In 1979, McDonald's launched its Happy Meal. Bombay Bicycle Club. "Bennigan's was the weakest of the major players," one analyst told the Associated Press at the time. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-53563316-1&cid=f144672c-2951-48cc-b4dc-791ab362ad06&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=1634620965478683196'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); El Pollo Loco EatThis.com is part of the AllRecipes Food Group, Published on September 18, 2019 | 1:49 PM. The original Chuys appeared in 1982 in Austin, Texas. RELATED: The easy way to make healthier comfort foods. But all hope was not lost. 1. There were 60 locations in the New York metropolitan area by 1984. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the chains locations are focused in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. But in 1989, Red Barn went out not with a bang, but a whimper. 9. If you grew up in the '80s, there's a good chance you went to at least one of these restaurants. Moes Southwest Grill isnt just famous for its classic Mexican food (which is incredible) but also for the carefully-chosen music thats always playing at this chain restaurant. VIP's was a 24-hour West Coast casual dining chain that got its start in Oregon in 1968. Family Style. Originally part of the Pillsbury Corp., the restaurant was founded in 1976. By the turn of the century, there were fewer than a dozen Howard Johnson's left standing. If youve ever heard the phrase Taco Tuesday, this was actually coined by Taco Johns, and what many people dont know is that the phrase has actually been trademarked by the restaurant! And any New York kid in the 1980s grew up loving this chain, thanks to its unlimited portions. But that was only true for so long. Chains dont figure, for instance, in our list of the best Mexican restaurants in every state. 2. Howard Johnson's might just hold the title for most sorely-missed failed restaurant chain of not just the '80s, but any era. The Tex-Mex Invasion. Without further ado, were going to be listing the 16 best Mexican chain restaurants in America, describing the style of the menu for each one (see also Americas Best Buffet Restaurants). Nevertheless, if you had the chance to experiment with the puppy 'N' Taco, you probably can not get thetinkle out of your head. Any American fan of Mexican food will be familiar with Chipotle. U.S. sales alone for the industry leader, McDonald's, exceeded $38 billion in 2018. Pears, popular with college students in the 1980s and '90s. . Anyone who lived in middle America and grew up in the '80s likely knows the odd name G.D. Ritzy's. > U.S. sales: $324 million The trade publication Restaurant Business releases an annual ranking of the nations top 250 restaurant chains. Since then, nearly 400 other Taco Johns venues have opened in the Midwest as well as in some of the Mountain states, so its clear that the combination of Midwest and Mexican cuisine has been a hit. Because Mexican food is so beloved throughout the United States, there are many chain restaurants that either specialize in or exclusively serve Mexican food. Pizza Haven - Australian pizza chain; Pumper Nic - chain in Argentina; founded in 1974 and closed in 1999; Pup 'N' Taco; Red Barn; Royal Castle - one franchise location survived after chain was liquidated in 1975; Sandy's; ShowBiz Pizza Place - Merged into Chuck E. Cheese Beefsteak Charlie's is part of New York's pop culture because it has become a chain in the mid-1970s. Rubios Coastal Grill And any New York child in the 1980s grew up love this chain, thanks to its unlimited portions. Chipotle Mexican Grill Does this list bring back any memories? There arent as many Baja Fresh locations as there are for other Mexican fast food chains, so be sure to look up the nearest Baja Fresh and try it out when you can! 1977: Fine Wine and Italian Style. But '80s kids probably didn't get to experience much of it. Arro - closed February . The trade publication Restaurant Business releases, an annual ranking of the nations top 250 restaurant chains. Its chain, Wag's, had 91 restaurants, all open 24 hours, serving your standard Denny's-esque fare. By the mid-'80s, all the Doggie Diners had shut down. 8. Del Taco restaurant, Inc. is an American fast food chain that specializes Mexican and American cuisine. Briazz. This trap unfortunately brought Chicken George in 1986, when Holmes tabled for liquidation after declining more than $ 1.4 million in debt to private creditors and IRS. JoJos in the ring around the mall 625 . First founded in Ohio in 1980, the 1950s-style restaurant grew quickly, with about 100 locations at its peak. During its first 20 years of activity, the chain plunged its claims on 19 states, serving its famous burgers and fries in about 400 restaurants. We love that Moes Southwest Grill strives to provide an entertaining and unique Mexican dining experience by combining traditional Mexican fast food with a playlist of game-changing musical artists. But '80s kids rejoice: A revived Naugles has been in Fountain Valley, California, since 2015. if( 'moc.sihttae.www' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { The sale put Walgreen's "completely out of the food business," The New York Times reported. This meticulously-researched gem recalls dozens of shuttered restaurants going all the way back to Denver's earliest days. And for another trip in memory memory, check these15 classical American desserts that deserve a return. Check out the top 10 Mexican chains in the United States according to Restaurant Business based on sales: You can almost taste the burgers, hot dogs, and fries just looking at it. Qdoba Mexican Eats The chain began in the mid-1950s in Miami but grew to be a nationwide phenomenon, with more than 400 restaurants in the 1970s at the height of its success. > Number of U.S. units: 35. > Number of U.S. units: 6,588. So if you want a scoop of that Chunky Dory Fudge, head to Ohio or Kentucky. Among the meats offered, are unusual sweet pork barbacoa and spicy Hatch chile pork options. "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. Howard Johnson's. Photo courtesy of thedailymeal.com. Sambo started in 1957 in Santa Barbara, California, reachingMaximum popularity In the late 1970s, more than 1,100 restaurants in 47 states. Chains dont figure, for instance, in our list of, the best Mexican restaurants in every state, Source: Keithready / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons, Source: Photo taken by Bobak Ha'Eri. 24/7 Tempo delved further into the list to come up with the top 15 Mexican chains in America (the farthest down came in at No. Taco Bell just getting started in Arizona (1966) Bell started his specialized Mexican food drive-in at Barstow [California] in 1962. Sadly, to the dismay of fans across the country, Burger Chef failed to keep up and was ultimately sold to the owner of Hardee's in the early '80s. But this same year, 99 of them wereSold in Taco Bell, all but erase the brand. 25. The timing was perfect, with Mexican food a trendy choice for diners at that time. 17 Failed Chain Restaurants From the 1990s, Only 1990s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants, Long Island and NYC Places that are no more/Facebook, The One '80s Snack You Should Never Eat Again, Says Science, Only 1970s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants, Only 1980s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants. Even though it's only been gone a short time, I miss the original Antone's on Taft. > Number of U.S. units: 143. Oklahoma City Mexican Restaurants 1983. This California burger restaurant became all the rage, thanks to an appearance in the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Similar restaurants that were more adaptable to changing tastes became fierce competitors. But according to The Washington Post, Holmes "knew little about cash flow," despite the restaurant's great marketing. In 1981. Today, one of the dachshunds still rotates near the San Francisco Zoo. The Tex-Mex menu at Taco Cabana, which calls itself a Mexican patio cafe, lists all the usual items (tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc. 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 . Franchises dominate in this market, with Taco Bell having more than twice as many restaurants as its nearest non-franchised competitor, and Qdoba and Moe's taking third and fourth place in the list of . Missing those iconic kids' meals? Between 2001 and 2011, Country Kitchen closed almost 200 locations, with the total number of restaurants falling from 249 to 52, as sales declined by more than 80% during the same period. Howard Johnson's is synonymous with 1950s and '60s dining. Forsaken Fotos / Flickr. 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). By the mid-'80s, there were nearly 100 D'Lites locations across the country. Gino's Hamburgers. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); The menu includes queso, guacamole, both soft and crispy tacos, Big As Yo Face burritos, and Elvis Green Chile Fried Chicken (breaded with crushed potato chips). That's what Bennigan's, an Irish-themed bar and grill, offered in the 1980s. Qdoba comes out of Denver, where its ancestor, called Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill, opened in 1995. The original Del Taco opened in the Mojave Desert town of Yermo, California, in 1964. By 1984, there were 60 locations. Pizza with Duck Sausage wins quick stardom. This chain of Mexican restaurants got its start in Minneapolis in 1975, sharing space with a bar owned by an ex-NFL player. And the controversy is for good business! West-Mex is Midwest-based Mexican cuisine, and thats exactly what you can find on the menu at Taco Johns. Originally Sambo's Restaurant (chain) in the 1960's, then rebranded as Jolly Tiger in the early 1970's. Oddly, it was changed back to Sambo's in the early 1980's rebranded (again!) 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. Launched by a former Del Taco partner in 1970, Naugles featured simple Cal-Mex food like basic cheese burritos or ground beef crispy tacos. In the late 1980s, if you lived . But with more customers came more scrutiny, and it wasn't long before anti-discrimination protests against Sambo's began. La Belle Vie. He rapidly expanded to 225 outlets by 1986. to promote fast food franchises serving pita sandwiches. And for more nostalgia, don't miss these 17 Failed Chain Restaurants From the 1990s. "Kiki's How a little neighborhood restaurant grew to be a community tradition", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Mexican_restaurants&oldid=1135522955, Belgium-based restaurant chain that was originally the European branch of the now defunct American company, Based in Mexico, not related to U.S. company, Based in the United States, not related to Mexican company. New French Cafe. However, it's also a derogatory term used to refer to Black Americans, which was part of the reason this chain restaurant eventually failed. First called JAX Roast Beef, then RIX Roast Beef, Rax Roast Beef was popular for its roast beef sandwiches, baked potatoes, and salad bars. Your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here! > U.S. sales: $739 million In 1977, Mr. Paul purchased the steakhouse. Many Tex-Mex lovers will tell you that Taco Bueno is the best place to go for American-style Mexican food. Its channel, Wag's had 91 restaurants, all open 24 hours a day, serving your standard rate of Denny'Sque. Burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, nachos, salads, and more are available. 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e. We won't fault you for getting misty-eyed over these failed fast-food chain restaurants from the 1980s. 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)! Cafe Rio Mexican Grill Jim's Tiffany Place. Originating in El Paso, Texas, Pancho's Mexican Buffet grew in popularity, thanks to its all-you-can-eat "buffet"-style service. New Balance > Decline alone for the industry leader, McDonalds, exceeded $38 billion in 2018. 7. La Petite Boulangerie wanted to be every neighborhood's neighborhood marketand in the '80s, they made a pretty good run at doing just that. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { Gd the first open Ritzy opened in 1980, but when you entered one, you were instantly transported to the classic ambience of the 1950s dinner. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { 10. (Now owned by Yum! Get the best food tips and diet advice every single day, Now, you'll have the best and latest food and healthy eating news right in your inboxevery Here's a list of iconic Austin restaurants who have closed in recent years: Alcomar - closed May 2018. The Earles were on the cusp of the growing appetite for Mexican food, and it was prepared with care and flavor in both locations. Many locations were converted to Hardee's in the '90s after the burger chain bought Rax. ), Once the film came out, All American Burger, which was only in the Los Angeles area, has seen a brief boom. In 1982,Denny's offered the company About $ 12 million to buy 35 VIP locations. Whether you were into their delicious cheesy potato skins or the iconic Irish Tower O'Rings, Bennigan's was a hit in the 1980s. El Pollo Loco is famous for its Mexican-style chicken dishes specifically, grilled chicken. But the chain got an extra boost in the 1980s, thanks to its spokesman,O.J. And for kids, in particular, Burger Chef was the top choice: It was the first fast-food chain to include toys with its kids' meals. After her family migrated from Mexico to Texas in the 1890s, Adelaida Cuellar began selling her handmade tamales at her county fair. If you're from that neck of the woods, then you probably remember the chain's seven-foot-tall, rotating dachshunds in chef's hats and bowties that stood outside each of the restaurants. Friday's, the chain fell behind. At its footwear popularity, Doggie Dinner had 30 places in the golden state, but unfortunately competing with larger chains such as McDonald's in this chain unfolds. This restaurant is part of a larger family of restaurants known as the Pappas family-owned restaurants. } else { Though Beefsteak Charlie's slogan was, "I'll feed you like there's no tomorrow," sadly, tomorrow came for this chain restaurant by the end of the 1980s. But in 1970, he left this company to build his own Mexican style chain: Naugles in the south of California. 321. First opened a half-century ago in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and still based there, Taco Johns calls its fare West-Mex. Now operating in 22 states, the chain offers some unusual additions to the usual Mexican chain menu for instance, a meat and potato burrito, stuffed grilled tacos, and flauta-like Mexi Rolls, served with a choice of dipping sauces.
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