Fast Food Chains You Thought Were Gone
If you watch Weird History Food, you know that plenty of fast food places have crashed, burned, and vanished. But some of the most famous chains you probably assumed were gone… never actually disappeared.
On this episode of Weird History Food, we take a look at the iconic burger joints and nostalgic restaurant brands that are still in business… even if they’re hiding in plain sight.
What’s your favorite presumably defunct fast food chain? Let us know in the comments!
(Much like real history, this video was produced entirely by human beings.)
#fastfood #restaurants #weirdhistoryfood #NoAI
45 Comments
Kenny Rogers Roasters still exists in the PH
5:26 literally the worst post-20th century map ever. Never visited Pittsburgh, Ohio before.
My first job was at Rax. The video is right, trying to be every kind of restaurant at once was chaos. And the inevitable cutbacks when some of those menu items proved unprofitable upset a lot of customers. It was also a terrible place to work because it couldn't attract and keep good management. The food was pretty good though. If I was ever in the vicinity of one of the surviving locations I would stop in for old time's sake.
"sushi" and "fast food" is the scariest sounding thing you can say
I loved burger chef when I was a kid. I would definitely always rather go to Burger Chef than McDonald’s. And they were way cuter.
Pioneer Chicken was popular in So Cal on the 90s. I remember commercial comparing the size of their fried breast to KFC. I think there's still one standing.
In Louisiana, both Rax and Burger chef became arcades in the 90’s
Bennigans. Yes, they're still alive.
Rax restaurants slogan “Rax Restaurants, you can eat here.” Has to be one of the most unintentionally funny corporate slogans ever to grace the airwaves. Thank you, Mr Delicious.
There's still one Mister Donut in the US, in Alton/Godfrey Illinois.
I remember when Burger Chef opened in my little town, you could get a 15 cent burger, along with fries, a drink, and an apple turnover, a complete meal (such as it was) with tax, for 50 cents.
Arkansas here! Who remembers Minute Man Hamburgers? The mascot was, well, a revolution soldier. But burgers were good. But I loved Burger Chef and Jeff the most!
I miss Burger Chef
I'm sure us old folks maybe remember Minnie Perals fried chicken! That went with the wind, lol.
I actually did go to Mister Donut in Japan. It is actually pretty good!
Could you do a video on Coleman's BBQ ?
Boston Market had a great Turkey Dinner which was available everyday. Roy Rogers Roast Beef was grand, but has never been replaced by anything else.
There is still a Mr Donut in America, last time I looked. 2720 Grovelin Street, Godfrey, Illinois. 10 miles from where the Missouri River empties into the Mississippi River.
RAX and Sisters Chicken and Biscuits used to be my go to back in Columbus Ohio!!! Sisters chicken had that strawberry biscuit desert!!! Whew Buddy!
I've never actually been to Boston Market. In fact, I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, but for the longest time, I didn't even know it was a restaurant. I thought it was just a brand of frozen microwavable dinners. Also, I'm surprised Steak n Shake isn't dead yet.
Have eaten at Kenny Roger's Roasters and Shakey's Pizza in the Philippines.
11:37 I’m pretty sure I lived next to the 17th lol, just closed in 2023
Now do Fudruckers.
Roy Rogers has amazingly good fried chicken. The breading has a unique flavoring that tastes really good.
No love for Boston Market in the comments. NGL, prior to covid era I thought they were ok.
Just went to one of the few remaining RAX locations recently. The one in Joliet, IL is straight out of the 80s it was a great experience and great food.
Fans of The Ground Round will be delighted to know that there is one restaurant open in Shrewsbury, Mass. They've been open a few years now. It's similar but not identical to the old Ground Rounds and worth a visit if you're in the area.
there used to be an Arthur Treacher's across the street from the hospital where my father worked. It got shut down or the lot got bought out or something. There's a giant car dealership there now. Found out many years later the owner ran an illegal poker/gambling ring out of the back area 😅
Arthur Treacher’s is also found in Rochester, NY. Salvatore’s Pizzeria franchises it, and there are 4 locations (Irondequoit, Sea Breeze, Charlotte, and Avon).
Lone Star was flippin' awesome!
Early 70's we had a Auther Treacher for about 5 minutes south of Boston
I live in Sugar Grove, OH, and just had Rax the other day.
Kenny Rogers didn't really lose to fast food, it got hit hard with Boston Market doing the same thing combined with so many places having full rotisserie chickens for cheaper than a meal at either place.
I really miss their cornbread though
One thing that I'm curious is if there has ever been a chain that got reduced to a handful of locations and then managed to come roaring back to being a major player again. I can't really think of any off the top of my head.
You can't really call Ohio landlocked, when the great lakes support deepwater ports.
The comment about people in The Philippines not knowing who Kenny Rogers is, is pretty funny to me. Kenny Rogers isn't just well known in the Philippines, but so many people listen to his songs to this very day. Filipinos are massive fans of the Love Songs genres of the late 70s and 80s that there are dedicated radio stations that play just love songs. I'm half Filipino, and growing up, my Mom would play Kenny Rogers music to me, it wasn't till I was in Middle School did I realize Kenny Rogers was a country musician. I was shocked going to the Philippines for the second time in 2006 to find a Kenny Rogers Roasters. I watched Seinfeld as a kid too and I remember that famous episode, I deadass thought it was just a made up place, but low and behold, there was one in the Ayala Mall in Cebu.
Unless you have done this already, can you do a video on House Of Pies?
The Rax in Joliet, IL is still going strong and looks straight out of the 80s. It’s so nostalgic ❤
what about Schlotzskys? Or were they just a Utah thing?
Is there anything left of steak houses Ponderosa, Bonanza, or Hoss's?
Mister Donut also exists in El Salvador. At least it was there in 2019.
I'll never forgive the Rax in Bellefontaine, Ohio for teaching my son that bad roast beef could be great. It haunts me still.
I think there's a lone star chain in australia? it might be unrelated as its full title is Lone Star Rib House, but still thought I should bring it up
(also may be misremembering the name .3.)
I remember eating at a Rax in the Beaverton, Oregon area when I was really little, like no more than 4 or 5. That location eventually became an Arby's and is still operating today.
Partially incorrect about Roy's. As a former employee of Host Marriott, Roy Rogers was not sold to Hardee's. The Roy Roger brand was sold to some Hardee's franchises, but not Hardee's directly. Mont of the Roy Rogers in the mid-Atlantic went to form Marriott executive, Jim Plamondon who I had worked for. Jim also owned many Hardee's franchises in the area, but he shuttered (23 locations, mostly in Maryland, Virginia, and Deleware) those and kept the Roy's. Many Roy's were closed by franchise;s due to canonization.