Tony Packo's Cafe
Encyclopedia
Tony Packo's Cafe is restaurant that started in the Hungarian neighborhood of Birmingham, on the east side of Toledo, Ohio
at 1902 Front Street. The restaurant gained notoriety by its mention in several M*A*S*H episodes and is famous for its signature sandwich
and large collection of hot dog bun
s signed by celebrities.
in 1932, Tony Packo used a $100 loan to open his shop, which originally sold only sandwich
es and ice cream
. In 1935, the Packo family purchased the current wedge-shaped building on the corner of Front and Consaul streets next to the Maumee River
, which includes the former Consaul Tavern. Tony Packo's Cafe is still family run today, by Tony's and Rose's son Tony Jr. and their grandson Robin Horvath.
Tony's signature "sausage
-and-sauce
sandwich" on rye
was first made when he decided to add a spicy chili sauce
to his sandwiches for more flavor. Eventually, his creation became known as the "Hungarian
hot dog
", even though no such thing had come from the Old Country
. The dish quickly became popular and the cafe is now billed as "the place where man bites dog". The "hot dog" is really a Hungarian sausage called Kolbász, not unlike the Polish kielbasa
, about twice the diameter of a conventional hot dog, and slicing the sausage in half yields about the same amount of meat.
In June 2011 Fifth Third Bancorp which foreclosed on $4 million in loans while family members had been suing each other in court since 2002 said that the future of the restaurant is in doubt after it lost money in 2010 under operation by a court-appointed third party.
, made mention of the restaurant in six episodes. He first said in a 1976 episode, "If you're ever in Toledo, Ohio, on the Hungarian side of town, Tony Packo's got the greatest Hungarian hot dogs." In one episode, the hospital unit ordered a batch of sausage casings from Packo's to use in a blood-filtering machine (a crude artificial kidney
). In another, a wounded soldier from Toledo sends Klinger a shipment of Packo's hot dogs as a thank-you gift. Packo's was also mentioned in the famous two-and-a-half hour final episode. The restaurant displays several M*A*S*H mementos on the premises.
visited Toledo in 1972, he made a stop at the restaurant on the suggestion of Tony's daughter, Nancy. Reynolds was the first big name to eat at Packo's, and he also began the tradition of "bun signing" when he brandished his signature on a Packo hot dog bun
. Ever since then, celebrities who visit the restaurant sign a "bun"—now a plastic, air-brushed look-alike—and have it placed on the walls of Packo's.
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
at 1902 Front Street. The restaurant gained notoriety by its mention in several M*A*S*H episodes and is famous for its signature sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
and large collection of hot dog bun
Hot dog bun
A hot dog bun is a type of soft bun shaped specifically to contain a hot dog. The original purpose of this bun was to make it possible to eat hot dogs without burning ones hands....
s signed by celebrities.
History
During the depressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in 1932, Tony Packo used a $100 loan to open his shop, which originally sold only sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
es and ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
. In 1935, the Packo family purchased the current wedge-shaped building on the corner of Front and Consaul streets next to the Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
, which includes the former Consaul Tavern. Tony Packo's Cafe is still family run today, by Tony's and Rose's son Tony Jr. and their grandson Robin Horvath.
Tony's signature "sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
-and-sauce
Sauce
In cooking, a sauce is liquid, creaming or semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods. Sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to another dish. Sauce is a French word taken from the Latin salsus, meaning salted...
sandwich" on rye
Rye bread
Rye bread is a type of bread made with various percentages of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from wheat flour...
was first made when he decided to add a spicy chili sauce
Chili sauce
Chili sauce is a condiment, similar to ketchup but with onion, garlic, and spice. Despite its name, it does not contain chili peppers and thus is not hot....
to his sandwiches for more flavor. Eventually, his creation became known as the "Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
", even though no such thing had come from the Old Country
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The dish quickly became popular and the cafe is now billed as "the place where man bites dog". The "hot dog" is really a Hungarian sausage called Kolbász, not unlike the Polish kielbasa
Kielbasa
Kielbasa, kołbasa, kobasa, kovbasa, kobasa, kobasi, and kubasa are common North American anglicizations for a type of Eastern European sausage. Synonyms include Polish sausage, Ukrainian sausage, etc...
, about twice the diameter of a conventional hot dog, and slicing the sausage in half yields about the same amount of meat.
In June 2011 Fifth Third Bancorp which foreclosed on $4 million in loans while family members had been suing each other in court since 2002 said that the future of the restaurant is in doubt after it lost money in 2010 under operation by a court-appointed third party.
M*A*S*H
Tony Packo's Cafe gained world-wide fame when M*A*S*H character Maxwell Klinger, who was played by Toledo native Jamie FarrJamie Farr
Jamie Farr is an American television, film, and theater actor. He is best known for having played the role of cross-dressing Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger in the television sitcom M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
, made mention of the restaurant in six episodes. He first said in a 1976 episode, "If you're ever in Toledo, Ohio, on the Hungarian side of town, Tony Packo's got the greatest Hungarian hot dogs." In one episode, the hospital unit ordered a batch of sausage casings from Packo's to use in a blood-filtering machine (a crude artificial kidney
Artificial kidney
Artificial kidney is often a synonym for hemodialysis, but may also, more generally, refer to renal replacement therapies that are in use and/or in development...
). In another, a wounded soldier from Toledo sends Klinger a shipment of Packo's hot dogs as a thank-you gift. Packo's was also mentioned in the famous two-and-a-half hour final episode. The restaurant displays several M*A*S*H mementos on the premises.
Bun signing
When actor Burt ReynoldsBurt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
visited Toledo in 1972, he made a stop at the restaurant on the suggestion of Tony's daughter, Nancy. Reynolds was the first big name to eat at Packo's, and he also began the tradition of "bun signing" when he brandished his signature on a Packo hot dog bun
Hot dog bun
A hot dog bun is a type of soft bun shaped specifically to contain a hot dog. The original purpose of this bun was to make it possible to eat hot dogs without burning ones hands....
. Ever since then, celebrities who visit the restaurant sign a "bun"—now a plastic, air-brushed look-alike—and have it placed on the walls of Packo's.