Green Lantern, Rudy’s Hot Dog, & White Tower in Toledo

On my drive from Lansing, Michigan to Columbus, Ohio, we stopped in 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

White Tower was the number one stop on my itinerary. 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 (1515 W Sylvania Avenue) is 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 Butter Burger, the Wisconsin specialty.

The sandwich did not resemble any of the Butter Burgers I’ve eaten in the past. 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.

White Tower Menu

Menu Cover
Menu

The Food from White Tower

Butter Burger from White Tower

White Tower Burger Museum Artifacts

Here’s a small selection of the White Tower items that were on display at my Burger Museum.

Green Lantern

The very cool Green Lantern mural

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 (509 Broadway Street).

Little did I know that on Sundays, the Green Lantern rests. I was able to snap a picture of it so you can see how cool it looked.

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.

Green Lantern Menu

Menu

I need a Goopie in my life!

I scooped Marcela up after she finished with the antiques.

Rudy’s Hot Dog

Rudy’s Hot Dog (4748 Monroe Street) was a spot we came across while driving around town. In 1920 Rudy’s opened its doors for the first time.

There are now six 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 a ridiculous amount.

We ordered one of their regular dogs with chili, mustard & onion along with a King Hot Dog (all-beef jumbo dog), 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 that of the Cincinnati-style Chili popularized regionally by Skyline Chili. I’m a big-time lover of that type of chili, which means you didn’t hear one complaint out of 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 Menu

Rudy’s Hot Dog Menu, May 2019

The Food from Rudy’s Hot Dog

My wife, la Señora Beast
Chili Mac
King Hot Dog with Chili

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.

6 thoughts on “Green Lantern, Rudy’s Hot Dog, & White Tower in Toledo”

  1. 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!

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  2. 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.

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  3. 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!

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