Pat's Hubba Hubba, now known simply as "Hubba's", is a late-night greasy spoon chili restaurant located at 24 North Main Street in the village of Port Chester in Westchester County, New York. Near the New York-Connecticut border, Hubba's caters to the local bar scene by staying open until 5:00am on the weekends, and at least 3:00am on weeknights.
History
The restaurant was originally known as "Texas Quick Lunch", and was owned by Edna Kaplan and operated by Mildred Meade. Pat Carta bought the storefront location of the former Texas Quick Lunch in 1989 and changed the name to "Pat's Hubba Hubba", the same as his original restaurant in the "Chickahominy" section of Greenwich, Connecticut. He expanded the menu from simple chili and chili dogs to variants including the popular chili cheese fries. By the early to mid-1990s, Carta opened a second location at 820 Cove Road, in Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut. A third location followed, also in Stamford, at 189 Bedford Street, in the heart of the downtown bar district, now Capriccio Cafe. The restaurant in Port Chester is now owned by Carlos Magan and was renamed to simply "Hubba's".
Menu
The main ingredient in most of Hubba's dishes is chili, which is made with ground beef, hot chili peppers, and little else. Hubba's chili contains no beans, tomatoes, or vegetables of any kind. Meals are served with "Hubba Water", tap water with a bit of Hawaiian Punch added in.
Atmosphere
The inside of Hubba's is long and narrow. There are 13 counter stools bolted to the floor, where one can sit at the counter. Menu items are written in marker on paper plates, tacked onto the walls which are papered with dollar bills.
Naming conventions
One note of contention among frequenters is the name by which the restaurant should be called. While most areas call the establishment by its present name, "Hubba's"; the residents of certain nearby communities, such as Larchmont, Mamaroneck, and New Rochelle, still use the name "Pat's". Old timers - that is, anyone who was a patron before 1989 - still call it "Texas Lunch", or alternatively, just "Texas".
Included in Jane and Michael Stern's book, Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 800 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More, as a Top Pick. and in their website, Roadfood.com, as a "Must eat".
Mentioned by Chris Stanley on the Ron and Fez Show on November 2, 2009, as having "amazing" food, especially the chili and RC Cola.
Singer-songwriter Billy Vera directly mentions the restaurant and its chili dogs in the opening monologue of his 1981 recording "Millie, Make Some Chili". The "Millie" in the song presumably refers to Meade, although Vera calls her "Millie Kaplan" in the monologue, reflecting her maiden name, as she was the sister of restaurant owner Edna Kaplan.
