For many in the Pinecrest area, Suniland Shopping Center’s Wagons West is their favorite place to eat.
Brothers Walter and Steven Muench, came to the United States from Germany in 1958. They moved to South Florida in 1971, and after a few other restaurant ventures, opened Wagons West in 1981.
“There was nothing like working the kitchen and turning out great food for all my patrons,” says Wally Muench. “Their smiles and support were all I needed to know we’d done good. People eat with their eyes. We know that to stay successful, we need to be consistent. The secret is stable pricing, quality product and good service.”
Brother Stephen retired in 2010, but Wally continues the family tradition. For more than 25 years, Jim Smith (of JAS Group Architects Planners) has come four days a week for his lunch. Why?
“It’s predictable, the food is great, the hostesses are the best and there’s always Wally, the entertainer,” says Smith. “It’s where the elite meet to eat. I’ve closed business deals here and made lots of new friends. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Joyce Langley, a 38-year patron, agrees.
“Wagons West’s food is consistently good, the coffee is wonderful, Walter is a great guy and the staff is marvelous.”
Even more than the great American food, it’s the place for local news and gossip. It’s impossible not to be recognized and warmly greeted when you walk in. Wagons West is a South Florida tradition.
Wally reflects, “This is like Times Square right here in our town. Everyone gets to Times Square at least once in their life. Like Andy Worhol said, ‘You’re gonna get your 15-minutes of fame’. This is where everyone gets their 15-minutes. This is where everyone comes to be part of the community. Everyone seems to pass through here.”
With a long-term lease in place and a veteran staff like family, Wagons West isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Yet, ‘passing through’ may be a term Wally Muench uses soon.
“I’m interested in making sure my Wagons West family carries on. I’m also interested in spending more time with my kids.”
And so, now the search is on to pass the baton to the right person.
I highly recommend you grab some good American food and soak in a little bit of South Florida tradition. You won’t be disappointed.
Wagons West is located at 11311 S Dixie Highway and can be contacted at 305-238-9942 and wagonswestrestaurant.com
Real Estate Update
As of January 25th, the Pinecrest market did a big retreat as we start 2019. Homes listed over $1M are at 32 months of inventory. A healthy $1M+ market has 6-9 months of supply. If you’re ready to move, let me assist you with local expertise, realistic expectations and solid guidance to get you to wherever ‘next’ is. It’s easy to get started at miamihal.com/myvalue.
Hal Feldman (MiamiHal) is a Realtor with RE/MAX Advance Realty. You can contact him with your story ideas or real estate questions at Hal@MiamiHal.com or facebook.com/MiamiHal. Learn your home value at miamihal.com/myvalue
