Iron Skillet no more

Back 40 years ago, when I first drove OTR, I used to have a hot meal at a Truckstop diner every morning and every evening. Of all the truckstop 'chain diners', I thinks Iron Skillet was the worst, followed by the T/A restaurants. The restaurants at the 76 chain were sometimes very good, and sometimes very awful. Flying J had the best restaurants of the chains, though.
There were also regional chains; Sapp bros. had decent food but lousy coffee, Burns Bothers were similar (upper Midwest and mountain states coffee was always awful), but Burns Brothers also served bison burgers and omelets. Bobber and Giant had decent restaurants. Little America were more of a 4-wheeler tourist trap, but at least their restaurants were passable...

 

Did you ever stop at Bruce's Truck Stop in Bakersfield?

 

Bobber, Giant and the Hook (back in the day) were good.

 

The TA in Reno used to have really good breakfast

 

Very true. I stopped there many of times. The restaurant/bar was had good food. Bruces's was not a bad stop for a night or two. Sad to see it go. My understanding is that the lot is a truck driving school now. All the rest has been bulldozed. Not sure on the restaurant/bar is still there.

I used to stop at he Bobber in Effingham, IL. (Now Flying J, I believe) all the time. Good food and great place to kick it for a night or two. Used to see a bunch of locals go in there. Last time I was in Effingham was 2018. Typical Petro and other big name TS. Nothing good there anymore.

One of my favorites used to be the Williams in Brazil, IN or the small one across I70. Both were decent. The Williams I believe is a Pilot or Hook now and has gone to crap. The other is bulldozed, and is a Petro if I remember correctly.

 

They did???

 

Following true TA SOP's, I'm sure it went to the crapper

 

Bruce's was one of the last old school stops that I ever had the chance to stop at. That bar was a little room in the back but boy was it fun listening to the old timers tell their stories. The Scottsman restraunt was great food with a littl buffet. Then the flip flop crowd bought them out, and, well you know...There wasn't a bag of poo so that's as close as I could get...