For today, how about if we go out for lunch and do so in the past? The menu will be varied, and the locations will go from the common to the touristy. More importantly, let’s see what some of those patrons were driving back in the day.
Lorenzo’s Italian Drive-In, Middleboro, MA.
Chuck’s Pancakes, Placerville, CA.
Totem Pole Restaurant, Ironwood, MI.
Griswold’s, Redlands, CA.
Alfred’s Steak House, Cambridge, OH.
Guys Fine Foods, Madeira Beach, FL.
Leonard’s Fine Foods, Albuquerque, NM.
The architecture of the ‘Totem Pole’ in Ironwood, MI. looks very familiar. Typical of mid-50’s, with a look resembling ‘modern’ residential construction for it’s day. No doubt the owners live upstairs–their commute to work virtually non-existent!
The copper `58 Chrysler sedan might be a New Yorker, and fairly new when this photo was shot. The owner didn’t get the driver’s door firmly closed.
That building is still standing (minus the totem pole). It’s been occupied by various auto service uses since the restaurant closed in the mid 1990s… currently it houses an auto glass place (the building now has a garage addition):
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JA8cD9gLrHqUmESW6
I would image the totem pole was knocked over by someone reversing out of the parking lot!
That ’55 Plymouth at Gray’s needs a wash. My time travelling self will have it back to the owner later.
Lorenzo’s in Middleboro wins the prize here – they’re still in business, and still at the same location shown above. The building was reskinned in the 1980s and again just a few years ago, but it appears to be the same structure because in aerial images you can still see the peaked roof. According to the restaurant’s website, the place was founded in 1950 in nearby Taunton – it’s now run by the original owner’s daughter.
Current building is below:
That’s interesting because it seems like Rule 1 of successful independent restauranteurship is Never Remodel.
The Chuck’s Pancakes building in Placerville is still in original condition (including the sign), though the current occupant isn’t quite as family friendly. It’s currently known as “Chuck’s Wellness” and is a marijuana dispensary. The dispensary owners have no relation to the pancake shop; they just bought the building after the restaurant closed and decided to keep the name and the architecture.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8VRs7t43Ci2cksEM7
I just read that ‘Chuck’s Cafe’ (Duel) is now an upmarket French restaurant, Le Chene.
I feel like they’re missing an opportunity. Most people would enjoy a big stack of pancakes after taking some cannabis. (Or at least that’s what I’ve been told by the little orphan children to whom I read Bible stories.)
I was hoping for the current photos of older places and wasn’t disappointed .
The first one in The Salton Sea reminds me of my first visit there in 1969, everything was clean and fresh, lots of people everywhere, *very* different now, stinks to high heaven and it’s tweakertown, U.S.A. .
I remember stopping at Griswolds in 1971, good food and plenty of it, sadly long gone now .
-Nate
When eating out, was an event. Luckily for me, many of these over-the-top restaurant exteriors remained into the 1970s. So, I had the chance to appreciate them, some in run-down condition, before they disappeared forever. These fabulous exteriors actually did make your mouth water, and added to the aura, that a better meal was to had inside.
The sighting of these familiar and welcoming restaurant facades, was often a welcome relief, after a long highway drive by car. All positive memories for me. Of course, the food had to be good, to back up these memorable exteriors.
Ah, memories. Although I don’t recognize any of these, it brought back fond thoughts of when I was a kid in the 70’s and would take Sunday drives with my parents. They were amazing at finding these little (strange) places to eat along the way and it was the highlight of my day. If I close my eyes, I still see the orange and gold or yellow chairs of the day or the booths with the bright red. All in shiny vinyl of course! I recall the service to be better than what you get today and they (service staff) were normally dressed much better.
And then the cars. I could go on for an hour about that alone and how I would search for the Cadillac and Lincoln’s and then see if I could guess which customers inside would get into which car. What a contrast to the kids today. I have a 10 and 12 year old and they could care less about anything having to do with cars. Instead they always want to have a phone or tablet in front of them, which I seldom allow them to do. On top of that, they have zero interest in going to diners or sit-down places to eat. Times have changed.
Ahh, back to a simpler time, and what a nice visit it was!
longhornaccord: Isn’t that the truth. I can’t tell you how many times a week a feel like tossing my “smart-phone” in the trash, clearing my taptop and selling it and killing off my email. And this ordering food on apps is just silly. One thing I’ve noticed over the past 2 to 3 years is how the restaurants now seem to cater to the Uber-eats and Postmates while customers actually dining in are taking a back seat to the rest. The service any more is terrible and (for me) I feel like I’m not very welcome to most establishments. They all want you to wait in a drive-through line or order online.
These remind me of how many dining establishments used to use “Fine Foods” in their names. I always wondered why it was plural instead of singular.
That’s a good point. Out of curiosity, I entered both “fine foods” and “fine food” into Google’s Ngram viewer – not a perfect measurement of the popularity of words and phrases, but it’s better than anything else.
The results are below. “Fine Foods” is the blue line, and I’m surprised that the term became popular in the early 1900s before retreating for a few decades and then returning in the 1960s. On the other hand “Fine Food” (singular) took off only when “Fine Foods” (plural) faded away. Now, that too seems to have run its course.
For some reason, I associate “Fine Foods” more with supermarkets and “Fine Food” with restaurants, but that’s probably just me. I’m not really an expert on fine things…
For what it’s worth in the context of your quick search history, Sears Fine Food in San Francisco was established in 1938. It’s still there and still fine.
Griswold’s needs a Family Truckster out front.
I used to be pretty good as a kid, at differentiating between genuine upscale, and blatant tackiness. There was a definite comfort and harmlessness in all the gaudiness I remember seeing in restaurant decor, and pop culture in general. Much of it, was just ownership expressing their own tastes, and trends in fashion and style. I miss the individuality, even if some was not in great taste.
While corporate consistency is necessary to a degree, the on-going conformity we see across the planet, is not a trend I like. Local flavour has been lost, so some can have the same experiences they expect back home.
Luckily there are more than a few old diners around So. Cal. some are not very good and that’s a shame as good grub brings back the Customers .
My Sweet and I just came back from having Coffee at a local Googie place, they were busy and telling me the two new hotels in the area have caused a large uptick in Customers .
The good grub is what brings me back….
Fire at the Lajeunesse Barbeque in Montreal, July 21, 1962. Adjacent to a dealer selling Fords.
Yikes ! . look at all those fine used cars in the front lot .
-Nate
This brings back memories of vacations with my parents and independent restaurants were everywhere, now they have mostly disappeared, replaced by chains like McDonalds with the emphasis on drive through pick up. Eat in dining seems to becoming a thing of the past.
If one day you were passing , before 2011) on the trans-canada highway between mtl & québec
Mecca of “Quétaine”.
An era of unique restaurants and unique looking vehicles.
Today we have predictable fast food franchises and mostly indistinguishable computer blobs that happen to have four wheels.
I’m glad I grew up then. Thanks for the memories.
I’m with Twalton, glad I grew up long ago but at the same time I’m glad many things are not like it was back then .
No rose colored glasses here .
-Nate