The ESSO Club

[Harvard Gamecock]

I just don't get it.
We went there for the very first time yesterday. Hovering over tables for about 45 minutes, since they do not have any system in place to get the next table available table.
Waited for almost 1 hour to get our food. Our table had 2 cheeseburgers, Sliders, and a grilled chicken sandwich. All plates came out semi cold, all the buns were stale,
and both cheeseburger patties and chicken were tough, and flavorless.
I don't as rule go the hyperbole route, but this really may be the worst meal I can remember ever having.
How this place is somehow a big deal just defies my imagination.

 

[Cackmandu]

I just don't get it.
We went there for the very first time yesterday. Hovering over tables for about 45 minutes, since they do not have any system in place to get the next table available table.
Waited for almost 1 hour to get our food. Our table had 2 cheeseburgers, Sliders, and a grilled chicken sandwich. All plates came out semi cold, all the buns were stale,
and both cheeseburger patties and chicken were tough, and flavorless.
I don't as rule go the hyperbole route, but this really may be the worst meal I can remember ever having.
How this place is somehow a big deal just defies my imagination.

They must have figured out you were a gamecock! A friend of mine went in there and the owner asked where he was from and then who he pulled for and then after he took his order he hollered out and make that to go!

 

[accock]

You meant ASSO Club didn't you?

 

[Anon1671602102]

They must have figured out you were a gamecock! A friend of mine went in there and the owner asked where he was from and then who he pulled for and then after he took his order he hollered out and make that to go!

You are in Clemson. Get a grip. May I ask what you expected? Him losing your business and telling your experience to other game cock fans cost him nothing. Esso makes more than enough money during football home games to cover their operating budget. Same with most places close to a sports stadium. They don’t care.

 

[SCExpat38]

I just don't get it.
We went there for the very first time yesterday. Hovering over tables for about 45 minutes, since they do not have any system in place to get the next table available table.
Waited for almost 1 hour to get our food. Our table had 2 cheeseburgers, Sliders, and a grilled chicken sandwich. All plates came out semi cold, all the buns were stale,
and both cheeseburger patties and chicken were tough, and flavorless.
I don't as rule go the hyperbole route, but this really may be the worst meal I can remember ever having.
How this place is somehow a big deal just defies my imagination.

I don't know, but it's been around for a long, long, long time. My late father, who is from Pendleton, had a beer or three there in the 50s, before leaving the Upstate. He disliked Clemson but said never said anything bad about the Esso Club.

I am never going to defend anything Clemson, but I suspect it is like much other stuff in the South in our times, i.e., a victim of its own success. A pale imitation of what it might've once been. A watered down, yankeed up imitation of the real thing.

 

[athenscock3]

I think it reached it's heyday in the ole Danny era. That's when I remember seeing stuff about goings on there on a regular basis.

 

[Harvard Gamecock]

They must have figured out you were a gamecock! A friend of mine went in there and the owner asked where he was from and then who he pulled for and then after he took his order he hollered out and make that to go!

Was with my closest and oldest friend who went to Miami. We were there for the MBB game. He and his wife had their UM jackets on (several other Canes fans there as well), maybe that was it, but seems pretty infantile to treat paying customers like that.

They will get their regulars, but I can assure them that the word will go out to UM alumni, when visiting give this place a hard pass.
Yeah, I know they wont care.

 

[CockofEarle]

I don't know, but it's been around for a long, long, long time. My late father, who is from Pendleton, had a beer or three there in the 50s, before leaving the Upstate. He disliked Clemson but said never said anything bad about the Esso Club.

I am never going to defend anything Clemson, but I suspect it is like much other stuff in the South in our times, i.e., a victim of its own success. A pale imitation of what it might've once been. A watered down, yankeed up imitation of the real thing.

As an older rooster I remember them actually selling gasoline

 

[Dod Rangerfield]

I just don't get it.
We went there for the very first time yesterday. Hovering over tables for about 45 minutes, since they do not have any system in place to get the next table available table.
Waited for almost 1 hour to get our food. Our table had 2 cheeseburgers, Sliders, and a grilled chicken sandwich. All plates came out semi cold, all the buns were stale,
and both cheeseburger patties and chicken were tough, and flavorless.
I don't as rule go the hyperbole route, but this really may be the worst meal I can remember ever having.
How this place is somehow a big deal just defies my imagination.

Shame on you for giving that place your patronage.

 

[cousin ed]

I just don't get it.
We went there for the very first time yesterday. Hovering over tables for about 45 minutes, since they do not have any system in place to get the next table available table.
Waited for almost 1 hour to get our food. Our table had 2 cheeseburgers, Sliders, and a grilled chicken sandwich. All plates came out semi cold, all the buns were stale,
and both cheeseburger patties and chicken were tough, and flavorless.
I don't as rule go the hyperbole route, but this really may be the worst meal I can remember ever having.
How this place is somehow a big deal just defies my imagination.

The fact you went there is alarming(not really). Must be the harvard education.

 

[Uscg1984]

You are in Clemson. Get a grip. May I ask what you expected? Him losing your business and telling your experience to other game cock fans cost him nothing. Esso makes more than enough money during football home games to cover their operating budget. Same with most places close to a sports stadium. They don’t care.

Sure, you just described every eatery near a sports venue. But I think the OP's point was to ask how did this place ever achieve some sort of legendary status. What makes them stand out among the rest when it sounds like they are, at best, average? Or are they famous simply because they are the only spot around?

 

[Lurker123]

Sure, you just described every eatery near a sports venue. But I think the OP's point was to ask how did this place ever achieve some sort of legendary status. What makes them stand out among the rest when it sounds like they are, at best, average? Or are they famous simply because they are the only spot around?

Or just their longevity.

 

[tigerbytes1979]

Funny story connected with The Esso Club. Danny Ford and Brent Musberger (remember him?) were good friends and would meet there occasionally for beers when Brent was broadcasting a game. One time Brent came and knowing Danny always left his truck keys in the floorboard decided to drive it down to the Esso. Danny either saw it or was told by someone and he called the Clemson Police to have Brent "arrested". The Police came and cuffed Brent and took him to jail. When they arrived guess who was standing in the lobby laughing.

 

[Dod Rangerfield]

Funny story connected with The Esso Club. Danny Ford and Brent Musberger (remember him?) were good friends and would meet there occasionally for beers when Brent was broadcasting a game. One time Brent came and knowing Danny always left his truck keys in the floorboard decided to drive it down to the Esso. Danny either saw it or was told by someone and he called the Clemson Police to have Brent "arrested". The Police came and cuffed Brent and took him to jail. When they arrived guess who was standing in the lobby laughing.

Screw Danny Ford.

 

[Hobcawcreekcock]

Sure, you just described every eatery near a sports venue. But I think the OP's point was to ask how did this place ever achieve some sort of legendary status. What makes them stand out among the rest when it sounds like they are, at best, average? Or are they famous simply because they are the only spot around?

It’s legendary because the number of options ‘upthar’ on local restaurants is SMALL. Mac’s Burgers is another place that’s been around forever, that some tell me is living on their former reputation. I mean really there aren’t a hell of a lot of restaurant options in that hayseed town. The ESSO Club is like the Kardashian’s, in that it’s famous for being famous…

 

[Mic4usc]

They had a decent meat and 3 when I lived in Clemson about 6-7 years ago. I loved their corn nuggets.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I used to be in Clemson for academic reasons quite a bit some years ago. The Esso used to have a pretty good meat and three kind of lunch. Country style steak, macaroni and cheese, etc. I always thought it was quite good. Not sure if they still do that kind of food. My favorite place was Ancheaux's, though Had a fantastic chicken sandwich and homemade chips.

 

[KingWard]

There's no upside to mistreating any orderly paying customer. It's not funny, either.

 

[Cackmandu]

You are in Clemson. Get a grip. May I ask what you expected? Him losing your business and telling your experience to other game cock fans cost him nothing. Esso makes more than enough money during football home games to cover their operating budget. Same with most places close to a sports stadium. They don’t care.

Doesn't bother me one bit, he can board the place up or hang a sign "No Gamecocks served" for all I care I just thought it was a funny story as to how far some of them take the rivalry! I would never step foot in the place, but that's just me!

 

[Horseshoe04]

I’m told you pay for the ambiance (LOL)

too rich for my blood, there’s an outback & fuddruckers if you happen to be stranded near clem-tech, the milkshakes at the student center are great but that’s mostly to the Cows living the good life there for a few hundred years

 

[gamecock stock]

There's no upside to mistreating any orderly paying customer. It's not funny, either.

I remember as a kid helping out in one of my Dad's retail businesses. He owned 2 businesses. One was a liquor store. The other was a business selling all kinds of goodies..... ice cream, sodas hot dogs, hamburgers, milk shakes, cookies and candy. For whatever reason, he didn't let me work in his liquor store (probably against the law for a young teenager). So I only worked in the other store (which also sold magazines; so, I did get to read Playboy.....LOL).

We had all kinds of customers......white, black, male, female, etc. My Dad hired high school kids to work in his ice cream business. Whenever I served a customer and was paid, I'd say "thank you sir or thank you ma'am". I remember one of the older white boys (whose 2 brothers had also worked there previously), saying to me "Don't say 'sir or ma'am to blacks," He probably did not use the word "black". I remember thinking that their money goes just as far as a white's. Their money can help me buy a bike, too. I just ignored what he said and continued as is. And no, I did not say anything to my Dad about it. The boy came from a good family. His older brother became a medical doctor. I'm not the smartest guy in the world. I know little and claim less. BUT, I know money. And I was not going to take his advice.

 

[Anon1671602102]

Doesn't bother me one bit, he can board the place up or hang a sign "No Gamecocks served" for all I care I just thought it was a funny story as to how far some of them take the rivalry! I would never step foot in the place, but that's just me!

Little ironic how you call him out for what he did, while stating you won’t go there because of the rivalry.

 

[Cackmandu]

Little ironic how you call him out for what he did, while stating you won’t go there because of the rivalry.

Little ironic you're on a Gamecock message board!

 

[Anon1671602102]

Little ironic you're on a Gamecock message board!

Not at all. Find me a fan board that doesn’t have opposing fans in it.

 

[SCExpat38]

As an older rooster I remember them actually selling gasoline

 

[Cackmandu]

Not at all. Find me a fan board that doesn’t have opposing fans in it.

As I said, some people take it a lot more seriously than others!

 

[gamecock stock]

I remember as a kid helping out in one of my Dad's retail businesses. He owned 2 businesses. One was a liquor store. The other was a business selling all kinds of goodies..... ice cream, sodas hot dogs, hamburgers, milk shakes, cookies and candy. For whatever reason, he didn't let me work in his liquor store (probably against the law for a young teenager). So I only worked in the other store (which also sold magazines; so, I did get to read Playboy.....LOL).

We had all kinds of customers......white, black, male, female, etc. My Dad hired high school kids to work in his ice cream business. Whenever I served a customer and was paid, I'd say "thank you sir or thank you ma'am". I remember one of the older white boys (whose 2 brothers had also worked there previously), saying to me "Don't say 'sir or ma'am to blacks," He probably did not use the word "black". I remember thinking that their money goes just as far as a white's. Their money can help me buy a bike, too. I just ignored what he said and continued as is. And no, I did not say anything to my Dad about it. The boy came from a good family. His older brother became a medical doctor. I'm not the smartest guy in the world. I know little and claim less. BUT, I know money. And I was not going to take his advice.

Out of curiosity, I looked up his brother. I figured he was long gone by now. He is an Anesthesiology Specialist with over 56 years of experience. My oh my. If my Dad was still around, he'd be very proud that he was able to help a young kid on his way to a medical career.