WebI'm not sure about Il Mulino's- maybe late 80-s or early 90's for that one - I think it used to be a bar/restaurant called Pampy's back when John and I hung out in that area - but time flies and I'm bad with dates . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Want to solve climate change? A much-beloved Westside institution with Ohio-style burgers served in a humble diner-like stand along Pico, the Apple Pan makes consistently good sandwiches and pies. Remembering the Restaurant Design of the 80s and 90s in Los Angeles Plus, Uncool Burgers relocates to West Hollywood, and Spoons Patisserie goes on If your main priority is having an extremely fun restaurant experience, Dan Tanas is your place. (Guzzle & Nosh/Flickr Creative Commons), The exterior of Pann's near LAX. Getting into this ancient Victorian mansionit was built in 1909 as a private residence for one of Hollywoods first real estate tycoonstakes some effort (you need to secure an invite from an actual club member), but once youre inside, youll embark on a nostalgic-filled night of up-close magic, strong cocktails, and mechanical owls thatll talk back to you. Country singer Kenny Rogers ventured into the chicken business in 1991. Weve narrowed them down. The drinks are cheap, the food menu is surprisingly solid, and the crowd-watching never disappoints. The waiters still wear red jackets and bow-ties, crab louie is still on the menu, and theres a vintage phone booth in a corner that youll absolutely want to take a photo in. It may have been the site of The Rite Spot, a storied burger stand that claims it created the "hamburger with cheese" (the word "cheeseburger" had yet to be invented). The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008. You won't find the 95-cent fish-and-chips special we saw in a 1968 ad but classic breakfast dishes are still on the menu along with fun twists like Hawaiian bread French toast (highly recommended).601 Fair Oaks, South Pasadena. You can find a full list of former Rainforest Caf locations on Wikipedia. The epitome of an old-school steakhouse, Dal Rae in Pico Rivera dates to the 1950s and is most famous for its pepper steak. While the rest of the country remains grateful to be able to simply taste Thai food, Los Angeles offers the opportunity to taste Thai food from various regions. * 1848 Sycamore Inn Rancho Cucamonga San Bernardino County At this location since 1939. Its most popular dishes, like slippery shrimp and Szechuan chicken, have put the Chinatown restaurant on the map and keeps people from all walks of life returning for more. (Chava Sanchez/LAist), Parking lot view of the busy drive-in restaurant, the Rite Spot Cafe, located at 1500 W. Colorado Street in Eagle Rock. Eventually pieces of the franchise were sold off and it slowly dwindled with the last location closing the mid-1990s. Open from 1929 to 1965, the restaurant and night club was a place where celebrities and socialites alike could enjoy cocktails, a steak dinner, and a night of dancing. By 1958, they enlisted Armet & Davis to construct Pann's, a Space Age-style diner complete with a pointed, gravel-covered roof and interior rock walls. Ham is still very much on the menu. You could argue that Rainbow Bar is more Grunge Hollywood than Old Hollywood and probably have a solid case. Fashion Cafe in New York City gathered iconic models together, like Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Elle MacPherson, and Claudia Schiffer to endorse it. Googie's was one of the Upper East Side's best causal Italian spots and has been missed dearly since it closed in 2008. Order the incredible prime rib. Well, for awhile most of them had their midday meal at the Stock Exchange Luncheon Club, a members-only dining club located on the seventh floor of the New York Stock Exchange, which was founded in 1898. advice every day. Longtime Angelenos swear it has barely changed since the '80s. By now, theyve started to spread. And while the food here is mostly just so-so, its also impossible to have a bad time. Nick's Cafe The affordable and casual Mexican dining experience hadn't been done before and people loved it. Be the first to get expert restaurant recommendations for every situation right in your inbox. American bakery chain, La Petite Boulangerie or "little bakery," did indeed start out small, with only two stores in the beginning. Steak and Ale was ahead of its time. Although it went bankrupt in 2008, the chain sold all of its menu items and brand property to Legendary Restaurant Groupso here's hoping for a comeback! If eating dinner in an over-the-top replica of a Japanese palace, complete with courtyards, a 600-year-old pagoda in the garden, and giant fishbowl cocktails, sounds like something youd be interested in, its time for you to pay Yamashiro a visit. Most of the original dine-in restaurants have closed, but some locations located throughout Mid-Atlantic highway rest-stops serve the food in a cafeteria-style. And while you can have a decent enough prime rib dinner here, the real move is to skip the dining room altogether and head right to the lounge. 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 His chain restaurant, which focused on causal dining, never grew to tremendous popularity. Is Los Angeles really different from the rest of the country? As soon as you enter Dear Johns dining room, youll be transported to another era, one where servers wore tuxedos, martinis were downed like water, and restaurants were too dark to take pictures of your food. Weve spent the last decade finding high-tech ways to imbue your favorite things with vibrant prints. Who could forget the popular brands like Redline, Mongoose or Dynasty was one of the most sexiest TV shows of the '80s. Less than a decade later, the building had changed hands and become the first location of Henry Yost's Salt Shaker chain. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Having ventured into one kind of Japanese restaurant, we soon became curious about the rest. Mexican chain Chevys was founded in 1986 in California. (Elina Shatkin/LAist), An exterior view of Norm's on La Cienega in Los Angeles. You find it at places like City Restaurant, where Indian, Korean, Thai and Japanese dishes share the menu with the foods of France, Italy and the Americas. A carhop, seen beneath the awning right of center, is serving customers. Trip to Malaysia, anyone? (Guzzle & Nosh/Flickr Creative Commons), The exterior of Shakers in South Pasadena. THEN: The diner chain founded by L.A. native and used car salesman Norm Roybark opened its La Cienega location in 1957, where it has been serving affordable omelets, burgers, steaks and stacks of pancakes ever since. The famously debaucherous patio is a bit more buttoned up these days, only allowing hotel guests to eat there with sporadic availability on certain days (a.k.a., if youre famous enough). Westside dive bar legend Chez Jay is still humming along on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica after all these years. The food is pretty interesting, toothink bone-in chicken parmesan, steak tartare served with everything crackers, and tater tots topped with creme fraiche and caviar. Get ready for a serious wave of nostalgia. El Cholo remains packed while still churning out classic traditional enchiladas, burritos, tacos, as well as shaken margaritas. For more than 40 years, a private luncheon club for Manhattan's titans of industry was located 68 floors above Manhattan and nestled into one of the most iconic buildings in New York City. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Nicole Adlman, 20 LA Tourist-Friendly Restaurants That Are Actually Good. Casa Bonita's parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2011, and all of the other locations have closed. Opened in 1997, its become one of the oldest Korean restaurants in LA under the ownership of Jennifer Lee. The two chains continued to grow and add locations until they merged in 1997. We loved the way it looked and we loved the way it tasted. Its an always-full, red-sauce Italian spot with sports memorabilia all over the walls, and nope, thats not weird at all. Located on Seventh Avenue, The Stage was one of the most popular delis in New York City after being founded in 1937 and was known for having a menu full of Broadway-inspired dishes. THEN: Founded in 1958, Rae's has, for years, been a prime meeting spot on the edge of West L.A. and Santa Monica. But even if you arent supporting your roommates middling stand-up career, a night at Boardners is always a good idea. Youll start by loitering in the entryway as they figure out where to put you (and seat more important regulars ahead of you), before huddling around a probably-too-small table covered with a red and white checkered tablecloth. One of the most popular Tiki In 2003, the company filed for bankruptcy, the following year the restaurant was sued for a health outbreak, and by 2004 the restaurant closed for good. Complete The Titles Of These 1980s Action Kelli Maroney Talks About FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, NIGHT OF THE COMET And Her Career In Hollywood, Claudia Wells (BACK TO THE FUTURE) Talks About Working With Michael J. Save. Even French restaurants started leaving out the cream and butter. Sadly, Corky's closed in December 2019 and is reportedly slated for demolition.5043 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks. The fairly traditional steakhouse menu (think jumbo shrimp cocktails and beef wellington) isnt going to melt your mind, but thats what the magic is for. Founded in the early '80s, this chain specializes in a build-your-own salad bar, along with soup and pasta buffet options. THEN: When a San Francisco millionaire feuding with his business partner decided to open a restaurant in Los Angeles, he enlisted Armet & Davis -- the L.A.-based design firm whose Jetson's-style buildings are probably what you imagine when you think of '50s and '60s diners -- to turn his space-age dreams into a reality. It gained massive popularity (in part for its fluffy pancakes) and in the years to follow there would be a chain in 47 states. Although Puck owns other locations of Spago, in 2001 the chef decided to close down the original, which had become an institution amongst Hollywood's heavy hitters. And for more failed chains, Only 1980s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants. And for more, check out these 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback. Santa Monicas iconic, 75-year-oldHot Dog on a Stick stand has revived, reopening after being demolished in March 2022 as an even brighter red beacon to hungry beachgoers craving something filling and nostalgic. All U.S. locations closed in 2004, but it's still operated internationally if you ever find yourself in Kuwait or Austria. By signing up, I agree to the .css-bwwgd3{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;color:currentColor;font-size:inherit;line-height:160%;}.css-bwwgd3:hover,.css-bwwgd3[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-bwwgd3:focus,.css-bwwgd3[data-focus]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. When you went to La Toque, for instance, there might be eel in the salad. We have over a decade of experience creating beautiful pieces of custom-made keepsakes and our state of the art facility is able to take on any challenge. And it wasthe chain offered decent food, but you went there for the dcor. They opened Rena's Cafe in Inglewood in 1948 and Yum Burger on Manchester Boulevard in 1951. After much success, the company took their stock public, but after an investigation by the Security Exchange Commission and inquiries with their books, the chain closed up shop in 1968. And the food is memorable as well, from its incredible crispy fried chicken wings with smothered potatoes, to shrimp and grits. Put those skills to the test. 626-799-9168, shakersrestaurant.net. } NOW: Pann's endures as one of L.A. County's best examples of Googie architecture. Its been a staple of California dining since 1919, and the historic charm of this vintage restaurant hasnt faded one bit. Whether you are in their delicious skins of red potatoes or the iconic Irish tower O'Rings, Bennigan was a success in the 1980s. Right around the time that Cold Stone and Marble Slab were opening up their custom ice cream shops, MaggieMoo's opened in Kansas City in 1989. The dining room featured groovy, rainbow-hued glass panels and seafoam-green booths. Sherman Oaks classic Antonios keeps longtime fans happy with kitschy decor and hearty food. Now, there are just seven. Marketing Wizard | Pop Culture Nerd | Fan of @NYRangers @NYKnicks @Yankees and @Giants, @2022 The Old Man Club. (In a weird reversal of fate, one of Preble's other diners -- the one on Figueroa in Lincoln Heights -- is now an IHOP.). People were still using dial-up internet connections, frosted tips were in style, and boy bands were all the rage. 15 classic spots indelibly tied to the golden age of tinseltown. Located exactly one crosswalk away from Warner Brothers Studios, Smoke House has been a Valley legend since 1942 and a place where, on any given night, youll find celebrities, set designers, and security guards all swigging martinis and toasting to another day on the lot. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { Over the next decade, it saw huge expansion, which unfortunately was cut short by the '70s economic crisis. But the idea soon caught on and Chi-Chi's couldn't compete. She lived in a little house behind the place until 1980, when they sold the restaurant. The eatery was not without controversy though, as the name is a derogatory slang word used towards African Americans. A post shared by What Did I Eat (@whatfoodtoday). Ponderosa was one of Americas first American-influenced steakhouses in St Louis and for a good reason it was delicious! But comfort isnt the point here. 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