Restaurants you miss

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
350
126
Off the top of my head, a few.

There used to be a BBQ chain named "Love's", mostly in southern California as far as I know, though after they all closed there was oddly one location listed in Indonesia.

The BBQ was good, not amazing, but one dish was - the beans. Anyone who ever had them, I think will have their face brighten at the mention and confirm.

Another is the original Farrell's. Not that amazing - basically an ice cream and restaurant place for families - but it had a really good burger. It re-opened as a chain and then shut down again.

Some are unique, not chains, like "Applewood Inn Pizza" that only locals would know. Not a restaurant, but there was a small business 'Tom's cookies' that supplied local groceries that had the best oatmeal raisin cookies ever., Speaking of cookies, Blue Chip Cookie stores, best chocolate chip ever, are closed outside the headquarters area, but available online, if expensive (over $40 for a dozen).

Others have closed down in the area, but are other places, some nice things but not the best places - Mimi's Cafe, Marie Callendar's. Others are not west coast - Back Yard Burgers, Waffle House hash browns... And yet Jack in the Box and Burger King, with such bad food, are all over.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
57,957
8,204
126
Little Tavern burgers(think White Castle, but local to MD)
Pappys restaurant, Another MD local. They had a few locations I think
Arthur Treachers fish & chips
Josefs a higher end country style German restaurant. He got old, his wife got sick, and he retired
 

Zanovar

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2011
3,446
232
106
There was a great cafe at my end back in the day.Great food.Great portions too.They went bust.shame.the quality of the food and large portions, and cheap prices is probably why they went bust.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,446
126
East Side Restaurant in New Britain, Connecticut. They closed due to COVID, and I'm not sure if they are coming back or not.

I used to be a "Mug Club" member, so I got a free liter beer on my birthday. Hoy, Hoy, Hoy!
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
350
126
loves_wood_pit_barbecue_%2319_escondido_CA.jpg


The-Zoo-Sundae-Farrells-TONETO.jpg
 

Ajay

Lifer
Jan 8, 2001
16,094
8,109
136
The Republic, great downtown eatery. Super fresh farm to table with great and innovative menu choices. CLOSED :(
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,376
5,337
146
a little one-off Mexican place called Rancho Ramona's.
They had the best margarita on the rocks, great food. Now it's the location of a damn car wash.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
452
126
All Old Chicago locations closed down over the spring with all this COVID shit. It hasn't been very long but I already miss it =/
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,746
2,263
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did we not do this very same thread previously?

Im saying, because i remember my answers from the one before.

1. the way KFC used to be back in the early 90s.
At one point i lived in boston and to get to my friend's house i needed to walk in front of a KFC, and i would have to walk the loooooong way around the other way because i could not bring myself to pass that KFC without buying some chicken.

2. red lobstah, the way it was in the 80s.
Again, your idea of red lobster today is probably really different from what it used to be, but in the 80s red lobster was about giving you a shitload of really fresh lobster for very little money, and that my friends is my very idea of heaven.
YES, other lobster restaurants existed, but they were all so fucking pretentious, and instead R.L. was like the fast food of lobster, walk in, yell out your order name, and in 10 min flat you are gonna be elbow deep in steamed lobster and butter.

both of these chains still exist.
neither is anywhere near what they used to be.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
350
126
At one point i lived in boston and to get to my friend's house i needed to walk in front of a KFC, and i would have to walk the loooooong way around the other way because i could not bring myself to pass that KFC without buying some chicken.

Now I want KFC. I generally get the original check breast fill up. I do have some regret over the humanitarian issue about factory chickens.
 

[DHT]Osiris

Lifer
Dec 15, 2015
15,258
13,555
146
B's Cracklin in Savannah, best BBQ I've ever had, and I've had a lot.

Thai Garden in Sumter SC, the best Thai I've had and as far as I'm concerned the best in the world (and I've had multiple people agree who've had some of the best). Could have easily been a Michelin Star restaurant based on the food exclusively. Complete dive otherwise. Unfortunately they moved to Cali.
 

nutxo

Diamond Member
May 20, 2001
6,789
467
126
There was a crappy Chinese buffet we would go to once in a while. I liked the Mongolian grill. It burned down last year.

I would have loved to have had the chance to take my kids to Farrells.

Most of the places I miss are because of me moving around. Jimboys tacos, ricos pizza.
There was a great place in Wellsville, NY called Texas hot that was pretty amazing.
Crytals pizza in Dallas was a pretty interesting joint.
Wienershnizel would be good. Closest one is like 51 miles..
 
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Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
350
126
Wienershnizel would be good. Closest one is like 51 miles..

I didn't see those for decades, now I'm near some - but just have them once in a while. We have various good hot dog and sausage places, I think are maybe a bit better, but the chili at Wienerschnitzel stands out.
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
30,994
12,541
136
When you hit my age, you miss a lot of things the way they used to be.

I miss KFC from the 1970's. I miss Harveys (a Canadian burger chain) from the 1980's. I miss a few local Chinese restaurants.

Hell, I miss getting a hot roast beef sandwich with crinkle-cut fries on the side at K-Mart's cafeteria.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,357
8,445
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los dos amigos. this was one of the last plates of enchiladas they ever served.

rip

9874a195dd553338aff691d04ef469c1.jpg
 
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BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
64,137
12,456
136
Wow...so mny good eateries gone forever...

In Spokane, there was a small chain of steakhouses called Chapter 11...sadly, 2 of the 3 closed in the 90's, not sure if the remaining one is till in business.
In Modesto there was a B-B-Q place called R.J. Sweetwater. GREAT food.. they folded in the mid-90's

And what kid from the 60's and 70's can forget Sambo's? Unfortunately done in by (among other things) political correctness, even though the character in the story wasn't black, but India Indian... Not great food...kind of like Denny's...but good for late night fare...especially after the bars had closed.
 

nutxo

Diamond Member
May 20, 2001
6,789
467
126
Wow...so mny good eateries gone forever...

In Spokane, there was a small chain of steakhouses called Chapter 11...sadly, 2 of the 3 closed in the 90's, not sure if the remaining one is till in business.
In Modesto there was a B-B-Q place called R.J. Sweetwater. GREAT food.. they folded in the mid-90's

And what kid from the 60's and 70's can forget Sambo's? Unfortunately done in by (among other things) political correctness, even though the character in the story wasn't black, but India Indian... Not great food...kind of like Denny's...but good for late night fare...especially after the bars had closed.

When I was real young my mom worked at Sambos. It was a really big deal for me to get the silver dollar pancakes and chocolate milk.
 

SamQuint

Golden Member
Dec 6, 2010
1,155
45
91
Also from Southern California,

I miss
Pup N Taco
Naugles (they are trying to get the chain going again. There is a test kitchen in Fountain Valley)
Pioneer Chicken (I think there are a handful left)
The Green Burrito (They were so much better before Carl's Jr bought out the chain)
Charlie Brown's
Baker's Square (no longer in CA I believe, they had awesome pies)
Polly's Pies (Still 3 locations but most were converted to Lucille's Smokehouse Bar b que)
Roadhouse Grill
 
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