Geese. The hardware store in the backside of the building. I remember years ago they ran a big operation with big bins of seed and feed. The store owner told them they were only the second customer they had for the day (it was almost 1pm).

Then, something we said, made them realize we were still waiting on our food and they may have even realized they had to get in line and place your order.

We waited some more. We saw other people that came in after us get their order. I was getting perturbed. I think our order got lost. What was more appropriate? For the invisible couple’s order to get lost? Huh?

Some people that came in after we did enjoyed their lunch and left.

More people who came in after us got their order.

Being restless over the fact that our order may have been lost I went up to observe the orders being handed out operation, thinking that I might try to interrupt the guy and tell him we have been waiting what seems to be forever.

From that standing position, I could see the kitchen people hustling around. Some of the same ones I saw at FATBOY’S 30 years ago. Probably the owner’s father, grandfather, grandmother, mother, uncles and aunts. Boy, they have aged!

Then, I saw our order sitting there. It was too good to be true! It has to be our order, it had the same things we ordered. The cashier (probably owner) picked it up and looked at the order. Then he said loudly for the people that ordered bla bla bla? I sprung forward and claimed order. Of course, our name wasn’t on the order.

The meat was overcooked. It did not taste good. It was dry and hard.

I think what we ordered was the exception to the luncheon specials that it appeared that everybody else was ordering. We ordered a meat and two vegetables special. I think most other people were ordering sandwiches and gyros.

I think the cooks might have forgotten our meat was cooking.

It appeared that everybody else enjoyed theirs.

The elderly couple ordered and found a table near us and one time she walked over and chatted and watched us eat.

When the line had died down the owner/cashier invited people to come up and get free cookies, which I did. Then later he walked around and handed out some type of Greek dessert, which was free, it was made with honey and pecans. It was good. And being free made it even better.