Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

All Aboard for Lunch: For decades, locals have flocked to the Subway Cafe for great company, amazing pizza.

Screenshot 2014-02-28 08.39.26The sturdy, brick building known as the Subway Café is one of those few, iconic Harrisburg places that has withstood the test of time, operating for decades as a restaurant, bar and neighborhood hub.

Need proof? An ad in the Harrisburg Telegraph dating back to 1935 wishes readers “Seasons Greetings” from Subway Café owner Steve Costea and touts “homemade goulash” as the house specialty.

The cuisine wasn’t the only thing just a bit different back then.

The small establishment also featured live entertainment, as evidenced by another ad that ran that same year. Not lacking in hyperbole, the advertisement reads, “Dancing and entertainment your eyes have never seen before. Also the Balkan Knights. Tamburitsa Band. Radio Artists.”

Today, patrons may wonder how the Subway managed to fit live music and dancing into such a small space, which seats about 75. At the time, though, the focus was heavy on entertainment and light on food. Articles throughout the years refer to the business as a “taproom,” and, in 1942, the Telegraph referenced a bit of legal trouble stemming from a “gambling device” discovered on the premises.

Enter Liana and Donato Giusti.

When the Giustis purchased the café in 1948, they made a great effort to improve the reputation of the establishment, located smack-dab in the midst of Harrisburg’s industrial zone, up the block from the Herr Street underpass. Liana’s son Donato Giusti, Jr., recalls, “Two spittoons were the first things my parents eliminated when they took over.”

The couple aimed to elevate the business from a beer den and nightclub to a restaurant, serving up Italian favorites like lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs and their now-famous pizza. Working-class folks from nearby businesses packed the place during lunch and after work to enjoy the freshly made personal pies with the savory sauce and cracker-like crust.

“Harrisburg Steel Company was the main clientele during the World War II years. Their major product was bombshell casings, which were converted to pressurized gas cylinders after the war,” said Donato, Jr.

Business boomed for quite some time before a series of setbacks occurred.

Hurricane Agnes swept through the place in 1972, leaving only the ceiling of the café unscathed. Donato, Jr. said his mother’s repeated quote to the customers, in her thick accent, was “we leana butta we no falla!” This inspired the family to run a newspaper ad with the phrase, alongside a picture of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, to announce that the café was, once again, up and running.

Today, diners can see the remarkable high-water marks from both the 1972 and 1936 floods, which are memorialized on a wall near the entrance.

The 1980s ushered in more challenges. Liana lost her husband in 1984, and the nearby TRW plant burned to the ground not long after, taking with it patrons who no longer found it a convenient lunch or dinner stop. The subsequent closing of the steel mill didn’t help.

A woman of lesser strength would have sold the place and retired, but not no-nonsense Liana.

She credited her father, who owned an Italian café and macaroni manufacturing business near Florence, Italy, for her business sense and tenacity. Tall and stately, she glided through the dining room overseeing everything. Nothing got past her, often to the chagrin of the staff, but she had a soft side and a sense of humor, too.

Liana ran the café until she passed away in 2001 at the age of 90. Donato, Jr. and his wife Pat took over until 2004, when they sold it to Christina and Fotios Lamnatos, who decided to retain the loyal staff that patrons had come to know and enjoy.

Long-time bartender Scott Hohe, with his trademark smile and jocular personality, has been serving up drinks at the Subway Café for 38 years. “I love coming to work every day to meet old friends and make new ones. I’m the hostess with the mostest,” he boasts with a hearty guffaw. Reviewers on Foursquare and TripAdvisor seem to agree, often giving the popular bartender shout-outs.

Romano Premici, who retired in 2009, also was a long-timer, serving more than five decades as cook. Waitress Lisa Kettering has been a loyal employee, as well, serving up food with a smile for almost three decades now.

The current owners have made small adjustments to keep up with the times.

“The changes they made are good ones. They are now open on Saturday nights, and they take credit cards,” said Hohe.

They still serve the popular “fishy bowls” of beer (as Liana used to call them), and the food offerings differ only slightly. Salads now include Greek and Caesar, and they’ve added homemade eclairs, which are hugely popular. The age-old pizza recipe has been retained, earning The Subway Café the PennLive Pizza Party award as the best pizza in Harrisburg just last year.

Meanwhile, the restaurant’s loyal fan base continues to expand. “Three and four generations of family members are coming in now,” said Hohe, who entertains them all.

Bob Schott of Harrisburg has been a regular since 1985. “I’m there every week. Initially, it was because of the pizza, but then I started meeting people,” he said of the family-like atmosphere and camaraderie. Schott recommends not only the pizza, but the lasagna, too.

The Lamnatos have carried on the Subway Café tradition of valuing their loyal staff and customers, serving up good food and welcoming newcomers. For those who have yet to visit, now might be a good time to treat your taste buds to one of the best pizzas around.

The Subway Café, 1000 Herr St., Harrisburg, 717-412-7128, www.subwaycafepizza.com.

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