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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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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 104061

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Feeling like an old, because I'm pretty sure I remember when Golden Corral was more like Bonanza (go through the line, get a number) than an AYCE buffet.  Here's a vote for Pizza Inn (not Pizza Hut) lunch buffet.

Summer of 1984, my primary fun activity was riding my bike all over Houston with my buddies. One summer day, we stopped at Pizza Inn for lunch. A crew of 14 yr old boys who had spent all day burning calories, with the metabolism to go with the age. We each ate around 30-40 slices. No exaggeration. And we only stopped because we’d been there an hour and a half and we’re bored. Then, we got back on our bikes and rode some more. 14 yr old males are amazing creatures.

Loved me some Pizza Inn.
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billfromlaketravis

billfromlaketravis 11299

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3 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


Summer of 1984, my primary fun activity was riding my bike all over Houston with my buddies. One summer day, we stopped at Pizza Inn for lunch. A crew of 14 yr old boys who had spent all day burning calories, with the metabolism to go with the age. We each ate around 30-40 slices. No exaggeration. And we only stopped because we’d been there an hour and a half and we’re bored. Then, we got back on our bikes and rode some more. 14 yr old males are amazing creatures.

Loved me some Pizza Inn.

I’d say Pizza Inn is significantly better than Cicis, and I like Cicis. Excellent call. 

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Guest

Guest

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So was it just youth or did something about restaurants back then just hit harder? Sometimes I think about eating at a dine-in Pizza Hut with red plastic cups, wood/brass decorations, dim lighting, and crummy arcade games... and damn if I don't want to go hunt one down for the nostalgia.

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CooterBrown

CooterBrown 17806

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Was it In the same shipping center as Dallas night club? Red brick ?

I think the buffet everyone is thinking about is Buffet Palace. It was on Anderson in the parking lot with Hobby Lobby Planet Fitness. It burned down at least 10 years ago. It’s the same one that’s down by the south Central Market.

I think there was another Chinese buffet where Taco Deli is on Burnet.
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ztejas

ztejas 42963

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3 hours ago, Stunns38 said:


Lulz, we all went to the Dennys on Oltorf after 6th street and my drunk ass friend did the Vince Vaughn Swingers thing of standing on the table and announcing that we were so money. Of course we got kicked out.

I made out with a Monster girl who's now an insta model at 4 am at the IHOP on CC over SXSW one year. We may as well have been eating together. 

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Stunns38

Stunns38 3286

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I think the buffet everyone is thinking about is Buffet Palace. It was on Anderson in the parking lot with Hobby Lobby Planet Fitness. It burned down at least 10 years ago. It’s the same one that’s down by the south Central Market.

I think there was another Chinese buffet where Taco Deli is on Burnet.

Oh yeah, that oversized parking lot. I went there a few times. Place always seemed to have fires.
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Deej

Deej 76288

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1 hour ago, CooterBrown said:


I think the buffet everyone is thinking about is Buffet Palace. It was on Anderson in the parking lot with Hobby Lobby Planet Fitness. It burned down at least 10 years ago. It’s the same one that’s down by the south Central Market.

I think there was another Chinese buffet where Taco Deli is on Burnet.

My go-to was Shanghai River in the Village shopping center across the parking lot from what is now the Alamo Draft House. 

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956 Worldwide

956 Worldwide 34152

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6 hours ago, Brisketexan said:


Summer of 1984, my primary fun activity was riding my bike all over Houston with my buddies. One summer day, we stopped at Pizza Inn for lunch. A crew of 14 yr old boys who had spent all day burning calories, with the metabolism to go with the age. We each ate around 30-40 slices. No exaggeration. And we only stopped because we’d been there an hour and a half and we’re bored. Then, we got back on our bikes and rode some more. 14 yr old males are amazing creatures.

Loved me some Pizza Inn.

Pizza Inn was great. In the kiddie pizza game, Peter Piper was the superior choice. Their pizza was actually pretty, pretty, pretty good. 

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conVINCEd

conVINCEd 21468

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44 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Pizza Inn was great. In the kiddie pizza game, Peter Piper was the superior choice. Their pizza was actually pretty, pretty, pretty good. 

We had Pistol Pete’s.  Looking back on it, they had the perfect combo of reasonably good pizza, arcade, and cheap pitchers of beer for the parents.  Everyone went home happy.

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Francisco 2.0

Francisco 2.0 32287

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11 hours ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

I’ve always referred to CiCi’s as Feces pizza. Worst pizza I’ve ever had by a large margin.

There was a CiCi's knockoff the next town over from us.  Had to go there once.

They actually had a pizza on the buffet with sauerkraut on it.  It looked as disgusting as it sounds.

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Hmbre97

Hmbre97 6268

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We didn't eat out often as a kid but for some reason when we did, it was a buffet place 90% of the time. Our Golden Corral, you went through the line and picked what you want like at Luby's, then they had the salad bar out in the middle. Pancho's was in the regular rotation as well as Shoney's for breakfast. We also had a local chinese place that was always dark inside which kinda sketched me out. 

If we were feeling really fancy, we'd drive over the border to Lake Charles to go eat at one of the casino buffets, then stop and get lottery tickets on the way back (pre-Texas lotto days).

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 104061

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My go-to was Shanghai River in the Village shopping center across the parking lot from what is now the Alamo Draft House. 

Man, mentions of all the old Chinese buffets. Shanghai was great because they’d sell to-go buffet by the pound. Could load up a bunch of stuff and take it home for pretty cheap. Could easily get enough stuff to stretch for several days.

Anyone remember Lee Cook’s Wokaholic downtown?
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davidg

davidg 4015

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Posted (edited)
On 11/19/2021 at 7:55 AM, FirstTimeCaller said:


- How Steak & Ale was fine dining in 1992 Texas


 

Hits close to home

We had our rehearsal dinner at the Steak and Ale that was located at Hwy 290 and Mangum in May of 1991.  It is now an adult entertainment establishment.  Maybe I should take the rib there next year to celebrate our 31st anniversary.

And also, why no love for The Black Eyed Pea?  Our first apartment was right off Tidwell and Hollister and the BEP, Bennigans, Steak and Ale, and Luthers BBQ were our 290 goto’s until Papacita’s hit the area.  What was the steak place that turned into The Gold Cup?  It was pretty decent for that time.

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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 75810

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9 hours ago, Underdog said:

Old San Francisco Steakhouse converted into a Chinese buffet IIRC.  Former Westgate theatre is now a buffet place, isn't it?


first ut home game. We came to see my cousin suit up (walk on), then hit old San Francisco steakhouse. Damn that was fine eating 

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squib

squib 1119

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22 hours ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

I’ve always referred to CiCi’s as Feces pizza. Worst pizza I’ve ever had by a large margin.

 

Early '90s and I am dating a girl whose parents had returned from overseas deployment to live in Oklahoma. She wants me to meet them so we drive to that shithole state. Second day there, we need to escape for some truck lovin' on the bench seat and we decide to go eat before heading back to their house. In the distance I spy a CiCi's---had never heard of it. We go in and get a table. While consuming shit food, a guy in a sports coat and tennis shoes walks over and asks if he can talk with us a bit. He says he noticed that I am wearing a Texas hat and wants to know what I think of his fine dining establishment. I said I thought it was fine or some such. He says they are thinking about expanding into Texas and wants to know if I believe it will be a success. I say "sure, whatever."

TLDR--You can thank me for introducing all-you-can-eat lard-ass Texans to the glory that is CiCis.

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CooterBrown

CooterBrown 17806

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Man, mentions of all the old Chinese buffets. Shanghai was great because they’d sell to-go buffet by the pound. Could load up a bunch of stuff and take it home for pretty cheap. Could easily get enough stuff to stretch for several days.

Anyone remember Lee Cook’s Wokaholic downtown?

At least pre pandemic, Star of India sold by the pound. Pretty cheap too. I think they expected you to load up on rice but I always made that at home.
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Underdog

Underdog 28359

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7 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:


first ut home game. We came to see my cousin suit up (walk on), then hit old San Francisco steakhouse. Damn that was fine eating 

Wife and I were there for dinner one night and prom season was in session, we watched some poor kid trying to slice some cheese off the cheese block they gave you for his date, tipped our waitress to go over to their table to help him out like it was part of her duties.  

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 104061

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Steak and ale was ABSOLUTELY one of our “kinda nice dinner out” places growing up. Shit, our group of friends/family all ended up there after high school graduation ceremony - it was nice enough for a “celebration” dinner, but wouldn’t break the bank.

As for Old San Francisco, when I moved to Austin for school, it was the only “steakhouse” I knew of, because I’d seen it from the interstate. One week, my dad had to come to Austin for some business with the RRC, and he told me he’d take me out for a nice dinner one night. At the time, I was eating at the Jester cafeteria for most meals, so I wanted to do it up RIGHT…and that’s where I asked him to take me.

And last, Mr Gattis….first time I had it was actually in Oklahoma. Tagged along with dad on a work trip in my early teens. We visited one of his high school buddies….who had a daughter….who had bloomed in all the right places, so young Brisket was quite lovestruck. We spent a day at the pool, and ordered Gattis for dinner, and I thought that this must be what heaven is like.

I lived a coupla blocks from the MLK location, and ate there more times than I can count. During finals, I’d go for lunch, eat, then study and drink iced tea, then a few hours later, load my plate for dinner (still had my receipt from lunch, so got a two-fer). They’re now apparently re-opening a location on Far West, so we’ll have it back in the hood again.

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 104061

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this is the brand new / re-brand. If cicis can stay open, a rebranded pizza inn should be do great 

Yeah, I just googled, and they’ve got a fair number of locations in Texas, but a LOT are in small towns (Hamilton, Jarrell, etc). And they have ZERO advertising presence. It’s an odd business. But I do remember preferring their pizza to Pizza Hut’s.

That said….when Godfathers showed up, holy shit. My family thought that gourmet food had finally arrived in SW Houston.
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