By: Angelique H. Caffrey
Fried Chicken. It’s the quintessential American comfort food, and since 1969, Funck’s Family Restaurant in Palmyra has been serving theirs to patrons craving moist, tender meat enveloped by a crispy batter. The Palmyra eatery doesn’t need to boast much about its time-honored recipe, either. The proof of its legendary, mouth-watering status is in the guests who repeatedly order off the menu.
Of course, fried chicken is but one morsel from which to choose among the vast list of options available to those who dine at the comfortable, laid-back hotspot.
From kids-menu picks, like burgers and mac and cheese, to regular-size entrées, such as meatloaf and turkey with filling, Funck’s aims to please even the pickiest eaters with a bevy of selections.
Included on the wide-ranging lunch and dinner menu are salads, lighter fare portions, home-created soups and plenty of sandwiches. (Might we suggest that those desiring a hunger-satisfying midday treat opt for the turkey pretzel melt, a newly developed addition fresh from the kitchen?)
And, of course, there are always tempting desserts, like regional shoo-fly pie.
Due to Funck’s proximity to the bustling town of Hershey, there are plenty of chocolate-themed sweets to order or take home for a midnight snack.
There is also a small gift shop with T-shirts, mugs, pencils, stuffed animals and additional goodies to remember a visit to this part of central Pennsylvania.
If you have been worn down by the same-old, same-old feel – not to mention tastes – of chain restaurants, it’s time to take a trip to yesteryear.
Yet, what makes this restaurant special isn’t necessarily its flavors, but more its “everybody-knows-your-name” ambience, an atmosphere that’s a dying breed.
At this point in America, around two-thirds of new eateries can expect to shutter their doors within three years of opening. That’s a startling statistic that can put the kibosh on any budding restaurateur.
Despite this fact, Funck’s, which began and remains family-owned and -operated, has endured as a mainstay for over four decades.
Moreover, the Funcks have opened a Fort Indiantown Gap location that continues to do well and bring new customers into the fold. (Plans for broader market penetration are reportedly at ground-floor stages, though no definitive information has been released at this time.)
If you have been worn down by the same-old, same-old feel – not to mention tastes – of chain restaurants, it’s time to take a trip to yesteryear.
Funck’s staff is ultra-personable and is always there to offer suggestions if you’re torn between the lemon-pepper tilapia and the grilled fresh salmon.
And if you would rather stop by for breakfast than for lunch or dinner, you can expect only the freshest coffee, sweetest waffles and tastiest omelets from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily (with the exception of Sunday morning, when they offer a 9 a.m.-to-noon buffet.)