« Back to the main page.

The Halfway House Menu

July 1st, 2009 @ 12:15 am by Cliffe | Sorted Photo Exposureborder
Nothing gets the taste buds up and running like old food. Vintage Seattle reader Charles Anderson wrote in with scans of The Halfway House menu. It’s always fun to look back and see what was cooking in the kitchen and for how much. I’ll check with Charles to see if he has a rough date on this one and whether he has any idea whatever happened to the restaraunt. Click for higher res.
halfway_menu_01
The Halfway House — Seattle Tacoma menu. Image courtesy Charles Anderson.
halfway_menu_02
The Halfway House — Seattle Tacoma menu. Image courtesy Charles Anderson.

13 Responses:

  1. E. O. Pederson wrote:

    Thanks for this. It brings back childhood memories driving from Tacoma to Seattle to visit relatives and friends. The restaurant operated at least until the late 1950s, though I was too young to care about prices.

  2. Shannon wrote:

    Neat! It’s certainly old enough to be back in the days when oysters were still considered a cheap menu item, and when toast was still served with dinner dishes. I’ve also always wanted to try a lime rickey! I should look up a recipe.

  3. RPH wrote:

    The Halfway House was in Des Moines. There’s an image of their match book, c.1940, at:

    http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=697

  4. Shannon wrote:

    It’s too bad that the price of their “famous hamburger” (according to the matchbook cover that RPH found) is covered up on this menu. The matchbook says it was 10 cents in 1940, so that would help us place the year a bit better.

  5. Charles Anderson wrote:

    I have the Matchbook and the Ash Tray, also. the ‘Famous Hamburger’ is 10 cents on the menu as well.

  6. matt wrote:

    Loving this. the food, and prices.

  7. Barb wrote:

    I’ll have the crab-stuffed avacado and a lime rickey, please.

  8. Kathleen Lathom wrote:

    Im a restaurant ware and menu ephemera collector living in the puget sound area. I have a small plate and coffee cup it has the same logo as the menu. The china is tan with green lettering. Great menu have an extra one ?

  9. Louis wrote:

    I’ll have the Crab Louie!

  10. Kathleen Lathom wrote:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/33400108@N04/3688390996/

  11. Chad Nummerdor wrote:

    Hello, I have am early glass ashtray from this place if you want an image of it let me know where to submit. It can also be found on my flickr account. My ID is the same as the first part of my e-mail address.
    Regards,
    Chad

  12. Kevin wrote:

    Here is an image of my mother’s ashtray — http://twitpic.com/qzg8x

    Enjoy!

  13. Pam Wells wrote:

    I have a menu also, would love to sell it to someone who collects! The Draught Beer is 5, 10, and 20 cents, with Dutch Lunch and a glass of beer, 25cents. Hamburgers are 10, and the Specials page has an NRA symbol. Oh, and steak dinner went up from 45 cents to 50, chicken and noodles down from 40 to 35!

Respond: