Restaurants that are no more

[Aimeedyan]

i miss 'grandys'-a drive thru and sit down place where you could get awsome chicken fried steak with country gravy anytime they were open.

We still have Grandy's, but they aren't as good as they used to be. We don't eat there very often anymore.

I completely forgot about Kenny Rogers Roasters. They had the best rotesserie chicken and cornbread!!!

Does anyone remember Black Eye Pea restaurant or Semolina Pasta? I think they were both chains.

We have Black Eyed Peas here. Everything I order there is brown


I miss the salad bar at Wendys.

I also miss Tony Roma's. Does anyone still have those? They have the best ribs and loaded baked potato soup I've ever had.

 

[Lovin' Lorne]

I also miss Tony Roma's. Does anyone still have those? They have the best ribs and loaded baked potato soup I've ever had.

Yep. There are quite a few around us. In fact, you've just reminded me that I have a coupon that's going to expire soon. Thanks!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Yep. There are quite a few around us. In fact, you've just reminded me that I have a coupon that's going to expire soon. Thanks!

Overnight me some Carolina Honey's, please!

 

[KrnB]

Ruby Tuesday's used to be SO good. A few years ago, they revamped the whole place and the focus is burgers, all kinds of burgers. I'm sorry, if you do a variety of foods well (like their Ribs), you keep them. Instead, they do mediocre burgers.

ITA - I don't like their new menu. There just aren't enough options. I used to love their loaded baked potato and the salad bar as a meal, but the potato is no longer an option.

 

[mytwotinks]

I haven't read through yet so maybe these have been mentioned. I'm in the midwest and these are gone, but not forgotten.

Happy Joes Pizza
Taco John's (there are still some just not close to me.)
Swenson's ice cream
Peoples
Copper oven

 

[MDTerrapin]

Anyone that spent anytime on the University of Maryland campus will remember The Terrapin Taco house or when my parents were dating it was called Tippy's. The greasiest and yummiest enchiladas around. Also the original Ledo's in Adelphi

Karen

 

[barkley]

ya know allot of these places are featured in the series of 'top secret restaurant recipies' books by todd wilbur. he gets former employees to provide him with info and then tests out the recipies and so far i've not tried one that did'nt taste like the original (a personal fav is the appetizers, soups and bbq sauces ).

does anyone remember when emporium capwells stores had little restaurants inside them? this was before chain sit down restaurants started going into malls-it was so nice to be able to go into an actual restaurant inside a department store and sit down for a quiet meal

 

[Figment22]

does anyone remember when emporium capwells stores had little restaurants inside them? this was before chain sit down restaurants started going into malls-it was so nice to be able to go into an actual restaurant inside a department store and sit down for a quiet meal

This is so true. Many of the major dept. stores used to have restaurants right inside them. Growing up in northern NJ in the 60's and 70's, I can remember eating in dept. store restaurants in Bloomingdale's, Bamberger's (later Macy's), Gimbel's, and Stern's. And the food was pretty good, too.

A related question for those in northern NJ, when Nordstrom came to Paramus in the late 80's, they had three restaurants in the store: A cafeteria style place downstairs, a pub on the main floor and a fancier restaurant upstairs. I moved south six years ago and since then have only been to Nordstrom in Orlando. That one has only one restaurant on the premises. Does Paramus still have all three?

 

[Missy1961]

Ruby Tuesday's used to be SO good. A few years ago, they revamped the whole place and the focus is burgers, all kinds of burgers. I'm sorry, if you do a variety of foods well (like their Ribs), you keep them. Instead, they do mediocre burgers.

I used to eat there somewhat regularly, but last year, I threw in the towel on them after I ordered an Onion soup and salad. The soup was more like Onion Gravy than french onion soup.

Suzanne

The Ruby Tuesday's near me (Sunrise Mall) closed about a year ago, but before that, it was terrible. I ordered French Onion soup there once & it was burned! Horrible. The salad bar used to be fantastic, it's bad now. I took my niece & nephews to one near them in Ashburn VA last year & I had the mini burgers--those were OK.

 

[Grandmouse]

I just began reading this thread and was taken back to the late 50s and early 60s to the lunch counter at Kresges at Sayrewoods, and lo and behold, Amazing Grace already posted it! The fudge cake was great, and so were the hot dogs. Best grilled rolls ever! Also the HoJo's on Route 9.

Also, driving to Florida (seemed like once we got into VA) there were two restaurants that seemed to alternate on the old 301 (?) highway. I don't recall the names, but one used to advertise a "circus bar" and the other their small pecan pies. We loved stopping there as kids.

 

[JodyLynC]

Also, driving to Florida (seemed like once we got into VA) there were two restaurants that seemed to alternate on the old 301 (?) highway. I don't recall the names, but one used to advertise a "circus bar" and the other their small pecan pies. We loved stopping there as kids.

Was it Stuckey's? Are they still around?

 

[ObsessedwiththeMouse]

Another vote here for missing Chi-Chi's.....I also miss Sizzler's. (Although they still have them in Orlando...we make sure to eat there at least once!)

 

[Grandmouse]

Yes, Stuckey's was the one that advertised the pecan pies. A few years ago we were driving through VA and I saw one--but only one.

 

[Minnesota!]

Chi-Chi's (onion and cheese enchiladas!)
Bennigan's
Mr Steak
Clark's Subs

 

[Planogirl]

Was it Stuckey's? Are they still around?

I saw a Stuckey's somewhere during our trip to Florida last year but it was part of a store rather than a restaurant. They offered the Stuckey's sweet stuff: the pecan pies, pecan logs, that white divinity stuff and so on.

 

[minniebeth]

This is so true. Many of the major dept. stores used to have restaurants right inside them. Growing up in northern NJ in the 60's and 70's, I can remember eating in dept. store restaurants in Bloomingdale's, Bamberger's (later Macy's), Gimbel's, and Stern's. And the food was pretty good, too.

A related question for those in northern NJ, when Nordstrom came to Paramus in the late 80's, they had three restaurants in the store: A cafeteria style place downstairs, a pub on the main floor and a fancier restaurant upstairs. I moved south six years ago and since then have only been to Nordstrom in Orlando. That one has only one restaurant on the premises. Does Paramus still have all three?

I'm from Northern NJ and still make scones on a regular basis from a recipe that my mom got from the Pub in Nordstrom! I haven't lived in NJ for 15 years now, so I'm wondering the same thing, although I doubt it.
It was a huge treat when I was a little girl to go to Bamberger's and eat lunch there with my mom!

 

[beachblanket]

I saw a Stuckey's somewhere during our trip to Florida last year but it was part of a store rather than a restaurant. They offered the Stuckey's sweet stuff: the pecan pies, pecan logs, that white divinity stuff and so on.

Some happy tourists from Germany, showing off their pecan candy purchases outside a Stuckey's in Georgia in 1963:

Flyer from Stuckey's "golden era":

An image emblazoned in the mind of anyone who was driven down 1-95 to Florida as kid in the 1960s or 1970s:

They just don't produce brochures like this anymore....

 

[JodyLynC]

beachblanket, Those ads are awesome!

 

[Pooh's Pixie]

I haven't read through the whole thread, but the place I miss the most is Bailey's Ice Cream in Boston. It had the old fashioned ice cream parlor look, with marble bistro tables and the ice cream was fabulous! It was the highlight of every childhood trip "in town" and I wish I could do it with my kids!

I also miss Howard Johnsons and York Steakhouse....my brother & I used to love how it was cafeteria style and you got to pick your dessert (pudding, no jello!)

 

[Lureen]

Beachblanket, those brochures bring back such memories! Thanks for posting them.

Does anyone remember a place called The Hot Shoppe? I think it was a chain. They served a shake made with orange sherbet that was named an Orange Frappe or something like that. I loved those things when I was a kid.

I remember eating at one a few times during a childhood visit to Washington, DC since it was near the motel we stayed in.