Universal Joint Lawrenceville: A Community Hub with Burgers and Brews

In the heart of Lawrenceville, exists more than just a restaurant; it's a community pillar, a familial haven where the motto "Drinks well with others" isn't just a saying, but a way of life. Universal Joint Lawrenceville, under the guidance of managing partner Bruce Kennedy, has become a celebrated establishment known for its mouthwatering burgers, inviting atmosphere, and unwavering commitment to the local community.

A Culinary and Social Destination

Universal Joint Lawrenceville isn’t merely a place to grab a bite; it's a dynamic social hub that embraces its local roots. The restaurant prides itself on providing an atmosphere where patrons can relax, connect, and feel at home. It’s a place where families, friends, and even strangers can come together to enjoy good food, good beer, and good company.

The restaurant is known for its amazing menu, offering everything from juicy burgers to pork nachos. They also serve brunch on Sundays from 11 to 3. The Cowboy Casserole is a must-try dish. The menu boasts burgers like The Steinbeck with Pimento cheese, bacon, and jalapenos-a true crowd-pleaser. Other offerings include Cubans, Philly’s, Salmon BLTs, and even a Cran Burger. If you’re in the mood for something southwestern, there are quesadillas and tacos. And for those casual hangout sessions, you can’t go wrong with a cold beer and some hot wings, both readily available at Universal Joint.

A Commitment to Community

Universal Joint's dedication to Lawrenceville and its residents goes beyond just serving great food and drinks. The establishment is deeply involved in giving back to the community, supporting local charities through fundraising efforts, and even providing lunches for healthcare workers. This commitment to service truly embodies the spirit of the restaurant and its connection to the people it serves.

The Ambiance: More Than Just a Meal

The lively ambiance of Universal Joint is sustained through a variety of events, including Music Bingo Trivia, live music performances, and themed parties. This ensures that there's always something exciting happening, making each visit a unique experience. Whether it’s families enjoying a relaxed dinner, friends bonding over craft beers, or strangers becoming acquaintances at the bar, Universal Joint is about creating connections. The sense of familial warmth extends to holidays and special occasions, providing a welcoming space for those seeking company and joy. The Veterans Day celebration is particularly noteworthy, offering a heartfelt thank-you to those who served with discounts and a complimentary cold beer.

The Universal Joint Experience: A Clayton Perspective

How does one tell the story of seemingly the most popular restaurant and patio in all of North Georgia? By talking about the food? The always flowing beer? The patio that spans for days in the shadows of Black Rock and Screamer Mountain? The live music on warm summer nights from local artists? The Universal Joint, affectionately known as U-Joint or UJ, may sound familiar to you. You might have stumbled across (or into) their Decautor location. But the Clayton location . . . the one down the street from us . . . the one that we eat at once a week . . . the one we drink a beer at multiple times a week . . . it’s the best location. And it’s the best because every bite and every sip tastes better when you have the mountains as your view. It’s a proven fact.

The Steinbeck: An Ode to a Burger

First up, the Steinbeck. I thought about making this whole post just an Ode to the Steinbeck. I figured hammering out 2,000 words on the best burger I have ever eaten could serve as my life’s work. That one day my undivided love and worship of it could serve as a reminder to my children and my children’s children about what it means to follow your passions. The Steinbeck is simple and brilliant. Chargrilled burger. Spicy pimento cheese. Thick cut bacon. Pickled jalapeños. Toasted bun. It’s a gorgeous piece of art and every bit as good as it sounds. My mouth waters thinking about it and I want more when I’m done eating it. Photos don’t do the Steinbeck justice at all nor does this description.

Beyond the Steinbeck: A Diverse Menu

All their burgers and sandwiches are great. The Swiss Mushroom Burger is overflowing with sautéed mushrooms. The Brisket Dip is house smoked and comes with the best horseradish cream sauce on the planet. The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich is fiery goodness. If burgers aren’t your thing - and after that description who are we kidding, they should be - then the Quesadillas and Tacos are a good substitute. And don’t be shy about their Spicy Egg Rolls or BBQ Pork Nachos.

The Beer Selection: Quality and Variety

Where UJ separates itself is it’s beer selection. It’s not that they have good beers but it’s that they have somehow managed to have great ones always flowing without the place devolving into a chaotic and rowdy bar. That makes UJ both family friendly and comfortable enough for those who want to have more than one drink. They usually have 15 or so beers on tap covering all kinds of preferences. Instead of having 15 IPAs on all the taps they spread it out with light beers, hoppy beers, seasonal specialities, and small runs from local breweries who are testing things out. You can expect to find most of the Atlanta area breweries and then those from Western North Carolina and into Asheville like Wicked Weed and Highland Brewing Company.

The Patio: A Social Hub

The patio is massive and this is where the majority of the action is. They have corn hole boards outside to play if you have to wait for a table. The fire pit stays going year round, particularly in the evening, and you can pretty much find live music on most weekends in spring through fall. It’s a fairly kid friendly place so don’t be surprised (or upset) if you see kids zipping around outside. Inside they have a few televisions for sports and a dozen or so tables if you’d rather eat under a roof. In the winter, you pretty much have to eat inside as the patio isn’t quite as nice on cold and blustery days.

A Catalyst for Downtown Growth

Like most North Georgia towns, downtown Clayton seems to be undergoing a small revitalization of sorts as more and more local business are beginning to call this place home. Like all things, downtowns and small businesses come in cycles and waves and while Clayton has historically had an amazing foundation for small business, U-Joint doesn’t get enough credit for kickstarting this latest cycle of growth. And honestly without U-Joint being one of the first to plant their flag in downtown almost 10 years ago, downtown wouldn’t have the same vibe down here. So we always like to think of them not as the first, but the latest and best, to make the gamble on Clayton’s downtown development and setting the model for others to follow. The restaurant is run by our good friend Jen so if you see her scurrying around checking in on folks, make sure you say hello and tell them we sent you.

A Look at Rider University's History

Oct 2, 1865: Origins as a private business college Rider University's origins can be traced back to October 2, 1865, when Henry Bryant, Henry Stratton and William Whitney opened the Trenton Business College as part of the Bryant and Stratton chain of private business education institutions. James S. Chamberlin, a teacher at the Bryant, Stratton and Whitney Newark Business College, moved to Trenton and became the first resident principal/president of the Trenton Business College. James S. Chamberlin became the schools first resident principal/president.

April 1866: Change in resident Principal/President In April 1866, Chamberlin resigned as principal/president. George Gaskell, a noted teacher of penmanship at the Newark Business College, became the new resident Principal/President of the Trenton Business College.

1866: Andrew Jackson Rider comes to Trenton In June 1866, G.A. Gaskell, second principal of the Trenton Business College, resigned and returned to teaching at the Newark institute. Andrew Jackson Rider, also a teacher at the Newark branch, agreed to move to Trenton and become the Trenton Business College’s third principal.

August 1866: Joseph Beecher becomes co-owner of the Trenton Business College In August 1866, Joseph Beecher purchased W. Whitney's 50% interest in the Trenton Business College and replaced Rider as the school's Principal/President. Rider remained at the school as a teacher. In 1867, Beecher became sole owner of the school.

1866: The first women were admitted; the first evening class occurred

1868: Andrew Jackson Rider becomes part owner of Trenton Business College In February 1868, Andrew J. Rider purchased half-interest in the Trenton Business College, creating the partnership of Beecher and Rider. Joseph Beecher moved to Newark in 1869 with A.J. Rider assuming full control, but not full ownership, of the Trenton Business College.

November 1870: William B. Allen becomes co-owner of Trenton Business College In November 1870, Joseph A. Beecher sold his share of the school to William B. Allen, who shared administrative responsibilities with A.J. Rider. The Institute continued under the partnership of Rider & Allen until August 1873, when Rider dissolved the partnership to pursue his growing interest in the cranberry business. Allen became sole owner of the school, created a Telegraphy department and hired Thomas J. Stewart as teacher and assistant administrator. In 1878 A.J. Rider rejoined the Institute, becoming its Business Manager., Allen remained sole owner of the school.

1880: Andrew Jackson Rider becomes sole owner of the Trenton Business College In April, 1880 William B. Allen sold the Trenton Business College to Andrew Rider.

April 1883: Opening of the Stewart & Hammond Business College in Trenton In April 1883, Thomas J. Stewart resigned as vice-principal of the Trenton Business College and partnered with William Hammond to open the Steward & Hammond Business College. In 1885, Stewart became sole owner of the school. The often bitter Trenton Business College/Stewart Business College rivalry continued until 1901.

1895: Trenton Business College Renamed Rider Business College In 1895, Andrew Rider changed the name of the Trenton Business College to the Rider Business College.

1901: Ownership changes for Rider Business College and Stewart Business College In 1901, Andrew Rider and Thomas Stewart retired. Franklin B. Moore, secretary of the Rider Business College, purchased the Rider Business College. In June 1901, John E. Gill purchased the Stewart Business College. Moore and Gill merged the two schools in July 1901, forming the Rider-Moore & Stewart Business Colleges.

1901: Opening of Renamed the Rider-Moore and Stewart School The Rider-Moore and Stewart Business College opened in August 1901 with Franklin B. Moore as President and John E. Gill as Vice President. The school operated under the Moore-Gill partnership until it was incorporated in 1917.

1913: Curricula Expands to Include Commercial Teacher Education By 1913, the College had established a school of education and announced the commercial teachers training course, becoming one of the first institutions in the nation to develop a two-year program to specifically meet the need for teachers in this field.

1920: John Finley Williamson founds the Westminster Choir at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio.

1921: Name changed to Rider College By 1921, President Franklin B. Moore and Vice President John E. Gill completed their long-sought goal to build the College its own building, moving the school to its new site at 428 and 430 E. State Street. At the same time, they amended its incorporation to change the school's name to Rider College.

1922: Granting of College Degrees Authorized In 1922, the N.J.State Board of Education granted Rider College permission to confer the degrees of Bachelor of Accounts and Bachelor of Commercial Science.

1926: The Westminster Choir School is founded.

1927: Rider College Granted Permission to Confer Graduate Degrees The New Jersey State Board of Education granted permission for Rider to confer graduate degrees in Master of Accounts and Master of Commercial Science.

1928: Alumni Association Organized The Alumni Association is organized with Harold L. Conover ’23 as the first president.

1928: Westminster Choir and the Cincinnati Symphony made the nation’s first coast-to-coast radio broadcast, aired over Station WLW.

1929: Clair F. Bee introduces intercollegiate athletics Intercollegiate athletics are introduced by Clair F. Bee, the College’s first director of Athletics and first coach for football, basketball and baseball. Coach Bee, who would later coach the NBA’s Baltimore Bullets and author the famed Chip Hilton novels for boys, named Rider’s athletics teams “The Roughriders.” He served as director of Athletics until 1931. By 1934, the athletic program expanded to include soccer, basketball, wrestling, swimming, track & field and tennis.

1929: Westminster Choir College is established and moves to Ithaca College.

1932: Westminster Choir College moved to Princeton, N.J.

1934: Franklin Frazee Moore ’27 named president Franklin Frazee Moore ’27 becomes College president upon the death of his father, Franklin B. Moore.

1934: As the first official American guests of the Soviet Union, with whom the United States had just resumed diplomatic relations, Westminster Choir made the first broadcast from Russia to the United States.

1937: Rider becomes a nonprofit The Board of Governors voted to amend the College’s Certificate of Incorporation to establish itself as a nonprofit institution.

1938: Westminster Choir, with conductor and founder Dr. performance of Joseph Haydn’s Passion (The Seven Last Words). The performance also featured a volunteer orchestra of Princetonians, including Albert Einstein in the violin section. # The Choir sang at the dedication of the New York World’s Fair.

1939: Westminster Choir sang for the first time with the New York Philharmonic. Since then, it has set a record for the number of joint performances - more than 350 - by a single choir and orchestra.

1945: S.S. Maritime Fleet, named for the College, joining such universities as Cornell, Purdue, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt. The S.S. Rider Victory was a 10,500-ton vessel, christened March 26, 1945, at the California Shipbuilding Yards in Wilmington, Calif.

1947: Fraternity reenacts Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware On June 23, 1947, the brothers of Phi Sigma Nu Fraternity staged a full-dress reenactment of the Gen. George Washington’s historic 1776 crossing of the Delaware River as part of the fraternity’s new-member initiation. The reenactment was chronicled in the February 17, 1947, issue of Life magazine in a four-page photo spread.

1955: Middle States accreditation granted Rider College receives full academic accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The athletic teams are renamed the “Broncs,” replacing the “Roughriders” moniker.

1956: Plans underway to relocate the campus The Board of Trustees purchases property in Lawrence Township for the location of a new campus to advance the future of Rider College and meet the needs of the post-war population.

1957: Groundbreaking Ceremony on the Lawrenceville campus The groundbreaking ceremony is held for the Lawrenceville campus. State Department’s Cultural Exchange Program. The tour was the longest goodwill tour ever made under that program. The Choir performed in 22 countries, traveled 40,000 miles and appeared before 227,000 people.

1958: Alumni Gym completed Construction of Alumni Gymnasium is completed and the building officially opens for student use. Rider hosted Seton Hall in the new building’s men’s basketball debut. The construction of Alumni Gym was the fulfillment of a promise made by President Franklin F. Moore to the Alumni Association nearly 20 years earlier that the structure would be the first one completed once a more suburban campus was secured.

1959: Short Title Theater ’59 is inaugurated Theater ’59, a program in educational theater, is inaugurated. Theater ’59 began by utilizing the Arts Barn, a converted building that had been a barn on the farm. The barn served the program well and contributed to the launch of the College’s drama program. Department of Defense to be part of an eight-week USO tour for a production of Bye Bye Birdie. By 1967, Theater ’59 had achieved a level of excellence and was invited to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

1959: First graduate program leading to the Master of Arts degree. The School of Education begins Rider’s first graduate program leading to the Master of Arts.

1962: College reorganization The College is reorganized into five schools by adding two new schools - Graduate School and Liberal Arts and Science - to the three existing schools, Business, Education and Evening.

1964: Complete relocation of campus Rider College was completely relocated to the Lawrenceville campus in June 1964, with the move of all classes, administration and facilities.

1964: Westminster Choir sang on the Telstar World-Wide Telecast in the spring for the opening ceremonies of the New York World’s Fair. This reportedly was the largest audience ever to see a television show at that time.

1965: Highlights of Rider’s centennial year A highlight of the year was the dedication of the newly constructed library, named in honor of President Franklin F. Moore. Another significant dedication was the dedication of the College Chapel on May 16 in memory of the late Dr. J. Goodner Gill, vice president of the College, who died in 1959.

tags: #universal #joint #lawrenceville #history