Instagram - AdamTheWooATW Which tv and movie productions do you remember pioneer chicken from ? Also make sure to check out Sean’s Channel - RU-vid.com/malfuncsean
Thanks for recommending him! I provided a link for him to check out for himself, someone I know that has firsthand experience about alot of his subject matter!
Let me settle the "yellow" versus "orange" dispute once and for all. That building is tangerine in color. Love your vids, I'm gonna go eat there, tangerine or not.
@@karenhargis9824 The teacher in that movie was played by Ray Walston, who played the Martian in the "My Favorite Martian" TV show. In the mid 70's I was driving down west on Sunset Blvd in Brentwood. In the lane next to me, driving a little Honda 600 car I noticed the driver and thought, "that looks like Ray Walston." I knew that it was him, when I saw the back of the car. The regular Calif. plate was located above the bumper on the left rear of the car, and I noticed another license plate mounted over the rear bumper, on the right side. The plate had all of this undecipherable reading on it, and where you would see the name of the state mounted at the top of the plate, it said "Mars", so I knew that it really was him. I wish that I had a camera to take a picture of it, or to wave him down to talk to him, but I never forgot about that. I wish that I could buy that plate, and add it to my collection of license plates!!
I worked at Pioneer Chicken in the late 70's. On a triple payday weekend we would have a line out the door. We had a great crew, no one would have to wait more than 3 minutes for their order. It was a blast working there with my best friends, come Sunday night after the last customer was out we would mix Orange Bang with Vodka and watch the Cruisers go up and down the block.
Omg! I had no idea there were any left. The best. I’m going to have to take a field trip. It was greasy as all get out but the flavor was awesome. Better than KFC.
Thanks for posting! This brought back so many good memories of my childhood... For those of us who were born in the 70's; the pioneer chicken sign brings back nostalgia of the past.
oh man this place was so darn good. The first location is literally the one me and my dad went to in the mid 80s!!! 🙌🏾 I miss living in California so much! Really enjoying these videos.
THANK YOU! My siblings and I grew up loving Pioneer Chicken. We started going to the one on Oahu, HI near the Navy housing, then when we moved to San Diego we went to the one in North Park. Sadly all are closed in SD but I heard of rumors of one still in LA. So glad to see that confirmed. Will definitely make the trip!
Wow timewarp back to the past. I ate there with my grandma and Mom when I was around 10 years old. Love this series Adam, it's so nostalgic and addicting. I can't wait until the next one.
I recall that the skin was very uniquely crispy and thick. I also recall hurting the roof of my mouth occasionally due to how crunchy and hard it could get in spots. The skin was my favorite part. I nearly commented on how Chinese restaurants cleverly or not so cleverly repurposed the signs, but you could always tell that it was originally a Pioneer Chicken sign due to the unique shape. The cartoonish commercials were great too.
This is awesome. As a child in So Cal, it would be tradition for us as a family to head to Pioneer's to this exact location. So iconic. The feels. Now 44 years young, I genuinely loved this video, Adam. Thank you :)
I worked for Pioneer chicken from 1980 - 1984 while attending high school. It was fun working there. My brother was the cook and I was able to hire some friends. I still love the food ! Too bad I have to drive 6 hours to enjoy it!
I’ve always seen these and have never made a pit stop. Time to change that and seeeee what I’m dealing with! It would also be a cool series to stop at mom/pop stores in So Cal that have been open for 40-50 plus years.
awww I loved pioneer chicken when I was little!!! of course the one we had here has been gone for a long time. I just remember it being so greasy and good
OMG! We used to have one by our house in Phoenix, Arizona! Back when I was a kid in thee 80's! As soon as I saw the sign, it all came back. Wow! Lol! Thanks! I remember the sign rotating as well.
I had no idea that there were any remaining locations of Pioneer Chicken. Adam, you probably are too young to know this, but I remember a time when there were only two restaurants that gave out toys for kids (in our area anyway): Jack in the Box gave out rubber balloons, and Pioneer Chicken gave out awesome educational toys. The earliest toy that I can remember from Pioneer Chicken was a spy microscope/telescope about the size of a large fountain pen. Of course, the chicken wasn't bad either! Great memories! Thanks, Adam!
Wow! I completely forgot about Pioneer Chicken! That signage was pure blast-from-the-LA-past! You and Sean have good rapport, two quirky guys with niche knowledge and interests. I enjoy listening to the two of you converse.
I remember one at the 3-way intersection of Fairfax, Olympic and San Vicente in the miracle mile/faifax area. Now a Coffee Bean Tea & Leaf. Structure is still that of the Pioneer Chicken. Also in thee early 80's, a neighbor of our used to work at one on Vermont Ave just north of the USC campus. My sister and i used to meet up with her to accompany her back home. Not a bad walk for a couple of them strawberry parfait from their refrigerated 3-tier turntable counter display. Great teenage years! :)
Okay, now you got me craving Pioneer Chicken! Took me back to the days when I used to walk with my mom to the one that was on Vermont & Florence at the shopping center (where an old market called Super Buy used to be). Their spicy rice was delicious! Then I came across the one that was on Olympic & Fairfax and fell in love with it again...until they turned it into a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (which is now a Dunkin' Donuts). I'd be more than willing to take that long Metro bus ride just to taste that yardbird again after six years 😋 ETA: Tried some earlier this year (2024). Still tastes like childhood 😊
i really enjoy your videos im 58 and have been struggling with life lately your videos remind me to get out and try to enjoy life instead of just working every minute.Im a auto worker so have had no stay at home order had to work or be fired
There's a chinese restaurant by my house that has a really weird shaped sign in the front of it. I was never able to figure out what the shape of it was supposed to be until my dad told me that it used to be a place called Pioneer Chicken. That's why the sign was shaped that way because it was supposed to be a covered wagon. They just never took it down at the new restaurant and instead just painted over it. Pretty cool to see what the original sign would have looked like.
I grew up in Orange County. I totally forgot about Pioneer Chicken. I saw this in my feed and did a quick search for commercials of it in the 80's. You're awesome Adam. Thank you.
Awesome! A long lost chicken joint that i remember as a kid here in California. I know of 3 OC locations that still have the signs up with different resturants utilizing the die cut sign frames. 👍
I’ve made it a tradition now to watch these videos on my lunch break at work. That way I’m eating while you’re eating and then I don’t get hungry watching!
As a resident Angelino, I’m very well versed with Pioneer chicken. I lived in the Echo Park area in the late 80s and went to school at Logan Elementary which is just a block away from that old Pioneer Market and yeah, I remember that Pioneer Chicken and got plenty of meals there. I last had pioneer chicken probably over 5 years ago at that same Soto/Whittier location. And that Hollenbeck Park is right across the street from the old Linda Vista Hospital which has its own long and storied history. As far as I knew, it was the ONLY spot lol. Now I know there are two. I may make a jaunt down to Bell Gardens sometime soon. It’s funny, I’m less nostalgic and more sad that such an LA staple is almost gone. I mean, who doesn’t remember that wagon logo?!?!
I use to go to that one in EP back when I was younger, and there used to be one on Montebello Blvd in MTB. The one in Alhambra on Main and Fremont became an Alberto's. I see the trend, a lot of these longtime institutions changed when the neighborhoods changed too.
Awwww! Thank you Adam! I remember, as a little kid, driving around "town" with my dad and seeing this sign. This would have been late 70's... what a wonderful memory! 🙂 Thank you for you channel! ....and the food looks great!
My grandmother lived on Echo Park Avenue a few blocks from the Pioneer Market in the 60s. My dad and I used to go there to get her groceries and the smell of chicken was sooo tempting! We did get chicken from the Pioneer in Bell. Loved it! Glad to see the Bell Gardens one is still going!
@@sw2938 LOVED Fosters Freeze. There are still a few left. Adam and I talked about hitting one up. Pup & Taco was amazing but those are LONG GONE. Never heard of Carnations.
Okay Dude, the Bell Gardens location is the one my husband sent me to one day. It looked like it was abandoned. The foilage was not groomed. I pulled up to the drive thru order box and was shocked to have someone ask for my order. The window was not a typical drive thru window. It was a regular sliding window you'd find in a home. My son and had good laugh. Thanks for stirring up the memory. And... I just may need to swing by and grab some now that you mention it.
Yes! I thought they were all gone! I had one two blocks from my home in south LA county and had to drive near Koreatown for it. That one closed around ten years ago and I haven’t had Pioneer’s since. I haven’t watched your video yet but I’ll for sure be going this weekend wherever it is!
the corn on the cob was always so good, sweet :) as we are eating KFC now. We have no KFC in Barstow now so we had a friend get us some from 35 miles away. We had a Pioneer here years ago when our Barstow Del Fried Chicken closed, best chicken anywhere and the oldest open Del Taco is next door and still open. Barstow Del Taco's are not part of the chain and so much better and bigger taco's and foods of the chain Del Taco's
No, not dipped in butter. Perpetually rolled in butter. All day. The cobs were stuck on wooden sticks and stuck in like spokes on a round wagon wheel like contraption. The wheel would lay on top of the deep round pan of melted butter and roll around in a circle. It was quite a thing to see when you're a little kid. I was happy to hear from your friend that the chicken coating still tastes the same. It is very unique. xoxo
I love this place!!! My mom always took me there as a young girl, now I'm 44, last time i went with my mom was May 2020, she passed away August 😢, so when I'm in LA i stop by & pick up a meal for me & my boyz...I was there last wk ordering a meal, spanish rice is a must!!! I love to keep my mom's memories going with our Pioneer Chicken take out. I love the cryspiness & don't mind the grease lol
When I go back to California, I have to make a trip to a Winchell's. There were 4 of them in Arizona, where I live, owned by the same owner, whom I spoke to, but they are all closed down now.
I grew up going to the Echo Park Pioneer Market and eating at the Pioneer Chicken next to it. This was during the '80s. I can recall seeing Pioneer Market as a industrial-like building. Rain or shine, earthquakes or holidays, it was always open! Always reliable! When the nearby Safeway Market briefly shut its doors due to a storm or earthquake, Pioneer Market was open. You were able to purchase your supplies and groceries. When it rained, there would be buckets at the entrance to collect leaks from the ceiling. There would be a candy area inside the market. You were able to scoop up and bag an assortment of candies. My favorite was bagging the square-shaped, milk caramel candies. The Pioneer Market then later was constructed to be a two-storied building with the tiles on the roof. There were large tubs filled with rice, beans, nuts, candies, etc. I would occasionally sample a chocolate-covered almond or two. There was a toy section, adjacent to the breakfast cereals. I'd get a toy gun, plastic army figures, bottles of bubbles, and other fun things. There was a little photo area for film roll dropoffs. Those were the good old days! Too bad the family did not want to continue the business. Walgreens and Lassens are in its place now. As for Pioneer Chicken, in Echo Park, it did not have indoor seating at first. You had to order the delicious chicken from a window, sort of like from a hotdog/hamburger stand. The building's exterior colors were sky blue, orange, and white. Great place to get crispy fried chicken! Did go to the Pioneer Chicken in Boyle Heights. Absolutely the same flavors and ambiance that I remembered as a kid!
Loved this place as a kid in San Francisco. That orange batter has some magic crack on it that made it so good. Pioneer Chicken was also in the music video by Debarge, Rhythm of the Night. And I believe OJ Simpson may have owned one on Olympic Ave , which is closed for several years now. Awesome video 🤙🏻
Love the series! I’m a little younger than you Adam and I’m really enjoying these vides. I grew up experiencing these locations and these videos bring back memories.
I love how you are getting out on the bike and doing all the tours of places I will never be able to see in this life time. I appreciate you so much. My real curiosity is.... how are those push ups coming. I was also proud of you documenting it and seeing the vast improvement you made. You have been a solid main stay for me through this plight. I have walked 2 miles a day sterilizing all the public doors here in the 55+ apartment building I live in. Not only did I wipe down doors, knobs, push bars I also wiped down the 2 rubbish chutes, 9 fobs, 2 security pads, 2 elevators (rails, walls, doors and buttons), the mailboxes fronts and 2 vending machine fronts. LOL It gave me a great sweat every morning and gave me a sense of trying to protect all the older people who live here who age from 57 to 93. You would love my apartment building. It is a 1932 "Blacks" School building where they bused in from 50 miles radius. I live in the historic side, My apartment is "Stage Right" 14' ceilings, crown molding massive living room and bedroom and the bathroom is the size of most family homes small bedrooms lol. But I love the building! If you ever get bored you can look it up. Lincoln Hubbard High School (now Apartments) in Sedalia, MO. It is one of the oldest buildings in town. I love being on the edge of town and the 2 block walk to Dollar General. 4 blocks from the train tracks and I love the train coming through town hearing the whistle blow at night and the clacking of the train cars going down the tracks. LOL I guess I write like you narrate/share all the wonderful places you take me to. Thank you Adam. You are a special young man and I am glad you have followed your heart and share all these grand places with us. May God always give you Travel Mercies and you stay safe. Us geeks have to keep the history of our country alive!!!
Hollenbeck Park was once ghetto, people were told to stay away from that park 15 years ago lol. There was a hospital across the street that was haunted now a senior care center I believe. You should try El Tepeyac the Hollenbeck special burrito in the Boyle Heights area...
When I was a very little child in Anchorage, Alaska, there was a Pioneer Chicken on East Northern Lights Boulevard, just at Boniface Parkway, across the street from Longs Drugs and the Boniface Mall. Thanks for the trip to another awesome old-school eatery, Adam!
OMG, Pioneer Chicken and Winchell's donuts. Junk food sustenance from my SOCAL youth. Kinda wondering if it tastes the same, back in the day they still fried in lard (both at Pioneer and Winchells). Would finish off a Pioneer Chicken meal with a 25 cent triple scoop from Thrifty Drug. Surprising to see a Floridian jones'ing it for PC. Hope it was good.
Maaaan that is ooooold school! I remember that Pioneer chicken wayyy back in the day. Reminds me of my youth. Grew up right down the street from that spot. Vintage
Love this episode! In fact totally dig both of you. I just got my self a 3 piece meal from the Bell Gardens location yesterday. Haven't had Pioneers for at least we'll over a decade. Must say I wasn't disappointed. Thanks for sharing this video.
Adam, You've found many golden food gems during your recent travels. I have to catch up on your locations since I just got home from active military duty. I'm working on my list of places to visit. Yummy. Thanks, Sean, too. Keith
I thought they were long gone. We had at least one when I was a kid. I'll make a point of visiting next time we're south. Thanks for letting us know, ATW.
I’ve been commenting this on most of his videos. I don’t live in LA anymore but as soon as I visit and land at LAX my cousin takes me straight to King Taco in East LA....
My family is friends with the King Taco family. I remember spending Christmas at their house 1 year and accidentally getting locked in their bathroom. They had only 1 restaurant back then. Just down the street from their house. They were good people Raul and his wife.
26 episodes of not getting anything out of these videos but hunger. So much hunger. And living so far away. And on quarantine. And in some other country. Adam, you're killing me.
@@malfuncsean Oh my gosh I spent soooo much time at the Westminster Mall I should have got a job there. It was the place to hang out with my friends long before this social media stuff ruined everything. Sadly some of those friends are no longer with us. I saw the video of Adam going to the mall to get a Orange Julius. The mall sure has changed a lot since the last time I was there.
Remember when Westminster mall used to have the food court directly in the middle of the mall with all those awesome ramps to the lower level?? That was awesome as a kid. They ruined it by moving it to the Sears wing.
Thanks for this! They were all over! when I lived in Hollywood, Western and Hollywood Blvds. were the apex of the red light district! Thanks for the history of the chain. I thought that we were going to get a 2-for-1 vlog day, when I saw the Winchell's donut sign in the beginning.
Awe ... the memories ... I worked at the Pioneer Chicken on Turnpike Rd across from San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara for a total of 1 hour while I was in high school (there was a misunderstanding about my availability to work). Good to see they're still around.
Wow nostalgia overload. I loved going to Pioneer Chicken as a small kid. I can still smell the chicken lol. I didn’t know there were some still open, I need to go ASAP.
Omg I love the ball game machine!!! Talk about going back in time!!! My sister and I played ALL the game 25 cent machines wherever we went...this is one I’ve never seen. Such a special surprise 😍
Adam, if there's a Church's Chicken anywhere near you, it would be really nice if you could do a food review there. I've never been there as there are no establishments near me, but I've heard great things about it and would love to hear/see your experience. However, I completely understand if that's not possible as of yet due to the weird times we're living in.
Hi wanna let you know there is a church's chicken in Riverside Ca on University and I believe Kansas st. Try it out it's good, I drive all the way from Corona for their chicken
We have Church's Chicken where I'm at sometime you got to watch where you go to cuz most of the time their chicken is raw inside bleeding just not done they closed when I'm down and remodeled Valentine is there chicken is still the same not done
