Shae and I have now visited friends in Toledo three times in recent years, with each visit including a trip to the Original Tony Packo’s.
Tony Packo’s Cafe is a restaurant that became famous nationwide when it was mentioned in several episodes of M*A*S*H throughout the 70s and 80s. They’re most well known for two things – their Hungarian hot dogs and their signed buns.
Find out about their food and why they have signed hot dog buns in our review of the Original Tony Packo’s in Toledo, Ohio.
The Original Tony Packo’s is located on the corner of Front St and Consaul St. There’s a small amount of parking out back, but your best bet will be the free parking lot across the street on Consaul St.
As you enter, you’ll be greeted by a cute old-style restaurant look. The restaurant’s bigger than it looks from the outside, so there’s plenty of seating available. The great thing is that no matter where you sit, you’re never far from some signed buns – more about that shortly.
There’s a large menu above the counter where you order food, although they also have menus if you want to take a seat to spend a little longer looking at your options.
Here’s what you can find on the menu at the Original Tony Packo’s:
Even though Shae and I had already eaten here a couple of times before, it took us a couple of minutes to decide what to get. After placing our orders, they served up nearly all our food straight away; our appetizer had to be cooked fresh, so they gave us a numbered stick to take to our table so they could bring it out after.
Once you’ve got your food (or most of it in our case), you pay at the adjacent cash register and take a seat. I mention that specifically because I somehow managed to take our tray of food without paying. I thankfully realized before leaving, so went back to pay after we’d eaten.
We were having a fairly late lunch, so I decided to order The Packo’s Feast. This includes a Packo’s hot dog, a cup of chili, a stuffed cabbage roll and a small bowl of oyster crackers.
The stuffed cabbage roll consists of beef, pork and rice stuffed in cabbage leaves and topped with sauerkraut. I’m not normally a big fan of cabbage or sauerkraut, but figured I’d give it a go. It turned out to be surprisingly tasty!
The bowl of chili was delicious as it was very meaty and had a good kick to it. It’s not as unique tasting as Skyline Chili, although I think I prefer the chili at Tony Packo’s to Skyline’s.
The hot dog topped with chili was also tasty. I was initially disappointed when biting into it as it seems like they only serve half a sausage in it that’s been cut lengthways. However, that half a sausage tasted nice and, along with the chili it was topped with, still made for a great chili dog. Not to mention that I ended up being as stuffed as the cabbage roll by the end of the meal due to how much food comes with The Packo’s Feast.
Shae wasn’t quite as gluttonous as me, so she went for the hot dog combo and chose the paprikas dumplings as her side. This is the same combo that she’s had in the past – she picked it again as she enjoys it so much.
A couple of minutes after sitting down, our appetizer of fried pickles arrived. I tend to be meh on fried pickles at most places – I’ll usually eat a few when Shae orders them, but they’re not something I’d pick if I was eating alone. That said, I think this must’ve been the first time I’d tried the fried pickles at Tony Packo’s as they were excellent. The pickles are spicy, so that kick improves the flavor. The crispy coating is much thicker than you get on most fried pickles which I also liked.
Once we were done eating, it was time to take a look at the signed hot dog buns adorning the walls. It was Burt Reynolds that started the tradition of celebrities signing hot dog buns at Tony Packo’s. The Packo family asked for his autograph, he chose to sign a bun and the rest is history.
When the tradition first started, famous people signed actual hot dog buns. The problem with buns though is that they don’t stand the test of time – in fact, the buns started falling apart. To counteract that, a local man named James Sohnly created replica buns with a thin plastic shell and filled them with foam. After James Sohnly passed away in 2000, his son Willy took over the job.
You’ll find hundreds of the signed buns displayed in cases around the restaurant. Despite having visited the Original Tony Packo’s a couple of times before, I always seem to find a new signature.
As Ohio’s a swing state, presidential candidates always stop for lunch at Tony Packo’s and sign a bun.
Like I said, there are hundreds of buns to look at, so take a look around when you visit to find your favorite one. This was mine:
Something else you’ll see when walking around Tony Packo’s is M*A*S*H memorabilia. That’s due to the restaurant being mentioned in the TV show on a number of occasions.
When you’re done looking at buns, pop into the Tony Packo’s gift shop.
Inside there are T-shirts, pickles, cans of chili and more. There are even replica hot dog buns that you can sign for yourself.
Final Thoughts
If you ever find yourself in or near Toledo, the original Tony Packo’s is somewhere you have to visit. The food’s great and the signed hot dog buns throughout the restaurant make it a fun, quirky experience.
Our Rating
Food = 4.5 / 5
Price = 4.2 / 5
Atmosphere = 4.2 / 5
Decor = 4.8 / 5
Service = 4.3 / 5
Total = 4.4 / 5
Address
Tony Packo’s Cafe, 1902 Front St, Toledo, OH 43605
Betty T says
I’ve wanted to visit ever since I saw it on M*A*S*H (although at the time I wondered if it were a real place, and if so if it were still in business so many years after the Korean War). Thanks for the info!
stephen says
Yep, still there and as delicious as ever!