Many years ago, when I first came to Fayetteville to work at Fayetteville State University, there was a Chinese restaurant located near the corner of Ramsey & Tokay Streets. I’m not sure there ever was anything directly on that corner, since I have lived in Fayetteville. Looks like it might have been a gas station, at one time.
The Chinese restaurant was called “Good Luck”. I don’t think it had much seating, but what I remember was a delicious, large egg roll. It had a crispy, flavorful outside. I think someone said that they were cooked (fried?) twice which gave them this extra texture and flavor. The business had a large sign, which I don’t recall if I ever saw it rotating. but it was a large Chinese Take Out Box on a pole. I don’t recall if there was anything written on the box, like “Good Luck” but I think that was on the sign.
“Good Luck” went out of business there, and I am guessing the owner died (by now, I am pretty sure of it.) Eventually, the building was demolished and a combo-store was built there: Dunkin Doughnuts and Baskin Robbins Ice Cream. I don’t think I have ever been there since that change. But, those egg rolls were delicious!
Hunan Garden, in Fayetteville, was a very good, “go to” place for most of the years that I worked at Fayetteville State. I might even go once a week. After many years there, a Bojangles was built across the street from it (Raeford Road). They had good egg rolls, and they had good lunch specials, and this worked even after an ownership change… but, then there was another ownership change, and the flavor of the food decreased greatly, and the ownership wasn’t as attentive to meeting customer requests. e.g. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2012 so I stopped eating sugar (unless someone put it in the food, at the restaurant, where I was eating). And, I tried to stay away from a lot of potatoes, rice, or bread.
For many years Hunan Garden had no problem with substituting the large amount of rice in their “specials” with steamed veggies… They did this so many times that I lost count. And then one day, I made this request again, and the waiter/waitress told me that could not do this substitution. It caught me off guard, I thought is this waiter new, I have made this substitution many times before, haven’t I. Yes, I had. I even asked at the register and was told, they could not make that substitution. And I realized that there was new ownership that had made this change.
I also realized after about two visits that I didn’t like the flavor of the egg rolls. I asked myself about this also. Didn’t I like the egg rolls at Hunan Garden before? And, the answer finally came to me, “Yes.” But these eggrolls are not the same as the old ones. And not good either.
So, I stopped going to Hunan Garden. They moved the front door from the side of the building to the front, facing Bojangles, and I don’t think I have returned to Hunan Garden since. It would be nice if these owners would die or go elsewhere and new owners arrive and return Hunan Garden to it’s former glory.
Wendy’s Restaurant for many years had a single hamburger that was different from any other fast food chain. I think they steamed the burger, and the bun, and I’m not sure if the bun had sesame seeds or not, but the burger was soft and delicious. I ate many of these burgers through out the years. Then I didn’t go to Wendy’s for a while, and when I returned, I ordered the Single Combo. I stared to eat this meal, and the burger bun was the first thing I noticed that wasn’t the same. I asked myself, “Didn’t you used to like the Wendy’s Singles?” And the answer was, “Yes, I did, but it was made differently.” I came back to work, and googled regarding the changes and sure enough, Wendy’s had made a burger/bun change about 3 years previously. I don’t think it had been that long but the change was finally at the Wendy’s which was nearest to where I worked.
I have been back, but the Single is no longer my favorite. I will order a baked potato, a salad, and chili, and maybe a small chocolate Frosty for desert, but the day of eating that comfortable hamburger is gone.
There was a “China II” restaurant (maybe two of ’em) in Fayetteville that I liked eating lunch at. They had a buffet, and the buffet had a spicy pork/jalapeno dish. I loved the flavor of the jalapenos with the chunks of port, but later that night I didn’t love the pain. Still, the flavor kept me coming back. I even had entertained the notion of being able to reduce the heat from a Jalapeno so that you keep the flavor. I have since found Tamed Jalapenos in a jar, which I change out the salty brine for a sweet vinegar, but I never found a recipe for making the Jalapeno Pork dish. Eventually, a large Chinese buffet came to town and put the smaller China II out of business. But Hibachi Grill never put Jalapeno Pork on their menu. And, after several years I started eating lunch at the Hibachi Grill and enjoying it… until the Pandemic which has closed this restaurant.
Bill Gibson, II 