Generous Joes is an important part of Greenbelt. Nestled in the Roosevelt Center and a few feet from New Deal Cafe, it’s surrounded by community businesses. From the outside, it’s a cozy, unassuming diner with quite a few regulars and a steady stream of newcomers. But on the inside, Generous Joes reveals itself to be a bastion of community and improvement.
There’s no shortage of novelties and community fun inside though. Next to a group of booths sits a retro arcade machine, where you can play the award-winning game, AlphaFight. If video games aren’t your forte, you can take a newspaper and enjoy a complimentary newspaper, or enjoy a cartoon. While you do so, take a look behind the TV. There sits a charming bulletin board, almost overflowing with drawings of rainbows, animals, flowers, and writing about Generous Joe’s itself. Want further proof that Generous Joe’s is just brimming with community? Look outside to the various promotions and posters created by members of the community. From deals for pizza by the slice, petitions for community issues, and even a calendar for community concerts there is something for everyone. So, how did this community staple come to be?
Well, Generous Joes was opened in 1966 by Joe Natoli Sr, nicknamed “Golden Joe.” Later, this ownership was transferred to Joe Natoli junior, and finally to Aaron Mengel. According to the Greenbelt News Review, Generous Joes is actually one of three businesses that have been running at the Roosevelt center for over 50 years. The other two are the Co-op Supermarket and the Old Greenbelt Theatre, which will hopefully get their own features sometime soon.
As an article for a restaurant, I would be remiss to leave out the food, which is amazing. After an interview with Emma Cantwell, a senior at Eleanor Roosevelt and a member of the Generous Joes team, I wanted to showcase three menu items that you shouldn’t miss.
The first is the eggplant parmesan. This is one of the older recipes from Joe Jr, and a recipe Mengel altered. Eggplant parmesan is an Italian dish, consisting of eggplant covered in flour and breadcrumbs, and baked with mozzarella cheese, marinara, and herbs. Cantwell states that as soon as the alteration to the recipe occurred, the eggplant parmesan sales boomed. Like this recipe, Generous Joes is always getting better.
The second featured item is the chili. Ever since Covid-19 and the lockdown, Generous Joes hasn’t been able to do their lunch and dinner specials. So to make up for it, they’ve started a new campaign: their seasonal chili. The chili is Menger’s own recipe and judging by his track record, it’s sure to be delicious.
Last but certainly not least, my personal favorite item, the pizza! Homemade and right out of the oven, it’s sure to keep you coming back. Available in different sizes and by the slice, you or your group is sure to leave full. Touching on that homemade aspect, even the dough is entirely made from scratch, even kneaded and tossed into the air at the location! Cantwell states that “once you get the hang of it, you can actually start tossing it up into the air too.” Fun fact, this is to make sure the pizza dough is spread out to all sides. But with a variety of toppings and sizes, Generous Joes is definitely the spot to pick up lunch.
But concerning the management, there’s a lot to say there as well. Between all the sources I’ve gathered, Aaron Menger is without a doubt a boon for the Generous Joes team. I’ve described his contributions to the food, but he’s made great improvements and shown himself to really care in pretty much everything he does. For example, Generous Joes does do catering. For the pizzas, he insists he does it himself, as he’s committed to making the catering experience amazing for the customers. It’s no secret that Menger is always busy, and even I’ve seen him putting in so much effort for the restaurant. For Generous Joes, Menger is definitely a linchpin in the operation.
Even out of the Roosevelt Center veteran businesses, Generous Joes cements itself as an irreplicable staple. No McDonalds or corporate chain restaurant could ever replace the heart and passion expressed by the Generous Joes team, or the atmosphere and homey feeling of the restaurant. About a ten minute walk from Roosevelt, consider adding Generous Joes to your lunch lineup.
