Book shares stories, emotional tie between Donkey's Place and Camden NJ

MEDFORD – South Jersey native Russell Lloyd has probably eaten more Donkey’s Place cheesesteaks than he can count.

Decades ago, he became neighbors in Medford with longtime Donkey’s Place owner Bob Lucas, whose mother and father, Alice and Leon Lucas, started the iconic Camden eatery in 1943, creating those famous cheesesteaks that come on a poppy seed roll with caramelized onions and American cheese.

Lucas would bring him home countless cheesesteaks over the years for Lloyd and his wife to enjoy.

Lucas died in 2015, but sons Rob and Joe Lucas have carried on the Donkey’s Place name. Rob runs the Camden location on Haddon Avenue, while Joe has opened Donkey’s Place Too in Medford and Donkey’s Place Downtown in Mount Holly.

With the family’s blessings, Lloyd recently wrote a book entitled “Donkey’s Place,” which focuses on the impact Donkey’s Place has had in Camden and the relationship the Lucas family has had with the city throughout the years.

It is sold at stores, online and at Donkey’s Place locations.

Camden and Donkey’s have benefitted from one another. Lloyd tried to get to that “emotional tie between Donkey’s and Camden, and all the things that the family did.”

Being a longtime friend of the family, he decided to tell the story of the iconic restaurant. Lloyd’s book is filled with countless stories about the Lucas family and stories of famous people who have come to the restaurant. People share stories about what kind of people Bob and Leon Lucas were.

“This book was written for the Lucas family and the fans of ‘Donkey’s Place’ in Camden, NJ,” the back cover of the book states. “The iconic business was founded by Leon Lucas in 1943. Leon was a boxer who (competed) in the 1928 Olympics. He became a Camden, NJ legend. Leon earned the nickname ‘Donkey’ because his punch was compared to being kicked by a Donkey…Leon invented a cheesesteak sandwich that is still made today exactly as it has been for the last 79 years in the same building.”

Lloyd has previously written “The Boxer: A Detective Ellis H. Parker Mystery Story” and “Detective Ellis H. Parker – America’s Sherlock Holmes."  The first is a fictional novel based on the real-life Detective Ellis H. Parker. The second is a biography on Parker, a Mount Holly resident, who investigated the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. That book was created and written jointly with Parker’s grandson, Andrew Sahol.

Q: What made you decide to write the Donkey’s Place book? Did you grow up eating the iconic cheesesteaks?

A: I moved next door to the Lucas family in 1985. I was immediately introduced to the iconic Donkey’s cheesesteak by my new neighbor, Bob Lucas. Bob’s father Leon Lucas, Donkey himself, had passed by then but his wife Alice was still with us. Over time, I became fast friends with Bob, his wife Elsie and their children Robert, Joseph and Lisa. Often when Bob returned to home in the evening here in Medford I would hear a knock on my side door.  When I looked out on the steps, Bob had left a bag full of the greatest cheesesteak in the world for my wife Lynn and I.

Fourth Donkey's location coming?Owners have that and much more in the works

Q: Are you a South Jersey native? Where did you grow up?

A: My family was originally from Hainesport and Mount Holly, where I was born. I spent my early years splitting time between Moorestown and Medford, where I live now.

Q: What are a few key stories in the book that you wanted to relay?

A: I was determined to make this book about Donkey’s Place, the Lucas family, and their relationship with the city of Camden and the people of Camden. I think I accomplished that. It is important to me that the book leaves the reader with the knowledge that Camden is a big part of Donkey’s and Donkey’s is a big part of Camden. Writing this book has brought me a clear understanding of this and a love of the town. I am most proud of my interviews with Vince Cream, Eugene Butler, Denny Brown, Jay Phillips, Robert Erskine Johnson, and Chris Capp. I think you will feel their love and pride of Donkey’s Place and Camden and the part it played in their lives. I also think you will enjoy learning of these incredible people and their stories.

A new story has been started at the Donkey’s Medford and Mount Holly locations.

Q: I know you live near the family. What was their reaction when you said you wanted to do the book?

A: I live next door to the Lucas family. Their reaction was incredible support, encouragement and assistance. Not only from Rob Lucas, Joe Lucas and Lisa Lucas but from many other members of the family.

Q: If you have a favorite part of the book, what is it and why?

A: There are so many highlights that is difficult for me to pick one. I will need to repeat what I said above. My favorite part of this project was meeting and interviewing some of Camden’s finest people. One that I am particularly fond of is my Billy Paul - On The Wall piece. His widow Blanche Williams was a treasure and I was thrilled to talk with her. Billy’s recording of “Me and Mrs. Jones” is breathtaking. His signed portrait hangs on Donkey’s wall.

Q: With Donkey’s Place being so iconic, did that make it more difficult to write a book about it because there is already so much known about it? There have been a lot of stories written about it over the years.

A: The book was very difficult to write but not because of the existing things known. This book tells the story of the people that love the place, not just the food, which I admit is a big part of it.  It took much longer to complete than I anticipated. I felt the pressure of completing it because I didn’t want to disappoint the Lucas family or the memory of our neighbors and friends Robert and Elsie Lucas.

Q: When did you begin writing the book and how long would you say that it took you to do it?

A: I believe I started writing the book in 2020. It was over 2 years ago. I lived with it.

Q: Was there anything you didn’t have space to get into the book that you might do in a second book or that you want to mention?

A: I have been kidded by Rob Lucas about that. He asked me to save some stories for a second book! I have no plans now but if something significant happened that would make it interesting, I would consider it. I do dream of continuing the “DONKEY’S PLACE ON THE WALL” tradition on the internet. I see it as a website honoring people of Camden that accomplished positive and notable things with their lives.

Q: How many times over the years have you had a Donkey’s Place cheesesteak?

A: Impossible to answer and it might be embarrassing! I give great credit to the Donkey’s cheesesteak in making my business successful (Lloyd had a hydraulics company for years). I got in the habit of inviting my customers to Donkey’s Place for lunch. I was overwhelmed with their requests to return to the point that many of them would call me from other states, as far away as California, before booking flights to visit me. They wanted to make sure that Donkey’s Place would be open on the days they were coming. Of course Bob Lucas loved me for this!

Celeste E. Whittaker is a news features reporter for the Courier Post, Daily Journal and Burlington County Times. The South Jersey native started at the CP in 1998 and has covered the Philadelphia 76ers, college and high school sports and has won numerous awards for her work. Reach her by email at  cwhittaker@gannettnj.com.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Q&A with Donkey's Place book author, Medford NJ's Russ Lloyd