"Howard Johnson's was the king of the road," one former franchise owner told Eater. "The love affair with Burger Chef remains strong," a Hardee's marketing executive said in 2007when Hardee's brought back Burger Chef's iconic Big Shef. After her family migrated from Mexico to Texas in the 1890s, Adelaida Cuellar began selling her handmade tamales at her county fair. La Belle Vie. March 1, 2023 1:10 pm. But then, things took a ride. We promise this Tex-Mex chain restaurant will quickly become a family favorite! Family Style. } More than half of the locations were finally converted to Roy Rogers, and the rest was closed. In 1982, they sold the bulk of their restaurants to Marriott. 58 (tie) EL TACO TOTE. Many weren't surprised when Metromedia filed for bankruptcy in 2008. Starting out as RoBee's House of Beef in Indiana, Roy Rogers became the more common name for this chain in 1968. 13. The Bannister Mall was the location I remember visiting. The timing was perfect, with Mexican food a trendy choice for diners at that time. The original light showcase closed in 1983. About 25 Chicken Delights are operating today, in central Canada and the New York City area. El Pollo Loco Pappasitos Cantina is undoubtedly one of the best Tex-Mex chain restaurants in America. 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e. Walgreen's has a penchant for branching out beyond your traditional pharmacy goodssome even sell beer and wine these days. New Balance > Decline alone for the industry leader, McDonalds, exceeded $38 billion in 2018. > Number of U.S. units: 743. Really good, not expensive home cooked food. He worked management jobs at Del Taco, and in the 1980s, struck by the quality and efficiency of El Pollo Loco, he started his own chain of Mexican-style broiled chicken, Juan Pollo, which still . Annie's Santa Fe was a popular Mexican restaurant during the 1980s and 1990s which had locations at several local malls, including Oak Park Mall and Bannister Mall. We highly recommend trying some of the signature items on Uncle Julios menu, like the chocolate pinata, alongside some of the classics such as enchiladas and quesadillas. So, if youre an ethically-conscious fan of Mexican cuisine, you should definitely check out Chipotle if you havent already! "They just let Ritzy's somewhat atrophy over the next eight or 10 years, and it dwindled down to seven locations," Webb said to The Dallas Observer in 2004. But that was only true for so long. We hope that this guide to the best Mexican restaurant chains in America (see also Ranking The Top 18 Pizza Chains In America) has shown you that there are plenty more Mexican food options than Chipotle and Taco Bell although these two have more than earned their popularity! So if you want a scoop of that Chunky Dory Fudge, head to Ohio or Kentucky. Most of them are in the Southwest, though, with few locations in North America. Many locations were converted to Hardee's in the '90s after the burger chain bought Rax. Although it didn't hold up against Chili's, TGI Fridays, and Applebee's, there was a time when it was fairly ubiquitous throughout the states. Its channel, Wag's had 91 restaurants, all open 24 hours a day, serving your standard rate of Denny'Sque. > U.S. sales: $868 million But '80s kids rejoice: A revived Naugles has been in Fountain Valley, California, since 2015. if( 'moc.sihttae.www' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { El Torito is one of the longest-standing Mexican chain restaurants in America, dating all the way back to 1954! The trade publication Restaurant Business releases, an annual ranking of the nations top 250 restaurant chains. California has the most with 822. But the chain got an extra boost in the 1980s, thanks to its spokesman,O.J. 60 (tie) BOBBY SALAZAR'S MEXICAN FOODS. Family Style. And for more failed eateries, Only 1970s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants. Over the course of its first 20 years of business, the chain staked its claim on 19 states, serving its famous burgers and fried chicken in roughly 400 restaurants. The Fun Meal, as they called it, launched in the early '70s and also included stories about Burger Chef lore, including the chain's mascot Jeff, the Burgerini (a magician), Count Fangburger (a vampire), Burgerilla (a gorilla), and Cackleburger (a witch). Your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here! When the chainfiled for bankruptcy in 1988 There were 300 pioneering chickens throughout the country. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); March 2, 2023 11:00 am. The best Mexican restaurant chains list includes fast food Mexican restaurants like La Salsa, Rubio's Coastal Grill, and Chipotle as well as sit down Mexican chains like Acapulco and Chevy's. Mexican chain restaurants include any taco restaurant where you can order Mexican cuisine. I wish it was always there.". Support . That pitfall sadly brought Chicken George down in 1986, when Holmes filed for liquidation after falling into over $1.4 million in debt to private creditors and the IRS. Howard Johnson's. There is one Howard Johnson's restaurant left in the country, in New York's Lake George. AlthoughCharlie Beefsteak slogan Was: "I will feed you as there is no tomorrow," sadly, tomorrow came for this chain restaurant by the end of the 1980s. 22. > U.S. sales: $835 million ", Beefsteak Charlie's has been a part of New York pop culture since it became a chain in the mid-1970s. Get the best food tips and diet advice Growth was especially strong in the Midwest which was targeted as a region susceptible to their appeal. Simpson. That's what Bennigan's, an Irish-themed bar and grill, offered in the 1980s. Credit: Visit Houston Texas. But in 1987, Beefsteak Charlie's was sold to Bombay Palace Restaurants and went out of business soon thereafter. At its height, there were nearly 100 restaurants in The national level, which was quite the Founder Graydon D. Webb. 12. Del Taco is headquartered in Lake Forest California, and is led by CEO John D. Cappasola Jr. Fuzzys Taco Shop } Del Taco "You could make money anywhere." By the mid-'80s, all the Doggie Diners had shut down. Vegan-friendly Beyond Meat tacos, nachos, and bowls are available, too. Its fried chicken articulation quickly became one of the largest chains belonging to the country. U.S. sales alone for the industry leader, McDonalds, exceeded $38 billion in 2018. Without that bright orange chicken, Monday Night Football was never the same. At the end of the 1980s, the restaurant was bought out by Foodmaker Inc., but ultimately they continued to experience store closures in the U.S. . Now that's what you call living out your childhood dream. Still another Texan, founded in Dallas in 1986, Uncle Julios features mesquite-grilled fajitas, guacamole made tableside, and chocolate piatas for dessert. Buffalo locations, 1979. 58 (tie) SANTIAGO'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT. On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina Family Style. Minnie Pearl's Chicken. In addition to fish and other tacos, the menu includes chicken tortilla soup and a Baja chopped bowl. "Come on into Pup 'n' Taco and give your tummy a treat"we wish we could! According toEaterFor the height of his popularity in the 1960s, Howard Johnson served "more meals outside the home than any American entity, with the exception of the US military.". here is19 old joyful toys that will bring you back to your childhood. single Many Naugles became Del Tacos, and eventually, Naugles disappeared. However, it's also a derogatory term used to refer to Black Americans, which was part of the reason this chain restaurant eventually failed. ), After the movie came out, All-American Burger, which was only in the Los Angeles area, experienced a brief boom. All Rights Reserved. You could eat as much shrimp, salad, beer, and ribs as you ever could have wantedall for under $20, according to Bklyner. To this day . The trade publication Restaurant Business releases an annual ranking of the nations top 250 restaurant chains. > Number of U.S. units: 6,588. Bombay Bicycle Club was a hugely popular restaurant and bar in the 1980s. But '80s kids probably didn't get to experience much of it. And some fan of Fan Favorites - like Burger Chef, G.D.'S Ritzy and Howard Johnson have not fallen by the road. (The number of units for each chain was computed at the same time, and may have changed since then.) (The number of units for each chain was computed at the same time, and may have changed since then.) Whether you are in their delicious skins of red potatoes or the iconic Irish tower O'Rings, Bennigan was a success in the 1980s. Although it didn't hold up against Chili's, TGI Fridays, and Applebee's, there was a time when it was fairly ubiquitous throughout the states. Tortillas at Chuys are handmade daily, all the ingredients are fresh (not frozen), and there are 10 homemade salsas. At its pinnacle in the 1970s, Burger Chef had 1,200 locations and was a thriving competitor of McDonald's. VIP's was a 24-hour West Coast casual dining chain that got its start in Oregon in 1968. It was the kind of offer they could not refuse, but it was also the beginning of the end for VIP. Another Texas-born chain, this one from Fort Worth, Fuzzys has units around the country, all over Texas and also in Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, and North and South Carolina. There were at least 300 Rax locations by the mid-'80s; there were even locations in Guatemala and Canada. 11. > U.S. sales: $739 million They sold roast beef sandwiches, fried chicken, and milkshakes throughout America. DEL TACO. And though there was a sole storefront holding on for dear life in Nebraska, it too closed in 2017. D'Lites (1978-1987) Norcross, GA. More than 100. By the end of this article, you should know of a few new Mexican chain restaurants to try (see also 23 Most Popular Chain Restaurants In The United States)! Founder Russ Wendell's vision was, at the time, fairly unique: hot dogs served alongside a less common quick-service option for the eratacos. Taco Cabana By 1984, there were 60 locations. Among these are the Democrat (barbacoa, avocado, and cotija cheese on corn tortillas) and the Republican (grilled jalapeo sausage, pico de gallo, and cheddar jack on a flour tortilla). Chuys sets itself apart from much of the competition in the Mexican restaurant industry by rolling their tortillas by hand and serving only fresh ingredients. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { El Pollo Loco first opened in 1975. Briazz. But if you'd kill for an Ollieburger, check out this copycat recipe to satisfy your craving. Fast . Brigham's - a Boston-area ice cream parlor and restaurant chain that closed in 2013 [2] Britling Cafeterias. If you were a kid in the '80s, there's a good chance you had a birthday party or two at Showbiz Pizza Place. Nine years in, Naugle sold his modest three-location chain to a businessman named Harold Butler, who took the concept and ran with it. The original Chuys appeared in 1982 in Austin, Texas. Chi-Chi's. The original Lum's storefront closed its doors in 1983. Whether youre looking for great-value Tex-Mex (see also 17 Most Popular Chilis Menu Items) or your standard burger and fries, you wont be disappointed by a trip to this restaurant. Eventually, they renamed several locations to No Place Like Sam's or Jolly Tiger instead. Sambo started in 1957 in Santa Barbara, California, reachingMaximum popularity In the late 1970s, more than 1,100 restaurants in 47 states.