The Last Remaining Pioneer Chicken Restaurants - Southern California Take Out History & Food Review

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  • čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
  • A visit to the last two Pioneer Chicken spots as well as location of the first restaurant.
    Sean's Channel
    / malfuncsean

Komentáře • 1K

  • @TheDailyWoo
    @TheDailyWoo  Před 4 lety +74

    Instagram - AdamTheWooATW
    Which tv and movie productions do you remember pioneer chicken from ? Also make sure to check out Sean’s Channel - CZcams.com/malfuncsean

    • @carloscarpinteyro332
      @carloscarpinteyro332 Před 4 lety +1

      Thanks for recommending him! I provided a link for him to check out for himself, someone I know that has firsthand experience about alot of his subject matter!

    • @karenhargis9824
      @karenhargis9824 Před 4 lety +3

      Fast Times At Richmond High

    • @agolftwittler1223
      @agolftwittler1223 Před 4 lety +2

      Let me settle the "yellow" versus "orange" dispute once and for all.
      That building is tangerine in color.
      Love your vids, I'm gonna go eat there, tangerine or not.

    • @tonydynot
      @tonydynot Před 4 lety +1

      Sidenote - "You guysss, you guysss...Did you see the size of that CHICKEN?!?"...(all I can think of with all this chicken dining)

    • @carloscarpinteyro332
      @carloscarpinteyro332 Před 4 lety +2

      @@karenhargis9824 The teacher in that movie was played by Ray Walston, who played the Martian in the "My Favorite Martian" TV show. In the mid 70's I was driving down west on Sunset Blvd in Brentwood. In the lane next to me, driving a little Honda 600 car I noticed the driver and thought, "that looks like Ray Walston." I knew that it was him, when I saw the back of the car. The regular Calif. plate was located above the bumper on the left rear of the car, and I noticed another license plate mounted over the rear bumper, on the right side. The plate had all of this undecipherable reading on it, and where you would see the name of the state mounted at the top of the plate, it said "Mars", so I knew that it really was him. I wish that I had a camera to take a picture of it, or to wave him down to talk to him, but I never forgot about that. I wish that I could buy that plate, and add it to my collection of license plates!!

  • @monel58
    @monel58 Před rokem +18

    I worked at Pioneer Chicken in the late 70's. On a triple payday weekend we would have a line out the door. We had a great crew, no one would have to wait more than 3 minutes for their order. It was a blast working there with my best friends, come Sunday night after the last customer was out we would mix Orange Bang with Vodka and watch the Cruisers go up and down the block.

  • @oneofbillions691
    @oneofbillions691 Před 4 lety +68

    With all the pandemonium and chaos we face in these days your videos are my moment of sanity. Keep it real Adam. You're an essential service.

  • @ronbrower4026
    @ronbrower4026 Před 4 lety +62

    I went to Pioneer chicken with my late Grandma and Grandpa all the time in Stockton California.

  • @lzal3583
    @lzal3583 Před 4 lety +56

    Omg! I had no idea there were any left. The best. I’m going to have to take a field trip. It was greasy as all get out but the flavor was awesome. Better than KFC.

  • @glennencarnacion3360
    @glennencarnacion3360 Před 4 lety +9

    THANK YOU! My siblings and I grew up loving Pioneer Chicken. We started going to the one on Oahu, HI near the Navy housing, then when we moved to San Diego we went to the one in North Park. Sadly all are closed in SD but I heard of rumors of one still in LA. So glad to see that confirmed. Will definitely make the trip!

  • @judijuju8568
    @judijuju8568 Před 4 lety +6

    I worked for Pioneer chicken from 1980 - 1984 while attending high school. It was fun working there. My brother was the cook and I was able to hire some friends. I still love the food ! Too bad I have to drive 6 hours to enjoy it!

    • @selaxlife7621
      @selaxlife7621 Před 3 lety

      I'll take it to u....give me ur number....me so hungry...me feed u long time.

  • @fluffanater1
    @fluffanater1 Před 4 lety +43

    oh man this place was so darn good. The first location is literally the one me and my dad went to in the mid 80s!!! 🙌🏾 I miss living in California so much! Really enjoying these videos.

    • @jeffalbillar7625
      @jeffalbillar7625 Před 4 lety +4

      I need to get some pioneer before it's gone forever. Loved it.

    • @Tloc103
      @Tloc103 Před 4 lety +1

      I need to get another taste of my childhood asap

    • @noobzrule
      @noobzrule Před 3 lety

      Then move back to eat there 😋

  • @9250td
    @9250td Před 4 lety +15

    Thanks for posting! This brought back so many good memories of my childhood... For those of us who were born in the 70's; the pioneer chicken sign brings back nostalgia of the past.

  • @djjc408
    @djjc408 Před 4 lety +37

    You definitely hit a home run with this take out series.🤙

  • @justpurplegaming2049
    @justpurplegaming2049 Před 4 lety +60

    WOW pioneer.. talk about..nostalgia time

  • @garyheaton3302
    @garyheaton3302 Před 4 lety +40

    I hear Orange Whip, and I think of John Candy in the Blues Brothers. "Orange whip? Orange whip? Orange whip? Three orange whips."

  • @minutemark
    @minutemark Před 4 lety +5

    I recall that the skin was very uniquely crispy and thick. I also recall hurting the roof of my mouth occasionally due to how crunchy and hard it could get in spots. The skin was my favorite part. I nearly commented on how Chinese restaurants cleverly or not so cleverly repurposed the signs, but you could always tell that it was originally a Pioneer Chicken sign due to the unique shape. The cartoonish commercials were great too.

  • @minutemark
    @minutemark Před 4 lety +4

    I had no idea that there were any remaining locations of Pioneer Chicken. Adam, you probably are too young to know this, but I remember a time when there were only two restaurants that gave out toys for kids (in our area anyway): Jack in the Box gave out rubber balloons, and Pioneer Chicken gave out awesome educational toys. The earliest toy that I can remember from Pioneer Chicken was a spy microscope/telescope about the size of a large fountain pen. Of course, the chicken wasn't bad either! Great memories! Thanks, Adam!

  • @sippy70
    @sippy70 Před 4 lety +14

    Omg this was dinner once a week when I was a kid. ❤️❤️

  • @MiaMaven
    @MiaMaven Před 4 lety +12

    Wow timewarp back to the past. I ate there with my grandma and Mom when I was around 10 years old. Love this series Adam, it's so nostalgic and addicting. I can't wait until the next one.

  • @HEYMANWITHJAYMAN
    @HEYMANWITHJAYMAN Před 4 lety +3

    Awesome! A long lost chicken joint that i remember as a kid here in California. I know of 3 OC locations that still have the signs up with different resturants utilizing the die cut sign frames. 👍

    • @TheDailyWoo
      @TheDailyWoo  Před 4 lety

      Very cool !

    • @HEYMANWITHJAYMAN
      @HEYMANWITHJAYMAN Před 4 lety

      @Carrie im at work til later today. So ill let you know after i get out of here. Kinda weird they used the die cut signs for another buisness.

    • @HEYMANWITHJAYMAN
      @HEYMANWITHJAYMAN Před 4 lety

      #1 on Lincoln and Knott Ave, Anaheim: CHINA KING #2 Lincoln and Magnolia, Anaheim: BOY'S BURGERS the 3rd is around them but i'm thinking where tho.

  • @ricknineg
    @ricknineg Před 4 lety +18

    I’ve always seen these and have never made a pit stop. Time to change that and seeeee what I’m dealing with! It would also be a cool series to stop at mom/pop stores in So Cal that have been open for 40-50 plus years.

    • @TheDailyWoo
      @TheDailyWoo  Před 4 lety +7

      Dude you gotta check it out

    • @jeffalbillar7625
      @jeffalbillar7625 Před 4 lety +3

      Pioneer made my favorite chicken. I wasn't too crazy about their mashed potatoes and gravy tho. Juicy chicken man

  • @utubesigninsaredumb
    @utubesigninsaredumb Před 4 lety +17

    awww I loved pioneer chicken when I was little!!! of course the one we had here has been gone for a long time. I just remember it being so greasy and good

  • @BEACHLIFE78
    @BEACHLIFE78 Před 4 lety +5

    Love how retro some of these places are 👍

  • @queenjenene7405
    @queenjenene7405 Před 4 lety +2

    Okay Dude, the Bell Gardens location is the one my husband sent me to one day. It looked like it was abandoned. The foilage was not groomed. I pulled up to the drive thru order box and was shocked to have someone ask for my order. The window was not a typical drive thru window. It was a regular sliding window you'd find in a home. My son and had good laugh. Thanks for stirring up the memory. And... I just may need to swing by and grab some now that you mention it.

    • @TheDailyWoo
      @TheDailyWoo  Před 4 lety

      It’s definetlly an old school building and spot . So good

  • @hoodmistressreloaded
    @hoodmistressreloaded Před 3 lety +4

    Okay, now you got me craving Pioneer Chicken! Took me back to the days when I used to walk with my mom to the one that was on Vermont & Florence at the shopping center (where an old market called Super Buy used to be). Their spicy rice was delicious! Then I came across the one that was on Olympic & Fairfax and fell in love with it again...until they turned it into a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (which is now a Dunkin' Donuts). I'd be more than willing to take that long Metro bus ride just to taste that yardbird again after six years 😋
    ETA: Tried some earlier this year (2024). Still tastes like childhood 😊

  • @sw2938
    @sw2938 Před 4 lety +9

    I grew up going to the old Pioneer market on Sunset Blvd in Echo Park. Pioneer Chicken take out in the parking lot...that was 50 years ago.

    • @TheDailyWoo
      @TheDailyWoo  Před 4 lety +2

      That’s really cool. Glad at least the building is still there

    • @saralopez9965
      @saralopez9965 Před 4 lety +2

      I remember the pioneer mkt and the chicken restaurant too 1960s...good memories! Good chicken!

    • @sw2938
      @sw2938 Před 4 lety +1

      Mick Cotton Bar -B - Los Burrito was on the corner of Sunset and Alvarado.

    • @sw2938
      @sw2938 Před 4 lety +2

      Remember the Fosters Freeze? Pup & Taco...Carnations on Wilshire...the Tick Tock in Hollywood..Hamptons burger buffet also in Hollywood?

    • @malfuncsean
      @malfuncsean Před 4 lety +2

      @@sw2938 LOVED Fosters Freeze. There are still a few left. Adam and I talked about hitting one up. Pup & Taco was amazing but those are LONG GONE. Never heard of Carnations.

  • @brickman409
    @brickman409 Před 4 lety +15

    There's a chinese restaurant by my house that has a really weird shaped sign in the front of it. I was never able to figure out what the shape of it was supposed to be until my dad told me that it used to be a place called Pioneer Chicken. That's why the sign was shaped that way because it was supposed to be a covered wagon. They just never took it down at the new restaurant and instead just painted over it. Pretty cool to see what the original sign would have looked like.

    • @alexcarter8807
      @alexcarter8807 Před 4 lety +1

      That is the way .... I worked for years in a building with PLUMBING on the front ... it hadn't been a plumbing place for decades.

    • @soyunik7979
      @soyunik7979 Před 4 lety

      Hmm, are u from the 'nard?

    • @debbypetiprin8134
      @debbypetiprin8134 Před 4 lety

      Can you take a photo of the sign and post it? Thanks

    • @EatMyShortzz
      @EatMyShortzz Před 2 lety +3

      Must be in anaheim.

    • @Podevarius
      @Podevarius Před 2 lety +2

      Fellow anaheim/buena park resident?

  • @foetwinny
    @foetwinny Před 4 lety +3

    This is awesome. As a child in So Cal, it would be tradition for us as a family to head to Pioneer's to this exact location. So iconic. The feels. Now 44 years young, I genuinely loved this video, Adam. Thank you :)

  • @BB-gt1eg
    @BB-gt1eg Před 4 lety +4

    I enjoyed how the parking enforcement car was parked taking up two spots. Well done irony sir, well done.

  • @CruellaUrsula
    @CruellaUrsula Před 4 lety +2

    OMG! We used to have one by our house in Phoenix, Arizona! Back when I was a kid in thee 80's! As soon as I saw the sign, it all came back. Wow! Lol! Thanks! I remember the sign rotating as well.

  • @baronvg
    @baronvg Před 4 lety +9

    As a resident Angelino, I’m very well versed with Pioneer chicken. I lived in the Echo Park area in the late 80s and went to school at Logan Elementary which is just a block away from that old Pioneer Market and yeah, I remember that Pioneer Chicken and got plenty of meals there. I last had pioneer chicken probably over 5 years ago at that same Soto/Whittier location. And that Hollenbeck Park is right across the street from the old Linda Vista Hospital which has its own long and storied history. As far as I knew, it was the ONLY spot lol. Now I know there are two. I may make a jaunt down to Bell Gardens sometime soon. It’s funny, I’m less nostalgic and more sad that such an LA staple is almost gone. I mean, who doesn’t remember that wagon logo?!?!

    • @trdrav4
      @trdrav4 Před 4 lety +3

      I use to go to that one in EP back when I was younger, and there used to be one on Montebello Blvd in MTB. The one in Alhambra on Main and Fremont became an Alberto's. I see the trend, a lot of these longtime institutions changed when the neighborhoods changed too.

    • @baronvg
      @baronvg Před 4 lety

      trdrav4 Lmao I’ve eaten at that Albertos a bunch of times. I had no idea it was ever a Pioneer Chicken! 😳

    • @trdrav4
      @trdrav4 Před 4 lety

      @@baronvg It was for a few years in the early 90s then it flipped IIRC after I moved to South Pas. There's still a small Yum Yum Donuts next door!

    • @og-greenmachine8623
      @og-greenmachine8623 Před 2 lety

      Calling yourself an “Angelino” is whack.
      Mayor Garcetti popularized that.
      Nobody uses that.

  • @moe92870
    @moe92870 Před 4 lety +2

    Holy crap there's still a Pioneer Chicken around! That brings back some childhood memories.

  • @tracydaze658
    @tracydaze658 Před 4 lety +47

    Bonus! I spy a Winchell's Donut sign. I thought those were gone too.

    • @jeffalbillar7625
      @jeffalbillar7625 Před 4 lety +7

      You see alot of winchells in So. Cal.

    • @KINGDUDE74
      @KINGDUDE74 Před 4 lety +1

      I did to till I seen one in Fontana. I was like whoa a Winchell's

    • @Lordylbc
      @Lordylbc Před 4 lety +1

      No there’s still some in so cal not everywhere but there is some here & There

    • @carloscarpinteyro332
      @carloscarpinteyro332 Před 4 lety +2

      When I go back to California, I have to make a trip to a Winchell's. There were 4 of them in Arizona, where I live, owned by the same owner, whom I spoke to, but they are all closed down now.

    • @carloscarpinteyro332
      @carloscarpinteyro332 Před 4 lety +1

      @@Lordylbc They sure have scaled back how many stores they have. The Granada Hills one is now gone.

  • @DMinSFBay
    @DMinSFBay Před 4 lety +1

    Wow! I completely forgot about Pioneer Chicken! That signage was pure blast-from-the-LA-past! You and Sean have good rapport, two quirky guys with niche knowledge and interests. I enjoy listening to the two of you converse.

  • @ianrjm969
    @ianrjm969 Před 4 lety +32

    Adam's hair preparation technique revealed:
    1. Eat greasy fried chicken with hand
    2. Use said hand to stroke back hair

    • @TheDailyWoo
      @TheDailyWoo  Před 4 lety +19

      Pretty much

    • @ianrjm969
      @ianrjm969 Před 4 lety +9

      @@TheDailyWoo Woo replied. Amazing.

    • @noobzrule
      @noobzrule Před 3 lety +2

      Its how the greaser's gang started 🕺

  • @robertwilley40disneyfan
    @robertwilley40disneyfan Před 4 lety +2

    Hi Adam, great 👍 video. Thank you for sharing

  • @davidesquivel8666
    @davidesquivel8666 Před 4 lety +17

    You forgot to order the corn on the cob! It comes on a stick and dipped in butter.... SO GOOD.

    • @TheDailyWoo
      @TheDailyWoo  Před 4 lety +4

      Oh dang !

    • @sw2938
      @sw2938 Před 4 lety +2

      TheDailyWoo oh yeah..in a yellow plastic bag?

    • @Greg01071960
      @Greg01071960 Před 4 lety +5

      the corn on the cob was always so good, sweet :) as we are eating KFC now. We have no KFC in Barstow now so we had a friend get us some from 35 miles away. We had a Pioneer here years ago when our Barstow Del Fried Chicken closed, best chicken anywhere and the oldest open Del Taco is next door and still open. Barstow Del Taco's are not part of the chain and so much better and bigger taco's and foods of the chain Del Taco's

    • @sw2938
      @sw2938 Před 4 lety +1

      Greg Wilhelm oh hell yea. You are 100% right.

    • @bunnymomjulie6719
      @bunnymomjulie6719 Před 4 lety +2

      No, not dipped in butter. Perpetually rolled in butter. All day. The cobs were stuck on wooden sticks and stuck in like spokes on a round wagon wheel like contraption. The wheel would lay on top of the deep round pan of melted butter and roll around in a circle. It was quite a thing to see when you're a little kid. I was happy to hear from your friend that the chicken coating still tastes the same. It is very unique. xoxo

  • @rcasey81
    @rcasey81 Před 4 lety +1

    Yay Adam! I love you. Thanks for going here. Their food is just as awesome as it was when I was a child in the 80s.

  • @leggomyeggo2073
    @leggomyeggo2073 Před 4 lety +3

    OMG, Pioneer Chicken and Winchell's donuts. Junk food sustenance from my SOCAL youth. Kinda wondering if it tastes the same, back in the day they still fried in lard (both at Pioneer and Winchells). Would finish off a Pioneer Chicken meal with a 25 cent triple scoop from Thrifty Drug.
    Surprising to see a Floridian jones'ing it for PC. Hope it was good.

  • @johnhanson4795
    @johnhanson4795 Před 4 lety

    i really enjoy your videos im 58 and have been struggling with life lately your videos remind me to get out and try to enjoy life instead of just working every minute.Im a auto worker so have had no stay at home order had to work or be fired

  • @chops5996
    @chops5996 Před 4 lety +5

    That brought back some childhood memories. Thank you.

  • @theangendeavor9910
    @theangendeavor9910 Před 4 lety +2

    I totally appreciate this vlog. It brings back memories for me. There was a Pioneer Chicken in San Pedro and my mom use to work there when I was a kid. I use to go in there a lot. Thank You for this special vlog!

  • @egadgo
    @egadgo Před 4 lety +48

    "I pawned my Smith-Corona/And went to meet my man/He hangs out down on Alvarado Street/By the Pioneer Chicken stand."
    -Warren Zevon

    • @onefatstratcat
      @onefatstratcat Před 4 lety +2

      Pioneer Chicken.. the only chicken enjoyed by Werewolves :)

    • @barbatloosenutproductions2027
      @barbatloosenutproductions2027 Před 4 lety +1

      Ah yeah! The late, great Warren Zevon. Loved his music. Especially Lawyers, guns & money! Good song!

    • @bodaciouscowboy
      @bodaciouscowboy Před 4 lety +2

      "And I'm there with her in Ensenada
      And I'm here in Echo Park."

    • @dallasdandigitalproduction393
      @dallasdandigitalproduction393 Před 4 lety +1

      thx for dropping the lyrics. I had NO idea wtf adam was talking about. He refuses to elaborate on his rando trivia.

  • @janetwray7277
    @janetwray7277 Před 4 lety

    The Pioneer on Sunset is where my dad would pick up Pioneer Chicken for our family on the rare occasions that my mom didn't make dinner. It was a treat to get to have take out! LOL!!!

  • @Miss1Pokemonfan
    @Miss1Pokemonfan Před 4 lety +3

    I'm liking this spot, so far; and we got the soothing sound of the freeway. lol

  • @augusthimesjr.8040
    @augusthimesjr.8040 Před 2 lety

    I was born in 61! Today, I went to the one in Bel Gardens, had a 2 piece, fries and mash potatoes ! Hadn't had Pioneer Chicken since 81. Brought back memories! Went today 4-30-22

  • @DBCooper363
    @DBCooper363 Před 4 lety +5

    Hollenbeck Park was once ghetto, people were told to stay away from that park 15 years ago lol. There was a hospital across the street that was haunted now a senior care center I believe. You should try El Tepeyac the Hollenbeck special burrito in the Boyle Heights area...

    • @soyunik7979
      @soyunik7979 Před 4 lety +2

      Linda Vista, great episode from Ghost Adventures

    • @DBCooper363
      @DBCooper363 Před 4 lety

      @@soyunik7979 Yup thats it! I went inside in 2010 but got kicked out by security lol...

    • @Gogogordy1
      @Gogogordy1 Před 4 lety

      DB Cooper the owner of El Tepeyac used to greet patrons with a shot of tequila at the door

  • @albyjam
    @albyjam Před 4 lety +1

    Brings back memories of growing up in Echo Park. Even Linda Ronstadt wrote this stand into her song, "Carmelita".

  • @LA_CON21
    @LA_CON21 Před 4 lety +17

    Boyle Heights location, Adam in the hood

  • @amandasmith1960
    @amandasmith1960 Před 4 lety

    Naugles, pioneer chicken!! All my dads favorites!! Right in the feels these videos. Miss my dad!

  • @tinakelley7018
    @tinakelley7018 Před 4 lety +11

    FYI. I sure do enjoy Shawn's his info on things and just himself.

  • @debcotton1746
    @debcotton1746 Před 4 lety

    My grandmother lived on Echo Park Avenue a few blocks from the Pioneer Market in the 60s. My dad and I used to go there to get her groceries and the smell of chicken was sooo tempting! We did get chicken from the Pioneer in Bell. Loved it! Glad to see the Bell Gardens one is still going!

  • @jonathanc5850
    @jonathanc5850 Před 4 lety +4

    Yes! I thought they were all gone! I had one two blocks from my home in south LA county and had to drive near Koreatown for it. That one closed around ten years ago and I haven’t had Pioneer’s since. I haven’t watched your video yet but I’ll for sure be going this weekend wherever it is!

  • @candarianpumpkin
    @candarianpumpkin Před 4 lety +1

    I like the classic shingled roofs on the original locations. That Pioneer chicken is really crisp. I could hear the crunch!

  • @sarakeith5480
    @sarakeith5480 Před 4 lety +17

    To me fried chicken is comfort food!! Always happy to see you eating a meal with a friend!!! Thank you for making me hungry!!

  • @johnny_6T8
    @johnny_6T8 Před 4 lety +1

    I remember one at the 3-way intersection of Fairfax, Olympic and San Vicente in the miracle mile/faifax area. Now a Coffee Bean Tea & Leaf. Structure is still that of the Pioneer Chicken.
    Also in thee early 80's, a neighbor of our used to work at one on Vermont Ave just north of the USC campus. My sister and i used to meet up with her to accompany her back home. Not a bad walk for a couple of them strawberry parfait from their refrigerated 3-tier turntable counter display. Great teenage years! :)

  • @biffboffo
    @biffboffo Před 4 lety +11

    I believe OJ was the spokesperson for Pioneer back in the day. I’ll have to double check...

  • @adamz7930
    @adamz7930 Před 4 lety +1

    Wow what a buildings so cool retro! 👍🏻 Nice as always The Woo! ☺

  • @bellab2889
    @bellab2889 Před 4 lety +5

    Hi Adam, thank you for this series, I’m enjoying it 👍Also I’m still liking that longer hair you’re rocking at the moment!😊

  • @slowpoke8585
    @slowpoke8585 Před 7 měsíci +1

    I ALWAYS saw that sign for Pioneer Chicken when I was little and I always believed their chicken was delicious! I never had it! I really should stop by and finally try it after 25 years!

  • @AliciapTexas
    @AliciapTexas Před 4 lety +3

    Saw on TV that Disneyland is opening on July 17th! My word! I'm So excited! for you Adam! Plus that looks like some VERY good food!

  • @AleAround
    @AleAround Před 4 lety +4

    I love this food vlog series ATW...... But boy does it make me feel hungry.!

  • @jsouther1
    @jsouther1 Před 4 lety +6

    Don’t mind us. Just a couple of old school punks having a picnic 😂😂 Now I want some chicken

  • @chorlauheung4920
    @chorlauheung4920 Před 3 lety +1

    I grew up going to the Echo Park Pioneer Market and eating at the Pioneer Chicken next to it. This was during the '80s. I can recall seeing Pioneer Market as a industrial-like building. Rain or shine, earthquakes or holidays, it was always open! Always reliable! When the nearby Safeway Market briefly shut its doors due to a storm or earthquake, Pioneer Market was open. You were able to purchase your supplies and groceries. When it rained, there would be buckets at the entrance to collect leaks from the ceiling. There would be a candy area inside the market. You were able to scoop up and bag an assortment of candies. My favorite was bagging the square-shaped, milk caramel candies. The Pioneer Market then later was constructed to be a two-storied building with the tiles on the roof. There were large tubs filled with rice, beans, nuts, candies, etc. I would occasionally sample a chocolate-covered almond or two. There was a toy section, adjacent to the breakfast cereals. I'd get a toy gun, plastic army figures, bottles of bubbles, and other fun things. There was a little photo area for film roll dropoffs. Those were the good old days! Too bad the family did not want to continue the business. Walgreens and Lassens are in its place now. As for Pioneer Chicken, in Echo Park, it did not have indoor seating at first. You had to order the delicious chicken from a window, sort of like from a hotdog/hamburger stand. The building's exterior colors were sky blue, orange, and white. Great place to get crispy fried chicken! Did go to the Pioneer Chicken in Boyle Heights. Absolutely the same flavors and ambiance that I remembered as a kid!

  • @Des_Zee
    @Des_Zee Před 4 lety +7

    "orange whip? Orange whip?? 3 orange whips"🤣

    • @AH-rl9ev
      @AH-rl9ev Před 4 lety +2

      Lol! I miss John Candy....

  • @3939michele
    @3939michele Před 4 lety +1

    One of my favorites (after Mrs. Knotts). We had one at the corner of National Bl. and McLaughlin in West L.A.

  • @xbiggermx
    @xbiggermx Před 4 lety +7

    I got caught in the middle of a shoot out at the Pioneer on Soto & Whittier. Right after a back yard punk gig we played

    • @SteveCarras
      @SteveCarras Před 4 lety

      THAT"s the one that I go to..(PS I mentioned earlier today, that it's S/w corner ,I forgot, it's s/e.)

    • @noahperez961
      @noahperez961 Před 4 lety

      GOOD FOOD AND INTERTAINMENT.

  • @josephD32
    @josephD32 Před 5 měsíci

    I remember Pioneer Chicken here in Bakersfield and that iconic sign back when I was a little kid.
    Awesome to see that they still exist.

  • @TheaterBobster
    @TheaterBobster Před 4 lety

    Thats COOL.
    I remember Pioneer Chicken.
    Back in the day. The sing did rotate with a motor.
    Thanks for the memory.

  • @sw2938
    @sw2938 Před 4 lety +9

    Love the “gizzards in a basket”

    • @MiaMaven
      @MiaMaven Před 4 lety +1

      Yaaaaas! The Gizzards are soooo freaking good. I wish we had these in Vegas.

    • @sw2938
      @sw2938 Před 4 lety +1

      Mia maven me too. I live in Vegas now.

  • @trishamorriston3737
    @trishamorriston3737 Před 4 lety

    Remember seeing the Pioneer Resturants years ago. Very cool you are going to these little known places that are left.

  • @helgabullabong
    @helgabullabong Před 4 lety +12

    Love the choice of food spots, but secretly hoping Big the Foot tells you where to go each morning?

  • @jeffvader894
    @jeffvader894 Před 4 lety

    Your Star Wars shirt is such a crazy coincidence. The first time I saw Star Wars when I was a wee lad of 7 years old in San Diego had me standing in line for what seemed an eternity as the line wrapped all the way around the building and stretched across the parking lot to the Pioneer Chicken. It was an amazing day.

  • @QueenBeeBeautyXO
    @QueenBeeBeautyXO Před 4 lety +6

    OMG! I LOVE THAT CHICKEN! They had good fried fish too!!

  • @markbeaver5010
    @markbeaver5010 Před 4 lety

    I grew up eating Pioneer chicken, miss it very much so thanks for the tour!!

  • @GDavis49
    @GDavis49 Před 4 lety +19

    Nothing says take out chicken like Chef Boyardee in a covered wagon.

    • @alexcarter8807
      @alexcarter8807 Před 4 lety +2

      All marching in some kind of a caravan, with all kinds of other characters including a big dinosaur..... their commercials were nuts.

    • @Tloc103
      @Tloc103 Před 4 lety +1

      That sign is the best. Look at how cool the pioneer holding the plate of chicken is.

    • @noobzrule
      @noobzrule Před 3 lety

      When cell phones look like a brick 😂

  • @melindanash9990
    @melindanash9990 Před 4 lety

    Adam you bring great memories of my childhood walking to my local Pioneer Chicken for a meal.

  • @rmat.847
    @rmat.847 Před 4 lety +9

    A drive through Westminster will reveal several "Pioneer Chicken" shaped signs, repurposed for the current tennants.

    • @malfuncsean
      @malfuncsean Před 4 lety +1

      Yep! That's near my old hood.

    • @lilorbielilorbie2496
      @lilorbielilorbie2496 Před 4 lety +1

      @@malfuncsean Westminster is my old hood. Had some good times "growing up" there in the 60's/80's.

    • @malfuncsean
      @malfuncsean Před 4 lety +1

      lilorbie lilorbie Did you grow up going to Westminster Mall?

    • @lilorbielilorbie2496
      @lilorbielilorbie2496 Před 4 lety +1

      @@malfuncsean Oh my gosh I spent soooo much time at the Westminster Mall I should have got a job there. It was the place to hang out with my friends long before this social media stuff ruined everything. Sadly some of those friends are no longer with us. I saw the video of Adam going to the mall to get a Orange Julius. The mall sure has changed a lot since the last time I was there.

    • @mmarcz
      @mmarcz Před 4 lety

      Remember when Westminster mall used to have the food court directly in the middle of the mall with all those awesome ramps to the lower level?? That was awesome as a kid. They ruined it by moving it to the Sears wing.

  • @rljensen3
    @rljensen3 Před 4 lety

    I grew up in Orange County. I totally forgot about Pioneer Chicken. I saw this in my feed and did a quick search for commercials of it in the 80's. You're awesome Adam. Thank you.

  • @BlackDogEddie
    @BlackDogEddie Před 4 lety +7

    "Carmalita" reference - nice!

  • @1973mre
    @1973mre Před 4 lety +2

    The fact that there is a Winchells above the one pioneer sign that brings back memories

  • @LA_CON21
    @LA_CON21 Před 4 lety +6

    The Bell location was the spot I would go to when I was in Downey.

    • @bruinsbeatsc
      @bruinsbeatsc Před 4 lety +1

      Maaaan that is ooooold school! I remember that Pioneer chicken wayyy back in the day. Reminds me of my youth. Grew up right down the street from that spot. Vintage

    • @zoilakhan1190
      @zoilakhan1190 Před 4 lety +2

      My sister would ditch lunch at Bell High School back in 1980 -84 to get food from there.

    • @MrLA75
      @MrLA75 Před 4 lety

      @@zoilakhan1190 Heck yeah. Class of 88. GO Eagles.

    • @javiercarrillo8208
      @javiercarrillo8208 Před 4 lety +2

      It’s actually in Bell Gardens, next City over

  • @QueenBeeBeautyXO
    @QueenBeeBeautyXO Před 4 lety +4

    That place makes me feel really old,was going there since I was a small kid! LOL

  • @davenelson7159
    @davenelson7159 Před 4 lety +9

    "I'm goin' in!"

  • @iKristin04
    @iKristin04 Před 4 lety

    I’ve made it a tradition now to watch these videos on my lunch break at work. That way I’m eating while you’re eating and then I don’t get hungry watching!

  • @TomAlderman1978
    @TomAlderman1978 Před 4 lety +4

    Man, it would be fun to hangout with you guys.

  • @insertpienow
    @insertpienow Před 4 lety +1

    Awesome.....its Sean......your best sidekick.....

  • @josebass82
    @josebass82 Před 4 lety +8

    Do King Taco next time. My favorite chain tacos in Socal.

    • @TheDailyWoo
      @TheDailyWoo  Před 4 lety +8

      I just might have to check it out

    • @earthcalling9114
      @earthcalling9114 Před 4 lety +3

      Al Pastro burrito with the hot sauce. 😋

    • @siteone1354
      @siteone1354 Před 4 lety +2

      I’ve been commenting this on most of his videos. I don’t live in LA anymore but as soon as I visit and land at LAX my cousin takes me straight to King Taco in East LA....

    • @davek5027
      @davek5027 Před 4 lety +2

      King Taco rules!!!!

    • @Sunny_B4
      @Sunny_B4 Před 4 lety

      My family is friends with the King Taco family. I remember spending Christmas at their house 1 year and accidentally getting locked in their bathroom. They had only 1 restaurant back then. Just down the street from their house. They were good people Raul and his wife.

  • @AdventuresThatROCK
    @AdventuresThatROCK Před 4 lety

    LOVE LOVE LOVE Pioneer Chicken!! Had no idea there were any remaining!!!

  • @carloscarpinteyro332
    @carloscarpinteyro332 Před 4 lety +8

    Thanks for this! They were all over! when I lived in Hollywood, Western and Hollywood Blvds. were the apex of the red light district! Thanks for the history of the chain. I thought that we were going to get a 2-for-1 vlog day, when I saw the Winchell's donut sign in the beginning.

  • @Jon.......
    @Jon....... Před 4 lety

    Awe ... the memories ... I worked at the Pioneer Chicken on Turnpike Rd across from San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara for a total of 1 hour while I was in high school (there was a misunderstanding about my availability to work). Good to see they're still around.

  • @punchline43
    @punchline43 Před 4 lety +5

    2:25 Whoa is that a ufo heading down to the "P"? I can't really make it out 😕.

  • @everettalcantara1887
    @everettalcantara1887 Před 2 lety

    When I was a little kid I remember my babysitter would take me to Pioneer chicken and correct me if I'm wrong but I remember they had fried chicken smothered in a tangy barbecue sauce. It was my favorite meal whenever we went there for lunch. The sauce was so tasty and delicious! Fun times at Pioneer chicken.

  • @gissneric
    @gissneric Před 4 lety +3

    It must be so good that Adam forgot how to differentiate chicken parts 😁

  • @bnkydaclwn
    @bnkydaclwn Před 4 lety

    Thank you for going. Pioneer is the spot. The current food is so close to how I remember it. China King in Buena Park has the old Pioneer sign.

  • @mandymorrow5473
    @mandymorrow5473 Před 4 lety +6

    Adam, if there's a Church's Chicken anywhere near you, it would be really nice if you could do a food review there. I've never been there as there are no establishments near me, but I've heard great things about it and would love to hear/see your experience. However, I completely understand if that's not possible as of yet due to the weird times we're living in.

    • @ol59kafer92
      @ol59kafer92 Před 4 lety +1

      Hi wanna let you know there is a church's chicken in Riverside Ca on University and I believe Kansas st. Try it out it's good, I drive all the way from Corona for their chicken

    • @jeffalbillar7625
      @jeffalbillar7625 Před 4 lety

      They have/had a bunch in south central close to USC. CHURCH'S was my favorite

    • @earlenem5745
      @earlenem5745 Před 4 lety

      We have Church's Chicken where I'm at sometime you got to watch where you go to cuz most of the time their chicken is raw inside bleeding just not done they closed when I'm down and remodeled Valentine is there chicken is still the same not done

    • @kimberlyhenshaw8368
      @kimberlyhenshaw8368 Před 4 lety

      It’s been a long time since I have had Church’s Chicken. Definitely worth it if you can find one.

  • @SuperJK-Man
    @SuperJK-Man Před 4 lety +1

    Loved this place as a kid in San Francisco. That orange batter has some magic crack on it that made it so good. Pioneer Chicken was also in the music video by Debarge, Rhythm of the Night. And I believe OJ Simpson may have owned one on Olympic Ave , which is closed for several years now.
    Awesome video 🤙🏻

  • @illijah
    @illijah Před 4 lety +3

    You’re doing the Lords work

  • @RipRideVlogIt
    @RipRideVlogIt Před 4 lety +2

    Really enjoying this series, bringing a sense of normality to these crazy times! Keep safe and looking forward to the next video 🤙

  • @BongDonky
    @BongDonky Před 11 měsíci

    I have not eaten there in 30 some years. Pioneer is where my family bought chicken. Lots of memories of Pioneer Chicken.

  • @ohc1492
    @ohc1492 Před 4 lety

    26 episodes of not getting anything out of these videos but hunger. So much hunger. And living so far away. And on quarantine. And in some other country.
    Adam, you're killing me.

  • @meimei295
    @meimei295 Před 4 lety

    Awwww! Thank you Adam! I remember, as a little kid, driving around "town" with my dad and seeing this sign. This would have been late 70's... what a wonderful memory! 🙂
    Thank you for you channel! ....and the food looks great!

  • @gsuswlily
    @gsuswlily Před 3 lety +1

    I love this place!!! My mom always took me there as a young girl, now I'm 44, last time i went with my mom was May 2020, she passed away August 😢, so when I'm in LA i stop by & pick up a meal for me & my boyz...I was there last wk ordering a meal, spanish rice is a must!!! I love to keep my mom's memories going with our Pioneer Chicken take out. I love the cryspiness & don't mind the grease lol