Captain Gus: Steaks with tradition on the side

The first in a series by Cliff Lewis

For over forty years, Captain Gus’s steak shop has held its post at the southwest corner of West Orange and Nevin. You really can’t miss it: Bold, weathered signage stands on the roof and unmistakably distinguishes the little spot for its “steaks” and “subs.” And, once inside, the eccentric, tackle-shop decor tells a dozen stories in a single glance. In visiting Captain Gus’s, it’s difficult to separate the cultural experience from the culinary one—although the steaks most certainly speak for themselves.

“I’ve been in this business long enough to know that—I don’t care what it is—fresh is the best,” said Gus Karpouzis, 83, who first opened the shop and today remains the owner. Gus’s steaks have been always distinguished by their made-to-order preparation, as opposed to the common practice of frying steaks and onion en masse. “When I first started here, I made every steak to order,” Karpouzis said, “If you can’t wait, I’m sorry. But I’m gonna make it my way.”

Gus’s steaks are traditionally topped with marinara sauce, unless customers request otherwise. This, Karpouzis said, has separated his steaks from the common “Philly” cheesesteak. Karpouzis was also careful to note that his shop only uses choice meat for its cheesesteaks. “Choice, in my opinion, is the best meat raised in this country,” Karpouzis said, explaining that the consistency—not too fatty, not too lean—fries perfectly for a good sandwich.

When asked how he likes to take his own cheesesteak, Karpouzis joked. “Everybody’s got different tastes,” he asserted, “There’s fifty Miss Americas and there’s five judges, and they all pick different girls!”

The walls of the narrow shop are adorned with fishing rods and proudly mounted fish. This motif has been a mainstay ever since the shop was first opened by Karpouzis, an avid fisherman.

In the summer months, several boxes of “Gus’s Treats”—fresh local produce—are usually set out for free near the front counter. This tradition, Karpouzis said, came as a direct result of his favorite hobby: “38 years ago, I used to take some of the Amish and the Mennonites from Leola fishing and never charged them nothin’. And, in return, they used to give me vegetables—‘go out into the field and get whatever you want.'”

Today, Karpouzis is less available to take the locals on such outings, but he keeps the friendship strong by giving free rides whenever he can. “Anywhere they want to go I take ’em,” he said.

Although the steak shop has been running for about 40 years, Karpouzis has been in the game for much longer than that. Karpouzis cites November 1, 1946 as the day when he first entered the scene as a Lancaster City business owner. He first opened the Fulton Restaurant on North Plum Street, and later started up the ill-fated Bamboo Nightclub—demolished in the 1960s to make way for Lancaster Square.

“I got burned,” Karpouzis said, loosely but poignantly quoting the father of Western philosophy: “Socrates says that once you get burned, you’ll never forget it.”