Better Reserve Your Labor Day Weekend Tables Now for 2015

Ok... for all you "newbies" who never experienced the grease, the smoke and the smell inside Darlington, South Carolina's Raceway Grill on a Labor Day Southern 500 weekend, you better get your reservations in now for 2015 when Darlington Raceway's Southern 500 returns to its traditional Labor Day weekend on the NASCAR schedule.

A cheeseburger steak smothered in onions and gravy and served with home fries is what legendary car owner Bud Moore bought me for lunch on my first visit in 1982 when he, me, Bud's son, Greg Moore and driver Dale Earnhardt shared a table at the"The Grill" back in 1982. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

When we returned to the Darlington "open air" garage, everybody near the #15 car could smell Raceway Grill on us! But, it was a great smell!

While you really can't make reservations and must stand in line to be seated, this venerable Raceway Grill establishment gets a "5 STAR" rating on the famed Super Dave Review of NASCAR Track Eating Establishments Built before Winston Shortened the Schedule.

Though this video is from a spring Southern 500 weekend shot during a year when NASCAR was visiting in California on Labor Day, you'll still get a little peek at what the NASCAR insiders considered gourmet food in the days before big money owners began bringing personal chefs serving tofu, Greek yogurt, salsa and who knows what other stuff to today's unsuspecting crews who've never indulged in a can of vienna sausages, a tin of sardines, a bologna burger or a hamburger steak done right.

Dave,
Was the Darlington: "Raceway Grill" used in the movie, "Thunder In Carolina"?

Darlington: Raceway Grill
If the walls of the Raceway Grill could talk, oh the racing stories they would tell. Located off turn two of the speedway, this may be the most historic restaurant on the tour. In the early years of the Southern 500, qualifying was held on Saturday and the race was held on Labor Day Monday; meaning Sunday was a day off at the track. Virtually every driver ate at the restaurant and at times the beer flowed a bit heavy and the party was on.

As far as the food goes, its good. The hamburger steak is what to order and with some gravy on top its very good. French fries or baked potatoes are both good sides for the hamburger steak.

And, dont be surprised if NASCAR President Mike Helton; NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee David Pearson, former Richard Childress Racing fuel man Chocolate Meyers or MRN Radios Barney Hall are sitting at the next table. They are all regulars on race weekend here.

Address: 1207 Harry Byrd Highway, Darlington, S.C. 28532

Phone: (843) 393-9212

http://foodaroundthetrack.com/?p=112

Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

Dennis, I don't know about the Raceway Grill being used in "Thunder in Carolina." How about it guys/gals?

By the way, both the Raceway Grill and Darlington Raceway are located on Harry Byrd Highway - NOT Strom Thurmond Highway. The highway is named for the late Harry Flood Byrd, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1926-1930 and United States Senator representing Virginia for 33 years from 1933-1965. The last winner of the Southern 500 during Byrd's tenure was Ned Jarrett in the Bondy Long Ford, sponsored appropriately by Virginia's Richmond Ford Motor Company!

Since there have always been more Virginia license plates on the Darlington Raceway grounds than any other state, it seems only appropriate that the highway passing by it be named for Virginia's most revered U.S. Senator. Sorry, South Carolinians.

Excerpt from a 2009 Ed Hinton story in ESPN: The Magazine:

Couldn't leave Darlington without stopping by the Raceway Grill, home of the best hamburger steak (smothered in onions and melted cheese) in the Eastern time zone. And french fries cut from fresh potatoes.