At the beginning of the decade, Gino stopped that the brand Burger trademarks and other favorite fans in order to reorganize the restaurant. Del Taco We will not challenge yourself to have elapsed youFairy Failed Restaurants Failed. The final restaurant closed in 1989. And for more failed restaurants,Only the children of the 1970s will remember these restaurants. > U.S. sales: $324 million Qdoba Mexican Eats is a solid example of a great Mexican chain restaurant, and we highly recommend it next time youre in the mood for Mexican food! A 1980 commercial famously featured many happy customers saying Chicken George was better than their wife's or mom's chicken. In 1982,Denny's offered the company About $ 12 million to buy 35 VIP locations. Many locations were converted to Hardee's in the '90s after the burger chain bought Rax. This list is a transcription of notes I took about Mexican restaurants in Oklahoma City in 1983. At the time, the addition of tacos was a game changer, as opposed to the integral part of the fast food lexicon it is today. Mr. Robert Davis (and others) founded Big Bite. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-53563316-1&cid=6027c9e2-a210-42ba-aaf9-2e2df23e78e4&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=73057989978068432'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); Lots of Transients ate there. RIP VIP's. "Bennigan was the lowest of the main stakeholders," said an analyst at theAssociated pressat the time. In 1982, a few years after being bought by a Swiss holding company, the chain overextended in its franchising efforts and filed for bankruptcy. > U.S. sales: $398 million Mr. Davis was a primary investor in Big Bite. The sale has put the "completely out of food activity" of WalgreenThe New York Times reported. Jim's Tiffany Place. Torchys grew out of a food truck in Austin. Bennigan's got its start in Atlanta in 1976, but by the early '80s, they were everywhere. But in 1989, Red Barn did not come out of bang, but a groan. In 1982, they sold the bulk of their restaurants to Marriott. Unlike many of the Mexican fast food chains in America, this one actually originated from Mexico, in Sinaloa. 55 (tie) EL RODEO. 3. 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. And thanks to the boom of fast-food chains in the 1970s and 1980s, we've been able to sip the same shakes and munch on the same fries for decades. The menu at G.D. Ritzy's stood out for all the ways that you could customize your burgers, drinks, and ice cream. 10. Reduced-calorie dishes included hamburgers made with lean beef, high-fiber buns, and low-calorie cheese. advice every day. 4. You could eat as many shrimp, salad, beer and rib as you could never want - all for less than $ 20, according toBklyner. Of course the sections most of us will head to immediately are . After it was acquired by the Marriott Hotel chain in 1971, it grew to 130 locations, but by the late 1980s, most of them had closed. In 2006, however, food bloggerChristian Ziebarth Posted About NautglesAnd the answer was across the roof. But in 1987, Beefsteak Charlie's was sold in Bombay Palace Restaurants and came out of business soon. 6. If youve never been to Torchys Tacos, we suggest you do so as soon as possible, especially if you enjoy spicy tacos and margaritas. The final spot (in Nevada) closed in 1995. At its height in 1984, there were 102 Taco Pupping Places across California and New Mexico. > U.S. sales: $739 million with a character named "Family Sam," a friendly senior citizen chef. 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.". When the chainfiled for bankruptcy in 1988 There were 300 pioneering chickens throughout the country. If youre looking for Mexican food that tastes fresh and that you can tell has been homemade from scratch, you need to check out Baja Fresh. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Mexican restaurants were concentrated mostly in Manhattan and separated into either casual Tex-Mex restaurants or fine dining establishments. (The number of units for each chain was computed at the same time, and may have changed since then.) In 1982, a few years after being purchased by a Swiss holding company, the chain overflowed in its franchise efforts and filed for bankruptcy. Any classic Mexican fast food you can think of, you can order at Taco Bueno. That's what you call to live your childhood dream. The latest edition uses the most recent U.S. sales figures, from 2018, to rank the chains. Chi-Chi's was a Mexican restaurant that first opened back in 1975 and expanded to 237 chains by 1986. . It served as competition to other taco fast-food chains like Taco Bell, with its burritos, nachos, enchiladas, and six sauces. Mexican food is one of the most popular global cuisines in America, and theres no mystery as to why. The food is top-notch, and the family-style dining experience is second to none. 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. Seven locations were revived a few years later, but they were all closed by 2016. . 2. The Mexican seafood restaurant closed because of high rent costs. 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. It took 10 years for the chain to die a slow death, which meant that the children of the 80s have had to experience the great barn and the Barnbuster Burgers . Billing itself as a Mexican restaurant with a Southwest twist, though it comes from Atlanta originally, Moes pretty much covers the country, with locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia. In 1981, more than 50 VIP sites had taken along the highways of Washington, California, Idaho and Nevada, In addition to the locations of Oregon. 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. Chi-Chi's took off, growing to 237 locations by 1986. 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. EatThis.com is part of the AllRecipes Food Group, Published on September 18, 2019 | 1:49 PM. At its pinnacle in the 1970s, Burger Chef had 1,200 locations and was a thriving competitor of McDonald's. Founder Russ Wendell's Vision was, at the time, quite unique: hot dogs served next to a less common fast service option for Era-Tacos. In addition, DoorDash, the nations number-one food delivery service, revealed recently that five of, 2019s 15 most popular food orders in America, Of course, the fare offered by Mexican chains, whether fast-food places or sit-down restaurants, is designed for a wide American audience, and rarely reflects the way people eat in Mexico. 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. Though there's an unrelated restaurant of the same name in New York, the last real All-American Burger on Sunset Boulevard has since closed. El Pollo Loco first opened in 1975. The fortress ofMcDonalds,Pizza hut,Burger KingAnd other giants from the 80s made the competition steep. Many were not surprised when the metromedia filed for bankruptcy in 2008. And thanks to the boom offast food Chains In the 1970s and 1980s, we could sip the same shakes and nibble the same fries for decades. Founded in 1974, Chi-Chi's was a Mexican-restaurant chain operating in the United States and Canada up until it filed for bankruptcy in 2004, according to a Journal Times report. > U.S. sales: $213 million (est.) By the mid-'80s, all the Doggie Diners had shut down. (Well, not quite the same fries.) Keep the place clean!" . But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. ", Beefsteak Charlie's has been a part of New York pop culture since it became a chain in the mid-1970s. 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 In 1982, they sold the majority of their restaurants in Marriott. Inc. (Big Bite). > U.S. sales: $214 million (est.) 55 (tie) TEQUILA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT. He rapidly expanded to 225 outlets by 1986. The original Chuys appeared in 1982 in Austin, Texas. I only ate there once but I really liked it. Unlike a regular buffet, you could raise your flag and a server would bring more of whatever you'd like, whether it be tacos, flautas, tamales, guacamole, or sopapillas. Dam it was good Mexican food. But its flame burned short and bright: By the late '80s, the owners filed for bankruptcy, and all of the locations had closed by the 2000s. RELATED: Your ultimate survival guide and supermarket is here! La Belle Vie. > U.S. sales: $371 million But, much like Mall Madness and acid-washed jeans, not all of the chains from your youth have survived, and there are plenty of failed fast-food restaurants that have come and gone. Doggie Diner was a staple in Northern California's Bay Area in its heyday. Dont forget to try one of El Toritos frozen margaritas while you have the chance! All Rights Reserved. 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). Chicken George was a character in the 1977 ABC miniseries "Roots," which was based on a novel about slavery by Alex Haley. The chain Antone's pale in comparison to the original locations. But '80s kids probably didn't get to experience much of it. Taco Bell, as noted, is in the top five, and there are four other Mexican-inspired chains in the top 100. Fast . Bresler's Ice Cream. 26. Taco Bueno. there was a well-known family style restaurant chain called . Star ratings are for the ones I visited. Unfortunately, no matter the quality of the chicken-taste - the company has encountered its inexpensive end to the consternation of fans everywhere. Its chain, Wag's, had 91 restaurants, all open 24 hours, serving your standard Denny's-esque fare. The monster of the Mexican chain business (though how Mexican it is may be argued), with sales more than twice those of second-place Chipotle, Taco Bell has outposts in all 50 states (though not, for some reason, Washington, D.C.) an average of 141 per state. If youre an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. Family Style. It opened its first U.S. venue in Los Angeles in 1980, and since then, nearly 500 El Pollo Loco restaurants have been established. Refuge. Theres a huge range of flavors, ranging from the cooling cilantro cucumber and watermelon options to the fiery jalapeno cucumber margarita. There's no denying that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from biting into the burger you've been enjoying since you were a kid. Lucia's Restaurant. And for children, in particular, Burger Chef was the best choice: it was the first fast food chain to include toys with the meals of his children. There were 225 locations by the mid-'80s, but Naugles merged with Del Taco, and locations slowly converted. It closed in . Chain restaurants are big business. > Number of U.S. units: 204. Big Bite expanded to a chain of approximately 30 restaurants. La Petite Boulangerie wanted to be every neighborhood's neighborhood marketand in the '80s, they made a pretty good run at doing just that. Menu items have fanciful names like Homewrecker (an overstuffed burrito ), John Coctostan (a Southwest-style quesadilla), and Alright Alright Alright (nachos with queso). And for more 1980s trivia, Only 1980s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants. 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. Chains dont figure, for instance, in our list of the best Mexican restaurants in every state. "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. (The number of units for each chain was computed at the same time, and may have changed since then.) In addition to its tacos, enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas, and the like, On the Border offers such specialties as grilled queso chicken, Caribbean mango grilled fish, and carne asada at its locations in 17 states. D'Lites (1978-1987) Norcross, GA. More than 100. Howard Johnson's might just hold the title for most sorely-missed failed restaurant chain of not just the '80s, but any era. But then, things took a ride. From their salsas, which range from classic salsa verde to the sweet and delicious mango salsa, to their delicious tacos, quesadillas and fajitas, a lack of flavor is never a problem at Baja Fresh. It was known for its burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes. Many Naugles became Del Tacos, and eventually, Naugles disappeared. Sold anything but some of their locations, Only the children of the 1990s will remember these restaurants, Long Island and News sites that are no longer / Facebook, The 80's snack that you should never eat again, says science, Only the children of the 1970s will remember these restaurants, Only the children of the 1980s will remember these restaurants, 40 habits to reduce your risk of dementia after 40, The FDA says "Do not get" COVID vaccine if you have this condition. If you love tacos as much as we do, this is one Mexican restaurant experience you wont want to miss out on! U.S. sales alone for the industry leader, McDonalds, exceeded $38 billion in 2018. A New York-based freelance journalist, Dalene Rovenstine often writes about Walgreen's has a penchant for branching out beyond your traditional pharmacy goodssome even sell beer and wine these days. VIP's was a 24-hour West Coast casual dining chain that got its start in Oregon in 1968. (Now owned by Yum! 58 (tie) SANTIAGO'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT. In 1979, new owners purchased the business for real estate purposes. Today, it has 60-plus locations in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, as well as its native state of Texas. The US Mexican restaurant industry has seen good growth over most of the past decade, reaching a market size of around $79.4 billion in 2023. Bennigan's got its start in Atlanta in 1976, but by the early '80s, they were everywhere. Beyond Meat vegan options are available, and ground turkey tacos are also offered, as a lower-fat alternative to the ground beef versions., 4. Your ultimate survival guide and supermarket is here! Bennigan had its start in Atlanta in 1976, but in the early 1980s they were everywhere. New French Cafe. The timing was perfect, with Mexican food a trendy choice for diners at that time. Chain restaurants are big business. With that being said, Taco Bells menu has expanded and evolved a lot in recent years, including some exciting and creative options such as the Mexican Pizza and the Cheesy Gordita Crunch. There were at least 140 locations at its height, with spots serving up bread in Denver, New Jersey, San Francisco, and more. Now Holidays Restaurant. Fast-food tacos, burritos, tostadas, and quesadillas make up much of the menu, though there are also American-style burgers. We promise this Tex-Mex chain restaurant will quickly become a family favorite! This Mexican restaurant is the original home of the frozen margarita, tableside guacamole, and the fajita platter, so other Mexican chain restaurants owe a lot to this establishment. to promote fast food franchises serving pita sandwiches. In 1979, McDonald's launched his good meal. Here, we've ranked some of the very worst and very best Mexican, Mexican-inspired, Mexican-ish, and Tex-Mex fast-food chains in the U.S. 10. These 1980s restaurants aren't still standing todayand if they are, it's in reduced form. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. Still another Texan, founded in Dallas in 1986, Uncle Julios features mesquite-grilled fajitas, guacamole made tableside, and chocolate piatas for dessert. xhr.send(payload); But this same year, 99 of them wereSold in Taco Bell, all but erase the brand. Minnie Pearl's Chicken. Without that bright orange chicken, Monday Night Football was never the same. Location:Southern North America, United States, Texas, H-Town, Montrose, Lower Westheimer. The name Sambo comes from a combination of the names of the founders: Sam Battistone and Newell F. Bohnett. . 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. Just some of the delicious Tex-Mex options on the menu at this restaurant include slow-smoked ribs, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, and tacos. The British-based market research and data analytics company YouGov determined recently that some 86% of Americans who had tried Mexican food liked it; the only cuisine scoring higher was Italian, at 88%. First of all, the tortillas at Pappasitos Cantina are made fresh, from scratch, every hour, and you get the satisfaction of watching your guacamole be prepared in front of you at the table, so you never have to worry about stale ingredients spoiling your meal. This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 04:55. But with more customers came more scrutiny, and it wasn't long before anti-discrimination protests against Sambo's began. if( 'moc.sihttae.www' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { Taco Bell is probably one of the first Mexican chain restaurants that come to mind when you think about Mexican fast food, which is hardly surprising since there are more than 7,000 Taco Bell Restaurants across the United States. Established: 1976 What happened: The Irish-themed bar and grill was a popular spot for both happy hours and family gatherings in the 1980s and '90s.But it failed to distinguish itself from a growing field of casual-dining chains that included T.G.I. Chain founder Glen Bell ran two other small taco chains before opening the first Taco Bell in 1962 in Downey, California, near Los Angeles. The American company has units all over California (and especially in the southern portions of the state), as well as in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Louisiana. here is19 old joyful toys that will bring you back to your childhood. So, if youre in the mood for some Mexican flavors with an American twist at a reasonable price and an accessible location, Taco Bell is an excellent choice! The International House of Pancakes is one of those chain restaurants that has come and gone a handful of times in Western New York. single Perkins logo, 1960. And the controversy is for good business! By the turn of the century, there were fewer than a dozen Howard Johnson's left standing. Taco Cabana is known for its tortilla machine, which allows customers to enjoy steaming hot tacos just a couple of minutes after they place their order. Bombay Bicycle Club was a hugely popular restaurant and bar in the 1980s. Boy, do we miss those fried clam strips, frankfurts, and that signature HoJo ice cream. > U.S. sales: $10.410 billion This restaurant Burger California has become a rage, thanks to an appearance in the film of 1982Quick weather at Ridgemont High. 24. Chipotle Mexican Grill However, in the late '80s, La Petite Boulangerie was purchased by Mrs. Field's, where cookies were the name of the game. Mr. Paul is a restaurateur who had owned other popular Los Angeles-area restaurants: The Old Virginia and Chez Paul, both in South Pasadena. 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Unfortunately, to the consternation of fans across the country, Burger Chef has not continued to follow and finally sold to the owner of Hardee's in the early 1980s. Burger Chef. Originally part of the Pillsbury Corp., the restaurant was founded in 1976. Taco Johns > Number of U.S. units: 35. There are five shrimp or fish tacos on the menu as well as meat versions and a grilled vegetable version. 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 . This chain of Mexican restaurants got its start in Minneapolis in 1975, sharing space with a bar owned by an ex-NFL player. If you grew up in the '80s, there's a good chance you went to at least one of these restaurants. Besides chicken, the chain served gumbo, fish and chips, greens, biscuits and other soul foods. The timing was . Mexican food may seem like a Southwestern specialty, but that hasn't stopped this Pennsylvania chain from becoming a local institution. Another Dallas-born chain, on the border launched in 1982, featuring mesquite-grilled meats, hand-pressed tortillas, and small-batch salsas. But as a child of the 70s or 80s knows, Walgreen has also had full restaurants. 22. > Number of U.S. units: 100. Unfortunately, the opposite of theWag's Jingle Is true today: it's no longer "a good day for Wag", which is nowhere where is in the world. It was the kind of offer they couldn't refuse, but it was also the beginning of the end for VIP's. xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); 5. Originally part of the Pillsbury Corp., the restaurant was founded in 1976. El Pollo Loco Each television show based in the city, fromFriends ToSaturday Night Live, has blocked about it for a few decades. According toYelp Examiners, it was going down. In 1979, McDonald's launched its Happy Meal. Del Taco restaurant, Inc. is an American fast food chain that specializes Mexican and American cuisine. 58 (tie) EL TACO TOTE. Similar restaurants that were more adaptable to changing tastes became fierce competitors. Many Tex-Mex lovers will tell you that Taco Bueno is the best place to go for American-style Mexican food. > Number of U.S. units: 143. It was the kind of offer they could not refuse, but it was also the beginning of the end for VIP. The lamentations on those departed culinary landmarks have been thorough and frequent . Not only can you order classic Mexican food items like quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and tacos from Moes Southwest Grill, but you get the opportunity to customize your own dishes, adding your choice of ingredients to your burrito, burrito bowl, taco, quesadillas, or nachos. Cheeseburger in Paradise. Football Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti opened the first Gino's Hamburgers in 1957, and by the 70s, he was able to boast over 300 locations. The Bannister Mall was the location I remember visiting. Burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, nachos, salads, and more are available. 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. The Tex-Mex Invasion. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); Two Baltimore Colts professional football players helped to create Gino's Hamburgers back in 1957. To his pinnacle in the 1970s,Burger chef EU 1,200 locations and was a flourishing competitor of McDonald's. > Number of U.S. units: 170. While not for everyone, Mexican chain restaurant dining is a popular dining destinations for families all across . EatThis.com is part of the AllRecipes Food Group. 1. Most notably, he was a founding partner of Del Taco. These are fans who didn't think twice after . There are a few states where people should leave quickly. New Balance (CC BY 2.0) by Mike Mozart 5. Founded in Denver in 1993 and now based in Newport Beach, California, it helped popularize the build-your-own trend with its sort-of-Mexican burritos, tacos, bowls, and salads. The original Pollo Loco was in Sinaloa, Mexico, and there is a Mexican chain today, unrelated to the U.S. one. See more ideas about denver history, denver, childhood memories. In the mid-1980s, all Diners doggie had closed. Qdoba comes out of Denver, where its ancestor, called Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill, opened in 1995. If you were around in the early '80s, you might remember Lum's for its signature beer-steamed hot dogs, and if you weren't a hot dog person, there was always the beloved Ollieburger. The British-based market research and data analytics company, determined recently that some 86% of Americans who had tried Mexican food liked it; the only cuisine scoring higher was Italian, at 88%. "Howard Johnson's was the king of the road," one former franchise owner told Eater. Mexican cuisine is the full package: flavorsome, filling and exciting without being overly complicated. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); Chipotle specializes in Mexican food favorites such as burritos, but it has an extensive menu ranging from burrito bowls to tacos and fajitas. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. "You could make money anywhere." Founder Russ Wendell's vision was, at the time, fairly unique: hot dogs served alongside a less common quick-service option for the eratacos. Although it was a regional chain (it was mostly centralized to California), All-American Burger was made famous with anyone who came of age in the '80s, thanks to Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Another extremely popular Mexican restaurant chain in America is Del Taco. . Taco Viva started in 1968, but it was at its peak in the '80s, when it had around 80 locations across the country. Del Taco was founded in 1964, in California. Starting in the 1980s, Mighty Casey's began popping up in Atlanta, Georgia, serving your . Restaurant Review: Southern Fried Goodness and More to Try at Tupelo Honey. What sets Baja Fresh apart from the Mexican fast food chains dotted around the U,S. And for another trip down memory lane, check out these 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback. 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).
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