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Golden Corral, Pancho's and Other Low-Brow Eateries of Your Youth

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threesheets
threesheets

Most of the  good stuff has been covered, but I'll add Grandy's.  My freshman year they had all you can eat (included chicken and CFS plus whatever sides)- I think it was $4.99.  Glorious.  Especially

Brisketexan
Brisketexan

Y'all remember the Wendy's Superbar?  Soup and chili, baked potatoes, and salad bar with all the usual stuff you'd see in a full salad bar, all for something like $4-5 back in the late 80s?  When that

Landomatic
Landomatic

Man was it ever. I remember one time just out of college, I was broke as a convict and somehow ended up going on date with a girl who worked for their corporate office. I didn't like her/wasn't attrac

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RDCanecutter

RDCanecutter 26446

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Posted

A'ight, let's see...

RED LOBSTER was an exotic place that we drove 50 miles to in the bigger city for something like a birthday dinner. Pretty sure 10-year-old me on my first visit went straight for the jugular and had my first lobster ever there. Later as a 20-year-old college student in the early 80s I scored an $8/hour drawing gig illustrating textbooks (equivalent to $1,000/hour now based on how it felt.) I couldn't spend all that money, and briefly ate at Red Lobster as often as I liked. Then it was "coffee break over, back on your heads."

The other place I ate lobster was at our local HOLIDAY INN restaurant. There was a Greek chef and the food tasted better than anything I was used to. My Mom's side of the family has trace elements of Greek heritage visible under electron microscopes, so she would mention that to the chef, who as a true Greek and always recruiting allies for the coming Race War against the Turk, would ply us with samples of real Greek treats that weren't on the menu.

In the 80s there was a chain all over the South called PO' FOLKS that ran basic plates of fried chicken/meat and three to people who could handle the Hyuk-dee-hyuck aesthetic. At this point I was roaming the earth on a one-cylinder Suzuki GN400 and surviving off couch change. Po Folk's had a Red Beans and Rice bowl that didn't suck, and if you had them leave off the link sausage, you could get a bowl of the rice and beans for like Guatemala prices. Then what would happen was that the cooks couldn't conceive that somebody would ask to leave off the sausage, so they'd slap it in there. Then the trick was to eat about half of it before "discovering" that they'd added it, then play the resulting scene where the server would just let you keep it instead of asking for a new bowl. It was a sleaze move and I would have been better off if they'd slapped me on the back of the head and told me to go cook my own damn pot of rice and beans, which of course also costs almost nothing.

When I was little, we actually didn't go to many chains, because our town was full of Mom-and-Pop places. HARDEES broke the seal, and still didn't feel like a chain compared to now. Our first MCDONALDS had no inside seating because that was an early design feature meant to discourage sullen James Dean types from lurking.

PIZZA HUT was a glorious monster, all dark and mysterious. First partook of Canadian Bacon there. My Mom loved it because one of the waitresses took no shit off my sassy little ass.

Senior year of High School I took a date there and we sat at the tiny corner booth. She spent the whole time before the pizza came talking about my friend that she really liked. I looked her up on FB decades later, and she was fat.

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RDCanecutter

RDCanecutter 26446

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Oh yeah-- in HS/Juco we discovered the "Ask for old food at closing time" trick at MCDONALDS and used it several times at the drive-through to score free bags of still-almost-warm cheeseburgers.

POPEYES was notable because they were the only place open at 3AM if one had, uh, a sudden desire to munch on food. Never had a gun pulled on me in the Popeye's parking lot, that would be McDonalds.

TACO BELL was the shit. Every single thing was a pure creation of ground beef, lettuce, tomato, and some different shape of crunchy corn chip. Not all damn uppity like now.

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Ag with kids

Ag with kids 581

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Posted

My growing up didn't involve a whole lot of chains.

I lived overseas until I was 10.  But, we came home every other year.

I remember as a kid that one of my big excitement things was seeing the McDonalds sign:

110 Million Served

323 Million Served

857 Million Served. (OOOOOOHHHHH. When are they going to hit 1 BILLION?????)

That kind of thing (big spreads since I was gone 2 years at a time)...

I remember eating at McDonalds in London and looking weirdly at all the Brits eating their burgers with a fork and knife.

But, when we came back, we stopped in NJ (Mom's family) and SA (Dad's family) and we'd occasionally go out to eat.  Only really remember my SA food trips though.  I do remember Son of Sam was going on the last time I was in NJ before we moved to the US.

Then, living in SA...we had Godfather's Pizza and Taco Cabana that were serious gotos once I got mobile.  I went to Madison so I lived WAY out at the edge of SA then.

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hornian

hornian 5219

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 12/4/2021 at 9:56 AM, South Austin said:

I still swing by Bert’s every once in a while to pick up a T-Man. One of my favorite all-time meals in town.

May have a T-man for lunch today if the stars align. May even make it a turbo. 

Edited by hornian
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rage-a-holic

rage-a-holic 4402

Posted
Posted
On 12/9/2021 at 4:54 PM, RDCanecutter said:

A'ight, let's see...

In the 80s there was a chain all over the South called PO' FOLKS that ran basic plates of fried chicken/meat and three to people who could handle the Hyuk-dee-hyuck aesthetic. At this point I was roaming the earth on a one-cylinder Suzuki GN400 and surviving off couch change. Po Folk's had a Red Beans and Rice bowl that didn't suck, and if you had them leave off the link sausage, you could get a bowl of the rice and beans for like Guatemala prices. Then what would happen was that the cooks couldn't conceive that somebody would ask to leave off the sausage, so they'd slap it in there. Then the trick was to eat about half of it before "discovering" that they'd added it, then play the resulting scene where the server would just let you keep it instead of asking for a new bowl. It was a sleaze move and I would have been better off if they'd slapped me on the back of the head and told me to go cook my own damn pot of rice and beans, which of course also costs almost nothing.

 

Po Folks rocked. There was one in Richardson that was on the family weekly rotation. Po Folks, Black Eyed Pea, Solly's (Addison), Hubbards Cafeteria, Ninfa's (Addison), Steak and Ale, Il Sorrento, Chili's....

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31489

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32 minutes ago, rage-a-holic said:

Po Folks rocked. There was one in Richardson that was on the family weekly rotation. Po Folks, Black Eyed Pea, Solly's (Addison), Hubbards Cafeteria, Ninfa's (Addison), Steak and Ale, Il Sorrento, Chili's....

Il Sorrento may pale in comparison to today's eye-talian offerings, but that was some highbrow shit back then.

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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 76980

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Sad story about Popeyes:

The Last Remaining Popeyes Buffet Is Reportedly Gone for Good

The Popeyes in Lafayette, Louisiana, will reportedly not bring back its famed buffet, the last of its kind

https://nola.eater.com/2021/12/8/22823504/last-popeyes-buffet-closed-lafayette-louisiana

 

i had lunch there many times !!!! my first job out of college was based out of Lafayette, lived there for almost 3 years. It was a GREAT city to be a college grad / new job

 

Quote

The Popeyes at 1300 W. Pinhook Rd. first gained notoriety when it was established to be the last remaining Popeyes buffet in 2017. But the location’s $8.99, all-you-can-eat spread of fried chicken, biscuits, and sides shot to further fame following the news that the late Anthony Bourdain dined at the buffet for three days straight while in town filming a Cajun-themed episode for Parts Unknown. The culinary star, who previously admitted to a Popeyes mac and cheese obsession, brought a reporter along to document his joy at experiencing unlimited mac and cheese, chicken and biscuits with gravy, and fountain Dr Pepper at the Lafayette restaurant.

 

Doctor Who Reaction GIF

Edited by tx 3 putt
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DougO

DougO 5250

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Posted

Any of y'all remember the Hungry Hobo north of Austin off I-35? My memories are vague, but it's a place my family used to stop frequently on trips to Austin back in the olden days. I seem to remember liking the food, CFS was my main staple in those days, but I was just a goofy little kid.

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DougO

DougO 5250

Posted
Posted
On 11/24/2021 at 12:55 PM, slorch said:

Underwoods is a place I thought was great as a child.

Swung into Brownwood a couple years ago and stopped in there.  Walked in and walked right out.  There are WAY too many great Casas de Cue to tolerate that bullshit. Free ice cream don’t cover it.

I had family in Brownwood, frequent visits, much legend about Underwoods. The big Underwood sign was like the official welcome mat for the town. Yet, after eating there I never really understood what the big deal was. Take me back to Luby's.

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DougO

DougO 5250

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Posted

I remember the first time I ever ate at a McDonald's, when up for a trip to visit family friends in Austin. I had only seen the goofy clown commercials. I was used to home town joint Texas burger greatness. The host's kids were cheering McDonald's all the way there, like something from Eddie Murphy's ice cream sketch. I ordered my cheeseburger and fries with great expectations, then when the food was set in front of me I thought to myself, "what the fuck is this shit?" 

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Guest

Guest

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Posted (edited)

Po Folks. Man. They were the first with the triangle golf tee game on the table, right?

Can you imagine a chain today with that name? Hey, you're poor? We got the restaurant designed just for you! Come eat here and admit that you have low income.

Edited by FirstTimeCaller
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Judge Roybeanbag

Judge Roybeanbag 11819

Posted
Posted
On 12/10/2021 at 10:47 PM, DougO said:

Any of y'all remember the Hungry Hobo north of Austin off I-35? My memories are vague, but it's a place my family used to stop frequently on trips to Austin back in the olden days. I seem to remember liking the food, CFS was my main staple in those days, but I was just a goofy little kid.

There was one in Huntsville that I used to go to with my grandparents in the 70s.  It seemed good but I was a little kid.  

Not related to Hungry Hobo, we should start a thread about horrible restaurant rumors you heard as a youngster.  Like huge balls of maggots falling out of the smoker chimney at Mikeskas in El Campo, or Larry’s Mexican Restaurant serving dog food tamales.  

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tigol

tigol 2398

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Posted
3 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

There was one in Huntsville that I used to go to with my grandparents in the 70s.  It seemed good but I was a little kid.  

Not related to Hungry Hobo, we should start a thread about horrible restaurant rumors you heard as a youngster.  Like huge balls of maggots falling out of the smoker chimney at Mikeskas in El Campo, or Larry’s Mexican Restaurant serving dog food tamales.  

I do not support this idea.

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Judge Roybeanbag

Judge Roybeanbag 11819

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 minutes ago, tigol said:

I do not support this idea.

Yeah but the terror was real!  My parents would take me to eat at those places, and you’d remember the whispers of other kids talking about it.  “Yeah so and so’s dad works for the city and he said when they checked the smokestack, a big wad of maggots fell into the chopped beef! I mean it was possible, but not probable.   Yet it constantly ruined dining out experiences as a kid.  

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hornmpa96

hornmpa96 2618

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17 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Yeah but the terror was real!  My parents would take me to eat at those places, and you’d remember the whispers of other kids talking about it.  “Yeah so and so’s dad works for the city and he said when they checked the smokestack, a big wad of maggots fell into the chopped beef! I mean it was possible, but not probable.   Yet it constantly ruined dining out experiences as a kid.  

Eating at Mikeska’s ruined your dining experience. The maggots may have been an upgrade. 

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pch

pch 1259

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Posted
15 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Back then, we didn’t eat “at” Mikeskas, but if you went to any Czech weddings or other catered events around there, that was what you got.

Did everyone get a barf bag as they walked into those events?

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Hook1997

Hook1997 5365

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I once went to a Ryan’s and left and got Taco Bell across the street…   Everything had 0 seasoning and was way over cooked, terrible.  
 

Red Lobster as a kid was like walking into the coolest nices place you had ever seen.  those popcorn shrimp dipped in the butter were glorious.  

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Deej

Deej 76806

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The Sirloin Stockade at Lamar and Koenig was where you took a girl to impress her on a lunch date back in the day, if you went to McCallum. 

If you didn't give a shit, you went to Scampi's Organ Palace. 

Or if you were a dork like me, you played Elevator Action at the gas station at Grover and Koenig. 

 

Edited by Deej
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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 76980

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Back then, we didn’t eat “at” Mikeskas, but if you went to any Czech weddings or other catered events around there, that was what you got.

 

they catered the two big golf tournaments at riverside gc in victoria for yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaars. the food was always bad

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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 76980

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41 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Jacque Pepin holla!

Quote

Clam chowder was also a mainstay on the Howard Johnson's menu. Jacques Pepin, a young French chef, was hired by Johnson to work in New York, testing recipes to be used throughout the country. Pepin perfected the clam chowder, which was made from the discarded bellies in the fried clams preparation. The chowder was made in 3,000-gallon quantities.

 

that's a big fucking pot !

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Underdog

Underdog 28689

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46 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

GW Juniors!   
 

They had pretty darn good burgers……I always wondered why the plug was pulled on them by Churches?  Back in the RGV many of them became Little Cesar’s Pizza locations…

 

Worked at the Church’s on Wm Cannon and watched them erect that GWs next to it to set a Guinness record, always had decent burgers and dogs.  Believe that building is a donut shop last I saw. 

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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 76980

Posted
Posted (edited)
50 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Did you ever play the course in Edna?  I got in a fight there one in junior high.  Also shot an 89, my best ever.  

 

way back when (like the 90's) they admitted their first black member (golf only, they couldn't use the pool). about a month or so into his membership, one of the members dies. older white guy, life time member or some shit. the new black member shows up to the funeral / services and just can't stop crying. it was pretty damn funny to me back then, im forgetting the funny details of the whole deal lol

Edited by tx 3 putt
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Nueces River Rat

Nueces River Rat 5539

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10 hours ago, Underdog said:

Worked at the Church’s on Wm Cannon and watched them erect that GWs next to it to set a Guinness record, always had decent burgers and dogs.  Believe that building is a donut shop last I saw. 

I recall that was the same with the GW that was built closest to where I lived back then in the town next door.  The same with the Church’s  locations when they decided to build one in my hometown. They tore down an old lumber yard and it seemed like two months later a fully operational Church’s was up an running.  My Mother was the Chamber of Commerce Director at the time and I recall her making a big deal it was the largest one Church’s had built at the time too. Lol!   

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deadshank

deadshank 24653

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Posted
4 minutes ago, slorch said:

9 pages...and nobody ate at Sambos?  Maybe we just all put it out of our memory.  As a kid, I loved going there though...

sambosgoletaca.jpg

 

That and Kip’s or Bob’s Big Boy depending on where you were at the time.  Kip’s was Texas & OK and Bob’s was the original from California (I think.). 

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Native Horn

Native Horn 3504

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Deej said:

The Sirloin Stockade at Lamar and Koenig was where you took a girl to impress her on a lunch date back in the day, if you went to McCallum. 

If you didn't give a shit, you went to Scampi's Organ Palace. 

Or if you were a dork like me, you played Elevator Action at the gas station at Grover and Koenig. 

Or a dork like me and played Defender and Joust at The Stallion.  Or at the little "Mac Shack" across the street from the school.

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pch

pch 1259

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, slorch said:

9 pages...and nobody ate at Sambos?  Maybe we just all put it out of our memory.  As a kid, I loved going there though...

sambosgoletaca.jpg

 

The Sambo's in FW I went to was on 80W and later became a topless joint called Sinbads-the sign said "an oasis of delight", which, upon further review proved false.

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JerrysJheriCurl

JerrysJheriCurl 977

Posted
Posted
On 12/12/2021 at 5:25 PM, Deej said:

The Sirloin Stockade at Lamar and Koenig was where you took a girl to impress her on a lunch date back in the day, if you went to McCallum. 

If you didn't give a shit, you went to Scampi's Organ Palace. 

Or if you were a dork like me, you played Elevator Action at the gas station at Grover and Koenig. 

 

Man, you must have been my neighbor.

First restaurant steak I had was at Sirloin Stockade… and I was 13. We used to call that place “the cow,” because of the big bovine in the front. They asked me how I wanted my steak… I said “cooked.”

And while kids were Chuck E. Cheesing it, I was going to the Scampi’s. Or we would call it The Organ Palace.

Some other places I ate at growing up, but not all low brow: 

Holiday House, Top Notch, 2J’s, The Frisco, Chef Lupe’s, Tower, Tower Jr: Hamburgers 

Marimont Cafeteria: Fancy Luby’s

Night Hawk: Everything

The Tamale House off airport. 
The Whataburger and Church’s next to The Poodle Dog Lounge got all my bottle return money. 

 

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next2naus

next2naus 439

Posted
Posted
On 12/12/2021 at 6:25 PM, Deej said:

The Sirloin Stockade at Lamar and Koenig was where you took a girl to impress her on a lunch date back in the day, if you went to McCallum. 

If you didn't give a shit, you went to Scampi's Organ Palace. 

Or if you were a dork like me, you played Elevator Action at the gas station at Grover and Koenig. 

I call BS....it took too long to get to and eat at SS for lunch, You could have easily gone to Dan's or Pizza machine. And it you went to that Gas Station, why not the bowling alley?

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