Chop Suey: Fast Food Noir

Chop suey was the popular fast food in American cities during the early 20th century. But it also had allure of the exotic and the forbidden. It was common for single people (men and women) to frequent a chop suey joint along with people of various races and ethnicities. In addition, some chop suey joints stayed open all night. And while there were many types of chop suey and Chinese restaurants, the reputation of the illicit, late night restaurant, with bad boys and loose women prevailed. In 1918, New York City Police at the request of Army and Navy Intelligence, began the chop suey raids in an efforty to clean up slackers - draft dodgers - and undesireables. The irony is that the police action avoided Chinatown and instead focused on the west side and northern Manhattan where all-night restaurants were considered a problem. Read the New York Time article from the spring of 1918 below.