Today I had hoped to review Cam's Ham. To me, the ham sandwich is one of the staples of the American lunch, even more so than a hamburger. When it's a hot day out and you've been mowing grass, cleaning house or whatever your daily tasks include, what's one of your go-to easy lunch options? A ham sandwich. I've spent time helping build a house and we all ate ham sandwiches for lunch. It is the American lunch. Period. This is why I was immensely disappointed when I pulled up to Cam's Ham on 1st Street and saw all the lights off. A small part of me was crushed. I've been to Cam's only once before and was let down to find them closed on Sundays.
This sparked at least 5 minutes of deep thought as I realized that many of the places on my list are indeed closed today. River and Rail Bakery, Central City Cafe, Midway West Drive-In; all closed. Finally I decided upon a place I've only been to once. The Marshall Hall of Fame Cafe.
As I walked past the windows, I could clearly see they were open. The place was packed! I'd completely forgotten about the Sunday-after-church crowd.
Knowing that I had plenty of time, I decided to go ahead and have lunch there despite them being busy.
As you walk in you're greeted by a huge Marshall themed stained glass picture. As busy as they were, there was no line and I only had to wait about 45 seconds for a table. The girl working greeter was very polite and instantly set to work finding me a seat. After I sat down, it may have been a solid minute before my server came to inquire about my drink. I was slightly shocked. They were fairly packed and yet I wasn't having to wait long at all. She returned with my drink, sat down in the seat across from me and began asking about my order. I started off with the Loaded Potato Skins. She went to put my order in and as I waited I took in the atmosphere. It was very cozy. For a packed restaurant, I didn't feel cramped, crowded or uncomfortable at all. As expected, everywhere you look you see something dedicated to Marshall. From the giant mural on the back wall depicting players, students and the Memorial Water Fountain, to the Walk of Fame showcasing trophies, pictures and memories dedicated to the school, team, and 1970 plane crash.
The ceiling looks as if it was once an elegant tile ceiling that may have been accented with gold or copper colors. Now it is all covered in a dark shade of green that encompasses the entire ceiling, duct work and sprinklers. As dark and plain as the ceiling is, it fits the over all theme exceptionally well and doesn't affect the lighting in a negative way. It definitely fits the theme better than the gold or copper colors would have.
I'll venture to say that the wait staff was exceptional. The very second my drink was empty, my server was replacing it with a full one. She made a point to stop and give me a status update on my meal as it was being prepared and my second refill came before my drink was even half empty. They were constantly running to and fro, yet I also felt as if I were her only customer. At the same time, she wasn't constantly hounding me to see if I needed anything. Overall I give the service and atmosphere a solid 10 out of 10. In my honest opinion, and considering how busy the place was, they couldn't have done a better job. And the atmosphere is very welcoming and comfortable. Despite all the memorabilia, it didn't scream "Marshall student's hangout only." It was more of a tribute.
I narrowed my main dish to two options. Either the Hall of Fame Cheeseburger or the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwich. It all depended upon the cheeseburger; if the beef came preformed and frozen, I wasn't going to give it a chance. When my server returned to get the rest of my order, I asked if the beef was preformed-frozen or if they spiced and pattied them out there. She assured me that they were formed and seasoned in house. That settled it, Hall of Fame Cheeseburger wins! The sandwich is a custom build so I ordered it medium well with pepper jack cheese, lettuce and onions.
The burger was served on a toasted bun. However it was soft, not crunchy and toasted to a crisp like a sandwich from Subway. The meat was spiced very well; not too salty and not over cooked. This pleased me greatly. The toppings were fresh and crisp, not like the wilted lettuce you get on a Burger King sandwich. The portion was vast; that is to say, I left with a full belly and a to-go box containing fries and half the burger. My only quarrel with the meal was the fries. Advertised as "seasoned fries," from my observation they were seasoned with nothing more than table salt. I was expecting some Cajun spices in the least. That said, I still enjoyed them and they complimented the burger just fine. On the topic of food, I give them a 9 out of 10. Everything tasted great and the only reason I am docking a point is because I felt the fries weren't what was advertised. Granted I didn't feel as if I were eating something from a bag of Ore-Ida, but I was expecting something seasoned with more than just salt.
On the whole, I give Marshall Hall of Fame Cafe a 9.5 out of 10. While it was a little on the pricier side in my opinion (right at $20 for appetizer, burger, fries and drink), I would gladly recommend this place to friend and if I lived in Huntington I would definitely add it to my list of weekly places to pick up dinner.
