The Glass Kitchen by Apryl Parcher

Founded by Pryor E. Neuber in March of 1952, the Glass Kitchen in Glasgow, Delaware (with its familiar red and green sign and portly cook icon), has remained a landmark on Route 40 for more than 50 years.

As its name implies, the kitchen is glass enclosed, so people can watch food being prepared, an idea that Neuber came up with while serving as a mess hall sergeant in the Army.

Open seven days a week, and every day of the year except Christmas Day, the Glass Kitchen serves a variety of homemade foods in a family friendly environment. From seasonal seafood to prime rib and roast turkey, just about any traditional American fare is available on the menu, and at budget prices.

Now owned by Charles Shreder, the restaurant is managed by Scott Cochran and his wife, Nickie, along with Scott’s brother, Todd. All the Cochrans began working there when they were 15. Even Nickie’s mom, head waitress Olga Rolph, began waitressing at the Glass Kitchen when she was 16 and is still there 36 years later.

Completely remodeled about a year and a half ago, the 246-seat restaurant has a full-service bar and a banquet room that seats about 80 people, and has quite a following of regular customers.

“Everybody knows your name here,” said Olga, who has seen families grow up in the area, and many employees have worked in the establishment for years—some even before Olga started.

“We grew up in the Glass Kitchen,” Nickie said, and that tradition has been passed on to her son Tyler, age 15, who just started bussing tables. His mom said he enjoys his job, and there is even a sandwich named after him, the Tyler Grill, which consists of roast beef, Swiss cheese and coleslaw grilled on rye bread—a popular item.

There are lots of good choices on the Glass Kitchen menu, including poultry and pork dishes, beef and veal, fresh seafood, soups, salads and sandwiches, all very reasonably priced; there is even a kids’ menu with fun names such as Whimpy (hamburger), Bow Wow (hot dog), Foxy Loxy (grilled cheese) and Ducky Daddle (scrambled eggs, bacon and toast)—all for less than six dollars, including a drink!

After perusing the menu for a bit, my husband Ken decided to order the ham steak dinner, with a side of the Glass Kitchen’s famous potato salad and fried eggplant, while I tried the fried seafood platter (flounder, shrimp, scallops and crab cake) with coleslaw.

Ken’s ham steak was almost an inch thick, and very juicy. Combined with the crispy eggplant rounds and tangy potato salad, it was almost more than he could eat. The Glass Kitchen’s homemade potato salad is so popular that folks order it to take home—try it and you’ll see why!

The seafood platter was also generous. After trying the breaded flounder, shrimp and crab cake, I didn’t have room for the scallops! The sweet and crunchy coleslaw was terrific, and so was dessert . . . peach crumble pie for Ken and the Glass Kitchen’s signature dessert, toasted coconut cream pie for me, with a cup of hot coffee. All the pies are made on the premises, and I wish I had their crust recipe— it’s very tender and flaky.

The Glass Kitchen is also famous for its sandwiches made from fresh ham, turkey, chicken and roast beef, which are highly popular at lunch time and for takeout. Their secret is that they only use freshly cooked meats.

“We don’t have lunchmeat here,” said Olga proudly. “All our meats are hand-sliced.”

Todd and Scott take charge in the kitchen, and when they aren’t roasting turkeys and hams or grinding sausage, they’re buying fresh seafood (such as live soft-shell crabs in season now—or shad and shad roe, which are very popular around Easter).

“We always try to have what’s in season available, and often have weekend and holiday specials,” said Nickie. “We bread our own seafood with breadcrumbs we make right here.”

What seems to set the Glass Kitchen apart isn’t just the good food; it’s the relationships that develop between the restaurant employees and the customers. Most of the wait staff has developed a following, and their regular customers call in to make sure they’re available.

“We even have an informal book club going,” said Olga. “We keep a basket of books in the back, and the customers and staff share their favorites.”

So if you’re in the mood for old-fashioned home cooking that’s easy on the wallet, come on down to the Glass Kitchen for a night out with the family. Their friendly service and low prices will have you smiling—and you’ll have time at home to settle down with a good book after dinner. We give it four thumbs up! —CSM