Donkey's Place

Donkey's Place
Donkey's Place
Restaurant information
Established	1943; 81 years ago
Owner(s)	Robert Lucas Jr.
Previous owner(s)	Leon "Donkey" Lucas; Robert "Bob" Lucas
Food type	North American cuisine
Dress code	Casual
Street address	1223 Haddon Ave
City	Camden
State	New Jersey
Postal/ZIP Code	08103
Country	United States
Coordinates	39°55′54″N 75°06′08″W / 39.931529°N 75.102333°W
Website	www.donkeysplace.com

Donkey's Place is a restaurant and bar founded in 1943 in the Parkside neighborhood of Camden, New Jersey, which sells various sandwiches. The deli is known for its hoagies and cheesesteaks.^[1]

History

Chick's was founded in 1943 at 1223 Haddon Avenue in Camden by Leon "Donkey" Lucas and his wife. The restaurant has remained in the same location since its establishment. Leon, a former boxer, received the nickname "Donkey" due to his punch being compared to the kick of a mule. Donkey's is known to serve its cheesesteaks on large kaiser rolls instead of long hoagie rolls, and to use white American cheese exclusively rather than giving customers a choice of American, provolone, or Cheez Whiz. Leon died in 1971, ownership of the restaurant passed to his son, Robert A. "Bob" Lucas.^[1]^[2]

In 2015, Donkey's Place was featured on CNN's Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Bourdain said Donkey's Place had his favorite cheesesteak and considered it better than cheesesteaks from Philadelphia.^[3] Bob died of lung cancer on July 31, 2015. Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, said in a statement he "will always be remembered" and "Donkey’s Place is truly an institution in Camden and is beloved by generations of residents".^[4] Ownership was passed to his son, Robert Lucas Jr.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Riordan, Kevin (18 January 2018). "In Camden for 75 years, Donkey's Place serves cheesesteaks - and so much more". Inquirer.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
^ Szkaradnik, Carly (2015-05-28). "Anthony Bourdain Says the Best Cheesesteak 'Might Well' Be From Jersey". Eater Philly. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
^ Peter Genovese (2019-01-17). "Best Philly cheesesteak is in NJ, Bourdain says". NJ. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
^ Walsh, Jim (2015-08-04). "Camden cheesesteak vendor dies at 75". Courier-Post. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
^ Szkaradnik, Carly (2015-08-04). "Bob Lucas, Owner of Donkey's Place in Camden, Has Died". Eater Philly. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

External links

Official website

[inqu_InCa-1] Riordan, Kevin (18 January 2018). "In Camden for 75 years, Donkey's Place serves cheesesteaks - and so much more". Inquirer.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

[phil_Anth-2] Szkaradnik, Carly (2015-05-28). "Anthony Bourdain Says the Best Cheesesteak 'Might Well' Be From Jersey". Eater Philly. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

[nj.c_Best-3] Peter Genovese (2019-01-17). "Best Philly cheesesteak is in NJ, Bourdain says". NJ. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

[cour_Camd-4] Walsh, Jim (2015-08-04). "Camden cheesesteak vendor dies at 75". Courier-Post. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

[phil_BobL-5] Szkaradnik, Carly (2015-08-04). "Bob Lucas, Owner of Donkey's Place in Camden, Has Died". Eater Philly. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 26 July 2020.

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v t e Camden, New Jersey
Neighborhoods	Bergen Square Beideman Centerville Central Business District Central Waterfront Cooper Grant Cooper Point Cramer Hill Dudley Fairview Gateway Lanning Square Liberty Park Marlton Morgan Village North Camden Parkside Pyne Point Rosedale South Camden Stockton Whitman Park
Education	Public high schools: Brimm Medical Arts High School Camden High School Camden Big Picture Learning Academy Creative Arts Academy Eastside High School Private education: Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill Higher education: Camden County College Coriell Institute for Medical Research Rowan University Rutgers University–Camden Rutgers Law School University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Economy	American Water Works Campbell Soup Company Cooper University Hospital Coriell Institute for Medical Research Delaware River Port Authority Holtec International L3 Technologies Port of Camden South Jersey Port Corporation Subaru of America Susquehanna Bank Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital
Points of interest	Camden Shipyard & Maritime Museum Camden Waterfront Adventure Aquarium Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial Camden Children's Garden Camden City Hall Campbell's Field Cooper Grant Historic District Cooper Street Historic District Donkey's Place National Register of Historic Places BB&T Pavilion Tallest buildings Walt Whitman House
Public transportation	PATCO Speedline River Line RiverLink Ferry NJT bus routes 400-449 NJT bus routes 450-499 Walter Rand Transportation Center City Hall Ferry Avenue Glassboro–Camden Line (future) Camden-Philadelphia BRT (future)
Roads and bridges	Benjamin Franklin Bridge Admiral Wilson Boulevard (U.S. Route 30) Broadway (CR 551) Federal Street (CR 537) Haddon Avenue (CR 561) Market Street (CR 537 spur) Mount Ephraim Avenue (NJ Route 168) Interstate 76 Interstate 676
Sports	Camden Riversharks Philadelphia 76ers
Government	Mayors of Camden Camden City Hall Camden County Hall of Justice Mitchell H. Cohen United States Courthouse US District Court United States Post Office and Courthouse

v t e Cheesesteak
Toppings	Cheese American Cheez Whiz Provolone Onions Fried
Contributors	Pat Olivieri Harry Olivieri Tony Luke Jr. Joey Vento
Restaurants in Philadelphia	Pat's King of Steaks Geno's Steaks Jim's Steaks Jim's South Street Tony Luke's Steve's Prince of Steaks John's Roast Pork Dalessandro's Steaks Joe's Steaks Sonny's Famous Steaks Campo's Max's Steaks
Restaurants in New Jersey	Chick's Deli Donkey's Place
Miscellaneous	Cuisine of Philadelphia Philly taco Steak sandwich

History

See also

References

External links