“Breakfast is done!” we were told as our server seated us at Missy’s Arcade. That’s always a bummer to hear, but even though we couldn’t make this a breakfast stop, our experience and the atmosphere of Missy’s Arcade Restaurant are still noteworthy.
We stopped by Missy’s for a full lunch after pre-gaming some donuts at Clark’s Donuts Plus nearby, and before climbing aboard the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad for a ride through the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside.
Missy’s popped up on our radar when we searched for local lunch spots online, and it had all the marks of a retro diner, not the least of which is the old building front and the vertical neon sign. The structure fits with the historic nature of Titusville and nearby towns like Oil City and Franklin, which boomed in the 1860’s with the sinking of the world’s first oil well. The small urban centers surrounded by big mansions speak to the decades of oil wealth and the communities that sprung up around it.
The interior of Missy’s has been refurbished. It’s honestly hard to tell how old the restaurant really is, but now at least, it reads like a Coca-Cola advertisement. Every available surface is plastered with Coke paraphernalia – some very old and some much newer.
The Coke kitsch covers everything from walls to shelves to ceiling fan blades.
Our server fit the vibe of old diner, too. She was certainly friendly, but she got right down to business. She was one of those servers whose territory is very well defined. You’re the customer, yes, but you’re in HER restaurant.
The meals were simplicity itself; they were just the right type of comfort food you’d expect from an old restaurant like this. Like the cup of French onion soup and a salad.
Chicken breast sandwich and fries.
A kid’s of meal of grilled cheese and fries.
The kid’s burger.
The turkey reuben.
And the classic reuben with the corned beef thick-sliced and nicely grilled. All in all, Missy’s is a simple place to fill yourself up. It’s small, comforting, and speaks to the history of the area.
If you want to visit:
Missy’s Arcade Restaurant
116 Diamond St. (map it!)
Titusville, PA 16354
(814) 827-8110
