Well, Graeter’s does ship their ice cream if you REALLY want to know what it is like! It’s just really expensive and I’m not sure that it’s THAT important to me. 
I like Arby’s. There are none in Ottawa. People who are Arby’s adjacent tell me I’m dumb for caring. Other american franchises I’d like to see here:
-Chipotle (LOVE)
-Papa John’s Pizza
-White Castle
It’s hard to get good seafood in my area but that’s not really a chain situation. And good Mexican and barbecue is rare.
I like Jack in the Box and White Castle, which are not in my area.
The ones I particularly miss are:
Country Kitchen – When I lived in Fort Frances, Ontario, we used to spend Friday nights bar-hopping across the river in International Falls, Minnesota. After the bars were closed, it was off to Country Kitchen, purveyer of great coffee, The Skillet Scramble (Hashbrowns under a nice slab of ham under scrambled eggs, all covered in cheese sauce), and the best Breaded Mushrooms and Cheese Sauce I’ve ever had. There was also one in Bemidji, Minnesota, where I attended University.
There are none in Winnipeg, although there were formerly four or five of them in the city; they all closed sometime in the 90s. In 2006, I finally get back to International Falls to find that they no longer have a Country Kitchen (nor a Bridgeman’s either, and I miss that one too). A trip to Bemidji two weeks later and I find they have totally changed the decor and turned it into more of a restaurant than a diner, and while they still have the Skillet Scramble, the Breaded Mushrooms are long gone.
Another one I miss is Taco John’s. Same story – locations in the Falls and down in Bemidji. Falls one had disappeared (as had many things in the Falls, I might add), but the Bemidji one was still operating. The Super Burito is impressive; my girlfriend also agreed with this assessment of it. As yet, no locations in Winnipeg, ever.
Also, Bemidji still had their Bonanza; there had been several locations in Winnipeg, but all gone since the late 80s. Not the greatest steak house, but they’re okay – I’ve definitely had worse.
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Well, I actually miss my Hometown favorites when I am away from home, certain parts of Florida aren’t that diverse, tasty, nor authentic. In Florida, I am from a wasteland of chains that appeal to the geriatric set. Lots of LCD food in florida, which isn’t too bad, considering I come from a humble and totally generic, knowledge for working for a hotel, high end, restaurant Crowd. I would do better compiling a hometown list
I always liked Taco Johns as well. Also Whattaburger.
I liked Miami Subs when I lived in Florida.
I would kill for Popeyes.
I would give anything if I could have Jake Edwards’ BBQ from KCMO again with sweet potato fries and those icy beers. Last I heard they were long gone.
Install-I think Godfathers is defunct. I always liked them, too.
Danm-you simply can’t find this in Boston. New Mex is totally differnt from Sonoran, or Tex-Mex style Mexican-the flavors are different (green chiles, black beans, pozole). And the main things I miss are :
-chile rellenos
-huevos con chile (green)
-sopapillas (with lime butter and honey)
I guess I’ll have to plan a trip to Albuqueque!
Godfather’s is still around. There’s one just down the road from me here in Springfield, IL.
FWIW, their pizza isn’t nearly as good as I remember it from back in the day.
The only fast food chain I miss is Burgerville, a western Washington and Oregon chain.
Wait… Original Pancake House is a chain?! It must be the same place, as we quite enjoy the Dutch Baby. We have one in Columbia, SC. It’s always packed.
Another vote for White Castle. Love the frozen sliders from the grocery store, but I’ve never actually been to a real one, despite the fact I’ve made dozens of trips to/through New Jersey, New York and Ohio.
I pity the fool who cannot access a White Castle at will; I could throw a stone from my front porch and nail the drive-thru menu.
(All right, I exaggerate a leetle)
mmm
Yeah, there are also three in the Buffalo area. We just ate at one on Saturday morning.
I’d say Jaleo, but that’s cheating. Of course Jaleo is not going to open a nationwide chain any time soon. Not that it wouldn’t be awesome. And it would be also cheating to say Legal Sea Foods, although it can be considered a chain now. It’s unlikely they’ll expand very far inland, ever.
And in Buffalo-Niagara most of the chains that aren’t here aren’t missed. Why would you want Nathan’s when there’s Ted’s Hot Dogs? Why would you want Scholtzsky’s or Quizno’s when you’ve got John’s (home of the Original Chicken Finger Sub, of course)?
So the only chain we really miss around here are Five Guys (maybe coming soon, as it’s reached Rochester), Del Taco (OK, maybe not really, but it would nice to have a cheap “Mexican” fast food place that isn’t Taco Hell), Eat ‘n’ Park (kids would love it), and California Pizza Kitchen.
I was in Buffalo a week ago and I saw a sign announcing a Five Guys was being built on that site. I think it was in the UB area.
I miss Dunkin’ Donuts.
They tried to open here a few years back, but they never really caught on. I always get a big box of them whenever I’m in the States.
I also miss American-style diners. You know: hash browns, eggs any style, corn bread, english muffins. Even Denny’s would be good.
Having grown up in California and now living near DC I miss
In 'n Out
Tommy’s Original Hamburgers
Carl’s Jr.
Weinerschnitzel
Del Taco
Jack in the Box
Yoshinoya Beef Bowl
Rubio’s
Donut shops that aren’t DK or KK (although we do have Fractured Prune. If you have one near you go now. Made to order cake donuts with a variety of sugary glazes and toppings.)
There’s the old mantra, “Everywhere but Buffalo”, where retail and restaurant chains won’t open in the Buffalo area until they’ve pretty much opened everyplace else in the country. Buffalo didn’t even have a Chipotle until a few months ago.
A few national and regional Everywhere But Buffalo chains I miss:
- BD’s Mongolian Barbecue
- Dinosaur BBQ (Rochester, Syracuse, NYC, but not Buffalo)
- Stir Crazy
- A place like Claddagh or Fado.
There are only three restaurants in the chain. It’s not like Buffalo was singled out to be skipped.
I’ve never really liked that Zip’s location (I believe it’s technically in Richland even though it’s just south of the mall which is in Kennewick.) They were always more greasy and their fries weren’t as good. The Zip’s that I mentioned on Lee Blvd in Richland proper has crinkle-cut fries, which the other locations didn’t use (at least last time I’d been to them years ago).
Arctic Circle is pretty good. Aren’t they the ones with ilttle holes in their burger patty (which was also square if I recall) so the grease would drip down into the bun?
Whenever I visited Boulder, CO in the past I made a point of eating at Mother’s next to Doozy Duds on the hill, which last time I went in the '90s had been replaced by Dot’s, which I used to eat at when it was in an old gas station-looking building on Pearl St. So it wasn’t too drastic a switcheroo. Mother’s used to have great huevos rancheros and chiliquiles and Dot’s had awesome biscuits and scrambled eggs with cream cheese and spinach. I also loved the breakfast burrito at Rocky Mountain Joe’s.
I’ve been in NYC 20+ years and while the Mexican food situation has improved somewhat, finding a good breakfast joint with huevos rancheros or chiliquiles on par with Mother’s or Dot’s or Rocky Mountain Joe’s (or any other decent place in the Southwest for that matter) has been impossible (truth be told I haven’t put a whole of effort into the search lately).