[Fading Advertisements] The Winslow's Next Door Neighbor

Unlike a lot of the fading advertisements seen on this site and in the book, this one isn't still promoting a business long after it's gone. Rather, the arrow directs passersby to where they can find Ollie's Trolley hawking excellent burgers and a selection of other southern comfort foods ranging from ribs to deep fried fish. Still, the mural/advertisement is fading a bit and I photographed it recently for another project, but thought it was worth a mention here specifically because of its details.

The mural depicts action on the grill while a giant "Ollieburger" sits nearby.

A seemingly happy dog stands behind the burger while an overly pale kid looks on in shock, presumably at just how delicious the burger appears. In the foreground, a child leans on the burger for support as his ice cream melts away and he gazes at the grill.

Left of that scene, another kid holds a sign that's mostly faded. "Open Sundays" it used to read. Next to him is another ice cream wielding youth with an iconic 90's sitcom television star behind him:

Yes, that's Steve Urkel from "Family Matters," one of the greatest shows of all time. The guy who says "Did I do that?" I've passed this mural so many times for years and never once did I notice the depiction of actor Jaleel White as his iconic character.

I'm not sure why, but he's there, and this mural is awesome. So is the food.

This wall seen here and those surrounding Ollie's actual location a few blocks down are adorned with several paintings. A multi-story portrait of President Obama has been covered here before. It was put there after the then-Senator and then-Presidential Candidate stopped by and enjoyed an Ollieburger. I also swung by Ollie's when covering the 2008 election as a college student and it's still a great place to visit, coincidentally, now not far from a rail line.

The trolley itself is a leftover from a former burger chain of the same name, a business run by a former Kentucky governor. Marvin "Ollie" Smith purchased it at a sheriff's auction and has run an iconic OTR lunch spot ever since. You can read a great story about him in Cincinnati Magazine.