You may be familiar with the taste of Speedway Restaurant’s uniquely American cooking, which has been featured on Anthony Bourdain’s TV show “No Reservations.”
If you’re a traditionalist who still loves a good BBQ, you can try out their Signature Sauce, which they say is a combination of ketchup, molasses, and mustard.
But if you want to try something new, you should definitely check out their Thai green curry and Spanish chorizo versions. While the restaurant’s menu features many traditional American barbecue dishes, they also do a lot more than that. You can learn more at their website, www.speedwayrestaurant.com.
Now, let’s get back to our original question: What is this sauce that all these restaurants have?
Full Disclosure
The restaurant industry is highly competitive, and often, big-name restaurants will put out a product with a similar sounding name to grab market share from smaller restaurants. This often results in one or two similar sauces competing for the same customer base. For example, if you live in Texas and you love spicy food, then you may eat at one of the many Taco Bells across America regularly, and you may be very familiar with their green chile sauce. That’s why it’s important to do some research before ordering a dish at a restaurant you’ve never been to before and don’t really know much about.
The History Of Speedway’s Signature Sauce
You’ll often hear about the signature sauces of famous restaurants, and for good reason. If you go to their restaurants now, you may be served with paper plates and plastic forks, but that was not always the case. This unique condiment was first created as a way to lure customers to the restaurant, according to Hoopstad magazine.
“During World War II, Howard Johnson sold a wartime food rationing sauce he called ‘Sauce For Soldiers’ to the military,” Hoopstad recalls. “After the war, he saw the potential to market it to the general public and began using the term ‘Sauce For Soldiers’ as his restaurant’s slogan. The rest is history.”
As you might imagine, during a boom time in the 50s and 60s, when soldiers were coming back from war, they were looking for a way to feed their families, and Johnson’s sauce did the trick. However, as the Vietnam War rolled in, the consumer base for Johnson’s sauce dwindled, and the restaurant chain eventually closed down its locations because they couldn’t make a profit off of it. The last location closed its doors in 1982.
The Verdict
From what we’ve heard, the sauce has been featured in nearly every meal since the beginning, and that’s probably because it works so well with just about everything. We recommend giving it a try if you’re ever in a barbecue restaurant in Texas, or if you visited one of their original locations while it was still open. Otherwise, if you’re a vegan or vegetarian, you may want to try out their meatless barbecue sauce instead. It’s the perfect alternative if you’re looking for something different.