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Customers stick with Elmer's
What's the secret to Elmer's tasty burger? Well, it's not really a secret. "It's the magic of the grill," said co-owner Bill Schemm, the son of founder Elmer. "I take the patty, throw it on and cook it. I don't add or do anything special. I'm telling you, it's magic." So magic, in fact, that sometimes Schemm and his golfing buddies, on their way home from the course, will buy steaks and grill them in the restaurant at 1305 E. Los Angeles Ave. "They don't taste the same at home," Schemm said. The decor at Elmer's Grill harkens back to another era. The walls are still covered in the vinyl wallpaper that Schemm's grandfather, also named Elmer, hung in the mid1970s. When Schemm attempted to remove the vintage wallpaper in the ladies' restroom, an uproar ensued. So the wallpaper- kitschy and endearing at the same time- remains. The East Coast-style tavern is adorned with old beer signs. At the end of the S-shaped bar is the grill, out in the open so customers can watch their food cook. About the only thing that's changed inside is the number of television sets- four now instead of two. Also, the telephone in the back no longer calls out. Since around 1973, Schemm's kept track of how many hamburgers and cheeseburgers he's eaten. For the record, double-doubles or triple-deckers count as one. As of Tuesday night, he'd put away 11,021 burgers. "My dad said, 'I'd rather pay you than feed you,'" Schemm joked. Elmer's Grill likes to make its customers feel it's their home away from home. "It's the family atmosphere," customer Paul Sloman said. "You can ask anyone in here to play a game of pool with you. It reminds me of something I miss from Colorado, where I come from. . . . I like to drink Bud Ice, but they didn't carry it. I told Bill, 'If you get Bud Ice, I'll come back.' Next time I came back, he had it. He did it for me." A quality organization inspector and field representative for Boeing by day, the 50-year-old Schemm's been working at Elmer's since it opened, when he was in the eighth grade. Sitting at the bar, sipping water and munching crisp pickles, Schemm recalled his favorite stories about the grill. The Buffalo, N.Y., native remembered when a man galloped in on horseback, tied his steed to a post, drank a beer and got back on his horse. "That was when you could see Erringer Road from the front door," he said. Steve Reeves is a partner in the restaurant with Schemm and Ray Daniels. There's a framed photo on the wall of Elmer and Reeves and a Clydesdale horse. The horse, aptly named "Budweiser," is drinking Elmer's beer. Then there was the time when Schemm's friend Brad Swopes walked around London in a yellow Elmer's Grill jacket. "These guys who were friends with my dad, John and Vern, saw his jacket and came up to him and said, 'We know who that is! We know Elmer,'" Schemm said. "Brad stayed with them, and they took him all over to places he never would have otherwise gone." Schemm's sister Karen works one day a year- St. Patrick's Day- preparing the corned beef and cabbage special. Popular menu items include not only classics like the hamburger ($3.50) and the cheeseburger ($3.80), but also newer items like the Louisiana hot link ($4.25) and the sirloin steak sandwich ($6.40). All main items come with a bag of chips and a pickle. Elmer Schemm owned the grill until his death in 2000. His wife, Florence, took over, then handed the reins to Bill, Reeves and Daniels in 2005. Elmer's Grill is like the bar in "Cheers," where everybody knows your name. "Most of the people are regular customers and you get to know them," said cook and kitchen helper Diane Sweeney. "It's like they're family." Elmer's Grill is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. For more information, call Elmer's Grill at (805) 583-9931. |
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