Howard Johnson’s Restaurants aren’t around anymore? I remember those from the 1960s. We even stayed in them occasionally.
EDIT: We stayed in the hotel part, that is. Not the restaurant.
I’m pretty sure you may be right… I can’t be sure but Crescent Dairy seems to ring a bell.
Was the Golden Bear at the Markland Mall?
If so I no longer live there… but close and I went to the high school that doesn’t exist by that name any more.
Once of my first clear memories as a kid was eating at Burger Chef. I remember loving that place as a really little kid in the late '70’s/early '80’s. From the Wiki, they all got sold to Hardee’s.
Haworth High School, right? I was in the graduating class the first year that the two high schools were combined, and the Haworth name removed. So I went to my first three years of high school downtown, but spent my senior year in the Haworth building out south.
No reason to be cagey about it, especially since I see that you mentioned it in an earlier post. We’re talking about Kokomo, Indiana, yes? The Markland Mall is still there. The Golden Bear is not. 
I don’t live there anymore, either.
Oh yeah, Burger Chef. I think there’s an old thread on them here somewhere. We used t go every week.
I see **Farell’s **and Shakey’s, my most cherished childhood restaurant memories, have already been mentioned so, does anyone remember Victoria Station steak houses? The facade was made up of old train cars and the inside was British themed. It was, at least to us kids, a “nice” restaurant and the place to go for special occasions like prom or graduation.
How about Sizzlers, also a steak house, though more family style than upscale. They were wildly popular and their commercials ran constantly, with the special usually being their “signature sirloin steak” and all you can eat shrimp.
Maybe it’s all wrapped up in the nostalgia aspect, but I cannot think of a restaurant today that really brings me any particular joy. 
Sure, there are places that serve decent food, but it doesn’t seem like anywhere put anything special into the dining experience. I *want *a train shaped restaurant, dammit. I want live, corny music and sirens and people running around the joint with a giant bowl of ice cream on a stretcher.
All but two of the local Hardee’s became Burger Kings here about fifteen years ago
I’m completely sad to learn that Bill Knapp’s is no more. That was my family’s place to go to celebrate life’s various events. All A’s on the report card? Dinner at Bill Knapp’s! We were such frequent customers the employees knew us by name.
My favorite thing at Bill’s was their hot apple pie with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream. That cinnamon ice cream was just delicious and I’ve never seen it anywhere else, so it must have been a proprietary recipe.
Also sad to hear that Laughner’s in the Indy area is gone. In college we often went to Indy for the weekend and always stopped at a Laughner’s.
I, too, remember the Golden Bear restaurants from growing up in the region (metro Chicago area). As a little one, I loved the ‘live’ bear family that would stand outside the restaurant and wave at passing cars. I really thought the costumed people were real live bears.
I also remember Burger Chef, Farrell’s, and the Ho Jo’s restaurants.
Is the Dog and Suds chain still around? They were similar to A & W in menu and were also drive-up restaurants. There was one close to our lake place and I can remember stopping there on our way back to the city on Sunday evening, sitting in the back seat of the hot car, gritty and sandy and usually a little sun-burned, sharing my hot dog and fries with our dog.
Yup… that’s the place. Graduated from Haworth in '79. I now live in the snobby suburb just north of Indy… well one of them anyway (we’re the poor family there 
).
To end the hijack… there was also the Sweet Shop (aside to MrAtoz: the strip mall close to Maple Crest) that had the best cheeseburgers. We used to go to the bank nearby for Mom to get grocery money (again the young Doper’s are scratching their heads about now) and we would drop into the Sweet Shop for burgers and Ice Cream.
Another favorite was the Pizza King nearby. Cut into squares and used Provolone with the Mozzarella. Fortunately there is still one of the few close to my house so I can still reminisce from time to time.
I do… mentioned it briefly in post 10.
The mention of Laughner’s reminded me… the same family also had a place that only people from the Indy area may remember… Loon Lake Lodge. They had an old plane on the roof… a huge tank with bass and such inside, and animatronic bears, raccoons, owls, etc. The menus were on small oars. No childhood nostalgia on this one for me, but I’m sure it will be for my kids since it was one of their favorite places. I just checked Google Maps, and it looks like it is still a restaurant (Twin Peaks) but the plane on the roof is gone.
Winky’s made me happy to be hungry.
Alfie’s Fish n Chips in Houston 1970s before LJS took over. Served in newspaper. At least it looked like newspaper.
Pancho’s Mexican Buffet, 1970/80s Houston and other places. Used to taste great! Now, it’s just fair, sometimes below par. Not a lot of them around anymore, either. But, man, those 1970s Sunday after worship meals were worth following all the church goers to that Pasadena shopping center. I think the entire lot is now a Fiesta Food Mart.
Isn’t Winky’s the name of the diner in the movie Mulholland Drive? You know the scene I mean. . .:eek: That would not make me happy or hungry.
Yeah, I used to like Shakey’s Pizza…also Pizza Inn. I haven’t seen either chain in years. But then most of the chains that do still exist aren’t what they used to be either, sadly.
The chain I miss most wasn’t a real sit down restaurant, just a fast food place, but I really miss Roy Roger’s. They had really tasty roast beef sandwiches, better (IMHO) than Arby’s, and I loved their spicy sauce and seasoned fries. Seems that most of the fast food places today aren’t what they used to be, though.
Nope, that was Winkie’s.
From their napkin:
Golden bear, golden bear!
A honey of a place (of a place)
Where food is fun!
Golden bear!
[sub]Lordy, I am pathetic. I remember that, but can’t remember the standard valproic acid starting dose for a 170 pound adult with epilepsy.[/sub]
ETA:
We serve fun at Shakey’s!
Also pizza! (sotto voce)
There are several Shakey’s in southern California. And I saw one in Tokyo 
I also remember Ground Round. We rarely went out to eat as a family so it is a precious memory for me, particularly getting a Shirley Temple and thinking I was so adult. I’m sure the food was nothing special but I remember it fondly.
Also Ponderosa, which was like Sizzler but… worse…
Most of the Victoria’s Stations are gone, but there’s still one in Salem, MA, on the waterfont:
http://www.victoriastationsalem.com/Home.aspx
It doesn’t still look like a bunch of railroad cars stuck together, though (IIRC).
I remember Sizzlers. Used to be two near me in SLC. And I encountered Shakey’s Pizza near there, too.
If you’re loking for bygone fast food, there’s Carrol’s burgers. I only recall ever seeing three of them. They closed in the US in the 1970s, but continued overseas.
Surprisingly, they’re not dead – they are now the largest franchisee of Burger King in the world:
Speaking of restaurants of the past, something nutritious at Simpson’s would not be out of place.
I remember the Sweet Shop too! Loved their patty melts! So far as I know, Pizza King is still going strong. There are several around where I live now, though I never eat there anymore.
I ate at Loon Lake Lodge one time in my life–believe it or not, I took a young lady there with the intention of impressing her! Didn’t work.