On my drive from Lansing, Michigan, to Columbus, Ohio, we stopped at White Tower in Toledo, Ohio, for a spell. The plan was to grab a burger and look around for some antique shops.
White Tower was the first planned stop on my Toledo, Ohio itinerary. On the way out of town, we came across Rudy’s Hot Dogs, which necessitated a stop. The Green Lantern was closed the day I was in Toledo, and another visit a few years later.
Green Lantern + Rudy’s Hot Dog + White Tower
White Tower
Once upon a time, the White Tower was a huge deal and had over 200 restaurants.
It was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, way back in 1926 and would find its way to Toledo, Ohio, three years later. They were a significant player in the burger game back in the day and White Castle‘s main adversary.
Their tumultuous relationship ended after a court decision found in favor of White Castle‘s accusations of unfair competition. Toledo’s White Tower is was their last man standing.
This White Tower does not resemble the bright shiny building of its storied past but is more of someone’s home. The White Tower menu mentions a Butterburger, the Wisconsin specialty.
The sandwich did not resemble any of the Butterburgers I’ve eaten in the past. However, as far as diner-type burgers are concerned, it was right on the money.
I took the opportunity to have hash browns as the side, which worked out pretty well for me.
After a fire destroyed the White Tower restaurant building in April 2022, they never re-opened their doors.
White Tower – PERMANENTLY CLOSED
1515 W Sylvania Avenue
Toledo, OH
(419) 476-8633
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/White-Tower-Restaurant-557392147702865
Burger Museum Artifacts
Here’s a small selection of the White Tower items that were on display at my Burger Museum.
Green Lantern
After dropping my wife Marcela off at an antique shop right down the street, I set out to explore Toledo. I remember my friend Titus telling me about the Green Lantern diner.
Little did I know that on Sundays, the Green Lantern rests. I snapped a picture of it so you can see how cool it looked. Then, I scooped Marcela up after she finished with the antiques.
It’s been a staple in this community since 1927, and after checking out the menu, I felt like I missed out on something uniquely Toledo. Plus, I really need a Goopie in my life!
Green Lantern
509 Broadway Street
Toledo, OH
(419) 241-3752
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GreenLanternLunch
Monday 6:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Tuesday 6:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Wednesday 6:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Thursday 6:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Friday 6:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Saturday 6:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Sunday CLOSED
Rudy’s Hot Dog
Rudy’s Hot Dog was a wiener joint we came across while out of town. It opened in 1920 and hasn’t looked back since.
There are now five locations, and different members of the founding family run the restaurants. I read somewhere that they sell 10,000 hot dogs a day, which is ridiculous.
We ordered one of their regular dogs with chili, mustard, and onion, along with a King Hot Dog (all-beef jumbo dog) with the same toppings. The Chili Mac was an afterthought while we were paying for the two dogs.
I also bought a couple of cans of their chili sauce with beef, which would eventually make their way back to my home in Miami, Florida.
If you can only choose one, I’d say the King Hot Dog is the way to go. I’ve got nothing against their regular dog, but I’m an all-beef hot dog kind of guy at the end of the day.
The chili mac is very similar to the Cincinnati-style chili popularized regionally by Skyline Chili. Rudy’s Hot Dog‘s owners are Greek, so it makes sense.
I’m a big-time lover of that type of chili, which means you didn’t hear one complaint from me. Marcela is just starting to get into it, so it was great to see her enjoying Rudy’s Hot Dog version.
Rudy’s Hot Dog
4748 Monroe Street
Toledo, OH
(419) 472-4813
Website – https://rudyshotdog.com
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rudyshotdogtoledo
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rudyshotdogtoledo
Monday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
We were only in Toledo for a few hours, but I hope to come back for the Green Lantern and a few other promising spots.
Green lantern is by far the best of the three in Toledo! You can’t beat the prices and it’s always fast and delicious!
Damn, I knew it looked good!
Sorry you missed Green Lantern best Old South End Staple never leave hungry. 50 years later and still stop at least once a year since we don’t live in Toledo anymore.
Missing Green Lantern was my saddest moment on that trip.
Thanks for your stops in Toledo! Sadly, White Tower isn’t what it used to be. But Rudy’s is still a solid staple. Oddly enough, we just had some Rudy’s (regular) dogs, fries, onion rings and mushrooms last evening. We don’t eat much fast food but when we do, Rudy’s is always a popular option. Their fries are simply the best anywhere. Larger than standard fast food fries they are super crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. They are so good that our local, annual Greek Festival gets their fries from Rudy’s. The festival tops them off with a generous shake of Oregano – outstanding!
Never tried adding oregano to fries, thanks for the tip!