# Goodbye, Steak & Ale **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 1, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451 "2008-08-01T02:57:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/1 "2008-08-01T02:57:30Z")
Along with Bennigan’s, let’s not forget the niche Steak and Ale had to serve the public in classy setting offering casual, family dining with reasonable prices. We were just celebrating our birthdays there and remembering the announcement of our engagment when POOF! The chain goes out. ☹ And, I should add, they’re “Early Bird” specials were awesome! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/2 "2008-08-01T03:04:03Z")
The one in Raleigh closed several years ago; they finally tore down the restaurant not too long ago. ☹ I really liked that place…the steaks were always awesome, the salad bar was good, and they had a nice wine selection. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/3 "2008-08-01T03:34:36Z")
On of my first jobs out of college in 1988 was finishing divesting Bennigans and Steak and Ale from Pillsbury - they were both Pillsbury companies but when Grand Met - who owned liquor - bought them, they had to be sold. ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/4 "2008-08-01T05:28:07Z")
I thought they (along with Bennigans) shut down in the 80s. Huh. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/5 "2008-08-01T12:07:48Z")
My husband and I ate there just 2 nights before the bankruptcy story broke. I had jokingly observed that they must be in trouble because the usual crumbled blue cheese was absent from the salad bar. But our meals were good, the service was impeccable, and there was no hint that anything was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/6 "2008-08-01T12:34:28Z")
The one around here closed at least 20 years ago. I liked the place, and was sorry to see it go, but there are plenty of other good and better places, so I didn’t really notice the loss. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/7 "2008-08-01T13:02:50Z")
[QUOTE=Jinx] We were just celebrating our birthdays there and remembering the announcement of our engagment when POOF! The chain goes out. [/QUOTE] That would freak me out. Were you able to finish your dinner, or did that POOF!too? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![MrBelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@MrBelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrBelding)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/8 "2008-08-01T14:22:20Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] The one around here closed at least 20 years ago. I liked the place, and was sorry to see it go, but there are plenty of other good and better places, so I didn’t really notice the loss. [/QUOTE] There hasn’t been one of those in this area in probably 15 years. Around the big cities, I feel like McDonald’s buys up so much realestate that no one else can develop. Or then they do and McD’s comes along and buys them out at the first sign for trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/9 "2008-08-01T14:36:44Z")
I ate at a Steak & Ale once; they didn’t have any chives for the baked potatoes, and the decorative swords on the wall all had their quillons on backwards. Never ate there again, yet the pleasure of having something to complain about has kept the memory alive more than a perfect meal would have. Ah, yes. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/10 "2008-08-02T04:21:46Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin] I ate at a Steak & Ale once; they didn’t have any chives for the baked potatoes, and the decorative swords on the wall all had their quillons on backwards. Never ate there again, yet the pleasure of having something to complain about has kept the memory alive more than a perfect meal would have. Ah, yes. [/QUOTE] Well, if you can’t even trust them to get their quillons right… ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-steak-ale/458451/11 "2008-08-02T05:23:54Z")
I liked Steak and Ale, although it hasn’t crossed my mind to go to one in years. They had pretty good ambiance, as mass-produced ambiance goes, and the steaks weren’t bad at all. Lotsa cheese in the French Onion Soup, too.