Shorty's Lunch, Family restaurant in Washington, Pennsylvania.
Shorty's Lunch is a small diner in Washington, Pennsylvania, fitted with wooden booths, large storefront windows, and an open counter where guests can watch their food being grilled. The menu centers on hot dogs and beef dishes served at low prices.
The diner was founded in 1932 by George Contorakes, who was known by the nickname Shorty because of his small stature. The Alexas family later took over and has kept the same approach to running the business ever since.
The house-made chili sauce has been prepared from the same family recipe for decades and is central to every order. Regular customers tend to sit at the open counter, where the food is grilled right in front of them.
The place gets very busy around lunchtime, so arriving early helps avoid a wait. On weekdays especially, the seats fill up fast and the line can grow quickly.
The chili sauce takes four hours to prepare per batch and is made in large quantities every day. This single preparation drives the sale of hundreds of hot dogs each day, making it the backbone of what the kitchen produces.
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