Just a sentence or two here on the "Ozelle's Cafe T-shirts".
Since I am so much younger than most of you (hehehehehe), I only have one story about Ozelle's that I can relate. My mother, Marie Evans, took me and my little brother Coleman to Ozelle's one night for a cheeseburger and a coke. I sat down wanting so much to be treated like an adult and Mama let me order for myself. I asked Miss Ozelle if I could have a special burger with everything on it I wanted and of course she said I could.
When the burgers came to the table, they looked scrumptious. I'd ordered mine dressed, with everything and Miss Ozelle had put mustard, onions, pickle, lettuce and a slice of tomato on it. While adding ketchup to the fries, I decided the burger could use some too and by this time my perfect burger had become so big that I couldn't get it into my mouth. I bet that sucker was at least 4" thick. I said something to Mama about it and the next thing I knew, my little brother reached over, grabbed my burger and laid it on the table beside his plate.
Then before I knew what was happening, he plopped his hand down right on the top of it, squashing it as flat as a pancake. Mustard and ketchup squirted out in all directions, a pickle popped out and Mama caught it before it landed in her lap. She was so embarrassed but Miss Ozelle just laughed and said she thought that was the cutest thing she had ever seen. Coleman sat up a little taller in his seat as pleased with himself as he could be. I cried.....my cheeseburger was ruined, but after Mama put it back together it still tasted wonderful.
I learned a valuable lesson that night and never ordered another 'special' cheeseburger like that one again. Oh, to be able to get a burger like that again....the meat was hand patted and it was fried on a flat grill...
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Photo courtesy of Carl Jr. Houston
