Whether your usual order consists of nachos, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, or even a Mexican-style salad you name it, its on the menu. Because Mexican food is so beloved throughout the United States, there are many chain restaurants that either specialize in or exclusively serve Mexican food. Restaurant Review: Southern Fried Goodness and More to Try at Tupelo Honey. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); The most talked-about item on the menu is the fire-grilled chicken, which you can get incorporated into various dishes at the restaurant, from tacos to burritos. Cafe Rio Mexican Grill Fuzzys Taco Shop But plenty of people are still nostalgic for this restaurant chain. Sadly, the opposite of the Wag's jingle is true today: It's no longer "a great day for Wag's," which is nowhere to be found in the world. In 2010, it became recognized as an official city landmark. EatThis.com is part of the AllRecipes Food Group. This Mexican restaurant is the original home of the frozen margarita, tableside guacamole, and the fajita platter, so other Mexican chain restaurants owe a lot to this establishment. The original Pioneer Chicken opened in 1961 next to a Pioneer Market, a grocery store chain in Los Angeles. It was the kind of offer they could not refuse, but it was also the beginning of the end for VIP. Del Taco is headquartered in Lake Forest California, and is led by CEO John D. Cappasola Jr. Another Tex-Mex chain Taco Cabana has close to 200 locations throughout the United States, but most of them are in the restaurants town of origin, which is, of course, Texas! It was known for its burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes. 22 20 Best Mexican Chain Restaurants in America - Shopfood.com; 23 8 of America's Most Beloved Mexican Chains | FSR magazine; 24 The 20 Restaurant Chains That No Longer Exist - PopCulture.com; 25 Top Mexican Restaurant Chains in The United States of America; 26 Mexican Restaurant Chains That Closed Recipes - TfRecipes In fact, Moes is actually an acronym that stands for Musicians, Outlaws, and Entertainers. With increased competition and not enough to distinguish Bennigan's from the likes of Chili's and T.G.I. . That's what Bennigan's, an Irish-themed bar and grill, offered in the 1980s. It now operates in almost every state, plus Washington, D.C. Customers build their own burritos, burrito bowls, taco salads, quesadillas, nachos, or tortilla soup variations. While the chain had a rocky financial status through the '70s, there were over 300 chains in operation by the '80s. Boy, let's miss these clam tapes, Frankfurts and this Signature Hojo ice cream. Football Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti opened the first Gino's Hamburgers in 1957, and by the 70s, he was able to boast over 300 locations. 15. Cobb Lane Restaurant. Even though it's only been gone a short time, I miss the original Antone's on Taft. Get the best food tips and diet advice Seven locations were revived a few years later, but they were all closed by 2016. . Inc. (Big Bite). > Number of U.S. units: 148. The latest edition uses the most recent U.S. sales figures, from 2018, to rank the chains. } xhr.send(payload); Here, we've ranked some of the very worst and very best Mexican, Mexican-inspired, Mexican-ish, and Tex-Mex fast-food chains in the U.S. 10. The Mexican seafood restaurant closed because of high rent costs. Red barn Had a small town debut in the Ohio of the 1960s, but it was destined for greater things. And thanks to the boom offast food Chains In the 1970s and 1980s, we could sip the same shakes and nibble the same fries for decades. Get the best food tips and diet If you were around in the early '80s, you might remember Lum's for its signature beer-steamed hot dogs, and if you weren't a hot dog person, there was always the beloved Ollieburger. But in 1970, he left that company to build his own Mexican-style chain: Naugles in Southern California. Founders John Zapp and Mike Young opened the first Chuys restaurant because they wanted to create a relaxed, casual dining restaurant specializing in food from the American Southwest and thats exactly what they did! This health-conscious fast-food chain offered healthier options than their competitors, but when chains like McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's began to do the same in the form of salads, baked potatoes, and other items, it spelled the end for D'Lites. A 1980 sales department accounted for many happy customers who say that Chicken George was better than the chicken of their wife or mother. A handful of non-corporate locations still exist in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. > U.S. sales: $739 million El Pollo Loco is famous for its Mexican-style chicken dishes specifically, grilled chicken. But the children of the 80s probably do not experience experience. Not only do Baja Freshs dishes taste well, fresh theyre also packed with all the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine. xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); Mr. Robert Davis (and others) founded Big Bite. Similar restaurants that were more adaptable to changing tastes became fierce competitors. After a booming start in the late 1970s and a growth spurt in the early 1980s, Chi-Chi's sales and store count declined. The International House of Pancakes is one of those chain restaurants that has come and gone a handful of times in Western New York. This Mexican restaurant is the original home of the frozen margarita, tableside guacamole, and the fajita platter, so other Mexican chain restaurants owe a lot to this establishment. In 1984, G.D. Ritzy's was taking in about $5.2 million just from ice cream sales. First of all, the tortillas at Pappasitos Cantina are made fresh, from scratch, every hour, and you get the satisfaction of watching your guacamole be prepared in front of you at the table, so you never have to worry about stale ingredients spoiling your meal. From authentic Mexican food to Mexican-American fusions like Tex-Mex and West-Mex, theres so much variety in these top 16 restaurants. Scott Mercer (left) was helped by Bob Scura and Kurt Cameron of Grand American Fare chain in assembling dcor for P.O. day, 2022 Galvanized Media. If youre an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. Beefsteak Charlie's is part of New York's pop culture because it has become a chain in the mid-1970s. The original Del Taco opened in the Mojave Desert town of Yermo, California, in 1964. One food that is better left in the past? Mexican cuisine is the full package: flavorsome, filling and exciting without being overly complicated. with a character named "Family Sam," a friendly senior citizen chef. single At one point, the Burger King-esque chain had as many as 27 restaurants around Illinois, but by the early 1980s, the chain was finished. The US Mexican restaurant industry has seen good growth over most of the past decade, reaching a market size of around $79.4 billion in 2023. But not all of them have survived over the years. 4. The menu at G.D. Ritzy's stood out for all the ways that you could customize your burgers, drinks, and ice cream. Dam it was good Mexican food. But all hope wasn't lost. Missing those iconic kids' meals? Bennigan's. This fast food chain was one of America's first casual dining and sports bar chain. Among the meats offered, are unusual sweet pork barbacoa and spicy Hatch chile pork options. Star ratings are for the ones I visited. If you grew up eating at these 1980s restaurants, seeing this list might take you back to your childhood. TIO JUAN'S MARGARITAS MEXICAN RESTAURANT. every day. Get the best food tips and diet advice 57. Founder Russ Wendell's vision was, at the time, fairly unique: hot dogs served alongside a less common quick-service option for the eratacos. And controversy makes for good business! In 1967, the chain was established in Abilene, Texas, by Bill R. Waugh, an art graduate from Abilene Christian University. Chuys Tex-Mex advice every day. He rapidly expanded to 225 outlets by 1986. After her family migrated from Mexico to Texas in the 1890s, Adelaida Cuellar began selling her handmade tamales at her county fair. This restaurant Burger California has become a rage, thanks to an appearance in the film of 1982Quick weather at Ridgemont High. Many locations were converted to Hardee's in the '90s after the burger chain bought Rax. Taco Bueno has been established since 1967, and like all good Tex-Mex restaurants, it originated in the state of Texas itself in Abilene, to be exact. Similar restaurants that were more adaptable to the evolution of tastes have become ferocious competitors. 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e. The name Sambo's comes from a combination of the founders' names: Sam Battistone and Newell F. Bohnett. Army.". Personally, we cant get enough of the incredible Tex-Mex menu items at On the Border, and we think you should visit one of the 120 On the Border restaurants in the U.S. if you havent already. Taco Bueno combines Mexican cuisine with American fast food culture with its meal combos. There is no to deny this hot and blurred feeling that comes frombite into the hamburger You have enjoyed from your child. (Now owned by Yum! And for more failed restaurants,Only the children of the 1970s will remember these restaurants. The menu at Del Taco goes to show that Mexican chain restaurants in the U.S. are capable of delivering both authentic Mexican food as well as American variations. Chi-Chi's. According to Yelp reviewers, it was going downhill. If youre looking for Mexican food that tastes fresh and that you can tell has been homemade from scratch, you need to check out Baja Fresh. Not only can you order classic Mexican food items like quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and tacos from Moes Southwest Grill, but you get the opportunity to customize your own dishes, adding your choice of ingredients to your burrito, burrito bowl, taco, quesadillas, or nachos. The chain was sold 630 million dollars in 1979 and heading towards the 80s, Hojo became avictim of his own success. Walgreen's has a penchant for branching out beyond your traditional pharmacy goodssome even sell beer and wine these days. We will not challenge yourself to have elapsed youFairy Failed Restaurants Failed. Whether you are in their delicious skins of red potatoes or the iconic Irish tower O'Rings, Bennigan was a success in the 1980s. Though Restaurant Business lists this chain in the chicken category, not the Mexican, and although chicken is the only protein on the menu, El Pollo Loco calls its food L.A. At its footwear popularity, Doggie Dinner had 30 places in the golden state, but unfortunately competing with larger chains such as McDonald's in this chain unfolds. The sale put Walgreen's "completely out of the food business," The New York Times reported. Chuys sets itself apart from much of the competition in the Mexican restaurant industry by rolling their tortillas by hand and serving only fresh ingredients. Who knows, maybe youll find a new favorite! 1977: Fine Wine and Italian Style. This chain of Mexican restaurants got its start in Minneapolis in 1975, sharing space with a bar owned by an ex-NFL player. Qdoba Mexican Eats is a solid example of a great Mexican chain restaurant, and we highly recommend it next time youre in the mood for Mexican food! 11. Red Barn had small-town beginnings in 1960s Ohio, but it was destined for greater things. > U.S. sales: $835 million After it was acquired by the Marriott Hotel chain in 1971, it grew to 130 locations, but by the late 1980s, most of them had closed. . "Bennigan was the lowest of the main stakeholders," said an analyst at theAssociated pressat the time. Still, if you were lucky enough to experience Pup 'N' Taco, then you probably can't get the jingle out of your head. Beyond Meat vegan options are available, and ground turkey tacos are also offered, as a lower-fat alternative to the ground beef versions., 4. (The number of units for each chain was computed at the same time, and may have changed since then.) Though Beefsteak Charlie's slogan was, "I'll feed you like there's no tomorrow," sadly, tomorrow came for this chain restaurant by the end of the 1980s. Here are 19 Old Happy Meal Toys That'll Bring You Back to Your Childhood. First founded in Ohio in 1980, the 1950s-style restaurant grew quickly, with about 100 locations at its peak. "Prepare food fresh. It might not be very widespread, but this family-owned restaurants 25 locations across Texas and Georgia never fail to keep customers coming back for more. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1992 and never quite recovered. But with more customers came more control and it has not been long before the anti-discrimination protests against Sambo started. This restaurant chain has been in existence since 1982, and the first location was based in Austin, Texas. Most notably, he was a founding partner of Del Taco. These are fans who didn't think twice after . At the beginning of the decade, Gino's discontinued that trademark burger and other fan favorites in an effort to revamp the restaurant. And for more nostalgia, do not miss these17 chain restaurants in the 90s. Qdoba comes out of Denver, where its ancestor, called Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill, opened in 1995. Friday's, the chain fell behind. Today onlySome restaurants remain. Not only is El Toritos extensive menu filled with Mexican favorites like beef enchiladas, flame-grilled fajitas and traditional burritos, but you also get the option of building your own plate made up of the restaurants most popular menu items. There are 6 types of combo meals at Taco Bueno that allow you to pair your favorite Tex-Mex foods with your choice of beverage. Sold anything but some of their locations, Only the children of the 1990s will remember these restaurants, Long Island and News sites that are no longer / Facebook, The 80's snack that you should never eat again, says science, Only the children of the 1970s will remember these restaurants, Only the children of the 1980s will remember these restaurants, 40 habits to reduce your risk of dementia after 40, The FDA says "Do not get" COVID vaccine if you have this condition. 1982 Having introduced nouvelle cuisine at Ma Maison in Los Angeles, Chef Wolfgang Puck presents "California cuisine" to patrons of his new chic-casual Sunset Strip restaurant, Spago. RELATED: Your ultimate survival guide and supermarket is here! It took 10 years for the chain to die a slow death, which meant that the children of the 80s have had to experience the great barn and the Barnbuster Burgers . here is19 old joyful toys that will bring you back to your childhood. 58 (tie) SANTIAGO'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT. Qdoba Mexican Eats Chi-Chi's Inc., owned by Prandium Inc., is a chain of 130 Mexican full-service restaurants that can be found in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. In 1979, new owners purchased the business for real estate purposes. > U.S. sales: $398 million Sambo is closed in the middle of the decade. Ted N. Holmes founded Chicken George in 1979. With the rise of fast-food chains though, . It's risky ranking Chipotle at the bottom of a Mexican-American food roundup, considering the sheer size and ferocity of Chipotle's die-hard fan club. Although it was a regional chain (it was mostly centralized to California), All-American Burger was made famous with anyone who came of age in the '80s, thanks to Fast Times at Ridgemont High. There's no denying that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from biting into the burger you've been enjoying since you were a kid. > U.S. sales: $817 million Oklahoma City Mexican Restaurants 1983. Between 2001 and 2011, Country Kitchen closed almost 200 locations, with the total number of restaurants falling from 249 to 52, as sales declined by more than 80% during the same period. The company sold most of its locations in the '90s, though, before they all fizzled out. At the end of the 1980s, the restaurant was bought out by Foodmaker Inc., but ultimately they continued to experience store closures in the U.S. . The original light showcase closed in 1983. The original Chuys appeared in 1982 in Austin, Texas. MEXICO CITY, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Mexican restaurant chain operator Alsea (ALSEA.MX) reported on Monday a 31% drop in its fourth-quarter net profit from a year earlier, hit by higher energy and raw . A 1980 commercial famously featured many happy customers saying Chicken George was better than their wife's or mom's chicken. Here's a list of iconic Austin restaurants who have closed in recent years: Alcomar - closed May 2018. But all hope was not lost. Torchys Tacos isnt as widespread as some of the other Mexican restaurant chains in the U.S., with less than 100 locations spread across just 13 states. There are even vegan options like the Beyond Beef taco! But, much like the madness of the mall and a washed jeans with acid, all the channels of your youth have not survived, and there are many fast food restaurants that came. But in 1989, Red Barn did not come out of bang, but a groan. Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse. In 1985, Beefsteak Charlies, Inc, changed its name to Lifestyle Restaurants and then merged with . In addition, DoorDash, the nations number-one food delivery service, revealed recently that five of, 2019s 15 most popular food orders in America, Of course, the fare offered by Mexican chains, whether fast-food places or sit-down restaurants, is designed for a wide American audience, and rarely reflects the way people eat in Mexico. At its height, there were nearly 100 restaurants nationally, which was quite the coup for founder Graydon D. Webb. Billing itself as a Mexican restaurant with a Southwest twist, though it comes from Atlanta originally, Moes pretty much covers the country, with locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Two professional football players from Baltimore Colts helped create Gino burgers in 1957. "Howard Johnson's was the king of the road," one former franchise owner told Eater. Among these are the Democrat (barbacoa, avocado, and cotija cheese on corn tortillas) and the Republican (grilled jalapeo sausage, pico de gallo, and cheddar jack on a flour tortilla). In 1956, Pup 'N' Taco began gracing roadsides in Southern California. } ); The chain's name was a source of controversy: According to the company, the name was . Taco Bell is probably one of the first Mexican chain restaurants that come to mind when you think about Mexican fast food, which is hardly surprising since there are more than 7,000 Taco Bell Restaurants across the United States. Ted N. Holmes founded Chicken George in 1979. Dick Naugle had a history of helping build successful restaurant chains. Boy, do we miss those fried clam strips, frankfurts, and that signature HoJo ice cream. ", Beefsteak Charlie's has been a part of New York pop culture since it became a chain in the mid-1970s. > U.S. sales: $213 million (est.) var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); The Tex-Mex menu at Taco Cabana, which calls itself a Mexican patio cafe, lists all the usual items (tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc. The French and Italian eatery was a favorite of E.&J . The stronghold of McDonald's, Pizza Hut,Burger King, and other giants of the '80s made the competition stiff. During its first 20 years of activity, the chain plunged its claims on 19 states, serving its famous burgers and fries in about 400 restaurants. At the beginning of the decade, Gino stopped that the brand Burger trademarks and other favorite fans in order to reorganize the restaurant. Many Tex-Mex lovers will tell you that Taco Bueno is the best place to go for American-style Mexican food. This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 04:55. Marchetti returned to the restaurant business in 2010, opening up a new Gino's location. In the early 1990s, Bennigan's was sold to Metromedia Restaurant Group. And any New York kid in the 1980s grew up loving this chain, thanks to its unlimited portions. ), but also offers flautas the rolled, fried tacos sometimes called taquitos. Dont forget to try one of El Toritos frozen margaritas while you have the chance! Friday's and Applebee's, serving up similar menus of standard bar fare and ambiance.
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