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There are so many reasons to eat at Casper's, I don't know where to begin. This is what I usually tell my uninitiated friends when I want them to go with me:
1. Casper's has been around since 1909, so you know it's good.
2. The chili is famously weird and delicious. The rest of the food is Grade A.
3. It's the coolest looking restaurant in town. Clicky on the pictures and you'll see what I mean.
4. The servers are super-friendly and so are the regulars.
5. You might have to wait in line outside the building because it's so small and the food is so good.
6. It's really cheap.
7. It's only open for lunch.
8. Quonset huts are really hard to air condition, so Casper's is closed in the summer.
If they're not convinced, I can tell my friend doesn't really like me. Or they get incurable heartburn like my stepdad. Because it's impossible not to like Casper's.
The Food:
There are no menus here. I had to refer to a menu on the wall that is updated each year with white paint and a Sharpie. The menu is that of a typical diner. Then again, typical diners don't write their menu on the wall with a Sharpie.
My friend ordered the obligatory appetizer: a bowl of chili ($3.25). I have no idea what's in it or why it tastes so delicious. I asked the waitress, which had to be really annoying, but she just laughed. Of course she wouldn't share the old-fashioned secret recipe, but she did shed some light on it; they use neither tomato nor onion -- no wonder it's so different than every other spiced-out bowl of chili in the world.
If you can't live without it, order a gallon of chili for the road ($24.25).
Usually I get a hamburger ($2.30), which is always lean and perfect, but I decided to try something completely different. I really didn't know what I was getting when I ordered the Casperito ($4.95). It's the most expensive thing on the menu and it was worth every penny. The Casperito consist of a tortilla shell, melted shredded cheese, chili, sour cream, onion, an extra layer of shredded cheese, lettuce and Fritos. What's not to like?
My friend also got a ham and cheese sandwich ($3.30). Our server said she steams the ham on a grill for 4 to 5 hours before serving. If you put that much time into a ham sandwich, you deserve 5 stars and $3. Needless to say, we filled up on less than $20. Score!
The Drink:
Unlike the rest of my crazed review, I have nothing special to report here. I got a delicious chocolate malt ($3.65). The rest of the drink menu is limited to soda, iced tea, coffee, lemonade and milk. Wait a minute ... does the menu say buttermilk ($1.35)? Yes, it does. And someone drew an arrow pointing to it that says "yuck."
The Scene:
This is where Casper's really shines. Everything's so colorful and cheerful it makes you feel like jumping up and down on one of the cushiony, primary-colored booths. Seriously, there's art everywhere you look and it's all weird and interesting. I discover a new artifact on the wall every time I go and this time I noticed a shelf of twenty little stone statues. They were all kinds of hideous, but somehow it worked. When you're not gawking at the walls, it's hard not to make a friend with the staff or a regular. We ended up talking to another patron about Springfield history and the chili. Go figure. If you're claustrophobic, you might have some problems. Everything in Casper's is crammed together because the hut is so small. I would suggest visiting from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. if you need some space.
The Bottom Line:
Casper's is the place to go for solid diner food. The chili is just mmmmm and so is everything else. The inside is a slice of heaven, whether you're an art snob or a construction worker.
Take your parents. Take your out-of-town visitor. Take your friend who orders the same thing at Steak ‘n Shake year after year. Oh, and take your digital camera.
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