I remember Lums, Burger Chef, Farrells, Arthur Treachers, Frish’s Big Boy, Sambo’s and The Red Barn. The whole family always went to Lums and Red Barn. When I was in grade school, whenever I’d go to the mall with friends we’d always go to Farrell’s and pig out on ice cream.
We still have Po Folks, Church’s, Popeye’s and Chi-Chi’s but those aren’t ones I remember from childhood.
I also remember a hamburger place called Sandy’s , I preferred it over McDonalds. Also there was Shakey’s Pizza but apparently there are still some of those around. That was another place for family night’s out.
When I was a kid there was an A&W Root Beer drive-in nearby, we’d always go there for hot dogs and ice cold root beer (in a frosted glass!) or a root beer float if we were good. Sometimes mom would buy us a gallon of root beer to take home. That was the best root beer I’ve ever had. There’s still A&W restaurants and the root beer is sold in stores now but the root beer just isn’t the same. sigh I don’t dare eat hot dogs anymore either.
We never had A&W places in Florida until the last few years. I had a disappointing burger at one (it shared space with Long John Silver’s, as they often do), but I was thrilled to get an actual frosty glass mug to fill up with root beer from a barrel-shaped tap. I love root beer, and A&W is still one of the best!
Here I am again with another long-lost, much-loved burger joint in mind: Rudy’s. They were in Miami in the mid-to-late '80s, and had a 1950s retro diner feel with lots of white and chrome, kind of like how newer Steak ‘n’ Shake or Johnny Rockets restaurants look today. They specialized in sirloin burgers cooked to order, and they were amazing. They had a toppings bar so you could dress your own burgers (much like Fuddrucker’s, of which I’ve declared my great love for several times on the SDMB) and great sides like mozzarella cheese sticks, back before every neighborhood bar and grill started offering them. As far as burger quality goes, they were large, juicy, fresh, and in my childhood memories, second only to the great Fudd’s itself. Did anyone else have these?
I’ve read about this chain and couldn’t believe they were still operating as late as the 50’s. I was also surprised to find out they had one in Seattle located on Lake City Way at NE 85th Street (it’s now a Chinese restaurant called Ying’s Drive-In).
Friendly’s Ice Cream Parlor. I remember seeing them in malls. They had a watermelon sherbert thingy with chocolate chip “seeds” that was pretty awesome to my teen palate. I haven’t seen one in ages.
I still weep for Bill Knapps, tho’ you can get their cakes in Meijer’s stores sometimes.
Rax (and the accompanying alligator mascot) left the Kansas City area years ago, so I thought it was no longer around; however, turns out (according to the Wikipedia article), there are 30 or so of them left.
Also, local Mexican fast food franchise, Taco Via, seems to be slowly dying out. Not quite defunct, but getting there. Which is a pity, 'cause where else can I get me some delicious (yet artery-clogging) taco dogs?
Does anyone remember Roy Rodgers’ restaurants? You had to put your own toppings on the burgers or roast beef. I remember a competitor (Burger King?) had a pretty effective negative commercial about that: “Slow down, pardner. We don’t fix your burger, you get to fix it yourself.”
I remember Sambo’s. Spent many a drunken late night there, I always ordered breakfast… Ours (Chambersburg area) suddenly turned into a Denny’s. Same dealy.
I think I remember a Burger Chef, in Hagerstown, MD. This is back to the early '70’s. It closed. But I have this vague recollection that it wasn’t a Burger Chef, but something other. Not King btw…
Everytime I think of Burger Chef, I think of Burger Chef and Jeff. Was that a commercial?
And one other, The White Coffee Pot. More like a real restaraunt, pretty good truck-stop-y food.
I had completely forgotten Pofolks! It was a staple of the family driving vacation when I was a kid. Yeah, completely stupid restaurant.
My parents were on a weekend trip years ago and stopped to eat dinner at a Pofolks. During their meal, the entire staff was fired and the store was permanently closed. I don’t think they had to pay, but when your waitress is crying the free food probably isn’t worth it. Must’ve been like dinner theater in Hell.
We had these in Jacksonville FL when I was a teenager (late 70s). I believe the big investor was country singer Bill Anderson. They also had RC & Nehi drinks in a big metal washtub in the waiting area, and you could get a moonpie for desserts. You could also get a “meat and three sides” there. I remember the food as being pretty good - but agree about the hokey factor.
We also had JoAnne’s Chili Bordello - a string of restaurants where the waitresses dressed like Barbary Coast saloon girls. I so wanted to be one
VCNJ~
Ah…Naugles. The third of the initial 3 restaurants in the chain was 200 feet from my high school. Many a lunch hour was spent in their parking lot, necking and chomping on tacos.
As noted, Roy Rogers still exist (there are some in Massachusetts), Friendly’s is still here (plenty in New England, with no signs of going away).
I have to visit one of those remaininh Howard Johnsons before they disappear – the ones in Asbury Park and in Times Square, NYC cloased not that long ago, and I understand the one at Lake George is only open in the summer. I remember stopping at them all the time as a kid on vacation. They had neat placemats with games, served “HoJo Cola” instead of Coke or Pepsi, and later on had comic books with Simple Simon and the Pieman (their symbols, atop every restaurant) as heros. At lot of HJs got replaced by The Ground Round, which seem to be gone now, as well.
I remember Gino’s, as recalled twice above. For years, I thought they were the only venue for Kentucky Fried Chicken – I didn’t see a “free-standing” KFC until years later.
East Brunswick, N.J. was one of only about four places to have a Wild Bill’s. The franchise went under before it even officially opened, as shown on an episode of 60 Minutes, but a few of the franchisees, about four of them, tried to make a go of it on their own. They lasted a few years.
I know of 1 Friendly’s and 2 Roy Rogers still in the Washington DC Area - I eat that Roy Rogers fried Chicken fairly regularly too - good when I can get an excuse to get to it … if you recall it, it is just as good as you remember.
Roys ate Gino’s and was in turn eaten by Hardees and finally by McDonalds - the ins and outs are on Wendall’s Link
White Castle’s were here in the 50’s and I can see that they still exist (mainly in the midwest) but they don’t exist in MD, DC, VA, WV, NC anymore (the nearest seem to be in Jersey and nothing South of that) - so for me as a regular place - like my folks rhapsodize over - it is extinct.
I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to know that somewhere on earth Farrell’s still lives – I wonder iof they still do the Big Birthday stuff …
