20 Fancy Restaurants From The 1970s, That No Longer Exist!
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- čas přidán 11. 04. 2024
- 20 Fancy Restaurants From The 1970s, That No Longer Exist!
Join us on a culinary journey through time with our video, "20 Fancy Restaurants From The 1970s, That No Longer Exist!" Explore the luxurious and iconic restaurants that defined dining in the 1970s, but have since disappeared. From lavish decor to exquisite cuisine, we'll reminisce about these unforgettable dining experiences and the impact they had on American gastronomy.
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Bonanza.... immediately brings memories of my first restaurant job at 17 washing dishes, "Baker Street" playing on the kitchen radio and the prep girl I had a crush on....
You're a little older than me, I was entering middle school when that and "Moving right down the line" came out. RIP Gerald Rafferty.
You must be about my age. I'm 63.
That's such a cool specific memory
I did not know Dan Blocker of Bonanza created the chain. Wow. These days he's be sued for trademark infringement. Or maybe he had the OK from the show.
In high school I dated a girl who worked at Bonanza, I was working at Krogers a couple blocks down. I loved that place, I think when Bonanza went out Poderosa too their place. I might have it flipped but good memories
anyone remember Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips
That was why I read thru the comments, to see if anyone else had one in their city. I had an Irish mother( meaning she cooked very few meals, and everything was plain) so fried fish was something new, I also remember using the Malt Vinegar.
@@davidrn2473 My dad was English and loved fish and chips, I was the only kid that liked fish so he took me all the time.
I understood that here in Kettering/Dayton, Ohio, we had access to Arthur Treacher's through Cassano's Pizza. I kept telling myself I was gonna walk over there and check it out but never did. I just now pulled up Cassano's menu but don't see any fish. Looks like they still exist in Garfield Heights and/or Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, according to Yelp (?). I really loved Long John Silver's, and we have very few of those left. I rarely do fast food anymore. Things just ain't what they used to be.
@@cynthiamurphy3669 There is still one in Cuyahoga Falls, Oh. I always wondered how they escaped the demise of the franchise. It's the same outdoor sign, same gaudy interior, only thing missing is the portrait of Arthur Treacher hanging inside. Treacher was an "Ed Mcmahon" type Co-host for "I believe" Merv Griffin show in America and an accomplished actor in Great Britain....
@@apostlewoody Oh yeah, I'm old enough to remember watching Merv Griffin with my grandmother, lol.
Does anyone remember Sizzler? My favorite steak place! Those were the days when dining out was affordable! Great video.
Most of these places I don't remember. Maybe because I grew up in the Northwest, Washington State. But we had Sizzlers and Sambos. Also A&W. I really liked Sizzlers and the salad bar buffet. It oddly wasn't in the video, though. Either was A&W. I also remember Victoria Station. I worked there for a few months.
My daughter and I still eat at the only Sizzler around here. All others in our area (San Fernando Valley) shut down.
Yeah the sizzler had the greatest salad bar. I would order a steak dinner and eat at the salad bar and take my entire steak dinner home for later.
@@rebeccavelayas8868 We had it so good back in those golden times! Restaurants, classic rock, classic movies, cars, drive-in movies and food...
Our Sizzler was the SPOT in the 80’s when I was a kid, it closed by 1993. There is one about 2 hours south of me near San Francisco and we stopped there on a road trip a few weeks back. My husband and I had a blast reminiscing and telling our teenagers about it. The nostalgia was top notch.
These were never “fancy” restaurants. They were family restaurants.
Brown Derby was fancy! And my husband and I dressed up to go to Victoria Station, very nice not a blue Jean place..But your right family restaurants or fast food
They were fancy to blue collar families.
Exactly!!
Never ate at any of those places and I’m in my 60’s
@@babs5573 they were NOT fancy at all!!!
Ponderosa had the best salad buffet back in the 80’s
I worked at Ponderosa and Sizzler. Sizzler's salad bar was better, but both were great.🤗🤗🤗
I heard that Ponderosa was really a drug money laundry operation. I don't know if that was true, but the steak was good.
Yes they did… They had a wide variety!
Loved Bonanza Ponderosa salad and wings Arthur Trechers Fish 🐟 Omg the best foods
They still have a Ponderosa near Syracuse, NY. Everything I went to visit my Aunt we always went there. Yum!😊
Ah yes. The 70s. When family style restaurants were considered fancy. I miss that.
We never considered any of those fancy. They were adequate at best.
We enjoyed the family style restaurants like Bonanza, but they didn't compare to the upper end steak houses in town. They also did not cost so much as the fancier restaurants.
We all do.
I don't consuder most of these fancy, but to our blue collar family with 5 kids they certainly were as fancy as we ever got to go to. Bonanza was our favorite.
-consider- *
Good for you! A big family getting out for a nice restaurant meal is as fancy - I.e.: good honest food with people you love -- as you can get. Thanks for the memories, Annette.
@@sunnystormy4973 I think it was a typo😐
BC fails.
Wow!! I never knew “Hoss Cartwright” invented Bonanza!
I always thought somehow one of those guys opened Pandarosa 😂
Neither did I.
I didn’t either! 😮They called him Ole Hoss
Me either and I worked at one
The name Bonanza?
I grew up in the barely middle class, and my dads idea of a weekly “fancy” night out was taking us to Bonanza
Same....
Lots of great memories going to Bonanza as a family and my dad taking my brother and myself there after our parents divorced.... Lots of great memories... Loved Bonanza
Steak & chicken combo 😁
Anybody else remember Perkins? We had them in SE Michigan. Not sure how widespread of a chain they were, though.
Still around in Florida and Tennessee.
And Minnesota and ND.
Still in Pennsylvania
Had em in Buffalo
When we lived in Idaho we had Perkins. Haven't lived there in years, so they could be long gone.
They didn't mention Bennigans. I loved that place!
Me too! So good! 😢❤
Didn’t know they closed. Used to go there frequently.
@@MuzixMaker There's a few left. A couple in Iowa, a couple in Texas, some overseas locations. Not many.
There is one in Little Rock arkansas
@@petuniasevan It's rare to see a restaurant chain that still has locations in New York State that has closed elsewhere. But Bennigan's still has a couple locations in the Rochester area.
They didn't do The Ground Round justice in this video. They didn't mention the TVs everywhere showing cartoons like Woody Woodpecker and Heckle and Jeckle, the constant supply of peanuts that they encouraged the patrons to throw the shells onto the floor. The floor was always covered in peanut shells and sawdust. It was one of my favorites as a kid because it was always filled with kids going crazy and living their best lives! It was pure PANDEMONIUM in there!❤❤❤
ON MY 16TH BIRTHDAY I APPLIED FOR A JOB AT THE ORIGINAL GROUND ROUND RESTAURANT IN NORRIDGE IL. I HAVE GREAT MEMORIES .ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WAITRESSES , COMING OUT OF THE KITCHEN ,AROUND TO THE BAR ,FOR A MINUTE TO SEE THE MOON LANDING....MAN,69 WHAT A YEAR.
WHICH GROUND ROUND ,,,OAKBROOK ? MORTON GROVE?
Weird, I was never allowed into Ground Round as a kid. My dad always said it was a fancy place where no kids could go.
The Ground Round was amazing! I distinctly remember the fun atmosphere and the head chef that would come out from the kitchen, hat and all, and walk around to all the tables to see if everyone was satisfied with the food. Peanuts, video games, great food, and right next door to a killer movie theater. Life was good! 👍
-ikr ... !- 🥜🥜🥜
I saw a werewolf drinking a Pina Colada at Trader Vic's. His hair was perfect!
I thought his hair was PURPLE..😂
I used to go to Trader Vic's! It always gave me the impression it was like swingers night on Gilligan's Island!
Warren Zevon was incredible. RIP!
@@babs5573Humph, I’d like to meet his tailor!
Victoria Station! I remember the one in Burbank, I think.
Not to mention (which they didn't) A&W Root Beer stands. That root beer was delicious.
There's still one operating in Dexter MI
Edit: There are actually quite a few in Michigan still. A couple in Ohio and Ontario, too.
Still an A&W right down the road.. not a drive in but it's there
Omg I'll never forget their root beer floats!😋
Frosty mug of A&W was delicious and their hamburgers were pretty good too. None in my area anymore.
Well they said fancy, oh which most of the ones mentioned weren’t very fancy
I worked at Sambos in 1977/78 when I was 19. Started out as a waiter, then started cooking. That was a winter when Louisville was paralyzed by a blizzard. I was working graveyard shift, and watched the snow pile up all night. By the time the shift ended, snow was all way up to the bumper of my car. Didn't think I would make it home.
Louisville, Kentucky?
When I was 4 in the early 60s 😂Sambo’s had Tiger Butter. It was just butter they colored orange. But the story was a tiger had chased sambo around a tree until the tiger turned into butter. I was so traumatized by the idea of a tiger turning into butter, I wouldn’t eat my breakfast.
Lexington, Kentucky here! Boy, do I remember that blizzard!
I still have a sambos mug.
There used to be a Sambo's right across the street from State Farm's corporate headquarters.
As a kid I remember traveling and begging my dad to stop at Stuckey's.
I learned pretty quickly never to ask my father for anything. Best case he'd say no. Worst case I'd get a fist.
Stuckeys had a very good roast beef on a bun sandwich
Stuckey's was AWESOME. They had all KINDS of stuff and stopping there was a highlight of any trip to see relatives...I remember my mother would buy us their pimento cheese sandwiches for the road and they seemed even more delicious while driving through the middle of nowhere...
They had so many billboards! I want to say they were always talking about a pecan log.
@@DarkElfDivaI'm sorry. That's awful.
It sounds like around 1975, every city in America had approximately 958 steakhouses.
Yes, and now they would all be gone. Only steakhouses now are very expensive and only in the more affluent areas.
Beef pork chicken will be banned in America real soon. Big push .
It was the peak of the baby boomers moving to the suburbs with their kids. We still had drive-in theaters too. Then...
@@stiffrichard2816Frisch's in Centerville Ohio had drive in service you ordered from the microphone at your car window, like Mel's Diner in American Graffiti. Car hops delivered your food on a tray that hung on your window.
@@georgecoons6872 lol who says
Shakey's pizza parlor and Bonanza are and always will be very fond memories of going out for dinner with my mom and dad. Very fun times when we could afford to go.
there are Shakey's pizza in Manila, Philippines
I want it back in Rockford Illinois where I am. Going to the Philippines for pizza and mojos is a little out of my budget. LOL 🤣
We still have a Shakey's here in SoCal.
I grew up in Maryland. Shakey's pizza was the best! Great memories.
Shakey's was a lunch spot during the Summer...great All-You-Can-Eat buffet (pizza, chicken, potatoes). With The Little Rascals & The 3 Stooges on their movie screen.
I remember going to Western Sizzler every sunday after church in the 70s. Food was so much better then.
I used to say that but I've realized it's not the food. It's my sense organs aging
It was before gassed fruits/vegetables, pink slime in beef, and GMOs.
@@corrinnacorrinna5572Also before seed oils. They cooked with beef tallow or lard. Tastier and much more healthy.
I believe you meant Western Sizzlin. My family used to regularly eat out there and the steak was always good. I always loved the yeast bread that came with the meals.
Western Sizzlin, my first real job where you put your time card in a machine to be punched. I was 12 yrs old making $1.12 an hour waiting tables back in 1979.
I have lots of fond memories of stopping at Sambo's as a child in the late 60's whenever my family took road vacations!
My brothers company built many of them
One of my favorite books as a child. Tigers to butter.
I drive over an hour to eat at a Bonanza once a month. It’s in a little town called Lebanon Virginia. Always packed. It’s a time capsule.
That's so cool!
I also miss Bonanza and Ponderosa. The salad bars, delicious steaks and low prices were awesome.
Yeah, we also had the Cow Palace too.
The chicken wings madame. It was all about them wings. 😂😂
Ponderosa did not add the salad bar until the eighties. It had been strictly a cafeteria a la carte restaurant until then. My sister worked there during the year they introduced the salad bar. There were 2 in my area until recently. One was closed by the health department because the owner refused to spend the money to keep it up to code and the other was killed off by the COVID lockdowns and the land where it sat sold off to the owners of a chain of car washes.
They used to give me a discount for every hair that I found in my salad. I could almost eat for free. I'm with ya sister...B and P were the best.
My city had 3 Ponderosas and one Bonanza locations. We also had York Steak House restaurant.
There was a place called The Red Barn and another place called Training Table. They both served burgers and fries, etc..
Red Barn was popular in Youngtown OH and other cities throughout the Midwest.
OMG 😮 I remember the Red Barn .. I miss so many things nowadays 😢
I loved the Red Barn. I remember the Big Barny and Barn Buster hamburgers. I still remember the jingle.
Bonanza was the best. Still remember the salad bar and great smell of their grill.
Howard Johnson was famous for fried clams, which no other restaurant offered.
Am I correct in assuming you never dined outside of a flyover state during that period of time?
They were strippies but they were pretty good!
What HoJo's served were NOT clams!
🤢🤮
I'm from N.E., I KNOW what clams are!
And Burgundy Beef Tips over Egg Noodles.
@pal4204 They were the "foot" of hard shell sea clams cut into strips. Jaques Pepin was one of their development chefs in Manhattan. It's not like they were some other creature.
My favorite steak house was Western Sizzlin'. I also loved Victoria Station. Still can't believe these great places are gone.😢
Western Sizzlin...makes me think of the Longhorn Steakhouses they used to have everywhere. Guess a big steak meal isn't something the general public can afford anymore.
@@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717 Longhorn was a juggernaut when they first opened. Just grew too fast.
We had a Western Sizzlin in Gonzales Louisiana. My brother in law was the GM. It shut down years ago, but he still sends me the Gold Dust signature steak seasoning while I'm in CA. Anyway, I always thought it was just that one restaurant because we knew the owner. Makes sense they probably franchised out. Had no idea there were several Western Sizzlins. We all learn something new every day.
I worked at a Victoria Station in Honolulu in the mid-70s, and I remember all the ribs that I scarfed down. Tasty!
@@kentclark6420 They had great food.
Beefsteak Charlie’s was the best! Our whole family would get together every Mother’s Day to go to their buffet. I still remember eating piles and piles of peel and eat shrimp with my Pappy. Now 1/4 of that family has passed away but those memories will stay with me forever.
Oo
H yeah
As a child in the 70's I was very excited if mom and dad said we're eating at Bonanza after church. I will never forget the Texas toast!
Yummy
Bonanza my first job at 16. Loved it.. Im now 61 . Drive by the empty restaurant every day..Brings back memories 😊
7:40 When I was in college in the early 1970s we used to go to Steak and Ale on a regular basis. It was a fantastic place to have a hearty steak, baked potato, vegetables, and an ice-cold mug of beer. Dining didn't get much better than that. In fact, in 1974 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the University of Miami chapter of the American Chemical Society, chemistry club at a Steak and Ale, where we reserved a private room.
We stopped at a&w Root beer places when we went on vacation in Central New York and Lake George. The root beer was ice cold in Frosty mugs and we especially love their hot dogs with it. Good times.
Michigan still has A&W's.
We still have an A&W in my current home in Minnesota. Car hops in the summer and everything. It also has a drive-thru and dine-in.
The crazy thing about the 70s was when you ordered a steak it actually tasted good back then....I dunno what they are doing now but the only time I have a good steak is when I grill it at home...believe it or not Golden Corral was a nice place to eat back in the 70s...then somewhere in the 80s it became a buffet and went downhill.
Yes it was good back then. You would order a steak and they would cook it just the way you wanted and bring to your table. No nasty buffet!
They have closed several Golden Corral's in Georgia...
@@lizjo7213 We had one here in town and when the pandemic hit it closed and never reopened.
Such a shame...
Golden Corral is still a good restaurant to eat at
Used to love Chi Chis. The fried ice cream was amazing
It's such a shame these great places are no longer with us. Wish they would try a come back. ❤
They would be so expensive now
Can't. The tastes of the next generation has changed dramatically. Healthy international and expensive
Maybe when we get a better president and economy
Yeah but we can't bring back memories guaranteed it won't be the same or anywhere as nice GUARANTEED BABY ,
Bonanza was a place where my dad would take us, I have fond memories of that place! Howard Johnsons had the best clam strips on the planet! Everytime we went there, I would get the clam strip dinner with fries, slaw, and those rolls with butter was life! Chi Chi's was another place we would frequent they had great drinks! This takes me way back! Thanks for this video!
Howard Johnsons also those chocolate lollipops and other candy on the way out. You could bring home soups and gravies. And the hot dogs came in that little paper tray.
I was really sad, when I found out the Mall where they filmed the 70s version of Logan's Run, no longer exists...now that's a reboot I'd love to do!
My favorite restaurant from this time period is Steak and Ale. Absolutely loved their food. We ate there 3-4 times every month. (Remember Stouffer's restaurants? Yummy.)
They were called the Jolly Ox before Steak and Ale.
We have an old steak and ale by my house. Dont know if it's the same though
Loves steakhouse
Yummmmm!
@@winchestersons6258 I've read over the last two years or so that the original Steak & Ale is close to making a full comeback; but, as with all things business, the financing seems to be the only holdup at this point. Cross your fingers. 🤞🤞🤞🤞
Ahh Ponderosa, all you can eat buffet..the best friend of a lot of college students..also Perkins
As a young child in the 80s we used to go to Bonanza almost every week I still remember their food was the best
The restaurant I miss most is Morrison's Cafeteria man they had the best food and always fresh !!
It always reminded me of hospital food and surprisingly they did open restaurants in numerous hospitals around the country.
Piccadilly’s Cafeteria, J&S Cafeteria in Pigeon Forge (closed years ago😢)
Arthur Treachers Fish and Chips
Us kids used to call it Arthur Treacherous.
Alfie's fish and chips.
My grandparents took me to Bonanza all the time back when I was a kid. I thought we were royalty eating there.
Same!!!!!❤
The Salad Bar!🎉
Same here! 😂 Every Sunday, my grandparents would pick my sister and I up for church, and we would go to Bonanza! They were regulars there, and always had the same waitress, named “Buffy”. She was very sweet, and charmed my grandparents, and they always left her a big tip.
same here.
Try the website for locations. Some are still around. Pon-Bon.
During my military service my favorite’s were Chi Chi’s and Tastee Freeze had the best fish sandwich I’ve ever had. Yup miss them. Treated myself to chicken fried steak meals at Dennys, but they are no longer high on my favorites list.
We have a Tastee Freeze by the local high school still!
My favorite was Steak and Ale! My husband and I married in ‘ 78 and this was our place to go for our anniversary’s
OMG, I had forgotten all about Steak n Ale!!!!!!!!😮😮😮
Best French onion soup ever
Anniversaries.
Before ours became Steak 'n' Ale...it was called The Jolly Ox. Same building, decor, menu...only the name change. Anyone else?
Steak & Ale is making a comeback. 1st resurrected restaurant announced an April 2024 opening in Texas!
Did anyone notice who is sitting in the forward booth at the Brown Derby? George Burns and Gracie Allen. The golden years of Hollywood. I used to love the fried clams at Howard Johnson. This brought back so many memories. Victoria's Station at Universal City Walk was also a favorite place on weekends. There food was excellent. The good old days. "Le sigh". If memory serves me correctly there was a Velvet Turtle in Fullerton near Cal State Fullerton and next to it was the Velvet Hog where my friends and I would go to dance on weekends. Loved having dinner there. OK enough ......I am feeling 1000 years old after watching this.
I met George Burns one time and then later on in my life my son was in the George Burns and Gracie Allen wing in Ceder Sinai in LA I would have told him thank you in advance had I known the future.
Burger Chef, Findley's, Mr. Steak, Sweden House, Dog & Suds... a million others.
Still a few Dog & Suds around. There is one about 10 miles from me.
For 15 cents, a nickel and a dime, at burger chef you eat better all the time! Junior high we ran as fast as we could to get our burger before the bell rang!
@@deniselove1585
"For 15 cents, a nickel and a dime...."
That sounds like an old jingle from a radio commercial... was it?
McDonalds had one from way back in the early 60's... I have yet to meet anyone who remembers it. "47 cents for a three course meal wow that's a steal. That's all it costs to eat here every day. Drive in to McDonalds Drive-In right away!"
Mr. Steak. We went there a lot when we were first married.
@@katiemarie4035
Apparently the problem with Mr. Steak was that the same company owned Findley's and they were competing against each other so one had to go and Mr. Steak lost. Now I think they are both gone. You can only have so many restaurants on every block.
Thank you for a beautiful walk down memory lane...I remember them all❤😊
20 years from now there will be a video of Texas Roadhouse, Chilis, KFC, Red Lobster all being gone
So far, I have one of each of these near me. Texas Roadhouse and Red Loɓster are my favorites!
Chilis probably. The others have decent niches carved out so far.
KFC will be around forever. They are literally everywhere...all around the world.
@@michaelray3865 Red Lobster will prolly be gone in 10 or 20 years. It's a bit too pricey for most people...and the folks who'd pay their prices want a fancier dining experience than Red Lobster.
@@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717 nope, there are now enough other, better options that kfc will deservedly get squeezed out. They’re not a patch on what they used to be in terms of a of quality of chicken and price.
Brought back fond memories of others too: Frisch's, Shoney's, Friendly's, Arthur Treacher's, Zantigos...
OMG ZANTIGO’s Cheese Chilito!
The Z much better than Taco Bell
We still have one Frisches here in Lexington Kentucky.
Loved Shoney's breakfast bar
My mom used to take me to Howard Johnson's for my birthday. I got the clam strips. And they had a special birthday cake. My mom passed away a couple years ago. I'm glad CZcams brought back a happy memory, which I forgot.😊
In what universe was Bonanza and Ponderosa ever fancy?
For families who struggled financially, it was fancy. My friend in high school said the only restaurant she ate at as a child was McDonald's, and that was a rare treat.
LOL.That's the first thing I thought.
There was a fondue restaurant chain called the Melting Pot. That was kind of fancy
I have to agree with you @fordhouse8b. I was expecting to see some closed restaurants like "The Maisonette" or "Pigall's" - very expensive, now-gone French restaurants from my hometown of Cincinnati. I LOVED going to many of the restaurants in the video and miss them a lot - but I never thought of them as "fancy." Bonanza and Ponderosa were cafeteria style, if I recall! (That ain't fancy!) I'm sure these felt pretty fancy to people who could rarely afford to eat out at all, but I still think the title is a misnomer. 🤔
@@marthasimons7940There *is* a restaurant chain called The Melting Pot. There’s one in my city.
When I was a kid I got a teriyaki steak at Bonanza, Grama said "ok you're not going to like it but you better eat it anyway!" Boy was she wrong, I loved it, one of my favorite steak flavors still. Forgot all about that place, thanks for the memory.
I miss Howard Johnson's...They had an all you can eat fried fish night and one night was for fried clams. Wonderful memories of eating there with my parents.
My dad took me to Bonanza at lot - it was always a great place
I ate got food poisoning the first time I ate at Chi-Chis. It was like 10 years before I could eat at another one. When I finally gave it another try I got food poisoning again. I didn't have to run that experiment again.
I've gotten food poisoning twice in my life...both times from fast food restaurants. NOTHING as bad as Food Poisoning!!!!!
Aw, c'mon, toom! Don't go lettin' a measly couple of pukin' and explosive diarrhea episodes put you off! At least go for the hat trick, buddy!
PS....And that hat can also be useful next time!
I loved Chi Chis as a kid. Theyre wet burrito was good, but then later on, there were actually several big food poisoning incidents, so it doesn't surprise me.
My first job was at a Bonanza's Steak House. Started at 16 as a busboy and moved up the chain, dishwasher, set-up and finally cook.
Farrells Ice Cream parlor and restaurant.... it was amazing..!
Ponderosa Steak House! I sure do miss those places.
There was one that I think might have been local to Philadelphia called Ground Round. Some of the juiciest thickest delicious burgers. You could smell them being cooked in the vicinity and with that smoke stack coming out from the cooking.
I loved the ground round! Remember the popcorn and movies on the small screens? My sister always has her bday parties there
Had Ground Round in Cincinnati. Really miss it.
New Orleans also
There was a Ground Round in Janesville, WI.
And the plastic pick with the bull that has the temperature you asked for.
I loved Sizzler and Bennigans. ❤❤ I think if you brought them back that would be huge again. I know Gen Z loves the nostalgia of the 80's so I think they would do well.
There are just a few Bennigan's left in IA and TX. But there are still a whole bunch of Sizzlers, mostly in California.
@@KreemieNewgatt Lawd I would love to go to either right now.
“We’re goin’ to Sizzler. We’re goin’ to Sizzler”. My favorite line from White Men Can’t Jump.
The good old days are gone. Mom and pop restaurants were some of the best restaurants you could ever eat. What we have today is left over from yesterday with high prices and fast food.
Our Bonanza was operational up until about 6 years ago. It was sooo popular and managed so well. The only reason it closed was because the owner wanted to retire and couldn't sell the franchise. He was a good man who supported all the schools and sports teams in our town. We miss it very much. Anyone remember the 'Clock' restaurant?
Lebanon Virginia still has an original Bonanza! Menu has changed over the years but it is always full.
Does it have the unique "barn style" roof like most here in Georgia had? You still see a building or two with that roof that is either abandoned or now another restaurant (usually Mexican) and I say "that used to be a Bonanza!"
I was there last summer
Dang it! I wished I'd known that when I was in the Tri-cities last month. I'd made the drive. I did get to eat at a Shoneys near Knoxville as all are now closed in NW GA.
Still rest there.
Being from Midwest (Central IL)the ones I remember and was frequent to be in as a child are Ponderosa, Bonanza, and Howard Johnson's. Others I frequent that are not listed are Old Country Buffet, Mavericks, Ryan's and Shakies. Best word that described these restaurants is affordable. Whole family meals 6 of us for $30. Now days $30 can barely do one and a half people.
Shakey's Pizza used to have dollar pitcher of beer.
There were a few Ryan's where I currently live near Nashville. One in Bowling Green KY and at least two in Nashville itself. Covid killed them all.
I know. You can spend $30 just to drive past a restaurant these days! lol I think the word "affordable" should be substituted for "fancy" in the title of this video, really.
I don't think that Country Buffet was from the Seventies though.
@@scook5599 I mean, half the entries on this list started in the 60s or earlier, and closed down in the 00s.
Had my first Mai Ti at Trader Vics...always loved the fun tiki experience! The Magic Pan had the most delicious crepes too. Mom and I would go there often.
Such great places! I miss them! Talk about nostalgia!
Dude - that’s Scott Bakula doing that Magic Crepe ad!
I saw that, too, but he is NOT that old. Even though the style of the commercial was late 60's early 70's, Scott was still a very young man at that time, not the 40-50 year old man in that commercial.
I knew I recognized that face!
@@Objective-Observer
By the hair styles and clothes, that commercial was the 80s, that is 100% Scott Bakula.
When I was 14, I was hired to watch dishes at Howard Johnson. The food was great. Miss those fresh clams.
Me too. If fried, salty, breaded unidentifiable stuff in there somewhere in those clams they were the best deep fried “seafood” ever!
You forgot to add TAD's Steaks to your list....extrremely popular and prevelant in the 1970's NYC area...( especially near the Times Square 42nd street area)....affordable Steaks, Potatoe drouwning in butter a veggie and a hunk of italian bread...I miss that place.
In the late 60s...I used to pay $1.28 for a steak at Tads in the Times Square area. Absolutely true
@@hawkrider88 👍👍👍
Magic Pan was a family favorite. Miss them.
When i lived in Arkansas during college. My bathroom window opened up over the Bonanza behind my apartment and you could smell the steak being cooked everyday. Yummy yummy
I remember going to Love's and Bob's Big Boy.
Yep, Bob's Big Boy! 👍
One of my uncles is from S. California. He moved to S. Carolina in the late 60s. Whenever he visits CA he goes to Bob's Big Boy. I think there's a Bob's in or near Charlotte NC now. I remember them as Frish's Big Boy around Ohio and N. Kentucky. I wish we had more Bob Evans in SC. There are 2 that I'm aware of-one in Rock Hill and one in Myrtle Beach. Some franchise restaurants and chains are regional only.
Just ate at Bonanza for my birthday.
I have fond memories of Bonanza - not in my hometown, but in Singapore. I was in the Navy and there was a Bonanza in one of the malls there. When we went on deployment, Singapore was usually the last stop before we headed into the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. My buddies and I would always go to Bonanza on our last day there and feast on the salad bar because after that, fresh vegetables were going to be hard to come by.
Maybe hang out a little on bugis Street?
Both Viktoria's Station and Steak & Ale were date night favorites way back when. Fond memories.
I really enjoyed eating at Bonanza when I was a kid.. but they left out family restaurants like Piccadilly and Kopper Kettle.. also Monterey House
The Ground Round ❤ brings back so many memories for me when my daughter was little ❤
I was great after a movie restaurant.
I loved eating at Bonanza, Steak and Ale, and Victoria Station.
In the 70s they were
The only restaurant on this list that I would even remotely consider "fancy" was The Brown Derby. The rest were mostly so-so family fast food.
Exactly!
Not in remote areas like Texas. Ponderoas and Bonanza were pricey 'fast food' with a few steaks. Steak and Ale was a dark restaraunt where folks went with their dates, and they dressed up.
MOST of the diners on this list, never made it to Texas. They are all Mid West or the coasts. Consequentially, Texas and the South/South West had small regional eateries we frequented, because they had better food for less money, than these franchises.
Not fast food at all. Just affordable family sit-down restaurants.
Howard Johnson had the best all-you-can-eat fish sticks every Friday. 🐟
Back in the day when I was traveling a lot with my family we always stop at Howard Johnson's for breakfast or lunch. It was the best
Steak and Ale is the one I miss. Great food and a unique experience. Man, I miss it..
I always admired Steak and Ale from the outside but never got to go there. Then, Poof! they were gone.
They're bringing S&A back
I remember Ginos, had many a lunch there on my lunch break in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I believe they had a salad bar as well. Also remember Ponderosa Steak House and the fixings bar. Used to go there when my daughter was little.
I loved going to Bonanza on the weekends!!! The 80’s ruled!
In my area Sambos become 'Mels Diner' and is still very popular. Hmm, steak tips and over easy eggs and a side of browns smothered in tabasco.
i miss friendly’s 😢 Ponderosa and Bonanza as well good food and good prices i think the Pandemic truly hurt many restaurants 😢😢
We actually have a Friendly's here in the Lawton/Ft. Sill, OK area..
We had a Ponderosa, but it was gone long before the pandemic. We also loved Casa Lupita, Old Country Buffet and Old Town Buffet. Great food and great prices. Sad that they're gone.
I miss the Fribble at Friendly's.
Friendly's is still common in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Back when food was good! Bonanza was awesome.
Steak & Ale and Sizzler were our steak spots growing up.
I'm picking up a theme here, with Marriott buying a restaurant chain and then it dies.
Farrell's Ice Cream parlor was another one that Marriott killed.
BTW, Little Black Sambo was an Indian kid. Nothing to do with Africans!
I miss Farrell’s. And thx for info on little black sambo. Everyone gets their knickers in a twist anymore😊
I had a book of Little Black Sambo that had pictures, and his mother wore a sari, like women in India do. So,, they were Indian. Everyone seems to forget that Sambo was the hero. He beat the tiger! Brave kid!
In one of my Microsoft Access classes, a guy from the database team from Xerox was taking my class. He was as American as I was but his people were from India. He was blacker than most of the black folks I know but he spoke without that unmistakable "blackcent" that we all know so well. (He didn't say "Axe" when he meant "Ask" either 😄) He was the second black Indian that I knew who worked there. The other guy headed up the SQL Server department for the entire branch. His last name was Ramanathan, which reminds me of our next vice president's name, "Ramaswamy". (Those Indians are so smart.)
The Sambo story wasn't a bit racist. He was a smart kid who figured out how to outwit tigers that wanted to eat him. Too bad it got misinterpreted it, I really enjoyed the story when I was little. 😊
@@debramedina5756 Anything to further the Oppression Olympics, eh?
He turned that tiger into butter or something by running him around a tree. I don't remember the whole story that I seem to remember that.
My small town had a Bonanza before the McDonald's was built. I recall in the early 80s as a teen, my family and another family ate there one evening. The dad of the other family left a $5 tip. The waitress was so thrilled to get that much. The Bonanza closed shortly thereafter.
I wish my town didn't have a mcdonalds
@@wankertanker1813 The only reason we had a Bonanza and McDonald's as well as a Dairy Queen at the time was because Interstate 75 went through the town. We got about every chain restaurant now.
Same in my hometown of Berwick, PA.
It happened because folks like your father bankrupted themselves by giving $5 tips...that was big money back in those days.
Miss HoJo used to eat there wherever there was one. My family and I used to go to Beefsteak Charlie's frequently - we stocked up on their shrimp and salad bar. There was a location in Queens, NY in Forest Hills Gardens across from the old tennis stadium and one in Manhattan I used to go to near Lincoln Center around 72nd Street and Amsterdam I think. I also remember Steak and Brew in the Queens Center Mall before the mall was redone.
Yes i Remember Arthur Treacher
My friend worked at Bonanza when we were in high school. I couldn't afford a steak but would get the chicken strips with fries and pigged out on their amazing soup/salad bar! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!
I remember going to Sandy's in the late '60s in Iowa, the "mascot/logo" being the little Scottish girl with the kilt
When they recently tore down The Silverado Steakhouse in Elmhurst, Illinois the original Sandy's frame was finally exposed for the first time in decades.
Our turned into hardees in 73
So, we were all down at this Bonanza Steakhouse in Bangor, Maine, on Union Street, just enjoying a quiet dinner celebrating my grandparents' anniversary, right? The place was buzzing as usual, all cozy and filled with locals. Then, outta nowhere, this wicked drama kicks off just a couple tables over. Felt straight outta a soap opera, no kidding.
There’s this young waitress, see? She storms up to this table with what looks like the perfect family. She’s all teary and goes, “You’re my father!” pointing straight at the dad. The guy looks like he’s been hit by a truck, face all pale, and the whole joint goes quiet as the grave.
To be honest, my memory’s a bit muddled on all the specifics, but man, it was wild. The waitress is there pouring her heart out, saying her mom told her about him right before she passed and she just had to come see him. This dude, supposedly her dad, just freezes. Doesn’t say a peep. Meanwhile, his wife starts crying something fierce, all, “How could you, huh?” and his kids look like they wish they could just melt away.
Granny squeezed my hand, whispering, “Oh dear,” under her breath as we watched the whole scene. It was intense. The manager came hustlin’ over, trying to calm things down, but that room was thick with tension you could cut with a knife.
Now, whenever we drive past that Bonanza, now Union Laundromat, I can’t help but remember that night. Everything might not be crystal clear, but that showdown? It’s stuck in my mind, clear as day. Absolute chaos, right there in the middle of dinner.
When I was a kid in the 70s, The Velvet Turtle was my quintessential notion of a fancy restaurant.
Our kitchen table is from Ponderosa.
My brother and sister both worked there for a time. Had lots of Cups, silverware, and trays from Ponderosa.
Sambos was a good restaurant. They had the story of Little Black Sambo on pictures along the ceiling. He was depicted as a heroic clever kid beating the tiger! I loved it, not knowing anything about the original stories. My mom bought a book with the stories in it later. 😮🤔🙄. Still loved the restaurant, though... 💋💖💋💖🖖🌵👵🐺🖖
Yes I remember that too. The one in our city had murals along the wall depicting the story. It was also on the children's menu. I always wanted Tiger butter on my pancakes.
There were so many steak restaurants that the market was just saturated with them. It was only a matter of time before they started to take each other out. Steak & Ale, Bonanza, Ponderosa, Sizzler, Bennigan's, Darryl's, Quincy's, and others I can't recall off the top of my head. In my hometown area, we even had a Mexican-Irish restaurant; Carlos Murphy's. It was one of the more interesting early fusion concepts.
You know, I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's once. His hair was perfect. I miss sit-down casual dining so much.