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WOODS CROSS — It’s an unassuming little place, not exactly tucked away, but overlooked, perhaps, next to the car dealership looming large over the sparsely-decorated flat. Thin, neon lettering flickers in the dimming light, signaling the cars whipping by.
This is Kitty Pappas' Steak House.
Kitty Pappas herself is in the kitchen slicing up a huge slab of steak, and it’s obvious she’s no novice. She’s been at this for 70 years.
It was September 17, 1947, when Kitty and her husband opened the doors to their brand-new steakhouse nestled in the small town of Woods Cross, population 270. The restaurant skirted a trucker stop and attracted weary travelers passing through.
“It wasn’t my idea, it was my husband’s idea. I didn’t know he was going to do it until he told me, ‘Come on, quick! I need help!’ … So I went to work. Here I am, and he’s dead … He died in 1963,” Kitty said.
Before his death, Kitty’s husband did all the cooking. Once he passed away, Kitty took over, she said. Fifty-four years later, she’s still the only cook. Her son, “Crazy George” Pappas, waits the night shift, and there are one or two other employees — though Kitty can’t quite remember the exact number.
“I’m lucky enough to be a waiter at my mom’s restaurant for the last 40 years,” Crazy George said. “Not only is she the boss and admiral of this ship, she’s the only cook. There’s darn good reason why I’m so proud of my mom.”
And George isn’t the only one. Paul Pasquali has been a loyal customer at the steakhouse for the last three years.
Pasquali first spotted the restaurant as a child when his family came to visit the area, though they never ventured in to eat. It wasn’t until Pasquali came back decades later that he found himself drawn into the little restaurant, amazed it was still there.
“I asked for a water, and (Crazy George) brought a pitcher, put it down on the table and said, ‘Here. Fresh out of the Davis ditch. I don’t know how we make any money on this,’" he said. "I loved the sense of humor, I loved the steak and I got to know Kitty. And I’ve been coming back here almost every week for three years."
For those who have become regular customers at the steakhouse, it’s not just the fresh cuts of meat that bring them back, though. The restaurant is a pit stop in time, unchanged by the passing of the years and a haven from the modern world.
“Things change with time. All except me,” Kitty said. “I had three little kids to raise. When I got them raised, I was too old to start something else, so I just kept working. … What would I do if I didn’t? … My friends are all dead cause they retired.”
Though Kitty’s coy about her age, George confirmed she’s “flirting with her 90s.” She laughs as she cuts up a steak with the vigor of a man half her age.
For a woman who’s seen everything change, Kitty is still amazed when “old-timers” who used to stop by during their trucking days come back to see if she’s still there. They like the old place, she said. With the plethora of chain restaurants around, they’re all hungry for something a little unique.
And though Kitty Pappas' Steak House might not be the place to go for those in a hurry, it’s perfect for a journey back through time.
“People come in, they can be grumpy and hungry, then they get their belly full of good food and they’re happy,” Crazy George said. “And nothing’s wrong with seeing a big, happy smile on people’s faces. It makes a person feel pretty good.”
Kitty Pappas' Steak House can be found at 2300 S. Main St. in Woods Cross. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. And remember, it's cash only.
