Farewell to Porky's

Well, this one hurts. There are places to get burgers equal to the ones at Porky's, but it's hard to imagine University Avenue without the ambience of Porky's. Since the 1950s, Porky's has been a fixture on University, and I'll bet some of the original customers have never stopped coming by. Until now. This Sunday, Porky's at 1890 University Avenue closes for good.

Porky's closed for a number of years in the 1980s. I assumed then that it was gone for good, and the property looked pretty decrepit. But, miraculously, the gigantic neon pig sign that had been dark for years came alive again, and new generations were introduced to Porky's trademark onion rings and shakes.

Last days of Porky's. We weren't the only ones.

When we heard yesterday that Porky's was set to close this weekend, we had to make an emergency BARF-SUAVE visit to enjoy this St. Paul landmark one more time. University Avenue is torn up for light rail in front of Porky's, which can't be good for a drive-through's business. For years, summer evenings have featured spontaneous classic car parades on University in front of Porky's. Car owners have slowly meandered through the Porky's lot, admiring someone else's tail fins or taking a peek under a neighbor's hood.

None of that was apparent on this visit. Not a classic car in sight; car owners were just grateful to have made it into the lot; there was no lingering or meandering by the patrons. We drove a decidely non-classic minivan and parked about two blocks away. I have to think the neighbors of Porky's will miss the powerful onion-y aromas, even if they never stopped by the restaurant. We waited in line for about 45 minutes tonight to place an order and get our food, providing a chance to taking in the the sights and smells. The red neon "Dine in Your Car" sign; the rooftop Porky's sign that had literally hundreds of light bulbs (is the electric bill what put Porky's out of business?); and of course the big neon pig with the top hat. Soon the Porky's site will house an expansion of senior housing, but I have a secret hope that someone will buy the neon pig and resurrect Porky's a few years from now, somewhere else on University Avenue.

Thanks to the Truelson family who kept Porky's alive for many decades. If your greasy onion rings took years off the collective lives of St. Paulites, what a wonderful way to go ...

From the press: Pioneer Press, WCCO, Kare11.