ROCK HILL, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – For almost a century, it’s likely a lot of folks have driven right by. Since 1935, Passmore’s Grocery and Grill on Saluda Rd. has been one of Rock Hill’s best-kept secrets.
Hardly anything’s changed here. You might say it’s the place that time forgot.
“Love this place, [it’s] country!” says longtime customer Bridgette McCarver, who has no beef with the generous servings here.
“I mean [thick] hamburgers, not [thin] hamburgers, ha ha!” she said, pinching her fingers to compare the difference between Passmore’s and other establishments.
The store first opened its doors 90 years ago this month. Today, it feeds a hunger for the days of old.
“Oh, that looks good,” says Francis Stephenson, who has come here since the 80s.“You know, if you stopped here, you’d find good food.”
“This is the best fried bologna sandwich you’ll find in South Carolina,” says another regular.
If you don’t know what to order, co-owner Michael Black is coming in hot.
“We’ve got chili cheeseburger, hamburger, hot dog, bologna sandwich, lunch meat sandwich, country ham sandwich,” he says, running through the menu with the pace of an auctioneer. “Gold and crisp French fries.”
He can’t help himself.
“Well, my grandad hired me for two dollars a day, and all I could eat, and what I could say,” Black remembers. “So, he taught me the menu, and that’s what I tell the folks when they come in.”
Michael’s grandfather was a produce man when he started Passmore’s.
“This is the building you’re in now, built in 1957,” he said, showing us a vintage photo.
Later, Michael’s mom ran the store for years.
Michael’s grandfather would be proud that Passmore’s is still going.
“Yeah, he would,” he said, getting choked up. “My granddad and I were close. He loved people. It wasn’t so much about the money. It was about making sure his fellow man had what they needed.”
Michael wants to be just like his granddaddy.
“Get you something to drink, have a seat, and we’ll settle up when you leave,” he told McCarver after taking her order.
“Alright now!” she replied.
As the clock in the store says, “Relax,” because here you’re on “Passmore’s time.”
You’ll see wall-to-wall photos the owners have taken with customers over the years. Once they took one, they couldn’t exactly stop.
“They look around, and they see their friends. And then they ask this question, ‘Can I have my picture up there?’ Absolutely!” Black told Queen City News.
“When you walk in, you’ll remember us whether you ever come back or not,” he said. “And you’ll say there’s a place in York County in Rock Hill that I’d like to go back to some time.”
“Batman is a friend of ours,” he joked, pointing to a picture.“He loves our hotdogs.”
Son Jon-Michael Black is proud to help carry on the family business.
“Tradition means a lot, you know. I’m fourth generation,” said Jon-Michael.
After 90 years, the secret to longevity might seem hard to put a finger on.
“For moms and pops everywhere, keep the faith, treat your customers right, and you’ll always be in business,” Michael says.
All these years, passersby have missed out on Passmore’s, even though they were hidden in plain sight.
“I think people like it’s the same as it’s been for a long time,” said Jon-Michael.
“They like to connect with us!” said Michael.
The menu still rolls off the tongue. “Grits, toast, eggs, jelly, country ham, ain’t no better breakfast nowhere around,” he says fast and with a flair.
The only doubtful claim we heard all day came from a customer.
“It’s cholesterol free, calorie free, fat free,” he said with a smile.
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