Grilled Stickies

Grilled Stickies are pastries that for many years were a staple of Penn State students and particularly patrons of the former Ye Olde College Diner, a favorite hangout on College Avenue for decades. Although the diner has closed, stickies continue to be made and sold.

Often described as a combination of sticky buns and cinnamon rolls, the pastry is cut into rectangle shapes and then fried on a griddle. Grilled stickies connoisseurs often recommend serving the treat a la mode, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, and with a cup of coffee.

Over the years, grilled stickies have received national media attention, including a spotlight in a PBS special on diners, and numerous appearances during slice-of-life segments of nationally televised football games.

In 2019, former Penn State Football Coach James Franklin and his daughters made an appearance on ESPN’s Game Day television show before the Michigan-Penn State game to deliver grilled stickies to the commentators and the GameDay crew.

Ye Olde College Diner opened in 1930 as the College Diner on Beaver Avenue. It advertised "Real Home Cooked Meals" in a "Beautiful Dining Car." The following year it advertised the "Weekly Budget Food Plan" with breakfast, lunch, and dinner for seven days costing $6.00.

The stainless-steel diner later moved to East College Avenue and at some point was renamed the New College Diner. In the 1980s, it was renamed again as Ye Olde College Diner. The diner was popular with residents and Penn State students, in part because it was open 24 hours a day. Owner Dan Rallis closed the diner in 2018.

However, the culinary tradition of grilled stickies continues. The pastries are now made and packaged in a Boalsburg bakery and sold at retail outlets and restaurants around Centre County. The grilled stickies are available in plain and with nuts. The business also offers a fundraising service for teams, clubs, and organizations.

In 2018, the Penn State Berkey Creamery introduced a “grilled stickies” flavored ice cream.