Your Favorite All-time Restaurant - Even If No Longer In Business

[Tulecreeper]

Sambo's - best dang breakfast, and the best coffee. Used to stop in and eat at 0400 on the way to a hunting trip.

 

[Isaac-1]

This is a really hard one to answer, as I have no one favorite, a lot depends on the type of food I am in the mood for at the moment, also with so many that are not longer around I saw a decline in quality over many years before they eventually went out of business, some of which are even still around today, but the food is no where near the quality it once was.

Take for example Mulates Cajun restaurant, they were great at their original location in Breaux Bridge Louisiana (about 50 miles west of Baton Rouge), which was severely damaged by hurricane Gustav in 2008, however the food at their current (only remaining) location in the warehouse district in New Orleans across from the Morial Convention center, is little more than a tourist trap claiming to serve authentic cajun food, which has in reality somehow morphed into a cajun creole hybrid more in line with other New Orleans places, than its original more pure cajun roots.

 

[LarsMac]

Yeah, Sambo's was a good Breakfast.

Pure Oil/Union 76 Truck stops used to always have great restaurants with decent food and great breakfasts 24 hours a day. Great for travelers and Truckers.

 

[Larry N.]

I'd say The Broker is near the top of my list. Though closed now, for many years it was located in a bank vault in downtown Denver. Service was excellent as was the food. But a rather unique feature was that they brought you a large bowl of cocktail shrimp, which were hung around the rim of the large bowl, shortly after you sat down. The atmosphere was very nice, too, a quiet place.

One place that, while not necessarily my favorite, is very memorable is Casa Bonita, a unique place in western Metro Denver, that was almost like a small Mexican village inside, with mariachi band, cliff divers and more, even Black Bart's Cave for young'uns.

They closed for a few years but recently reopened with a new arrangement. While you used to just go stand in line (often quite long), since they reopened they sell tickets but you somehow have to be eligible -- huh? -- I don't really understand the current setup, meaning I'll probably never get there again. Something's different.

But it was a neat place (not for the food) in "the day."

 

[DonTom]

Sambo's - best dang breakfast, and the best coffee. Used to stop in and eat at 0400 on the way to a hunting trip.

Tom & I used to go there very often, until it closed down. The one up the hill from South San Francsico.

It was always packed with people, so we were surprised it closed down.

-Don- Barstow, CA

 

[jackiemac]

We hadca couple of great meals in Jeffrey's in Moab. We were sad when it closed.

Dos Camimos in Las Vegascwas an amazing Mexican restaurant in the Palazzo i think, also closed.

 

[camperAL]

Greetings,

There use to be a Mexican Restaurant Chain that was called Don Pablo's which was really good in my opinion.

Burger Chef out of Indianapolis was a great hamburger place until sold to Hardees.

Waffle House for breakfast.

 

[IBTripping]

Spice Thai Cuisine in Fredericksburg Virginia. Large menu, great food, and nice decor. One of best Thai restaurants I've been to. And it's only 9 miles from my rv resort.

 

[Mr Lars]

Bombay Bicycle Club.
Chi Chi’s Mexican Restaurant’e

 

[Oldgator73]

My house.

 

[DonTom]

Spice Thai Cuisine in Fredericksburg Virginia. Large menu, great food, and nice decor. One of best Thai restaurants I've been to.

Thai is probably my favorite type of food.

Surprisingly, I know of an excellent That restaurant that is out in the middle of nowhere. In Payson, AZ. Not far from the Oxbow RV Park. But too far to walk, the other side of the small town.

It makes no difference what you order, it is all great tasing, IMO.

Ayothaya Thai Cafe, AZ

It is rare to have such a good Thai restaurant far from the larger cities.

But I see a note there that they are temporarily closed because if staffing issues.

-Don- Barstow, CA

 

[Mountain high]

Smoke House in Burbank, California. Last time I was there was over 6 decades ago when I was around 5 or 6 years old. We always went there for special occasions. I was given the garlic bread and water, whereas, my older siblings and parents had the dinners. Must not have had a childs menu? What makes it my favorite is that it looks today by the photos just like I remember it both inside and out. Remember sitting there with the entire happy family. Same lighting and red booths as today. Haven't lived in Southern California for nearly 5 decades and don't miss the Smoke House, other than being a nice childhood memory.

 

[Professor David]

Impossible to pick just one:

Chez Panisse, Berkeley, CA (pure heaven for ones mouth)
or
Sushi Kyotatsu, Narita Airport, Japan (amazing assortment of fresh, fresh salmon)
or
M&M Cafe, Dearborn, MI (wonderful food, owners and atmosphere)
or
Sumo Rapid City, SD (healthy, fresh, delicious, great atmosphere)

 

[1stimerver]

Abbots lobster in the rough in Groton, CT.. A BYOB chilled bottle of wine and one of their perfectly done lobsters with clam chowder on their outdoor tables at the inlet, watching the boats go by, is just as good as it gets. Costellos Crabshack, just down the road
is just about as good!!

Safe travels and all the best.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Original Pantry in downtown Los Angeles. Old time lunch counter and restaurant that is still there. Great steaks for dinner served with generous portions of french bread, fantastic cole slaw and tasty home fried potatoes that simmer in a skillet under low heat all day long. When I pulled an overnight shift on Mt. Wilson I would swing by at 4 in the morning on my way home for one of their breakfasts - generous portions of eggs, bacon or a slab of ham and either a tall stack of pancakes or their usual french bread and home fried potatoes.

When I started going there the waiters were all older men who had been there forever. Rumor had it that several were former prison inmates the owner hired when they were let out on parole.

Former LA mayor Richard Riordan planned to tear down the block and put up a high rise back in the 80s. When he visited the restaurant he liked it so much he modified the plans to leave the restaurant intact. Later he bought it when the original owner decided to retire.

You had to go during the off hours or the line would be out the door and halfway down the side of the building.

 

[Isaac-1]

Thai is probably my favorite type of food.
...

It is rare to have such a good Thai restaurant far from the larger cities.

But I see a note there that they are temporarily closed because if staffing issues.

-Don- Barstow, CA

We used to have a good Thai place here, unfortunately it closed up and was replaced by an only average Japanese / Sushi restaurant. On a its a small world coincidence, the wife of the owner of the Thia restaurant knew one of my wife's cousins who lives in California.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Probably the most memorable is Marie Calendar's - Often when we visited my grandmother we would get her out to this restaurant. A real combo of good food and old timey cafeteria feel to it.

 

[ButchW]

Original Pantry in downtown Los Angeles. Old time lunch counter and restaurant that is still there. Great steaks for dinner served with generous portions of french bread, fantastic cole slaw and tasty home fried potatoes that simmer in a skillet under low heat all day long. When I pulled an overnight shift on Mt. Wilson i would swing by at 4 in the morning on my way home for one of their breakfasts - generous portions of eggs, bacon or ham and either a tall stack of pancakes or their usual french bread and home fried potatoes.

When I started going there the waiters were all older men who had been there forever. Rumor had it that several were former prison inmates the owner hired when they were let out on parole.

Former LA mayor Richard Riordan had plans to tear down the block and put up a high rise back in the 80s. He liked the restaurant so much he modified the plans to leave the restaurant intact. Later he bought it when the original owner decided to retire.

You had to go during the off hours or the line would be out the door and halfway down the side of the building.

Yep, 24/7-365 for almost 100 years…
Butch

 

[Onyrlef]

This is a really hard one to answer, as I have no one favorite, a lot depends on the type of food I am in the mood for at the moment, also with so many that are not longer around I saw a decline in quality over many years before they eventually went out of business, some of which are even still around today, but the food is no where near the quality it once was.

Take for example Mulates Cajun restaurant, they were great at their original location in Breaux Bridge Louisiana (about 50 miles west of Baton Rouge), which was severely damaged by hurricane Gustav in 2008, however the food at their current (only remaining) location in the warehouse district in New Orleans across from the Morial Convention center, is little more than a tourist trap claiming to serve authentic cajun food, which has in reality somehow morphed into a cajun creole hybrid more in line with other New Orleans places, than its original more pure cajun roots.

40 years or so back I regularly traveled hrough the region South and SW of Baton Rouge and I-10 for work. In the German heritage areas like St. Amant I was introduced to not rice, but potato salad, with gumbo. Still only eat it that way.

 

[Jayflight]

40 years or so back I regularly traveled hrough the region South and SW of Baton Rouge and I-10 for work. In the German heritage areas like St. Amant I was introduced to not rice, but potato salad, with gumbo. Still only eat it that way.

There is a family tradition that dates back two modern generations of nothing but German potato salad. Don't let your taste buds be confused with regular potato salad.