If You Remember These 5 Restaurant Chains, You Grew Up in the Golden Age of American Dining
What now feels average- sitting down at your favorite chain and eating the same meal that is offered at any of the locations around the country- once felt like a fine-dining experience. Once upon a time, chain restaurants were peaking in cultural prominence. It felt special to feast on standardized comfort foods. Your favorite chain also offered elaborate tableside service, likely better than at more mom-and-pop-style restaurants. But rapid expansion, inflation, and profit-maximizing strategies pushed golden-age chains out of business or into decline. Did you grow up during the “golden age” of American dining? If you remember these 5 restaurant chains, the answer is probably yes.
Howard Johnson’s
With its orange roof, Howard Johnson’s, once the largest restaurant chain in the US, was a roadside staple. The chain peaked in popularity during the 1960s and 1970s with over 1,000 locations, and was a favorite of diners across the country. However, when CEO Howard B. “Bud” Johnson sold the company to Imperial Group (a British tobacco company) in 1979 for $630 million, it became more corporate. After just five years, Imperial sold the brand to Marriott for about half the price, and Howard Johnson Hotels was born. The final Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Lake George, N.Y. closed in 2022.
Steak and Ale
Steak and Ale, the Original salad bar pioneer, was America’s favorite steakhouse long before Longhorn and Outback Steakhouse, serving affordable steaks in a more casual dining experience than people were used to. The first restaurant opened in 1966, and by the 1980s, it was operating more than 280. Eventually, it filed for bankruptcy and rapidly started closing restaurants. By 2008, none remained. However, in 2024, Steak and Ale opened a brand-new restaurant inside the Wyndham Nicollet Inn in Burnsville, Minnesota.
Bennigan’s
Bennigan’s is another nostalgia-inducing eatery that opened over 50 years ago and serves Irish food in a bar-restaurant setting. It opened during the 1970s and remained popular through the 1990s, peaking at over 300 locations. Since then, it has changed hands a few times and is now run by CEO Paul Mangiamele and his wife, Gwen. It still serves the iconic Monte Cristo sandwich. “The ONLY place left to get the REAL Monte Cristo!!! Still the best one ever made, and served by any restaurant!” one fan shared. “I miss Bennigans!! And their Monte Christo was in fact delicious,” a Redditor says. “The Monte Cristos were soooooo good. My parents would take us there about once per month and that was my go-to,” another added.
Chi-Chi’s
Chi-Chi’s, a kitschy Mexican chain founded in Minneapolis in 1976, was once America’s most beloved Tex-Mex restaurant, famous for having the best fried ice cream on the planet. During the 1970s and 1980s, it was operating over 200 restaurants. By 2004, it went defunct after a 2003 green onion-linked outbreak killed four and sickened hundreds as the Tex-Mex chain was trying to recover from bankruptcy. Over 20 years later, the restaurant was revived by Michael McDermott, the son of Chi-Chi’s original owner, who told the Star Tribune he will convert two restaurants he owns, both Rojo Mexican Grills, into Chi-Chi’s restaurants. The St. Louis Park location is currently open.
Sizzler
Sizzler‘s “Steak. Seafood. Salad. Sizzler.” was its go-to slogan during my childhood, when the salad bar was always a main draw. The restaurant still offers its nostalgic “unlimited salad bar,” where guests can make their own salad or choose from prepared options. There is also a hot bar with unlimited wings, a taco bar, and a pasta bar, and a dessert bar. You can add the endless salad bar to any steak or seafood entree for an additional fee, or you can also order just the unlimited salad bar as your primary meal.