It was fun and funny, and Id never experiencedthemeticulous level of service paid to our table., The venerable restaurateur George Lang was working there as a consultant at the time, and when food accidentally landed on Lapes suit, Mr. RELATED:8 Legendary Steakhouses That Have Closed. A native New Yorker, she now lives in Budapest. Its been slinging Irish whiskey ever since, through ups and downs in the economy and neighborhood, through Prohibition, Jimmy Hoffas frequent visits (rumor has it he used the phone booth as his office on more than one occasion) and a devastating fire in 2009. Gus Andreakos and his brother set up shop in 1918, although the building was older than that, operating as a grocery store at first. What to drink: Beer and a shot, preferably some variety of Crown Royal. And while we're feeling nostalgic, here are 25 Beloved Restaurants That Are Gone for Good. - Discussing the International Family of Communites of Greater Detroit & Windsor Since 1999. Along with the Rainbow Room, which sat 65 stories above the citys streets (Windows on the World wouldnt open at the top of the World Trade Center for nearly another 20 years), Top of the Sixes dramatic perch was a riveting novelty. Bennigan's got its start in Atlanta in 1976, but by the early '80s, they were everywhere. If you got to try these 1970s restaurants before they closed, consider yourself lucky. Two years later the Burgess Grand Cafe opened; it is still serving the public. And ask about the lucky coin toss. Ground Round Grill & Bar is an American casual dining restaurant that was founded in 1969 by Howard Johnson's. [1] [2] On January 17, 2010, Independent Owners Cooperative, LLC a group originally formed of 30 franchisee owners, which is based in Freeport, Maine became the owner of Ground Round. But regardless of its upgraded packaging and options, the original Stouffers is still there, even if most shoppers know nothing of the companys restaurant origins. Does anyone remember Ernie Klees famous for his stakes which now Ruth Chris uses the same method cook in a pizza over like top and bottom at the same time his famous garlic/blue cheese dressing and cottagefries! A few years later, under the guidance of the Stouffers entrepreneurial sons Vernon and Gordon, the company began to open restaurants in cities including Detroit, Pittsburgh, and New York, attracting diners with crowd-pleasing dishes like baked pork chops and hot butterscotch sundaes. By the mid-'70s, the chain was spread throughout the East Coast and attempting to open in the Midwest. All-day breakfast is one way to make people happy, and that's what Minnesota chain Happy Chef aimed to do. She covers food, drink, travel, and design and has written for outlets including Playboy, Four Seasons magazine and Vogue.com. Did we miss a favorite classic restaurant? There are still two Gino's Burgers and Chicken locations in Maryland today. Grab a whole one for the road. We were already boggled by dining on the 39th floor of anything, let alone the company we kept, Lape recalls. What to check out: The recently recovered tin ceiling, the photos of Norristown in the streetcar days. Thats a good thing, because every Detroit bar lover should see this former farmhouse thats been acting as a bar as long as anyone can remember. Although the oldest-standing Bob's Big Boy is still running in Burbank and various other locations are still open, the chain has never bounced back from its peak in the '70s. George's Restaurant was on the first floor of the building from 1953-1983. 1514 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226. Please contact the server administrator at You picked up hot pizza and fresh canoli at Detroit Italian Baking Co. on Gratiot and Frazho. (NOT REBORN RELATED)RESTAURANTS SHOWN ARE:ELIAS BROTHERS BIG BOYBURGER CHEFKENTUCKY FRIED CHICKENARTHUR TREACHER'S FISH \u0026 CHIPSHILLBILLIE'S BURGERSRED BARNF.W. The first one began as an illegal drinking [[and betting) backroom operated by Leo Derderian at his family's grocery store on [[I think) Third near Lafayette. But that didn't stop it from being a powerhouse in the early fast-food era. Instead, it was owned by Stouffers, the same company that filled Americas freezer aisles with Lean Cuisine and those orange-red boxes of French-bread pizza and spaghetti and meatballs. 1950's thru 1970's - YouTube (NOT REBORN RELATED)RESTAURANTS SHOWN ARE:ELIAS BROTHERS BIG BOYBURGER CHEFKENTUCKY FRIED CHICKENARTHUR TREACHER'S FISH &. I'm having a near-senior moment, what was the name of the restaurant/bar across from the Fisher building, a lot of GM management hung out there after hours? VIP's opened in 1968 in Oregon and had grown to 15 restaurants by 1971. But in a city like Detroit, where much has come and gone over the years, the old familiars offer a rich culinary experience and often feel best. Shaped like an actual barn, Red Barn restaurant chains weren't hard to spot. So after opening as Digbys grocers in 1902, it became Digbys saloon in short order. Something went wrong. 0 Comments . Well, then you probably weren't a child in the '70s or '80s. Another Marriott story: The famous burger chain Bob's Big Boy merged with the corporation in 1967 (the chain had first opened in 1936 in Burbank, California). The signature Checker Burger is still prepared using the original recipe, which dates to 1973, but the restaurant has been in operation since 1955. Cash only. Do you remember The Money Tree? Each one crowned a skyscraper: Top of the Rock was perched in Chicagos newly unveiled Prudential Building, while Top of the Flame occupied the 26th floor of Detroits Michigan Consolidated Gas Building. Downtown Detroit Restaurants & Bars- 1970 SINCE 1997 Where all things great and small regarding the Fabulous Detroit-Windsor International Metropolis are Discussed. 666 Fifth Avenue was just another bulky and unremarkable skyscraper taking up space in midtown Manhattan. JOIN HERE Results 1 to 14 of 14 Before its demise, Burger Chef was sold to the company that owns Hardee's, where the Big Shef has been available for limited runs in past years. Please, DetroitYES! Serving up fried chicken, fish, and chips, Arthur Treacher's peaked with more than 800 stores in the late '70s. Long live the queen. Tom Woolsey, Andrews current owner and Guss grandson, happily recounts family legends of Hiram Walker (of Canadian Club fame) customers and even Walker family members stopping into the bar at the corner of Atwater and Joseph Campau on their way to catch the ferry that left from the foot of Walker St over to the CC distillery. The one I miss most is the Old Top Hat that was right next to Tunnel BBQ when you got out of the tunnel on the Canadian side. the chain sold to the Marriott Corporation in 1988, English actor who played the butler in the Shirley Temple films, 9 Old-Fashioned Recipes From the Back of Iconic Product Boxes. Asked about its speakeasy history, Abicks former owner Manya generally gave a wry smile and said, "The boys took care of us," and nothing else. If anything unites Stouffers restaurants and packaged goods, its smart timing: The companys move into frozen foods dovetailed with the 1950s appliance craze, while the 1981 creation of Lean Cuisineits line of under-300-calorie entreescame in the midst of the aerobics boom and cannily targeted the burgeoning subset of health-conscious diners with meals like Mediterranean-style chicken and vegetables over angel hair pasta. Wasn't LaLanterna on Griswold between State and Grand River at Capital Park? There are also significant rumors that the second floor boarding house did double time as a brothel during Prohibition. There were about 170 restaurants in the U.S. at that timebut 10 years later, all of those were bought out by Dairy Queen. The four-course dinner menu is filled with classic American standards. You shopped at A.L. The one I miss most is the Old Top Hat that was right next to Tunnel BBQ when you got out of the tunnel on the Canadian side. Happy Thanksgiving Quotes Fine Restaurant Remembrance Enjoy Life Wyoming Hometown Towns Darbys at 10020 W. 7 Mile Road near Wyoming Street was in business from the mid-1950s to mid '60s. Plus, it has one of the very oldest liquor licenses issued in Detroit, so thats gotta count for something, right? What to order: Canadian Club. Order the Dock 57 if its in: It was the Walkerville dock that saw the greatest volume of Canadian Club heading over to the American side in Detroit, despite it being technically illegal. Its become the de facto house whiskey. The easy way to make healthier comfort foods. And all the sporting memorabilia from decades past. Henry's Hamburgers first opened its doors in the 1950s. Try one or three. Sweets put the restaurant on the map, but its savory menu (think fried turkey chops, salmon croquette, and black-eyed pea and collard green soup) is what makes it a daily haunt. is a free service that relies on revenue from ad display [regrettably] and donations. Casual dining at its finest, VIP's was a well-known chain in the Pacific Northwest. Mencotti's Restaurant at 7113 Puritan Street during the 1960s, with murals of Venice. The fast-food chainwhich offered the "Big Barney" and "Barnbuster" burgers and a self-serve salad baroriginated in Ohio in the '60s. In 1960, the company had started to expand its hospitality operations by introducing the now-defunct Stouffer Hotels & Resorts, beginning with the Anacapri Inn in Fort Lauderdale and growing to include known properties like the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. By 1990, the Stouffers name was attached to 40 largely upscale resorts and hotels and 68 restaurants. There are plenty of rumors that the Purple Gang, the premier booze distributors during Prohibition, itself supplied Tom with his hooch, although at this late a date its pretty tough to prove. Eight years later, Abraham and his wife, Lena Mahala, started serving fresh buttermilk in the Cleveland Arcade, one of the countrys early indoor shopping malls, and soon elevated their stand into a coffee shop where they sold countless slabs of Lena Mahalas beloved Dutch apple pie. In addition to a variety of hot dogs, Pup 'N' Taco's menu boasted tacos, tostadas, and pastrami sandwiches. Similar to Dairy Queen and Burger King, the restaurant served up burgers and shakes. Today, only the original Happy Chef location still stands. See our, By submitting your email, you agree to our, 13 Detroit Classic Restaurants for the Bucket List, Sign up for the Similar to Denny's or Shoney's, the family eatery was a 24-hour establishmentsome were even built into the drugstore. An oldie but goodie, this classic Coney Island in southwest Detroit is open 24 hours to satisfy those late-night cravings for a Detroit classic eat, whether for a coney, a loose burger, a hearty breakfast, or even a slice of pie and coffee. Heres another Prohibition-era lunch counter opened by a Greek immigrant. The only element of surprise at Top of the Sixes came from its ownership. And the teetotaling Colonel might not have wholly approved of the rumored activities during Prohibition: Since doctors were legally allowed to prescribe medicinal alcohol, the dentist who rented the building in the 1920s likely kept the business booming. Alas, the ferry stopped regular service in 1942; youll have to take the bridge over to Walkerville these days. Discuss Detroit Trying to remember a restaurant in the Detroit area.was there in the 1970s SINCE 1997 Where all things great and small regarding the Fabulous Detroit-Windsor International Metropolis are Discussed. These are now perfectly legal establishments that have kept their doors open for nearly 100 years or more. The institutions listed on this map continue to stand the test of time, whether for special occasions, a quick meal at a casual lunch counter, or an old-school only-in-Detroit experience. The server encountered an internal error or Bucatini with Sardines & Caramelized Fennel, certain categories of personal information, discloses, sells, or shares certain personal information. And if you grew up in the 1970s, you might have had to bid farewell to a number of your favorite chain restaurants. 22 Detroit Destinations for Seriously Cheesy Pizza, 17 of Metro Detroits Most Kid-Friendly Restaurants, For a taste of Bavaria, stop at Dakota Inn, where wait staff dressed in traditional garb serve old standards like bratwurst, schnitzel, and warm German potato salad. What to check out: The phone booth and the newly renovated back patio. Members of the infamous Purple Gang were even involved in a shooting in the 1930s outside of a delicatessen. GAY COMMUNITY IN THE 1970S. For old times' sake. But if you grew up in California, you will know it well. For years Giovannis has prided itself on authentic recipes from the old country, with freshly-made pastas and sauces tracing its roots from the San Marino region of Italy. The restaurant, which has been in the same family since 1933, has an old-school feel, with dark-wood furniture and paneled walls. Parade on Lakewood Avenue . Don't know about the 70's though. Sign up here for our daily Detroit email and be the first to get all the food/drink/fun the Motor City has to offer. This 7-day smoothie diet will help you shed those last few pounds.