Palms Crystal Bar & Restaurant

Chicken in the Rough

It was the chicken image on the sign, that caught my eye! 

Then it was the word Palms, surrounded in lightbulbs.

And the slogan! Where You See This Sign It's Genuine!

But it was the neon letters that said "Take Home a Box" that really excited me. 

Picnic

It was a Sunday morning and Don and I were traveling through Port Huron, Michigan.

We had planned to grab food and have a picnic on Lake Huron. But the neon sign wasn't lit when we drove by.  As we continued down the road I looked on the internet. The curious place had great reviews.

Which Name?

Then I read the hours and learned The Palms was going to be open in 5 minutes! We drove back to pick up a box of chicken.

The building was bigger than I'd noticed before. I could see another chicken sign on the side. And palm decorations. I was confused. Was this Chicken in the Rough or Palms Krystal Bar & Restaurant? 

Noon

Maybe we'd soon find out. We parked in a side lot and waited until the clock said 12.

As we headed towards the door, the sign reminded us of Today's Special. Chicken!

​Great Doors!

We opened the glass door and found an entryway with some glass block and a great metal door. It looked like it should be on a ship.

Once inside, I looked back and was equally delighted by the other side. I love a vintage padded vinyl door.
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Cozy Interior

Once we stepped inside the dimly lit space, we were met with a bright voice. "Hi! How are we doing today?" 

We followed the young woman and passed a long bar with comfy swivel chairs and glowing pastel lights.

​We were taken to a booth in an area that felt a little more like an old soda fountain.

​Another, equally pleasant woman arrived with menus. "How's your day going?"  ​

On the menu we had a better look at the cigar-smoking chicken, with golf club! Chicken in the Rough was one of the earliest restaurant franchises in the US. Founded by Beverly & Rubye Osborne in 1936, the successful business eventually had over 300 franchised outlets.

​Specialty Meal

Don and I placed our order way too fast. If I'd seen this old photo earlier, I would have ordered this meal, that the restaurant was known for.

The dish was once referred to as "Chicken in the Rough". It consisted of half a fried chicken, shoestring potatoes and a biscuit with honey. The Port Huron location is one of 3, that still serves it. 

Glowing Colors

While waiting for food to arrive, I took a few photos of the colorful restaurant.

The Chicken in the Rough Clock was glowing yellow, behind the bar. We should have tried the drink, advertised in bold letters.

The green neon near the restrooms was also pretty fun.

Next Room

Then I peeked into an additional dining room that wasn't in use. The walls were covered with framed photos and memorabilia.

I studied the list of locations, from I believe the 1940s. I love the reminder...
"1/2 Fried Chicken Served Unjointed Without Silverware"

​Special Photo

I crawled into one booth to get close enough to see this old photograph.

I heard a chuckle and turned to see the owner Jim, smiling. "Caught you!"

Jim

He introduced himself and seemed delighted that I was curious about the history. He explained that he'd only owned the business for 8 years, but he'd collected a lot of stories and friends over that time.

Jim pointed to the picture I'd been focussing on. He told me that he'd met the granddaughter of the man in the photo. She stepped into the restaurant, one day and asked some questions. She said her grandfather had built the current bar. When Jim pointed out this photo that included her grandfather, she was moved to tears. 

Beverly and Rubye Osborne

​Jim filled me in on the husband & wife team that got this successful  chicken business started, nearly a century ago. I tried to find a photo of both, but only found this one with husband, Beverly... and his Western Girls.

Jim shared the story of when the​ Osbornes fled Oklahoma during the dustbowl. While headed to California, they hit a bump in road, sending the picnic lunch of fried chicken flying. Mrs. Osborne proclaimed something about "Chicken in the rough..." and next thing you know, they turned and headed back to OK City. Mr. Osborne pawned his wife's wedding ring and they started up the biz!

Whether those words were really uttered... who knows. But success did follow. The odd name and logo certainly helped them gain attention. In the 1970s after selling the biz, the Osbornes ended up in California. I'm guessing retirement might have offered some time for golf and cigars... But Jim told me that Beverly was killed in a tragic accident, during the building of their new home. Surely there's a book or movie out there about this couple. Or should be.
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The Building

I didn't get a chance to ask Jim about the building, but it was clearly older than the neon sign.

This photo shows the interior of the building, when it operated as a pharmacy. Between 1914 and 1935.

In 1936, the chicken business moved in. This photo from 1941, shows Crystal Bar with 2 buildings, as well as a Chicken in the Rough sign. ​

I put a red arrow on the corner of the building, where we dined. The building to the left is a parking lot now.

This photo is from the opposite corner of the building. I wish I'd asked Jim about the building's history. I'm so glad we spotted it, while driving through town.

Time to Eat

I'm embarrased to show my lunch choice. I would have chosen differently if I'd know about the restaurant's history, when I ordered.

But my chicken noodle soup was delish. Big chunks of chicken and fat noodles and carrots. My half of corned beef sandwich on marbled bread was just perfect. At least I did have a little chicken in my meal!

Don's chicken sandwich with fries was closer to the traditional Chicken in the Rough experience.

The chicken really was amazing. The fries were a treat as well. I believe in 1949, some kind of tricky grill was designed that simultaneously fried and steamed chicken. 

Friendly Vibe

Before taking off, we had a little more time to chat with Jim. He laughed about how he'd actually been headed towards a real retirement, when he bought the place. He said it didn't look like that was going to happen soon. 

You could tell that he clearly enjoyed the staff and the customers. I hope he sticks around a while. I want to go back for the Chicken in the Rough Special!
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