# Chain restaurants that no longer exist **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 19, 2001, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507 "2001-04-19T05:51:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/121 "2001-04-25T04:07:30Z")
What about Hamburger Station? I remember going to one about 10 years ago and it seemed almost abandoned. Jersey Mikes recently opened two stores in Columbus, they put subway to shame. Anyone else heard of B&K? They were similar to A&W and thier logo was a goofyesque dog serving a rootbeer. I remember there being two of them near Akron, as well as an A&W. One B&K was out in the middle of nowhere and had a mini golf course. All of them had car service only. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/122 "2001-04-25T04:22:06Z")
\*\* [/QUOTE] How about Mighty Taco? Used to scarf down those burritos when I worked there in the early nineties! \*\* [/QUOTE] Mighty Taco is much [alive and well](http://www.mightytaco.com). It’s still a Buffalo-only chain – really, mostly a Northtowns chain, with 16 locations. [Dum de dum dum](http://www.wgrf.com/mighty_commercials.php3) … ---
**Author:** ![scampering\_gremlin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@scampering\_gremlin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scampering_gremlin)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/123 "2001-04-25T05:33:03Z")
Sambo’s - The original restaurant in Santa Barbara, CA does a brisk business. It’s right on the ocean near downtown. Somewhat updated menu, but keeps the character of the old chain. Bob’s Big Boy - Locations include Burbank and Glendale, CA. The menu has hardly changed in 20 years. Numero Uno Pizza - Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena, Ca. Still pretty good. Shakey’s Pizza - Inhabits older shopping malls around California. Not recommended. Jack in the Box - Still basically a burger-and-fries affair, but adds menu features as fast food fashions change. Ubiquitous in Southern California. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/124 "2001-04-25T10:48:26Z")
I THINK there is a Burger Street in Dallas, though maybe I’m thinking of something else - but it IS a drive-through only tiny restaurant (not quite Photomat size, but small). They serve weird burgers. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/125 "2001-04-25T13:41:15Z")
The Big Boys tw o blocks from me just closed. Last year, Long John Silver’s closed too. I used to love getting the chicken planks, then eating those tiny little balls of batter that came with them. Anyone remember York Steak House? ---
**Author:** ![City\_Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@City\_Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/City_Gent)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/126 "2001-04-25T22:50:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\* > Anyone remember York Steak House? > \*\* Do I remember it? How could I forget the searing abdominal cramps? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/127 "2001-04-26T14:06:09Z")
“Rib it” Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/128 "2001-04-26T15:01:15Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Connor \* \*\* > [@](#): > > What I haven’t seen is a Black Eyed Pea. I miss that place. \*\* There is a restaurant by that name out in Fairfax, VA. I don’t know if it’s part of the chain or not. I suspect probably so, since the corporation behind it probably would sue them for infringement. ---
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/129 "2001-04-26T15:15:14Z")
**SPOOFE** -isn’t there still a Bob’s Big Boy in L.A. on Wilshire? Anyone interested in Dog ‘n’ Suds, they have a website somewhere…I ordered a T-shirt and some root beer from them online (sorry, no link…) Due to the fact that Wienerschnitzel’s Chili Dogs tastes like vomit covering rolled-up sweat socks on a bun, I miss Pup ‘n’ Taco too…at least you had a choice and Wiener_shit_zel wouldn’t be content to sit back on their hands and serve up vile concoctions like they do. I miss Pizza Inn, which was here in Southern Cali for a few minutes when we first moved here, then closed down in a hurry…actually mediocre pizza, but I **loved** it. mmmmmmmmmm…missing it badly _badly_ now…☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/130 "2001-04-26T18:13:25Z")
When I was a kid, there was a chain that I don’t think was Wisconsin only called **Mars**. It was a hamburger place with a space man as its mascot. Anyone remember it? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/131 "2001-04-26T19:46:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by poohpah chalupa \* > **SPOOFE-isn’t there still a Bob’s Big Boy in L.A. on Wilshire?** Yep – from Wilshire and La Brea, go east for three or four blocks. Across the street from an office building that used to be a Carnations restaurant, actually. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/132 "2001-04-26T20:04:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by poohpah chalupa \* > **SPOOFE-isn’t there still a Bob’s Big Boy in L.A. on Wilshire?** Yep – from Wilshire and La Brea, go east for three or four blocks. Across the street from an office building that used to be a Carnations restaurant, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/133 "2001-04-27T03:03:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by poohpah chalupa \* > \*\ ***SPOOFE** -isn’t there still a Bob’s Big Boy in L.A. on Wilshire? > I miss Pizza Inn, which was here in Southern Cali for a few minutes when we first moved here, then closed down in a hurry…actually mediocre pizza, but I **loved** it. > > mmmmmmmmmm…missing it badly _badly_ now…☹ \*\* There was a Pizza Inn in my hometown, near Houston. I had always thought it was a stand-alone place, which it might still have been. It closed down my senior year in high school-which was a shame. It had been the place we went to after winning games when I played basketball and softball. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/134 "2001-04-27T08:46:39Z")
We have a Pizza Inn a couple of miles from where I live. It’s a fairly common chain in Dallas. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/135 "2001-04-27T14:51:28Z")
After reading through this thread I have a few questions. 1. Does **Sizzler** still exist? I haven’t seen one in about 15 years. 2. Does **Orange Julius** still exist? I don’t spend too much time in malls. 3. Hi Opal. 4. On a semi-related note, does anybody remember **The Pop Shoppe**? I remember going to the place as a kid in Calgary. They made their own sodas and sold them in bulk, by the case, and you had to return the empties and the carrying crate. I also remember the soda having those glow in the dark colours. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/136 "2001-04-28T01:04:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Olentzero \* > \*\*Oh, that reminds me - at least as recently as 1999 there was an Arthur Treacher’s in Washington DC, just south of 14th and ‘U’ Streets NW. A tiny little take-out place, sandwiched in between a Taco Bell and a KFC. Actually had his face on it, too. I’ll truck up there one day on my lunch hour and give you an update. \*\* Olent, Last I checked, ( and it’s been a while ) there was an Arthur Treacher’s in the Suitland area of DC too. The last two Mayrland Long John Silver’s I knew about were in Westminister, and off Pennsylvania Ave. about 1 mile inside the Capitol Beltway. The Westminister one turned into an Arby’s in December, ( which is my favorite roast beef ) but I dunno if the DC one is still kicking. I happen to have a weird thing for their chicken planks. Buy a 2 piece meal, and add-a-piece 3 more, with tons of ketchup. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![City\_Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@City\_Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/City_Gent)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/137 "2001-04-28T17:06:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adam yax \* > \*\*After reading through this thread I have a few questions. > > 1. Does **Sizzler** still exist? I haven’t seen one in about 15 years. > 2. Does **Orange Julius** still exist? I don’t spend too much time in malls. > \*\* Lots of Sizzlers in the San Francisco area. There was an Orange Julius as of mid-1999 in the Westland Mall in Columbus, Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/138 "2001-04-29T19:00:54Z")
The Red Barn served burgers? I only remember them selling chicken. Perkins was converted to Denny’s in a lot of places, but there are still some here in Central PA. I know of at least one remaining Tastee Freeze–in Cuba, New York off NY-17 (which is now Interstate 88, or something like that.) As of a couple years ago there was a Nathan’s in a sevice plaza off the New York Thruway–I’m thinking the last one heading west before the Williamsville/Buffalo exit, though I may be mistaken on that. There are plenty of Long John Silvers around here. I personally like them a great deal. (I am very open about having no class.) Does anybody remember Mister Donut? They were around Central PA in the 1980s. They may have just been regional. Or how 'bout Holiday House? Back in the days before the Pennsylvania and Ohio Turnpikes diversified the restaurants in the service plazas HoJo held most of the concessions, but every so often there was a Holiday House. (When I was a kid, the rule was that we ate at HoJos and only stopped at Holiday Houses to go to the bathroom.) Again, they may have just been regional. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/139 "2001-04-30T06:19:07Z")
There’s a Bob’s Big Boy on Riverside in Burbank. I thought Sambo’s changed their name to Denny’s. Which would be ironic, if true. I miss White Tower. There was one in downtown Pittsburgh and it closed for no apparent reason. Tad’s sucked. There was a Nedick’s on the observation level in the Empire State building. I got a souvenir glass, which unfortunately broke a few years later. “Well, I pawned my Smith Corona/And I went to meet my man/He hangs out down on Alvarado Street/By the Pioneer Chicken stand” —Carmelita, by Warren Zevon It breaks my heart to hear that Chock Full ‘O’ Nuts is also no more. Anyone remember Carvel? ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507/140 "2001-04-30T13:43:17Z")
Gosh, I almost forgot \*\* Spudnut \*\* a chain from the early to mid 50’s featuring ::drum roll culminating in rim shot:: doughnuts made with potato flour! They were quite widespread, even in small towns (including my hometown, population about 4,000 at the time) decades before the major chains. They also went away fairly early in most places. Certainly by the early 60s they were history in our neck of the woods. Apparently there still are some surviving today. [here’s a picture & story](http://members.tripod.com/~krookmcsmile/SpudnutShop.html). Note the art deco sign on the right. And for people who want to reconstruct the taste in the privacy of their own home, can do so[here](http://thedonutfactory.homestead.com/spudnutdonuts.html). Anyone have a source for the funky Spudnut logo with the happy little doughnuts with smiles and arms & legs? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-no-longer-exist/62507.md?page=8)