Joy Young Restaurant: Difference between revisions
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The restaurant's sign is visible in scenes from the 1976 film ''[[Stay Hungry]]''. Another "Joy Young" restaurant operated in Memphis. | The restaurant's sign is visible in scenes from the 1976 film ''[[Stay Hungry]]''. Another "Joy Young" restaurant operated in Memphis. | ||
In the 1960s it moved to [[Highland Avenue]] as '''New Joy Young Restaurant'''. Later, owner [[Henry Joe]] moved the restaurant to the [[Brookwood Gallery]], a retail strip on the ground floor of the [[Brookwood Medical Center]] parking deck where it operated until the late 1980s. Joy Young ended its life as a take-out egg roll store in [[Pelham]]. | In the 1960s it moved to [[Highland Avenue]] as '''New Joy Young Restaurant'''. Later, owner [[Henry Joe]] moved the restaurant to the [[Brookwood Gallery]], a retail strip on the ground floor of the [[Brookwood Medical Center]] parking deck where it operated until the late 1980s. | ||
Joy Young ended its life as a take-out egg roll store in [[Pelham]]. Some have noted that the egg rolls and other dishes at the [[Chop Suey Inn]] on [[Green Springs Highway]] in [[Homewood]] are unmistakably similar to Joy Young's. | |||
==External link== | ==External link== | ||
Revision as of 23:01, 13 May 2008
Joy Young Restaurant was a landmark Chinese restaurant at 412-14 20th Street North.
According to Kristen Lee, her great grandparents, a man and wife named "Joe" (zho-ee) were the first Chinese family to settle in Alabama, having arrived in the Port of Mobile in the late 1880s. With no knowledge of English, they struggled in their new home. In 1919 they were able to open a restaurant in the boom town of Birmingham and, thanks to their generosity with meals during the depression, earned many valuable friendships that served them when the Ku Klux Klan tried later to drive them out.
Several varieties of "chop suey", "egg fooyoung", and "chow mein" dominated the portion of the menu labeled "Mandarin Style". The other half of the menu listed "American" favorites for less adventurous diners. The restaurant served seafood, poultry and meats with french fried or creamed potatoes, english peas and fried tomatores, and club or chicken salad sandwiches. The Birmingham News listed Joy Young's fried chicken (1/2 spring chicken, fried for $1.25 in 1950) as the best in Birmingham. Some of the booths had curtains that could be drawn for privacy. The reviewing stand for the annual Veteren's Day Parade was usually directly across the street from Joy Young.
In advertisements of the 1930s the restaurant's manager is listed as Joe Mansion.
The restaurant's sign is visible in scenes from the 1976 film Stay Hungry. Another "Joy Young" restaurant operated in Memphis.
In the 1960s it moved to Highland Avenue as New Joy Young Restaurant. Later, owner Henry Joe moved the restaurant to the Brookwood Gallery, a retail strip on the ground floor of the Brookwood Medical Center parking deck where it operated until the late 1980s.
Joy Young ended its life as a take-out egg roll store in Pelham. Some have noted that the egg rolls and other dishes at the Chop Suey Inn on Green Springs Highway in Homewood are unmistakably similar to Joy Young's.
External link
References
- Lee, Kristen. "I Come from a Family that is Considered 'White'" Newsletter of the Asian Student Union at San Francisco State University. [1] - accessed March 27, 2006
- Angell, Glory Clark (1983) Birmingham Inside Out Birmingham: self published.
- State of Alabama Department of Revenue vs. New Joy Young Restaurant, Inc. State of Alabama Dept. of Revenue Administrative Law Division. Docket No. S. 91-246. "Final Order" - [2] - accessed March 27, 2006