Val’s Drive-In in Lewiston reopens for the season

Jennifer Veinott serves a customer on opening day Wednesday at Val’s Drive-In at 925 Sabattus St. in Lewiston. Veinott and four of her five children have worked for the family that owns the carhop. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — Seasonal businesses across the area are opening up for the season. Val’s Drive-In at 925 Sabattus St. is among them, posting on social media that it opened Wednesday.

Val’s has been a fixture in the city since 1959, serving up its all-American fare with a Maine bent. Owner Chris Lawrence said the menu and everything people love about Val’s remains the same. They added online ordering last year and are trying to add delivery service.

The prices listed online are in keeping with the tradition of reasonable, ranging from $2.99 for a hot dog, corn dog or grilled cheese to $14.99 for a lobster roll.

Lawrence said the batting cages are being erected this weekend and will soon be up and running. Val’s is fully staffed with loyal employees who return each season like clockwork.

Val’s is open 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

The Jeff’s Jamaican Cuisine food truck is back at the corner of Lisbon Street and Acadia Avenue in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Jeff’s Jamaican Cuisine food truck reopens for season

LEWISTON — The popular Caribbean-themed food truck returns Friday for its fourth season at 940 Lisbon St. at the home base, Caribbean Life Grocery & Gift Shop.

Owners Sophia and Jeff Bailey promise wicked good oxtail and curry goat — a treat normally reserved for weekends.

Mind you, some Jamaican foods are not what Mainers are used to, but jerk chicken and jerk pork are mainstays for the food truck, with faithful followers coming from all over the state and even New Hampshire to get their Jamaican food fix.

Jerk seasoning is best described as spicy, using Scotch bonnet or habanero chilies and aromatic, complex, sweet yet smoky, earthy notes from allspice, thyme, ginger, garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg. Most jerk meats are cooked over an open flame or charcoal, which is traditionally green pimento wood.

Sophia Bailey said the truck will roll out for some festivals, including RiverFest at Simard-Payne Memorial Park, 46 Beech St. in Lewiston in mid-July. The truck just returned from Sugarloaf ski resort’s Reggae Fest in Carrabassett Valley.

Be sure to check Jeff’s Jamaican Cuisine Facebook page for upcoming festivals and the daily menu and prices.

Food truck hours are noon to 7 p.m Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

A customer enters Washrite Laundromat on Tuesday at 77 Sabattus St. in Lewiston. The business opened in March with new washers and dryers. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Washright Laundromat opens on Sabattus Street

LEWISTON — Two years in the making and owner Billy Yasin is very proud to show off the new Washrite Laundromat at 77 Sabattus St. He purchased the building two years ago, gutted it and refurbished it for more than $100,000.

Washrite Laundromat at 77 Sabattus St. in Lewiston has new 60-, 50-, 40- and 30-pound capacity washers and new dryers. It opened in March. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

The fully automated laundromat has new washers and dryers, an ATM, a change machine and a laundry products vending machine. There’s a folding area and a sitting area with a wall-mounted TV. The laundromat has four washer sizes — 60-, 50-, 40- and 30-pound capacities.

Washrite Laundromat opened in early March and is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., offering a bright, clean area to the many apartment dwellers in the area.

Yasin and his family also own other businesses in Lewiston — Dave’s Place gas station on Sabattus Street, Lewiston Variety on College Street and Kim’s Kitchen on Russell Street.

The Buzz offers quick hits about trending area business happenings. Have a Buzzable tip? Contact business writer Christopher Wheelock at 689-2817 or cwheelock@sunjournal.com