Canteen Lunch in the Alley: Iowa Time Machine May 25, 1986

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On May 25, 1986, word came out that the far-famed “Canteen Lunch in the Alley” of Ottumwa might be destroyed to make way for a parking ramp. Dating back to 1927, Canteen Lunch has been cooking up loose-meat sandwiches and homemade pies for almost 100 years.

In 1936, the business relocated to the current location on 112 2nd St. East in downtown Ottumwa. An outstanding example of an early to mid-20th-century lunchroom, the “Canteen Lunch” reflects on this type of eating establishment that gained popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. A loose-meat sandwich resembling a “Maid-Rite” or “Sloppy Joe,” with different seasonings and service similar to a hamburger (with condiments like pickles, ketchup, and mustard), sets apart the ‘canteen’ sandwich. 

The Canteen served as the model for the ‘Lanford Lunch Box’ restaurant opened by Roseanne Conner (played by Roseanne Barr) in the sitcom Roseanne. Barr and husband Tom Arnold, a native of Ottumwa, frequently visited Ottumwa during their marriage and patronized the Canteen Lunch in the Alley.

Civic development and downtown renewal efforts in Ottumwa have threatened the Canteen Lunch on at least two occasions. During the mid-1970s, officials pitched demolishing the local institution, only to reconsider after public outcry. In 2000, the City of Ottumwa pursued construction of a parking ramp in the current location of the Canteen. The owners and patrons alike insisted the local landmark remain in place. Subsequently, in 2004, air rights were purchased above the canteen, and a parking ramp was constructed overhead. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar