Health Camp

Waco, TX

There aren't too many places like this left, but they're still out there. It seems like every city still has one mom-and-pop, burgers-and-custard joint still hanging on. So when I'm driving by and I spot one, I like to pop in for a visit and help support small biz.

Jack Schaevitz opened Health Camp in 1948. He saw that the enlisted men at Waco's Connally Air Force Base did not have many food options, so he built a canteen on wheels (basically a food cart) and started serving burgers and custard-style ice cream. "Health Camp" came from the eggs used to make the custard, which were stamped with the name.

Business was good and Jack expanded to the current Health Camp location on the Waco traffic circle in 1949. There's lots of turn-back-the-clock charm to enjoy here. The ordering process is arbitrary and annoying (which I'm always a fan of) because you have to order from the outside window but pick up your food inside. On my visit, people were constantly coming inside, getting confused, and going back outside to order.

I ordered the super burger, which looked like it had gone through central booking at Folsom Prison. But the taste was solid, an honest burger that'll keep you fueled up on a road trip. The joint also has a wide selection of shakes, malts, and ice cream. The banana pudding shake looked especially good.

But by far my favorite thing about this place is the name. The website is good too (very retro), but the name really hits the jackpot. It's like naming your cigarettes Fit Sticks. Or cyanide Pep Pills. Amazing stuff. Which made me look up what other crazy restaurant names are out there. So if you're traveling elsewhere, keep an eye out for these actually real names:

  • A Salt & Battery; New York, NY

  • Thai Me Up; Jackson, WY

  • Tequila Mockingbird; Ocean City, MD

  • 9021PHO; Beverly Hills, CA

  • McWank's; Watson Lake, Canada

  • Turnip the Beet; Port Angeles, WA

  • Baguetteaboutit; Durham, NC

  • Dirty Dick's Crab House; Panama City Beach, FL

  • Pu Pu Hot Pot; Cambridge, MA

  • Chick Pizz; Seaton Delaval, United Kingdom

  • Young Dong Garden; Arcadia, CA

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