I can't argue with that, well, maybe just a little. The list of restaurants that were once great but terrible at the end are more than I can list. Watching your favorite place go to hell has been sad over the years, and it repeats.
The orange roofs of Howard Johnson's were a huge part of our road trip vacations as a kid. I so looked forward to our stops there, followed by Bob's Big Boys.
Howard Johnson's was fantastic in the 1970s I also miss the IHOP and Friendly's of the 1980s Everything today is just lousy and nowhere near worth the prices they're all extorting today
Hush Puppies with malted vinegar. The fries were giant waffle looking things. A triangle of fish that was nice and crisp. Served in a basket. All of it tasted great! Even their tarter sauce was top notch. I have no idea why my favorite fish place is no longer around. The last time I ate their was about 89.
That's why ever since l was a little girl my Moms cooked at home and l ended up cooking all my meals at home and now my daughter and my granbabies all cook at home. The only time l ever remember eating out was when my Aunty tookme to Lum's for corn chowder. Loved Lum's and l miss it. 😢
What's really sad is our Frisch's Big Boys here in Cincinnati (Oct-Nov 2024) are getting evicted for not paying rent. We're are loosing 20 of them. The one on Bridgetown Rd has to leave premises I think tomorrow (11/06/2024). They were evict on Oct. 30 and had 7 days to leave. I think it's been there for over 50 years. My late Grandmother took me there all the time when I was little. The one closes to us will be in court tomorrow to be evicted.
Hi Everyone. I have to comment on "Sambo's". The name is what started the controversy. A lot of people thought it was a rude name for black people. This is where they made their mistake. The name did come from the combo names of the owners. The story of "Little Black Sambo" was written by Rudyard Kipling about a little boy from India who turned a tiger into butter from chasing him around a tree. Back then, unfortunately to the Brits anyone a shade darker than them was considered black. Anyway, I miss Sambo's. Thanks for reading my post and may we all be safe and well!!
From my childhood I miss Arthur Theacher's Fish and Chips, Howard Johnson's (clam strips), and Roy Roger's. My family would stop at Roy Roger's on road trips).
@@Aubreykrendale They cheated last time. They'll cheat this time. Besides, thanks to the weaponized injustice system, he'd have to run the country from a prison cell.
Arthur Treacher’s fish and chips was the reason I fell in love with this British classic! Still love fish and chips to this day (with LOTS of malt vinegar)
Treacher was the stereotypical butler, having been the original Jeeves in the 1930s movie adaptations of P. G. Wodehouse’s “Jeeves and Wooster” short stories, and the butler in “Mary Poppins.”
@@JBM425 Yes. Plus he made a few pictures with Shirley Temple . The very model of the very proper British gentleman. Plus at the time the restaurants opened he was still well known from Merv Griffin show. So a good choice to represent the restaurant .
Chipotles and Taco Bell and other fast food slop houses I absolutely refuse to eat at. The Taco Bell where I live during lunch you're looking at a 20 minute wait in the drive through. No thanks I'll eat at home it's better cheaper and safer.
Chi-chis did not close down because of food poisoning. They closed down because of poorly handling of the PR. I think today most people dining out in fast food/fast casual restaurants view it as Russian roulette with very good odds, mostly because of the good PR response by companies like Chipotle, Taco Bell, Jack-in-the-box, etc.
How could you mention Bennigans without a nod to their famous “Monte Cristo” sandwich with powdered sugar and raspberry jam? Its iconic. And let’s not forget their “Death by Chocolate” cake extravaganza. Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane.
The whole reason I went to Bennigan’s was the Monte Christo, I thought the chain that was always busy, was so popular that it’d survive. Now that, Friday’s and Ruby Tuesdays are gone. Ugh!
Two of these I absoutely loved and me and my family and friends ate there all the time: Bennigans and Steak n Ale. S and A also had great little local music artists on friday nights in the bar area and the bourbon steak was to die for. and the days of 4 for 1 happy hour drinks are long gone. So sad.
@@redefv No it wasn't. You don't even really understand what a GMO is, do you? You just parrot nonsense you heard form simpletons who don't understand it either. GMO's aren't bad. All cooked food is processed.
@labyrinth75 that in and of itself is extremely low IQ. Genetically Modified Organisms and processed foods are two completely different things. The reason why grass fed beef is popular is that beef formerly fed GMO corn based feed is the cause of much illness. GMOs are banned all over Europe. Why not in the US? Because Monsantos jas a strangle hold on the FDA. You are a media consuming sheep. Do some research vs. parroting a media that would not pee on you if you were on fire.
@labyrinth75 a hamburger back then had the DNA of a single cow. A modern day fast food hamburger has the DNA of hundreds of cows. That in FACT is ultra processed, so there you are right it is not simply processed.
In regard to Stuckey's, Stephanie Stuckey granddaughter of the founder has been doing some incredible work revitalizing the brand. She has garner a huge following on both LinkedIn and Facebook from what she's been doing. They are doing some real guerrilla marketing to get this brand back to its iconic status.
I Worked at Stuckeys one summer while in HS mostly mopping the floor. I didn't eat there. A milkshake a day was free for employees. I can't hardly believe they're still in business somewhere. Total tourist junk store. Best restaurant city I've lived in was Dallas in the '80s. They had something for everybody with lots of choices in any fare. But when I was there for a few months in the late '60s they had a place with the cheapest, smallest hamburgers ever concocted anywhere called "Crystal Burger" . . . Seriously. Hamburger the size of a sausage patty on a biscuit with a pickle. Don't remember the price but it was cheap. I think I ate there once.
1.) Wag's 2.) Burger Queen 3.) Sambo's 4.) Sandy's 5.) Burger Chef 6.) Beefsteak Charlie's 7.) Wimpy's 8.) Arthur Treacher's 9.) Stuckey's 10.) Bennigan's 11.) Howard Johnson's 12.) Lum's 13.) Brown Derby 14.) Chi-Chi's 15.) Victoria Station 16.) Roy Roger's 17.) Shoney's 18.) Steak and Ale 19.) Ponderosa 20.)Horn and Hardart Their numbering went a little off on the last few. Some were not US restaurants but in the UK and Canada. Frankly, compared to some of today's dining options, it's a shame some of these places went by the wayside. I remember Lum's growing up in Miami. There was one across the street from where I went to school in the Grove. It was sort of a special occasion place after events like the Christmas pageant.
Stuckey's still exists! There are 65 licensed stores and they sell their pecan treats in grocery stores. The one we all miss is Nickerson Farms, with the beehives inside their stores. Be VERY observant when you park. You don't want a space next to the bee tunnel!
There are 2 Stuckeys which I pass near Houston. I think it's hard for them to compete with Bucce's, which is getting out of hand now, but I like Stuckey's.
@@TheaddoraBuc-ees's and Stuckeys. There was a game made by LucasArts called Sam & Max Hit The Road where you could stop at several different "Snuckey's" locations. I'm sure it was modeled after Stuckeys, but having recently earlier this year having visited a Buc-ees, it's still a similar concept. The Dog (Max) would look at the shelves and say, "It's just more Snuckey's crap" which I thought was funny.
We had a Subway not far from where I live. I hadn’t been there in years and I guess no one else has either because it just closed. We like eating at home.
There is an Arthur Treachers and a Big Boy within a couple of minutes of my house. The portions are smaller, but the fries at Arthur Treachers are still the best fast food French fry. Don't forget the malt vinegar.
Sambo's in Topeka, Kansas was the first restaurant in town to remodel and put in ramps to be accessible to people in wheelchairs. A group of people with disabilities decided to eat there to celebrate, and they asked one of the TV stations to send a reporter to do a story on it. The reporter and cameraman arrived just as the manager was asking the group to leave! He said that other customers had complained that it made them uncomfortable to see the people with disabilities eating near them. So the big story on the news was that Sambo's was accessible to people with disabilities but did not want them to eat there. It was a public relations nightmare, and Sambo's closed shortly after that.
I can still remember eating at Horn and Hardart in the late ‘70’s. Those “glass door walls”, with their endless choices for a kid, were sheer magic. My mother, who normally hated coffee, loved theirs, and the banana cream pie was the best. It was even better than my Granny’s. (But I never had the courage to tell her that.)
@@laurieberry4814 OMG.! I worked at the Farrells in the Staten Island Mall back in 1975. What a horrible place to work. Having to run around with those giant ice cream sundaes on my shoulders. Those ridiculous little black ties and straw hats. However it was good if you were a customer.✝️✌️
I worked as a waiter at Bennigan's during 85-87. It was a rocking restaurant and bar. Lots of fun. Smothered steak, fried mushrooms, and the Monte Cristo sandwich were the stars.
I was a cook at Sambo's in the 70's. We used to cook an extra food item for ourselves when one was ordered. For instance, if a shrimp dinner was ordered, well the cooks had shrimp for dinner that day.
I cooked at the Auburn location, next to intestate 80 in California. When the Gambling and Ski tour buses rolled in the place got busy. Always feed the bus driver last.
We lost our Kenny Rogers Roasters about a decade ago RIP. Hundreds of classic beer taps on the wall. Wood fired rotisserie chicken better than Costco. Perfect place to treat yourself before or after going to SEATAC
We are retired 65+ Brits in the UK and have visited the USA around 20 times now, in the mid 80s we used to love Wags for breakfast, Bennigans was fabulous for drinks and wings. Ponderosa was Ok for me but not great. Still around and the best breakfast for us is Bob Evans. Good old Bob.
I used to like McD’s - tried just the fries a couple times and they were horrible - KFC has fabulous fries! I’ll stop at a McD’s only when I absolutely need a diet soda fix!!!
I worked at Burger Chef back in 1969 and I learned how they made their secret sauce. The manager took all the new employees into the back room, put a huge Kettle down on the floor., then dump two huge bottles of mayonnaise into it, and another huge bottle of ketchup. Then he told us to take our hands, stick them way down in up to the Elbow and start mixing it up. That was their secret sauce. I was a bit taken aback because I thought it really was something more involved. But what the heck it tasted good. If you don't mind the mixing method.
Well yeah, it's a fun joke still except the part you didn't say " How did Burger King get Dairy Queen Pregnant? He forgot to wrap his Whopper" But thanks for a good reminder . Wow again thanks, for a good pun. People today can't allow someone else just be happy.
@@LyleFrancisDelp no thanks though. It does go back to the 80s. There was a bigger joke but in the modern era it would be taken wrong and we both might have loose our nuts taken by squirrels
"Little Black Sambo" was a book where a little Indian kid LOVED pancakes and got chased by tigers who turned into butter which Sambo then put on a huge stack of pancakes. If anyone didnt know
@@FrithonaHrududu02127 I have heard of this being characterized that way but usually he is characterized as Indian.I've also seen shows set in Africa with tigers.There are no tigers in Africa,as far as I know there were.
@@David-yw2lv no there definitely weren't but seeing as it's a book that suggests that centrifugal force will turn tigers into butter, I don't think the book should be relied upon for accuracy. i think there are still a few Asian lions
In the 1960s in my hometown a drugstore had a "soda fountain" that also served food and desserts. I think drugstore soda fountains were common so I could see Walgreens trying to do a restaurant.
Oh, they absolutely did, In most Walgreens locations, there were lunch counters, but some select locations - primarily the ones in malls - they had actual restaurants. As in, walk in, sit down at a booth or table, glance at the menu, and order like at a BIg Boy. My dad was a manager at the Walgreens in the then brand-spankin-new Kennedy Mall in Dubuque IA in the early 1970s, with the restaurant directly adjoining the store (you could enter via the mall, too). And oddly enough, it was not a 'Wag's' I remember a serious 1970s decor to it, too. The muted oranges and browns and golds, the cone-shaped 'starlight' lamps over the tables.... Respectabe variety, too. burgers, sandwiches, chili, meatloaf, oup, fish... I recall being able to even order a steak.
I had a great steak at the local Brown Derby last year. Sadly, that location that was around in one for or another for 40 years. It finally went out of business late last year. A new one opened up about 50 miles away, though.
My mother worked as a waitress at the Brown Derby in Warren, Ohio. That's where she met my father. Their bleu cheese was iconic ... i was raised on it. Now, I'm living in SoCal, San Diego, and people think I'm a weirdo for loving bleu cheese.
I love blue cheese. I was a weird child I guess since I loved it ever since I could remember lol. Brown Derby in Sandusky Ohio was where I remember having it the first time. Still love it to this day.
I lived in Cupertino, California during the 1970's and 1980's, and the restaurants were much more fun to go have a good meal. The restaurant's were: Marie Calendar's Coco's The Hungry Hunter The Burger Pit The Hickory Pit Paul's Bumbleberry's Cisero's The Village Inn Red Pepper Chili's Theodore's The Florentine Bob's Big Boy House of Yee Shakey's Sambo's Marinani's ( I not sure if this is the correct spelling). The restaurant's were always fun to eat at and the waitresses were outstanding in most of my visits. One Italian restaurant in particular that my mom and siblings would go to had a waitress who always knew that my mother wanted coffee right away and made sure her cup was never empty. Most of the restaurant's were clean and I really enjoyed having a cloth napkin instead of paper. The waitresses seemed happy with their job's and if they weren't having a good day I never saw that when I talked with them. The restaurant's of today even if they have been around a long time are not nearly as friendly, won't go out of their way to accommodate your needs, can't clean a table or a menu properly or hardly at all. More than once I've come across dirty and sticky menu's 😡 Once in a great while a waiter or waitress will constantly visit my table and I have to tell them to please leave me alone !!! Unfortunately, because of the current poor service of many restaurant's that I don't visit them very often. I also don't like it when restaurant's that serve steak won't have a nice bake potato to go with the meal !! One restaurant that I went lately had me pay extras for my sandwich. I had ordered a french dip with onion's, but if I wanted cheese, and mushrooms I had to pay more. Most french dips come with provolone cheese but not this restaurant and I had to have swiss cheese but it's not the same. I miss the restaurant's of my youth and young adulthood very, very, much. A Time Machine would be perfect to go back into the past and enjoy a scrumptious meal once more at a restaurant. One last thing I must mention is the restaurant's were also way more affordable than today's prices.
@@jamesfields2916 Yes, I did and the one I went to was in Mtn.View. I had forgotten about that one. I didn't get to go to Captain Cook's and Don The Beachcomber (Polynesian) more than 2 time's because the prices were a bit high. Both restaurants were next to each other on Stevens Creek Blvd. I wonder if you ever heard of Gulliver's which was located in Burlingame ( I think this is the right city ).
My favorite memory was at Beefsteak Charlies, watching the NY Ranger win the Stanly Cup in 1994. This was the MSG\ 2 Penn Plaza location, it was late, packed to the brim, we are all drunk and having the best possible time…… No one was eating. 😊
Born and raised in California, I almost don’t know any of these establishments except for the Brown Derby, Victoria Station, Howard Johnson (barely) Steak and Ale, never heard of it and Bennigan’s I know and I know Shoney’s from my mom because she’s from the South, but the rest, never heard of them, but it was still fascinating to watch. Learned a lot.😎
We used to joke that a Ponderosa was just a Bonanza Steakhouse (which is also history, but not on this list) in syndication. And the original "Burger Chef" signs with the start-stop chase lights and neon letters may have been the best signage ever. Bonus fact: The Mon Valley Railroad Historical Society in Morgantown, West Virginia is located in a former Lum's Restaurant in the Mountaineer Mall and Professional Plaza. The trademark coach lanterns are still outside in the hallway and there is no mistaking the dark paneling and patterned red carpet even with the railroad layouts and artifacts.
The Bonanza near my grandparents house turned into a Ponderosa. All my grandfather cared about was the salad bar. I thought the steaks were a good deal considering they came with the salad bar for only a few dollars more.
The thing about this video is how it exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. No other nation on earth can match this spirit, where one man, or two brothers or a family can bring together their entrepreneurial ideas to market and take that chance on success. In the restaurant industry, the most competitive around many made out big, some burned out quickly, others sustained. But this video is a hi-lite reel to the American entrepreneurial spirit.👍
@@hollyhill2045 I never said the only nation. I noted no other nation can match the USA for entrepreneurial spirit. The USA by example has more registered patents through history than the rest of the world combined.
it ALSO exemplifies the current generations need to bash things they didnt exist to have an opinion on in the first place. i doubt this vid was made by a boomer or gen x
@@hollyhill2045 and we dont have the market cornered on butthurt snowflakes who read into something, an idea that was never said he never said the USA was the only place. he just said it represent that kind is spirit that was pretty unique to the USA at the time we dont even have it NOW in the USA too many willing whine that life is too hard and just stick a hand out and expect someone else to fill it im guessing what ever place you lived you werent there in the 1970s..
In this instance, it misidentifed Sandy (the lovely dancing Scottish girl) as a male. If AI is the future, I'm glad I'm old... How DARE a computer show such disrespect to the woman I love.... (It's true - as a young boy I was quite smitten with her).
@@DaveNarn AI flubs pronunciations all the time. Especially with names that don't conform with the standard rules of spelling, or words that are misspelled. The proper pronuciation is tree chir, rhymes with teacher and preacher. In the video, the AI pronounced it 'like treh chir. Like 'treachery' without the Y. If the person posting the video had taken the time to actually review his work, he cou ld have fixed the pronuniation mistakes. Sadly, too many people rely on AI for content and don't give a crap about the final result.
@@DaveNarn At that point a human narrating or whomever was directing/producing would have done research on the name if there were multiple ways to say it.
@@hrdley911 I grew up going regularly to the big, truly beautiful,( not just packed tight like a K-Mart as they are now), Department Stores. Wonderful artistic, seasonal displays so imaginative and magical to a youngster.
@@DeborahStrohofer Nah. I love KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Dominos, BK, Wendy's, Arby's, DQ, etc. As I always say, I don't know where my next meal is comin' from! 😂
Lums was a special treat for me and my little brother as kids in the late 70s early 80s. They introduced me to real grilled dogs and adult toppings. My mother would always boil our hotdogs at home. Mainly because my little brother had a weird phobia with grill marks. To this day, I tease him about his boiled hot dogs drowning in ketchup.
Arthur Treacher's was serving a unique item to fast food, at least in the US. The other fast food places were selling burgers, followed by hot dogs, pancakes, pizza, and such.
It was best of the fish and ships places in the USA back in the day. I've not been to the UK, but I did get some fish and chips in Western Australia once that were so much better than any fish and chips in the US or Canada...
When I was in college, we would go every Thurs to Arthur Treachers. There were about 6 of us who went. Was a 4 yr tradition. When I was a kid, we would eat at Howard Johnson when on vacation. Loved the clams.
We had a McDonalds about about half a mile from me. I would go the extra 5 miles to go to Burger Chef and "JEFF". There food was sooo much better! Arthur Treacher's was my favorite Fish and chips place. I actually went to one of the last remaining ones about 20 years ago. We would go to Ho Jos for their deserts. The banana dream Sunday was the best late night stop after a night out! When I was stationed in Dover Delaware Roy Rogers was always packed even though it was only a block away form McDonalds
Hi Ed! Me too! My Aunt and I would go to New York on the train, the old New Haven Railroad, into Grand Central. We would always go to the Automat. What a treat. I believe it was called Horne and Hardart's. That same store is featured in the film "That Touch of Mink" with Doris Day. Thanks for jogging my mind with such a wonderful memory. I would have those days again. Thanks for reading my reply and may we all be safe and well!
I remember the lunch counters at the Thrifty Drug Stores in L.A. Really good food that was great for a student on a really tight budget. Also, Bob's Big Boy isn't located in Pasadena, California. There are two of them...one in the San Fernando valley community of Northridge and the one on Riverside Drive in Burbank that's been open since 1949. The Beatles ate there in 1965. They sat in the last booth on the right as you walk in the main door and the cops had to be called out to control the crowd.
I was a traveling salesman. I would often go out of my way to find a Ponderosa. I'd have a sirloin, steak fries and their salad bar. Always loaded up on the chicken wings. However, my wife worked at a Ponderosa during High School and college. She saw how sanitary they were. She refused to eat there once we were married. She also did not like the concept of salad bars.
3:33 I used to love going to Sambo's after work on a Saturday. I was a 21 year old bartender at a very popular and happening Marriott in Cleveland Ohio and Sambo's was open 24/7 back in the seventies. They had the most tasty food. Sadly they closed and then Denny's became the place to go. Denny's was also open 24/7 and believe it or not, at 2:30 in the morning there was a line to get into the place. We were well known at Denny's and also known for leaving over the top tips to whoever waited on us. We never had to wait in that line, there was always a table ready for us and I am sure the waitresses fought over who was going to wait on us that night if we came in. Sometimes there were after work private parties we would go to and Denny's just had to do without us that night. Good times, good memories.
It was crowded at that time because when the bars closed that was where you went. Lol there was a Denny's in Huron, Ohio and when Cedar Point closed for the night a lot of us CP workers went to Denny's in the 80's. I grew up and lived in Sandusky so I was one of the few workers with a car so I tended to be the go to taxi lol.
@@beccawildel8845 Ah yes Cedar Point. When I lived in Cleveland back in the seventies I would go to Cedar Point at least once a year. Then in eighties I would still go to Cedar Point once a year but now also added Disneyland in Orlando Florida to the list. Occasionally I would go to Kings Island. As a younger child my mom would sometimes take my older sister and I to an amusement park called Euclid Beach. I never went to Chippawa Lake Park or Geauga Lake Park but I did go to SeaWorld about every other year. Ohio in general was a good state to grow up in. Back in the seventies in Cleveland the guys and I would hit all the _Discos._ The Mad Hatter and the Agora were the two most frequented. We liked the Agora because they had a live band called the _Raspberries_ with Eric Carman as the lead singer playing there. Maybe you've heard of them. Now we have the Rock & Role Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Quite a happening city.
My wife and I at 17 years old used to go to the Victoria station in San Francisco. It was so good. When we move to Phoenix we were surprised to find out there was one at 16th Street and Camelback. That was in the early 1970s. And that restaurant is gone now also. Some of the best food ever. Their blue cheese dressing what's unmatched and their prime rib was always perfect with all the sourdough French rolls you can eat.
Something like 90% of restaraunts (not including national chains), fail. "Olive Garden. When you're here, you're family." No. When you're there, you're off the Exit Ramp. --Sam R. England.
Olive Garden. I won't even start. Google MadTV's Olive Garden commercial parody to see my opinion of their food served in Michigan. You won't regret it.
I can't possibly read every comment for this video, so I'm sure someone else has mentioned this, but I recall a fast food burger joint called Red Barn. There was one very near where we lived, and we used to frequent it as kids. Their biggest burger was called the 'Barn Buster'. Where I live now, I often pass a local shop which was obviously an old Red Barn restaurant, as the shape of the building is the same as it was way back when. I doubt it was much better or worse than any of the fast food places of its day, but I certainly remember it and I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned here, as at its peak, there were about 400 of them nationwide.
McCrory’s in downtown Dayton, Ohio, on Main Street. Sitting at their counter bar, ordering a hamburger, fries and orange soda. It was so good back then.
At Horn and Hardardt everything was a dime but when the founder was told he had to raise everything up to a quarter he just coudn't do it and decided to go out of business instead. Ten cents for a sandwich, a slice of pie, a cup of coffee. Everything was ten cents a piece.
Loved Chi-Chis! They had an awesome buffet, or as we called it boofay! And Ponderosa? Oh, man, miss that, too. I used to get a salad bar to go and man oh man I bet I fit 10 pounds into that salad to go box. I ate at least 3 days from that. I forgot all about Burger Chef. And Stuckey's? I remember those log rolls! And you should have mentioned you could get an awesome blanket for $10 and it was actually good quality.
I was a fan of the Roy Rogers Double R Bar Burger. There was one close to our house in Willingboro, NJ. Went in one night and the counter guy had to say "Happy Trails" as each customer left. It was obvious he hated having to say that. The guy ahead of me laughed at him. I'm guessing it was his last night on the job.
Burger Chef is greatly missed. I grew up in Indiana and remember the murder that happened in an Indianapolis suburb. Four employees were taken out to the woods and shot execution style all for $1500.
This video is so interesting! Memories of places like Wags and Howard Johnson's just came flooding back. Thank you for helping me relive those wonderful memories from the past!
I thought that whole thing about the Sambo's story being racist was ridiculous. That was one of my favorite books when I was little. Little Black Sambo is about a boy in India who goes out into the woods and gets chased by a tiger. He starts running around a tree, and the tiger chases him around in circles until it gets churned into butter. Sambo takes the butter home to his mother, and she makes him some pancakes. Sambo spreads the butter/tiger on his pancakes and eats them. There is nothing racist in that story.
I remember Ponderosa as a kid. I have many happy memories eating there with my family after taking a road trip to the mall lol Both places are gone now, but I’ll always have my memories that bring a smile to my face lol
I'm a Canadian. Up here it was Rib-o-Beef, Steak 'n Burger, Harvey Wallbangers & The Red Barn (the former two were part of a chain (Cara Foods) that also ran Swiss Chalet (rotissery chicken), which remains highly successful today). The only restaurant demise that I found unfortunate, was Big Boy (no 'Shoney', no 'Elias Bros' or 'Bob's' up here...just Big Boy). The original (and best) double decker burger, and one of the best menus of sandwiches on offer anywhere. In 1971 there was a Big Boy restaurant on every corner here in Toronto, by 1973 there were none. Trade 'secret'(?): Big Boy's secret sauce is off-the-shelf Thousand Island Dressing, which I still use on hamburgers today thanks to the BigBoy sandwich. (Although the SwissMiss - a grilled ham 'n swiss cheese on rye - was my favourite.) It is worth noting, that I pass by a Wimpy's every day. I had no idea they were no longer operating Stateside. GREAT burgers! Ponderosa brought back memories...haven't thought about them in years,
Very fond memories of the Walgreen’s restaurant that was part of the Walgreens store at our nearby mall. Good food and a nice break to get out of the shopping crowds and sit down and be served for a half hour. Miss it. Sure beats the fast food “food courts” in malls now.😞
Now you've done it . . . I loved Stuckeys!!!❤ It's not a road trip without sighting the Stuckeys sign. And I miss Chichis seafood chimichsngas and the jumbo Ritas. Thank God we still have Frisch's, Kenuckianna's home of the Big Boy with crispy fries and hot chocolate fudge ice cream cakess
This video's title is wrong. Even the narration acknowledges these weren't all terrible restaurants. Failed, but most not because they were the "worst" And, I only saw #1 through #19, where is #20? I lived through the 1970s, most of the years as a young adult. The only restaurants in this video I've even heard of before this video: 3 Sambo's 5 Burger Chef 9 Stuckey's 10 Howard Johnson's 11 Lum's 15 Roy Rogers 16 Shoney's (Acording to Wikipedia, they're still in operation with 58 locations in 14 states!) The only ones I've eaten at were: Sambo's and Shoney's. Oh yeah, there was a Sambo's located just a short walk from my college, it was a place I visited at least weekly. I was a DJ at the college station and I once went there for a quick snack while the LP version of Kraftwerk's Autobahn was playing (nearly 23 minutes long). We were very aware of the name problem. The restaurant even had color depictions of scenes from the children's book hanging on the wall. I had one experience there I probably shouldn't tell you about. :-p
Victoria Station was awesome, Excellent Prime Rib. I went to many of their Restaurants, there were a lot of them in California and I must have gone to every one in Southern California and the ones close to my home many times (Newport Beach, Villa Park, Westminster) and a couple up by San Francisco.
Some inacurate information, ie: Lums was not a fast food restaurant, it twas a sit down restaurant. Lums hot dogs were steamed in beer, not the buns. And the Olie burger isn't even mentioned.
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I miss the Woolworth’s food counter.
I always got a grilled chicken salad sandwich!!
I worked at one in high school
We’re showing our age being around for that,.
I miss meeting my grandmother in front of WoolWorths!
OMG I loved and miss Woolworth SO much, it was such a big part of my childhood growing up 😢
I think the main problem of why Wimpy's failed... They were only profitable on Tuesdays.
I will gladly pay you never for a hamburger right now.
@@nameprivate2194 😂🤣 I know Right?
@glorifiedng Wimpy's is still around in Canada.
@@BunnEFartz Thoes Kunuks can keep it!
😂😂😂
None of these I consider worst. They were alot better than the shi&^&* we got today.
I can't argue with that, well, maybe just a little.
The list of restaurants that were once great but terrible at the end are more than I can list.
Watching your favorite place go to hell has been sad over the years, and it repeats.
Remember steak and ale anyone??
@@robinsymonds5353yep, i sure remember them.
New flash…. There all 💩💩 It was then and still is now.
And I’m watching the very first one; Wags wasn’t established until 1981 - not even the 70s.
When I was growing up in the 80's, my parents took us to ponderosa almost every Sunday, after church. What great memories.
Yes, we took our four daughters every weekend too.
Am I the only one who thinks their rolls were the best bread ever!? 🤔
Ponderosa in St.Louis was the shit!Breakfast bar was second only to Shoney's.Fuck this ai bs.
Me too. I used to complain that all my family ever ate was steaks
Pondarosa breakfast--all you can eat bacon. Awesome
The orange roofs of Howard Johnson's were a huge part of our road trip vacations as a kid. I so looked forward to our stops there, followed by Bob's Big Boys.
Howard Johnson's was fantastic in the 1970s
I also miss the IHOP and Friendly's of the 1980s
Everything today is just lousy and nowhere near worth the prices they're all extorting today
Aurther's Fish & Chips was one of the BEST fish & chips the US has ever had. It's so sad they went out of business.
I know where there is still 1. State St. in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. This reminded me of it.
Remember H Salt Esquire? Only one left is in San Jose. They were contemporaries of Treacher's.
@@TUSK1157 They're actually opening a couple new locations this year.
Hush Puppies with malted vinegar. The fries were giant waffle looking things. A triangle of fish that was nice and crisp. Served in a basket. All of it tasted great! Even their tarter sauce was top notch. I have no idea why my favorite fish place is no longer around. The last time I ate their was about 89.
There is a food truck that their fish comes really close. Look for On the Hook Fish and Chips. I try to get it every time it's in my area.
Remember Woolworth's, and New berries lunch counters, and soda shops. They were alot healthier than what you have today....
I miss the woolworth's diner, and the soda shoppes that you could just sit down and have some ice cream sodas, rootbeer floats, sundaes, and malteds.
Yep, Newberry's had them too.
I loved those lunch counters - I never got to a Woolworth’s - makes me sad! But we did have a Newberry’s - good stuff!
That's why ever since l was a little girl my Moms cooked at home and l ended up cooking all my meals at home and now my daughter and my granbabies all cook at home. The only time l ever remember eating out was when my Aunty tookme to Lum's for corn chowder. Loved Lum's and l miss it. 😢
"Newberry"
When I was young, (50+ years ago), we had an Arthur Treachers, a Ponderosa and a Shakeys pizza in my naborhood, loved them all.
But you STILL can't spell.
MOJOS!
Especially Arthur Treachers and H Salt Fish and Chips, Red Barn.
I remember Ponderosa and Shakey's, there was another pizza place called Godfather's Pizzaria, they had pretty good pizza.
I remember Shakey's pizza, we also had Grizzly Bear pizza, my parents always said I called it Giddly bear😂
Eating at Bob's Big Boy on Wilshire Boulevard was a real treat for my family in the eighties.
We went to bobs as a kid
What's really sad is our Frisch's Big Boys here in Cincinnati (Oct-Nov 2024) are getting evicted for not paying rent. We're are loosing 20 of them. The one on Bridgetown Rd has to leave premises I think tomorrow (11/06/2024). They were evict on Oct. 30 and had 7 days to leave. I think it's been there for over 50 years. My late Grandmother took me there all the time when I was little. The one closes to us will be in court tomorrow to be evicted.
Hi Everyone. I have to comment on "Sambo's". The name is what started the controversy. A lot of people thought it was a rude name for black people. This is where they made their mistake. The name did come from the combo names of the owners. The story of "Little Black Sambo" was written by Rudyard Kipling about a little boy from India who turned a tiger into butter from chasing him around a tree. Back then, unfortunately to the Brits anyone a shade darker than them was considered black. Anyway, I miss Sambo's. Thanks for reading my post and may we all be safe and well!!
Come on people, stop being offended by meaningless things,sambo was a innocent thing , no harm intended
They are offended if you look at them and offended if you don't look at them.. at least here in Charlotte NC..
used to eat at the Sambos in Paramount ca
I only ate once. And that was at breakfast which I didn't like. Never had the chance to either at lunch or dinner so I was devastated
Sambo's name was changed to Dennys
I loved Ponderosa. I miss it almost as much as I miss Howard Johnson.
Roy Rogers had real roast beef compared to the dog food they serve at Arby’s.
There are still Ponderosa's. There is one roughly 15 miles from where I live, 2024
Ponderosa and bonanza restaurants I remember sambos loves black Angus
@@Notfiveo0 Arby's used to be good, it's slick now, shiny, waxy
@@LindaMerchant-bq2hp : He also loves Colonel Angus.
Drug stores nearly all had lunch counters then. Sandwiches, breakfast, plate lunches, ice cream treats, etc.
I miss the homemade pies,huge cookies and giant cinnamon/caramel rolls from scratch 🍰 ☕🥄
From my childhood I miss Arthur Theacher's Fish and Chips, Howard Johnson's (clam strips), and Roy Roger's. My family would stop at Roy Roger's on road trips).
Arther Treacher's is on the Florida Turnpike at West Palm Beach.
Restaurants today suck…everything today sucks…very grateful to grow up in the 60’s and 70’s ✌🏼
I refuse to live in the past. There were good things then, and there are good things now.
MUCH better days ahead with DONALD TRUMP running the show.
@@Aubreykrendale They cheated last time. They'll cheat this time. Besides, thanks to the weaponized injustice system, he'd have to run the country from a prison cell.
Old men are always telling young men how much better things were in their day.
You should look into modern medicine. It can help you stop hating life. Or you could..you know...👉🤯🎉
The A&W Drive-In.
Beefsteak Charley’s was a staple when I was in HS and college. All you can eat shrimp and all the beer you can drink. Miss those days.
I went to the beefsteak Charlie's on Broadway in NYC in 1995 with my American literature class. We went to an Arthur Miller play called broken glass
and wine
They lost money on us when we went there. Found themselves in a situation like Red Lobster just did.
They had unlimited Sangria too.😂😂
Arthur Treacher, besides being a British actor, he was also Merv Griffins sidekick on his talk show like Ed McMahan was to Johnny Carson.
Griffin was a flaming closet queen and left a billion plus estate when he died
Arthur Treacher’s fish and chips was the reason I fell in love with this British classic! Still love fish and chips to this day (with LOTS of malt vinegar)
Merv griffins famous song : I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts
Treacher was the stereotypical butler, having been the original Jeeves in the 1930s movie adaptations of P. G. Wodehouse’s “Jeeves and Wooster” short stories, and the butler in “Mary Poppins.”
@@JBM425 Yes. Plus he made a few pictures with Shirley Temple . The very model of the very proper British gentleman. Plus at the time the restaurants opened he was still well known from Merv Griffin show. So a good choice to represent the restaurant .
Chi Chi's was great .they had one incident and it shut them down but yet Chipotles has had numerous and people love them .
As a kid, I loved their "Mexican Pizza" which was a very different thing there
Chipotles and Taco Bell and other fast food slop houses I absolutely refuse to eat at. The Taco Bell where I live during lunch you're looking at a 20 minute wait in the drive through. No thanks I'll eat at home it's better cheaper and safer.
I loved Chi Chi's
Chi-chis did not close down because of food poisoning. They closed down because of poorly handling of the PR.
I think today most people dining out in fast food/fast casual restaurants view it as Russian roulette with very good odds, mostly because of the good PR response by companies like Chipotle, Taco Bell, Jack-in-the-box, etc.
@@robreuler144 taco bell and their free all you can eat mouse dung.
How could you mention Bennigans without a nod to their famous “Monte Cristo” sandwich with powdered sugar and raspberry jam? Its iconic. And let’s not forget their “Death by Chocolate” cake extravaganza. Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane.
The whole reason I went to Bennigan’s was the Monte Christo, I thought the chain that was always busy, was so popular that it’d survive. Now that, Friday’s and Ruby Tuesdays are gone. Ugh!
Two of these I absoutely loved and me and my family and friends ate there all the time: Bennigans and Steak n Ale. S and A also had great little local music artists on friday nights in the bar area and the bourbon steak was to die for. and the days of 4 for 1 happy hour drinks are long gone. So sad.
There's a restaurant in my area, Cheddar's, and their monte Cristo is so good.. not sure what cities and states they are in but I'm in Charlotte NC..
There are a few Bennigans still around to this day. Check Google maps.
@@Sweetpea10-y2iI LOVE the Cheddar's in Houston!🤤 They're all over Texas now that I'm back in California.🤦🏾😂
A hamburger in the 70’s was better than 95% of every restaurant today!🤷🏽♂️
The meat was less processed and GMO free!
I can't taste hamburger today.
@@redefv No it wasn't. You don't even really understand what a GMO is, do you? You just parrot nonsense you heard form simpletons who don't understand it either. GMO's aren't bad. All cooked food is processed.
@labyrinth75 that in and of itself is extremely low IQ. Genetically Modified Organisms and processed foods are two completely different things. The reason why grass fed beef is popular is that beef formerly fed GMO corn based feed is the cause of much illness. GMOs are banned all over Europe. Why not in the US? Because Monsantos jas a strangle hold on the FDA. You are a media consuming sheep. Do some research vs. parroting a media that would not pee on you if you were on fire.
@labyrinth75 a hamburger back then had the DNA of a single cow. A modern day fast food hamburger has the DNA of hundreds of cows. That in FACT is ultra processed, so there you are right it is not simply processed.
In regard to Stuckey's, Stephanie Stuckey granddaughter of the founder has been doing some incredible work revitalizing the brand. She has garner a huge following on both LinkedIn and Facebook from what she's been doing. They are doing some real guerrilla marketing to get this brand back to its iconic status.
Everyone loves a Phoenix.
There is a Stuckey's on I-10 from Houston to Louisiana. Great cheese burgers! I miss the peanut brittle.
Stopped there driving cross-country from NY. My parents hated it. So did I.
I Worked at Stuckeys one summer while in HS mostly mopping the floor. I didn't eat there. A milkshake a day was free for employees. I can't hardly believe they're still in business somewhere. Total tourist junk store.
Best restaurant city I've lived in was Dallas in the '80s. They had something for everybody with lots of choices in any fare. But when I was there for a few months in the late '60s they had a place with the cheapest, smallest hamburgers ever concocted anywhere called "Crystal Burger" . . . Seriously. Hamburger the size of a sausage patty on a biscuit with a pickle. Don't remember the price but it was cheap. I think I ate there once.
@@icewaterslim7260 Crystal Burgers are a version similar to White Castles.
Loved Arthur Treachers, Bennigans, Chi-Chi's, Shoneys.
I loved Benegans and Shoneys"""
If u ate at shoneys in the 80's and 90's u got food poisoning at least once😂
@@copperbeagle1 Worked at Bennigan's. Seems like a world ago.
NOTHING beat Shoneys breakfast bar!
Chi Chi's was the Joint when I was younger...!
1.) Wag's
2.) Burger Queen
3.) Sambo's
4.) Sandy's
5.) Burger Chef
6.) Beefsteak Charlie's
7.) Wimpy's
8.) Arthur Treacher's
9.) Stuckey's
10.) Bennigan's
11.) Howard Johnson's
12.) Lum's
13.) Brown Derby
14.) Chi-Chi's
15.) Victoria Station
16.) Roy Roger's
17.) Shoney's
18.) Steak and Ale
19.) Ponderosa
20.)Horn and Hardart
Their numbering went a little off on the last few. Some were not US restaurants but in the UK and Canada. Frankly, compared to some of today's dining options, it's a shame some of these places went by the wayside. I remember Lum's growing up in Miami. There was one across the street from where I went to school in the Grove. It was sort of a special occasion place after events like the Christmas pageant.
Worked at Rube's that took over Sambo's in the eighties
Only one I recognise from UK is wimpy which we still have now
Back in the 80s loved Western Sizzlin' steak house in St Pete Fla.
Stuckey's still exists! There are 65 licensed stores and they sell their pecan treats in grocery stores. The one we all miss is Nickerson Farms, with the beehives inside their stores. Be VERY observant when you park. You don't want a space next to the bee tunnel!
There are 2 Stuckeys which I pass near Houston. I think it's hard for them to compete with Bucce's, which is getting out of hand now, but I like Stuckey's.
Every once in awhile I pass what was a Stucky’s along the highway - I do miss those pedal rolls!
Every once in awhile I pass what was a Stucky’s along the highway - I do miss those pedal rolls!
My big miss is Bob’s Big Boy in Phoenix - their big burger was exactly what is now the Big Mac at McD’s. I’m very sure McD’s stole this item!!!
@@TheaddoraBuc-ees's and Stuckeys. There was a game made by LucasArts called Sam & Max Hit The Road where you could stop at several different "Snuckey's" locations. I'm sure it was modeled after Stuckeys, but having recently earlier this year having visited a Buc-ees, it's still a similar concept. The Dog (Max) would look at the shelves and say, "It's just more Snuckey's crap" which I thought was funny.
Corporate giants ruin everything
Restaurants make food. Corporations make money. That's the answer.
And now we have Subway the worst ever!
I agree, none of these were the worst.
People will eat anything these days!
I cook at home
Subway is the worst!🤮
We had a Subway not far from where I live. I hadn’t been there in years and I guess no one else has either because it just closed. We like eating at home.
Yea they say worst in the title but the robot voice tells us how good the food was LOL
I've had 2 subway subs and both were awful. If I want a good sub I will go to Wegman's.
I haven’t been to subway since subs were. $5
Sizzler and Friendly's was a major tradition in my family... Dang I miss those days.
I loved Sizzler, that toast was something else. 😋
@@justinottenbacher8369 Yes it was💯
Friendly’s is still around!
Both are still around.
@@TRUTH-r7q DITTO
There is an Arthur Treachers and a Big Boy within a couple of minutes of my house. The portions are smaller, but the fries at Arthur Treachers are still the best fast food French fry. Don't forget the malt vinegar.
Sambo's in Topeka, Kansas was the first restaurant in town to remodel and put in ramps to be accessible to people in wheelchairs. A group of people with disabilities decided to eat there to celebrate, and they asked one of the TV stations to send a reporter to do a story on it. The reporter and cameraman arrived just as the manager was asking the group to leave! He said that other customers had complained that it made them uncomfortable to see the people with disabilities eating near them. So the big story on the news was that Sambo's was accessible to people with disabilities but did not want them to eat there. It was a public relations nightmare, and Sambo's closed shortly after that.
A lot of those restaurants had separate rooms for big parties. I guess that Sambo's didn't.
I can still remember eating at Horn and Hardart in the late ‘70’s. Those “glass door walls”, with their endless choices for a kid, were sheer magic. My mother, who normally hated coffee, loved theirs, and the banana cream pie was the best. It was even better than my Granny’s. (But I never had the courage to tell her that.)
Farrels was a fun restaurant.
I don't remember the food but I loved their ice cream.
My first job in 1974 was washing dishes at a Farrel's ICP.
@@laurieberry4814 OMG.! I worked at the Farrells in the Staten Island Mall back in 1975. What a horrible place to work. Having to run around with those giant ice cream sundaes on my shoulders. Those ridiculous little black ties and straw hats. However it was good if you were a customer.✝️✌️
**ROSE MEADE, CALIFORNIA
💋💋farrell ice cream restaurant great birthday restaurant
I worked as a waiter at Bennigan's during 85-87. It was a rocking restaurant and bar. Lots of fun. Smothered steak, fried mushrooms, and the Monte Cristo sandwich were the stars.
Yummmmm
I really loved Author Treacher’s, fish and chips were fantastic. I was really disappointed when the one near me closed down.
I remember the only one in New Jersey.
The fried fish was delicious and crispy.
I was a cook at Sambo's in the 70's. We used to cook an extra food item for ourselves when one was ordered. For instance, if a shrimp dinner was ordered, well the cooks had shrimp for dinner that day.
I worked at Sambos in 70s too. My first job was a 15 year old waitress. It was interesting to say the least.
I cooked at the Auburn location, next to intestate 80 in California. When the Gambling and Ski tour buses rolled in the place got busy. Always feed the bus driver last.
We lost our Kenny Rogers Roasters about a decade ago RIP. Hundreds of classic beer taps on the wall.
Wood fired rotisserie chicken better than Costco. Perfect place to treat yourself before or after going
to SEATAC
We are retired 65+ Brits in the UK and have visited the USA around 20 times now, in the mid 80s we used to love Wags for breakfast, Bennigans was fabulous for drinks and wings. Ponderosa was Ok for me but not great. Still around and the best breakfast for us is Bob Evans. Good old Bob.
Burger Chef rocked!!
Loved the Big Chef .
They opened at 8 AM and started selling burgers and fries…..it was awesome!!
On Saturdays u could get 4 cheeseburgers for a $1!
Mushroom swiss for me...
Burger chef was the original burgers along with white castle and in n out
The fact people still.eat at MCdonalds is an unsolved mystery
McDs is the absolute worst
No mystery to me. Cheap, edible, convenient.
Yeah it's bug food. Don't taste like it should. MD are maget food these days.
Because it's right there. Everywhere you are.
I used to like McD’s - tried just the fries a couple times and they were horrible - KFC has fabulous fries! I’ll stop at a McD’s only when I absolutely need a diet soda fix!!!
I worked at Burger Chef back in 1969 and I learned how they made their secret sauce. The manager took all the new employees into the back room, put a huge Kettle down on the floor., then dump two huge bottles of mayonnaise into it, and another huge bottle of ketchup. Then he told us to take our hands, stick them way down in up to the Elbow and start mixing it up. That was their secret sauce. I was a bit taken aback because I thought it really was something more involved. But what the heck it tasted good. If you don't mind the mixing method.
Burger Chef is my childhood. The toys were fun and the burders was delicious and the chocolate milkshakes were top notch
How did the Burger Queen get pregnant?
The Burger King forgot to wrap his whopper.
use a pun, go to jail
Well yeah, it's a fun joke still except the part you didn't say
" How did Burger King get Dairy Queen Pregnant?
He forgot to wrap his Whopper"
But thanks for a good reminder . Wow again thanks, for a good pun. People today can't allow someone else just be happy.
@@stevenbaker8184 I used Burger Queen because it was featured in this video.
@@LyleFrancisDelp no thanks though. It does go back to the 80s. There was a bigger joke but in the modern era it would be taken wrong and we both might have loose our nuts taken by squirrels
Ok comedian 😮😅😅😅
"Little Black Sambo" was a book where a little Indian kid LOVED pancakes and got chased by tigers who turned into butter which Sambo then put on a huge stack of pancakes. If anyone didnt know
My first grade teacher read that study to the class.It was in India.There are no tigers in Africa.
@@David-yw2lv yeah i know there's no tigers in Africa, but I'm not sure the author of the book knew
@@FrithonaHrududu02127 It took place in India,where there are tigers.I remember seeing a book with this story,they wore traditional Indian apparel.
@@FrithonaHrududu02127 I have heard of this being characterized that way but usually he is characterized as Indian.I've also seen shows set in Africa with tigers.There are no tigers in Africa,as far as I know there were.
@@David-yw2lv no there definitely weren't but seeing as it's a book that suggests that centrifugal force will turn tigers into butter, I don't think the book should be relied upon for accuracy.
i think there are still a few Asian lions
In the 1960s in my hometown a drugstore had a "soda fountain" that also served food and desserts. I think drugstore soda fountains were common so I could see Walgreens trying to do a restaurant.
@@larryfromwisconsin9970 we also had a Woolworth drugstore ten cents for a drink. -and French fries were .25 cents
Oh, they absolutely did, In most Walgreens locations, there were lunch counters, but some select locations - primarily the ones in malls - they had actual restaurants. As in, walk in, sit down at a booth or table, glance at the menu, and order like at a BIg Boy.
My dad was a manager at the Walgreens in the then brand-spankin-new Kennedy Mall in Dubuque IA in the early 1970s, with the restaurant directly adjoining the store (you could enter via the mall, too). And oddly enough, it was not a 'Wag's' I remember a serious 1970s decor to it, too. The muted oranges and browns and golds, the cone-shaped 'starlight' lamps over the tables....
Respectabe variety, too. burgers, sandwiches, chili, meatloaf, oup, fish... I recall being able to even order a steak.
@@DeborahStrohofer In my early days in the workforce, I ate at the Woolworth's counter almost every day..
The scandal was, i worked for Burger King.
2:03 Abe Vigoda was in that commercial.
I miss Chi -Chi's. The chips and salsa were great.
Gross I worked in one for like a month. Went to El Torito and ran from there asap!
We went to the Brown Derby in Beverly Hills back in 1977. It was well past it’s hey day but it was still an exciting experience
I had a great steak at the local Brown Derby last year. Sadly, that location that was around in one for or another for 40 years. It finally went out of business late last year. A new one opened up about 50 miles away, though.
The one in Arcadia, CA is still there
Ate at the one Whilshire Blvd in '79 when I got to California...!
I used to enjoy Burger Chef.
I used to love buckwheat pancakes with blueberry syrup at Sambo's. My grandparents took us there all the time.
Didn't Sambo's have a carousel of assorted syrup? I loved the boysenberry. I called it poisonberry so none of my brothers would eat it.
My mother worked as a waitress at the Brown Derby in Warren, Ohio. That's where she met my father.
Their bleu cheese was iconic ... i was raised on it.
Now, I'm living in SoCal, San Diego, and people think I'm a weirdo for loving bleu cheese.
I love blue cheese. I was a weird child I guess since I loved it ever since I could remember lol. Brown Derby in Sandusky Ohio was where I remember having it the first time. Still love it to this day.
I lived in Cupertino, California during the 1970's and 1980's, and the restaurants were much more fun to go have a good meal.
The restaurant's were:
Marie Calendar's
Coco's
The Hungry Hunter
The Burger Pit
The Hickory Pit
Paul's
Bumbleberry's
Cisero's
The Village Inn
Red Pepper
Chili's
Theodore's
The Florentine
Bob's Big Boy
House of Yee
Shakey's
Sambo's
Marinani's ( I not sure if this is the correct spelling).
The restaurant's were always fun to eat at and the waitresses were outstanding in most of my visits.
One Italian restaurant in particular that my mom and siblings would go to had a waitress who always knew that my mother wanted coffee right away and made sure her cup was never empty.
Most of the restaurant's were clean and I really enjoyed having a cloth napkin instead of paper.
The waitresses seemed happy with their job's and if they weren't having a good day I never saw that when I talked with them.
The restaurant's of today even if they have been around a long time are not nearly as friendly, won't go out of their way to accommodate your needs, can't clean a table or a menu properly or hardly at all.
More than once I've come across dirty and sticky menu's 😡
Once in a great while a waiter or waitress will constantly visit my table and I have to tell them to please leave me alone !!!
Unfortunately, because of the current poor service of many restaurant's that I don't visit them very often.
I also don't like it when restaurant's that serve steak won't have a nice bake potato to go with the meal !!
One restaurant that I went lately had me pay extras for my sandwich.
I had ordered a french dip with onion's, but if I wanted cheese, and mushrooms I had to pay more.
Most french dips come with provolone cheese but not this restaurant and I had to have swiss cheese but it's not the same.
I miss the restaurant's of my youth and young adulthood very, very, much.
A Time Machine would be perfect to
go back into the past
and enjoy a scrumptious meal once more at a restaurant.
One last thing I must mention is the restaurant's were also way more affordable than today's prices.
Lived in Sunnyvale in the 80s. Loved Coco's
@@jamesfields2916
Thanks for your memories of Coco's.
@@apriltorres3684 Worked in a restaurant that was in Macy's in Sunnyvale Mall. It had an awesome burger.
@@apriltorres3684 Did you ever eat at Clark Burgers? One in Sunnyvale. One in Mountain View.
@@jamesfields2916
Yes, I did and the one I went to was in Mtn.View. I had forgotten about that one.
I didn't get to go to Captain Cook's and Don The Beachcomber (Polynesian) more than 2 time's because the prices were a bit high.
Both restaurants were next to each other on Stevens Creek Blvd.
I wonder if you ever heard of Gulliver's which was located in Burlingame ( I think this is the right city ).
I loved HoJo's.
@@b0tterman The fried clams, MMM MMM MMM
I loved Burger Chef. Didn't know it was started in Indy.
Burger Chef was the first fast food place I went to.
We had one in Flagstaff, AZ back in 1965-66 - I dated a guy who worked there!
I was a waitress at Howard Johnson's in NH in the early 80's. Third shift was very interesting, LOL.
My favorite memory was at Beefsteak Charlies, watching the NY Ranger win the Stanly Cup in 1994. This was the MSG\ 2 Penn Plaza location, it was late, packed to the brim, we are all drunk and having the best possible time…… No one was eating. 😊
11:29 Back in the 70's Arthur Treacher's was on our families rotation for at least two Fridays a month.
I get my Arthur Treacher's fish and chips fix at Miami subs and grill.
True!
it was so good.
It was my mom and my "2nd home". I was they would come. All we have here is Long John's Silver.🤢
Born and raised in California, I almost don’t know any of these establishments except for the Brown Derby, Victoria Station, Howard Johnson (barely) Steak and Ale, never heard of it and Bennigan’s I know and I know Shoney’s from my mom because she’s from the South, but the rest, never heard of them, but it was still fascinating to watch. Learned a lot.😎
We used to joke that a Ponderosa was just a Bonanza Steakhouse (which is also history, but not on this list) in syndication. And the original "Burger Chef" signs with the start-stop chase lights and neon letters may have been the best signage ever. Bonus fact: The Mon Valley Railroad Historical Society in Morgantown, West Virginia is located in a former Lum's Restaurant in the Mountaineer Mall and Professional Plaza. The trademark coach lanterns are still outside in the hallway and there is no mistaking the dark paneling and patterned red carpet even with the railroad layouts and artifacts.
The Bonanza near my grandparents house turned into a Ponderosa. All my grandfather cared about was the salad bar. I thought the steaks were a good deal considering they came with the salad bar for only a few dollars more.
In the 60’s it was such a treat to go to Bob’s Big Boy. Always got a hot fudge sundae for dessert. When they sold to Marriott things went downhill.
The thing about this video is how it exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. No other nation on earth can match this spirit, where one man, or two brothers or a family can bring together their entrepreneurial ideas to market and take that chance on success.
In the restaurant industry, the most competitive around many made out big, some burned out quickly, others sustained. But this video is a hi-lite reel to the American entrepreneurial spirit.👍
You are definitely not the only nation with an entrepreneurial spirit. SMH
@@hollyhill2045
I never said the only nation. I noted no other nation can match the USA for entrepreneurial spirit.
The USA by example has more registered patents through history than the rest of the world combined.
it ALSO exemplifies the current generations need to bash things they didnt exist to have an opinion on in the first place.
i doubt this vid was made by a boomer or gen x
@@hollyhill2045 and we dont have the market cornered on butthurt snowflakes who read into something, an idea that was never said
he never said the USA was the only place.
he just said it represent that kind is spirit that was pretty unique to the USA at the time
we dont even have it NOW in the USA too many willing whine that life is too hard and just stick a hand out and expect someone else to fill it
im guessing what ever place you lived you werent there in the 1970s..
@@ripvanwinkle2002 don't be such an ass.
Something about AI that makes things worse.
In this instance, it misidentifed Sandy (the lovely dancing Scottish girl) as a male. If AI is the future, I'm glad I'm old...
How DARE a computer show such disrespect to the woman I love.... (It's true - as a young boy I was quite smitten with her).
I don't think it was an AI voice since it mispronounced Arthur Treacher a couple of times. Something only a human might do.
@@DaveNarn AI flubs pronunciations all the time. Especially with names that don't conform with the standard rules of spelling, or words that are misspelled.
The proper pronuciation is tree chir, rhymes with teacher and preacher.
In the video, the AI pronounced it 'like treh chir. Like 'treachery' without the Y.
If the person posting the video had taken the time to actually review his work, he cou ld have fixed the pronuniation mistakes. Sadly, too many people rely on AI for content and don't give a crap about the final result.
@@xaenon Yup, it pronounce the name both ways, alternating between - just sounded unusual.
@@DaveNarn At that point a human narrating or whomever was directing/producing would have done research on the name if there were multiple ways to say it.
Does anyone else see how every thing we all loved is gone ???
Yup. From Drive-In's to Chi-Chi's to Fall town festivals, everything we loved has fallen by the wayside in our race to a better tomorrow...
@@hrdley911 I grew up going regularly to the big, truly beautiful,( not just packed tight like a K-Mart as they are now), Department Stores. Wonderful artistic, seasonal displays so imaginative and magical to a youngster.
Soon we will also be gone
That's love
@@DeborahStrohofer Nah. I love KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Dominos, BK, Wendy's, Arby's, DQ, etc. As I always say, I don't know where my next meal is comin' from! 😂
In the mid 70's, my boss would take his employees to lunch at Burger Chef when he fired them. OUCH!
@@hhansenzak1123 Talk about indigestion, huh?
Lums was a special treat for me and my little brother as kids in the late 70s early 80s. They introduced me to real grilled dogs and adult toppings. My mother would always boil our hotdogs at home. Mainly because my little brother had a weird phobia with grill marks. To this day, I tease him about his boiled hot dogs drowning in ketchup.
Arthur Treacher's was serving a unique item to fast food, at least in the US. The other fast food places were selling burgers, followed by hot dogs, pancakes, pizza, and such.
It was best of the fish and ships places in the USA back in the day. I've not been to the UK, but I did get some fish and chips in Western Australia once that were so much better than any fish and chips in the US or Canada...
When I was in college, we would go every Thurs to Arthur Treachers. There were about 6 of us who went. Was a 4 yr tradition. When I was a kid, we would eat at Howard Johnson when on vacation. Loved the clams.
We had a McDonalds about about half a mile from me. I would go the extra 5 miles to go to Burger Chef and "JEFF". There food was sooo much better!
Arthur Treacher's was my favorite Fish and chips place. I actually went to one of the last remaining ones about 20 years ago.
We would go to Ho Jos for their deserts. The banana dream Sunday was the best late night stop after a night out!
When I was stationed in Dover Delaware Roy Rogers was always packed even though it was only a block away form McDonalds
I remember going to the Automat near the Daily News building on 42nd Street in NYC.
Hi Ed! Me too! My Aunt and I would go to New York on the train, the old New Haven Railroad, into Grand Central. We would always go to the Automat. What a treat. I believe it was called Horne and Hardart's. That same store is featured in the film "That Touch of Mink" with Doris Day. Thanks for jogging my mind with such a wonderful memory. I would have those days again. Thanks for reading my reply and may we all be safe and well!
I remember the lunch counters at the Thrifty Drug Stores in L.A. Really good food that was great for a student on a really tight budget. Also, Bob's Big Boy isn't located in Pasadena, California. There are two of them...one in the San Fernando valley community of Northridge and the one on Riverside Drive in Burbank that's been open since 1949. The Beatles ate there in 1965. They sat in the last booth on the right as you walk in the main door and the cops had to be called out to control the crowd.
I was a traveling salesman. I would often go out of my way to find a Ponderosa. I'd have a sirloin, steak fries and their salad bar. Always loaded up on the chicken wings. However, my wife worked at a Ponderosa during High School and college. She saw how sanitary they were. She refused to eat there once we were married. She also did not like the concept of salad bars.
3:33 I used to love going to Sambo's after work on a Saturday.
I was a 21 year old bartender at a very popular and happening Marriott in Cleveland Ohio and Sambo's was open 24/7 back in the seventies.
They had the most tasty food.
Sadly they closed and then Denny's became the place to go.
Denny's was also open 24/7 and believe it or not, at 2:30 in the morning there was a line to get into the place.
We were well known at Denny's and also known for leaving over the top tips to whoever waited on us.
We never had to wait in that line, there was always a table ready for us and I am sure the waitresses fought over who was going to wait on us that night if we came in. Sometimes there were after work private parties we would go to and Denny's just had to do without us that night.
Good times, good memories.
It was crowded at that time because when the bars closed that was where you went. Lol there was a Denny's in Huron, Ohio and when Cedar Point closed for the night a lot of us CP workers went to Denny's in the 80's. I grew up and lived in Sandusky so I was one of the few workers with a car so I tended to be the go to taxi lol.
@@beccawildel8845 Ah yes Cedar Point.
When I lived in Cleveland back in the seventies I would go to Cedar Point at least once a year. Then in eighties I would still go to Cedar Point once a year but now also added Disneyland in Orlando Florida to the list. Occasionally I would go to Kings Island.
As a younger child my mom would sometimes take my older sister and I to an amusement park called Euclid Beach.
I never went to Chippawa Lake Park or Geauga Lake Park but I did go to SeaWorld about every other year.
Ohio in general was a good state to grow up in.
Back in the seventies in Cleveland the guys and I would hit all the _Discos._ The Mad Hatter and the Agora were the two most frequented. We liked the Agora because they had a live band called the _Raspberries_ with Eric Carman as the lead singer playing there. Maybe you've heard of them.
Now we have the Rock & Role Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Quite a happening city.
My wife and I at 17 years old used to go to the Victoria station in San Francisco. It was so good. When we move to Phoenix we were surprised to find out there was one at 16th Street and Camelback. That was in the early 1970s. And that restaurant is gone now also. Some of the best food ever. Their blue cheese dressing what's unmatched and their prime rib was always perfect with all the sourdough French rolls you can eat.
Back in the day, in The Bronx there was a burger place called Wetsons. Their signature burger was the Big W and it was so good!
Yes. We had a Wetsons around the corner when I lived in Queens. 😊
Burger Chef and Jeff!!!
Something like 90% of restaraunts (not including national chains), fail. "Olive Garden. When you're here, you're family." No. When you're there, you're off the Exit Ramp. --Sam R. England.
@@samr.england613 hilarious
I think a lot of people are missing the “good old days “
If you could go back in time? What would you think you would like to see and do again??
@@DeborahStrohofer Macdonald's burgers and fries being ACTUALLY hot and fresh?
Olive Garden. I won't even start. Google MadTV's Olive Garden commercial parody to see my opinion of their food served in Michigan. You won't regret it.
Chi-Chi’s started out very classy with table cloths, linen napkins and great food. And then everything went downhill and never came back.
You know what the slang term chichi is in Spanish? Like chichi's, they tend to head south over time.
I can't possibly read every comment for this video, so I'm sure someone else has mentioned this, but I recall a fast food burger joint called Red Barn. There was one very near where we lived, and we used to frequent it as kids. Their biggest burger was called the 'Barn Buster'. Where I live now, I often pass a local shop which was obviously an old Red Barn restaurant, as the shape of the building is the same as it was way back when. I doubt it was much better or worse than any of the fast food places of its day, but I certainly remember it and I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned here, as at its peak, there were about 400 of them nationwide.
I also remember Red barn it was so good
The red barn building is still here , but is a family style restaurant now.
McCrory’s in downtown Dayton, Ohio, on Main Street. Sitting at their counter bar, ordering a hamburger, fries and orange soda. It was so good back then.
At Horn and Hardardt everything was a dime but when the founder was told he had to raise everything up to a quarter he just coudn't do it and decided to go out of business instead. Ten cents for a sandwich, a slice of pie, a cup of coffee. Everything was ten cents a piece.
Loved Chi-Chis! They had an awesome buffet, or as we called it boofay! And Ponderosa? Oh, man, miss that, too. I used to get a salad bar to go and man oh man I bet I fit 10 pounds into that salad to go box. I ate at least 3 days from that. I forgot all about Burger Chef. And Stuckey's? I remember those log rolls! And you should have mentioned you could get an awesome blanket for $10 and it was actually good quality.
I was a fan of the Roy Rogers Double R Bar Burger. There was one close to our house in Willingboro, NJ. Went in one night and the counter guy had to say "Happy Trails" as each customer left. It was obvious he hated having to say that. The guy ahead of me laughed at him. I'm guessing it was his last night on the job.
Why are these considered the worst? They don't sound bad to me.
because the person making the video is under 30 and never went to any of those places
Burger Chef is greatly missed. I grew up in Indiana and remember the murder that happened in an Indianapolis suburb. Four employees were taken out to the woods and shot execution style all for $1500.
People think these places were good because they have fond memories of a happier time. But I did like Arthur Treacher's. I wonder if I still would.
This video is so interesting! Memories of places like Wags and Howard Johnson's just came flooding back. Thank you for helping me relive those wonderful memories from the past!
Chi Chi's went outta business😯😯?!? I wondered what happened to them! What about UNO'S PIZZA?!
I thought that whole thing about the Sambo's story being racist was ridiculous. That was one of my favorite books when I was little. Little Black Sambo is about a boy in India who goes out into the woods and gets chased by a tiger. He starts running around a tree, and the tiger chases him around in circles until it gets churned into butter. Sambo takes the butter home to his mother, and she makes him some pancakes. Sambo spreads the butter/tiger on his pancakes and eats them. There is nothing racist in that story.
I still have my Little Golden Books version.
I remember Ponderosa as a kid. I have many happy memories eating there with my family after taking a road trip to the mall lol Both places are gone now, but I’ll always have my memories that bring a smile to my face lol
@@jasontalada8318 sad that the Mallon longer exist, good place to go on the weekend, with all my friends
Tony Romas spare ribs and steaks were very good.
I'm a Canadian. Up here it was Rib-o-Beef, Steak 'n Burger, Harvey Wallbangers & The Red Barn (the former two were part of a chain (Cara Foods) that also ran Swiss Chalet (rotissery chicken), which remains highly successful today).
The only restaurant demise that I found unfortunate, was Big Boy (no 'Shoney', no 'Elias Bros' or 'Bob's' up here...just Big Boy). The original (and best) double decker burger, and one of the best menus of sandwiches on offer anywhere. In 1971 there was a Big Boy restaurant on every corner here in Toronto, by 1973 there were none.
Trade 'secret'(?): Big Boy's secret sauce is off-the-shelf Thousand Island Dressing, which I still use on hamburgers today thanks to the BigBoy sandwich. (Although the SwissMiss - a grilled ham 'n swiss cheese on rye - was my favourite.)
It is worth noting, that I pass by a Wimpy's every day. I had no idea they were no longer operating Stateside. GREAT burgers!
Ponderosa brought back memories...haven't thought about them in years,
1970s, no apostrophe. Why do you think an apostrophe needs to be there? It's plural, not possessive.
The internet destroyed the English language.
@@judsonsnell u r wrong eng is fin
@@ripvanwinkle2002 I aint's guts no butter!
Very fond memories of the Walgreen’s restaurant that was part of the Walgreens store at our nearby mall. Good food and a nice break to get out of the shopping crowds and sit down and be served for a half hour. Miss it. Sure beats the fast food “food courts” in malls now.😞
Now you've done it . . . I loved Stuckeys!!!❤ It's not a road trip without sighting the Stuckeys sign. And I miss Chichis seafood chimichsngas and the jumbo Ritas. Thank God we still have Frisch's, Kenuckianna's home of the Big Boy with crispy fries and hot chocolate fudge ice cream cakess
Im 66 years old. Is it me, but food doesn't taste good today. I miss ginos ,red barn, Shakey's pizza parlor.
This video's title is wrong. Even the narration acknowledges these weren't all terrible restaurants. Failed, but most not because they were the "worst"
And, I only saw #1 through #19, where is #20?
I lived through the 1970s, most of the years as a young adult.
The only restaurants in this video I've even heard of before this video:
3 Sambo's
5 Burger Chef
9 Stuckey's
10 Howard Johnson's
11 Lum's
15 Roy Rogers
16 Shoney's (Acording to Wikipedia, they're still in operation with 58 locations in 14 states!)
The only ones I've eaten at were: Sambo's and Shoney's.
Oh yeah, there was a Sambo's located just a short walk from my college, it was a place I visited at least weekly. I was a DJ at the college station and I once went there for a quick snack while the LP version of Kraftwerk's Autobahn was playing (nearly 23 minutes long). We were very aware of the name problem. The restaurant even had color depictions of scenes from the children's book hanging on the wall.
I had one experience there I probably shouldn't tell you about. :-p
Victoria Station was awesome, Excellent Prime Rib. I went to many of their Restaurants, there were a lot of them in California and I must have gone to every one in Southern California and the ones close to my home many times (Newport Beach, Villa Park, Westminster) and a couple up by San Francisco.
That sounds so groovy. Wish I could have eaten there.
Great food and very unique atmosphere. Had one by us in El Toro.
Still have an Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips in Rochester NY.
I remember the lums that used to be on the Ridge Road in Greece also.
Some inacurate information, ie: Lums was not a fast food restaurant, it twas a sit down restaurant. Lums hot dogs were steamed in beer, not the buns. And the Olie burger isn't even mentioned.
I caught that too
neither was ho jos
No mention of Bonanza Steakhouse, Howdy Burgers, White Castle, or Kenny Rogers.
White Castle is still around at 345 locations.
I mentioned the Bonanza miss as well. It should have been added in to the Ponderosa clip.
@@colormedubious4747yep, WC is still thriving.
We have a White Castle here in Cincinnati, very popular
@@jamespettigrew7026 we have a few White Castle here in Cincinnati
Man, those flame-broiled burgers, though ... I wish they'd bring Burger Chef back!