Chances R Restaurant – York, Nebraska

The Chances R Restaurant was the diner recommendation from my smartphone GPS as we sailed along Interstate 80 heading West on our next big adventure. So Peepaw and I took a break from the typical Nebraska scenery.

Our stomachs told us it was time to stop, and we found ourselves in a town that is a prime example of “Small Town America”…York, Nebraska.

Thanks to “Stella” (my GPS voice) it didn’t take long to find one of the town’s oldest and most unique eateries…the Chances R Restaurant in downtown York. It’s been in operation since 1932 and is locally owned and operated by the Raymond and Shirley Reetz family. The restaurant got it’s current name because Raymond told Shirley, “Chances are we’ll go broke.”

My first impression when we walked through the door was…DESSERT!

That small town “pie case” was loaded with fresh offerings for hungry diners…and the restaurant was already filling up with folks who would be happy to try all of them.

We were quickly seated, and after scanning the menu I ordered the Hot Beef Sandwich. It was an easy choice for me, since a note on the menu assured me the Chances R Restaurant served “real” mashed potatoes instead of  the instant variety I detest. 

The roast beef was well seasoned and tender, and the potatoes were delicious…perched on top of that famous, simple white bread used in the Midwestern classic comfort food dish. But the gravy? Not so much. It was not this Meemaw’s gravy, for sure. But as my dad used to say…”It was edible!”

Peepaw ordered a Tenderloin, as we so often do. But the server forgot to ask him if he wanted it grilled, or breaded and fried, so it came grilled. (Not a bad choice, after all.) And even though the fries looked slightly anemic, Peepaw said they were crispier than they looked.

After my meal, I got up to explore the restaurant…and I’ll admit I’ve never seen a restroom like this one…Not even when I’ve flown First Class…

I discovered a labyrinth of dining rooms at the Chances R Restaurant…and each one was occupied during the lunch hour. (Small town service clubs often use restaurants as their meeting places.)

The Chances R Restaurant is a BUSY place in York!

We passed on desserts that day, and we were soon back on the road…

The very flat road through Nebraska. We continued our Road Trip headed west…with full stomachs and with memories of another small town restaurant in the Heartland.

And based on our experience, I’m guessing the chances are pretty good that the Chances R Restaurant will still be around for a long, long time.