This Pennsylvania-Based Restaurant Chain, Inspired By Old-School Gas Stations, Still Has Its Original Location

There are plenty of old-school gas stations in the country that serve good food to travelers, but one Pennsylvania chain may be one of the only restaurants to go the other way and turn their restaurants into gas stations. Maybe even more uniquely, very few restaurants have names advertising a food that isn't even close to the focus of the menu. But, then again, Quaker Steak & Lube has always been pretty unique.

Founded in 1974, Quaker Steak & Lube is a local casual-dining chain that started in Sharon, Pennsylvania. While it offers a variety of classic American pub foods, like cheese curds, burgers, and yes, some steaks, its specialty is the top-tier chicken wings. The chain got its unusual name and theme from its founding concept. Created during the gas crisis of the '70s, the founders, George Warren III and Gary Meszaros, wanted a restaurant that celebrated American car culture, especially old-school muscle cars. The Quaker "Steak" pun was used with permission from the Quaker State Oil company, and the steak part came from the fact it started as a cook-your-own steak restaurant.

While Quaker Steak & Lube has evolved over the years with its own fair share of ups and downs, that original location in Sharon still stands. In fact, it celebrated its 50th anniversary back in 2024. Inside the joint is a 1936 Chevrolet on display, which has been there since opening day in '74. Quaker Steak & Lube also had a focus on live performances from the very beginning, with many locations boasting built-in stages for entertainment.

Quaker Steak & Lube's shift to a wing-focused concept came about naturally and gradually. It was simply something added to the menu that grew to be the most popular offering. Like Buffalo Wild Wings and other wing concepts, Quaker Steak & Lube boasts a wide variety of wing sauces, with over 20 choices, including signature flavors like "Golden Garlic" and "Louisiana Lickers," which combines Cajun spices, hot sauce, garlic, and barbecue sauce. Many of its flavors came from experimentation at the original Sharon location, where the owners used to mix the wing sauces in 5-gallon buckets and mix and match combos.

However, the chain has struggled in recent years. It expanded during the early 2010s, once hitting nearly 60 locations in Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. But the company went bankrupt in 2015 after failing to pay its debts and shrank after being sold to TravelCenters of America. The brand was sold a second time in 2021 for a fifth of what TravelCenters paid, dropping down to 28 locations across nine states, most of which only have a single location left. Still, "the Lube," as locals in Sharon call it, has been hanging on. In fact, it's won "best wings" at the National Buffalo Wing Food Festival (one of the many food festivals across the U.S.) multiple times, proving that it's not just the atmosphere that is special. For any lover of old cars or great wings, it's an essential PA pit stop.