Top 20 Iconic Fast Food Chains That Dont Exist Anymore 

What’s your most missed fast food chain? Let us know in the comments! More FOOD videos -> ru-vid.com/group/PLmZTDWJGfRq0dhhn7cPWF8GqJXORFKYLP

I remember the A&W drive in growing up. The pre-chilled mug of Root-Beer. The carhops and the tray that set on the window. The food was good and we loved the floats.

You left out Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips. And I remember a HoJo's at Nantasket Beach in Hull MA, which was a must stop after a day at the beach. It was right there at the end of the strip, just before the rotary that you took to head back home. We always went there for some ice cream cones just before we left. Damn, I miss those cones...HoJo's used to be the only restaurants you could find along the Mass Turnpike.

Burger Chef is the most missed in my book and brings back many a childhood memory, but I also remember Farrell's and Red Barn as well. Thanks for the stroll down a time forgotten when things were much better and life was much simplier.

I worked at Farrell's in WISCONSIN for over three years. Back then (in the 1970''s) there was literally a competition among high schools to get your friends to work there. You had to have a "B" average to be hired. I'd love to see any restaurant today trying to get enough employees if they enforced that clause anymore! And, as a waiter, you would make around $10- $12 a day it tips, which was a lot of money back then!

Some other chains from yesterday were Ponderosa, York Steakhouse, Arthur Treacher's and Roy Rogers.

We had Burger Chef when I was a young kid in Beaumont, Texas, in the 1970s. I specifically remember the kids' meals--or rather the boxes. Some had board games on them--four different ones or so that you could collect, but each could also be played individually. My favorite one was a baseball game that was kind of like the baseball pinball games at the time. The ball was cut out from the cardboard on the box, and the straw was put into the box and functioned as the bat! It's been over forty years, and I still remember that!

Burger Chef was very special to me as a kid in the late 1970's. I was one of seven kids in my family, and on Christmas eve, the local Burger Chef would stay open for us to eat in so my uncle could sneak in the presents under the tree. I remember those fun meals unknowing that they were the first kid's meals. What treasured memories.

D'Lites needs a come back! Mojo didn't say much about it, so here's a backstory - Doug Sheley (Wendy's franchisee) decided to start a healthier fast food restaurant chain and Dave Thomas wasn't interested...so he found investors (NFL's Herschel Walker and Joe Montana among them) and opened his own restaurants. Yep, Hardee's bought them out, too! D'Lites is everything that's needed now; healthier fast food. They had whole wheat buns, sprouts and pitas, salad bars, baked potato skins with bacon and cheese, and they sold beer. Doug has since opened other restaurants, but we former employees ask that D'Lites be revived ;)

I miss Chi-Chi's!!! I'm 54 and I'll be honest, I don't remember many of these. Interesting upload! 😊 Red Barn was a family affair on the weekends growing up. Good memories. Loved Burger Chef, too!!

Burger Chef is the one I remember. It had been about 25 years since I’d had a Burger Chef burger, but when I first had the chance to try an In ‘N Out burger, I remember immediately thinking that it tasted just like a Burger Chef burger to me (not a bad thing).

Thanks for reminding me about some great restaurants I missed growing up. Little Tavern, Farrell's, Red Barn, Burger Chef and Howard Johnson's when we would drive from MD to OH. The one restaurant I miss the most is Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips. My dad and I were just reminiscing about it the other day. I'm really surprised it didn't make the list. Thanks for the video!

I remember the Red Barn, Burger Chef and Auther Treacher's back in the 70's. They are building a medical center where Red Barn once stood.

When I was a kid? Burger Chef right down the road. Big Chef ruled. ❤

As a native New Yorker, I don't remember most of these places (with the exception of Howard Johnsons), but I do remember Arthur Treachers' Fish & Chips (loved their corn dogs and chips that looked like fat French fries), The Ground Round (popcorn as an appetizer to hold you over till your burger deluxe arrived), Beefsteak Charlie's (beer, wine, or sangria with steak dinner), and Zipp's (great ice cream place). I dont know if it was a chain restaurant, but I also loved Peachtree's.

I used to work a couple blocks from a Red Barn, the Barnbuster was a great sandwich. Came very close to working at Burger Chef, they had a unique tasting sauce on their burgers

I remember Burger Chef. Good food and plenty of it. Gone but not forgotten.

I grew up on Burger Chef...loved it even more then McDonald's or Burger King. I refuse to go to Hardee's because they bought out The Chef

Back in the 70s our mom would take us to burger chef after church. I started loving vegetables at this place. Ordered a double burger and they would ask you with or without. Always said without and would stack layers of veggies. The good ole days in San Marcos tx. Thanks Mom.🌹

I didn't think anybody else remembered Wetson's. As a kid, it was always such a treat to get a cheeseburger & fries (soft, IIRC) at the one in Pine Brook, NJ. Now it makes sense why it was replaced with a Nathan's. We also had a Gino's nearby, and Howard Johnsons seemed to be everywhere. So nostalgic.

Hardee’s is the guy she tells you not to worry about.

As a Canadian kid in the '70s I remember getting food and toys (hand puppets) at Burger Chef! The other one that I loved that I'm surprised isn't on this list is Shakey's Pizza.

I miss Shakey's Pizza, at least the 60s/70s version. I know there are still a few dozen in California, but that's 1500 miles away... It was the first pizza buffet I ever saw, you could watch them making pizza through a window, and they always had a guy at the piano playing ragtime. What a fun place that was.

Very entertaining and fun to watch. Thanks for posting this.

We used to have a Howard Johnson's down here in Palm Beach County, right by the ocean on the South East corner of US1 and Donald Ross in Juno Beach. It was a hotel and a restaurant. That place was always packed full people. Sadly due to the financial crisis of the 2000s, it closed it's doors forever.

Funny story, my hometown had a red barn at one point. They shut down, and a liquor store moved in. The Beverage Barn. They kept the building style, sign style, but sold liquor. Using the same building, signs, etc and they’ve now become a successful chain of liquor stores that continue using that style of barn and sign lol.

In Michigan we had Hot N' Now, a drive thru White Castle clone. The buildings all looked like huge carry-out boxes and the burgers were dirt cheap. We used to call it "Rotten Chow" instead of Hot N Now! Ah, good, gluttonous memories!

Michigan had a few discontinued restaurant chains that are no longer in business: 1.) Elias Brother's Big Boy, which discontinued in 2007, and was renamed as just "Big Boy's". For decades, Elias Brother's were everywhere in Michigan & Canada, but by 2007, Elias Brothers retired the family name. Today, even dozen's of Big Boys are disappearing from Michigan. Even Soupy Sales, who sponsored the 1967 Gino's promo did some ads for The Elias Brother's in the 1970's (yes, he got a pie in the face in all of them.) 2.) Dogs N' Suds. Today, the root beer is still sold in small stores in bottles, but the restaurant chains are long gone. 3.) Maryland's Fried Chicken. There were very few locations in Michigan in the 60's & 70's, but today they are long gone. 4.) Lums & Red Barn restaurants are long discontinued in Michigan since the 1980's, and I miss them very much. There were also Winky's, Farrell's, Geri's, and Sambo's in Michigan, but they too are gone as well. May they R.I.P.. The last Burger Chef in Michigan was turned into a Hardee's on 9 Mile Road in Hazel Park. Today, it's the last surviving Hardee's chain in Michigan. All other Hardee's restaurants in Michigan became Tim Horton's, a chain from Canada.

Taco Bell bought not only the Pup 'n Taco locations, but also those of a very fine over-the-counter Tex-Mex chain called Zantigo's. When I headed for Zantigo's one night in the '80s and saw it was now a Taco Bell, I got that "nothing good ever lasts" feeling. I have never gotten over the loss of Zantigo's.

I worked at Burger Chef in 1979. I also remember going to Red Barn back then. Sambo's was a good place to eat

Loved Burger Chef, especially since they broiled their burgers. And my favorite meal at Howard Johnson's was breakfast. I could remember their pancakes, douced with maple syrup and butter.....now that's a breakfast.

You failed to mention Sbarro,a pizza placed in malls, they had great stuffed pizza and the spaghetti and meatballs were excellent. A few months ago, I went to eat there and it was gone, I asked what happened to Sbarro and they said that they just closed.

In the 70s my family would drive from New England to Orlando every year, and we’d eat at Sambo’s, on I-4. I’d always get the silver dollar pancakes. They where the best.

Anyone remember Ponderosa?

The last Howard Johnson’s to exist was in Lake George NY and just closed it’s doors. We’ll have to see if it gets reopened or replaced.

Howard Johnson’s is one of my favorites and have eaten many times at the one in Lake George. Not sure when the pic was done. Northland Motorlodge was next door which was taken over by Super 8 Motel. We have stayed at both places many times. Burger Chef, Lums also good places to eat. Thanks for sharing this video.

I remember Farrell's my favorite was the pig trough lol. I remember Sambo's also- they had great food- I miss them

I actually remember Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor. My family and I went to one when I was a kid. For years, I could remember the place but never the name until now. I wish it was still around.

Winky's failed because Ray Kroc and McDonalds essentially followed Winky's into towns all over western Pennsylvania. Once Winky's was a success, McDonalds would move in next door or within a block usually a year or so later. Thinking back, Winky's food was better, but they went crazy adding menu items trying to out flank McDonalds.

LOVED BURGER CHEF! You got your bun and hamburger and you got to put on it whatever you wanted. Self-serve. Last year I told my husband I wish they'd bring Burger Chef back. I still crave it today! 🧡🍔🧡

Farrells was excellent. The pig trough was a huge square dish. I think it was free if you could finish it. You waited in line while standing in an old school penny candy store section.

I miss Burger Chef, Red Barn, Chi-Chi's, Howard Johnson's

There was a Burger Chef on hwy 41 almost directly across the street from the Big Chicken KFC in Marietta Ga. We used to eat there after boy scout meetings. This was the late 60s. Last time I looked, the burger chef sign was still there but the place was actually a car lot. Another place I really miss was a steak house chain called Ranch House. It was a real treat to go there. Those were the good old days.

I went with my family in New Jersey to a really nice ice cream parlor in 1976. Based on the physical layout being shown here, I believe it was Farrell's. It was great. On a different note: I'm surprised that the fast food chain Chicken Delight was not on this list. I remember their commerical - "Don't cook tonight, call Chicken Delight."

5:58 In Pittsburgh baseball star Willie Stargell had a chicken fast food store where the motto of 'Chicken on the Hill with Will' applied whenever he hit a home run. If you were in the store when he did you got a free piece of chicken.

I miss Mighty Casey's. Their onion rings were a home run. It's insulting that they were talking about Mighty Casey's but were showing footage related to Krystal.

I liked Burger Chef for their burgers. They had their version of the Whopper, the Super Chef, and the Big Mac, the Big Chef. The Shakes were good, too.

That last Ho-Jo"s just closed this week! Here in Acworth,Ga. we had a burger joint named Burger Chief. Don't know if it was a chain or locally owned although the high school was North Cobb High Warriors not sure if it was a coincidence or not!

In KC we had Smak's hamburgers. They were GOOD! I still remember one of their restaurants on the corner of 13th and Main.

Lum's had hotdogs steamed in beer, roast beef and other great food as a remember.

We had The Red Barn here in my area in Canada. It was great, then suddenly they were gone. Other franchises we had were Davy Jones Fish And Chips, Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips, Big Boy's Hamburgers, Chi Chi's Mexican Restaurant, Mr. Donut, Coffee Time, Tim Horton's Hamburgers, Licks Hamburgers just to name a few.

Burger Chef had the distinction of scoring a contract for producing the first Star Wars related themed products. They deserve to be on their spot on this list. Roy Rogers also had a pretty good restaurant back in the day, with very good chicken, burgers, and an apple crisp dessert that was very much a perfect dessert that was enough for one as well.

Top Ten Fast Food Restaurant Scandals that Ruined the Business

Speaking of chicken eateries the cartoon character Yogi-Bear had his own chicken eatery which provided low-cal chicken as a healthier fried chicken option this eatery was called Yogi's Honey Chicken and only has existing location that is open to patrons in North Carolina.

When I was little kid there was a restaurant called Golden Bear. It was liked a Denny’s. It did had good food and even milk shakes,too.

We had a little chef restaurant in Roanoke, VA until 2015. We still have a Texas Tavern that looks a lot the Little Tavern in this video. The Texas Tavern in Roanoke, VA was established in 1930.

When I was in college (1980-1984), and it was time to go back home for vacations, the bus from campus stopped right by a Howard Johnson. There were a couple others not too far from where I lived. And yeah, loved the clams

I'm still partial to the York Steakhouse, a cafeteria-based eatery that was at my local mall. Another mall staple from back then: Olga's.

I remember back in the 1970's eating at the Red Barn in Erie PA. When it closed it stayed empty for a long time. Eventually it became a used car lot named "Auto Barn" since the iconic building was never changed. In the late 90's the car lot closed and the building was razed and the site became a MediCap pharmacy.

Ah. The good ol days of my happy, idyllic childhood. Red Barn, Der Weinersnitzel, Winchell's Doughnuts, A & W Drive in's (for that matter ANY drive in eatery). My two faves were Shakey's Pizza, Arctic Circle, and Sambo's. That mention gave me such nostalgia I almost cried.

I miss the Krusty Krab every time it gets destroyed, but fortunately it always miraculously gets rebuilt.

I miss Farrell's and Red Barn.

I'm not certain if it was part of a chain of restaurants, but SmorgaBob's in Livermore was pretty cool. Good salad bar, and the pudding selection was what I lived for [and _still_ dream about - not often I've been lucky enough to have a small dish of each: tapioca, butterscotch & pistachio puddings at one meal - all my favorites!]

During the 70s in the South, there was a chain called Judy’s that tried to compete with Wendy’s. I only ate there once and never returned, opting to stick with Wendy’s. A rumor went around, at least locally, that their burgers had horse meat in them. 😂 But that’s not the reason I chose not to go back. Wendy’s quality was much better.

One Red Barn lived on in Racine, WI after it's franchisee owner renamed it to "The Farm" and took it independent. Didn't go out of business until 2020. Probably partly due to the pandemic, but also probably because of some news stories about rats and heath code violations. The building and the sign are still there though, and they've since been taking over by a local eatery that offers much better food and really awesome Blueberry shakes.

I miss the 90s!!!

The Red Barn had excellent Fried Chicken I remember as well...The Howard Johnson's had all you can eat Clam strips on Thursdays, in North Syracuse back in the 60's...Great memories of food we loved....

I remember Sandy's! There was one located in the parking lot of the St. Anthony Village Mall in St. Anthony, MN (a suburb of Minneapolis). Also, that last HoJo's in Lake George, NY, finally closed in June (of 2022).

Wags (walgreens) were also set up "soda shop" style similar to what Woolworth had done

Wow two of my local favorites on this list. I remember my dad bringing home a bag of Little Tavern’s burgers when I was a kid. And Gino’s were even at Camden Yards for a short time.

Love it thank you for sharing. If I may suggest, a little story on Marriott may be appropriate seeing how they started with a little shop called A&W not to be confused with root beer a&w. Many may be wondering why a hotel chain would buy out such companies. The family of Marriott is a wonderful story , such passionate souls.

Love it 😍

No Big Boy Burger? Also I remember loving Mary Browns Chicken, a popular chicken tenders chain in Ontario that disappeared in the early 2000s

I remember Pup ‘n’ Taco, Sambo’s and Pioneer Chicken in the greater LA area. The Supermarket chain Alpha Beta also opened a Denny’s style restaurant called Alphy’s. I went to the only location that I knew about and now it’s a Denny’s at Sepulveda Bl. and Maple in Torrance, CA

Many happy memories at Farrells, Little Tavern, Ginos, Lums, Burger Chef, Howard Johnson's, and Red Barn. Don't know if it was just a DC thing, but the cafeteria style restaurant, Hot Shopps, was a very happy, Sunday after church time with my Grandmama memory.

I MISS Gino's, Hot Shoppe, Holly Farms, Red Barns and Little Tavern (local in DC area)

I lived off of Zantigo's when I was in graduate school in the 80s. The top price on the menu was 79c. And H. Salt Fish and Chips - remember those?

I know there's still something like 600 A&Ws in the US, but I miss the original drive up style restaurants. Plus all the restaurants around me closed, so for me they might as well be gone.

Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent still-motion photography job. Enabling viewer's to better understand what/whom the orator was describing. Never heard of or eaten in those establishments. Enjoyed the ( TV ) ads. Their better days had came & went.

Great Content

I miss Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips. In the '60s, Gino's is where we'd go to get KFC. There was a Burger Chef across the street from my high school. It is now a Burger King. What about Bob's Big Boy and Roy Rogers?

Man I miss Geri’s. Surprised it was even mention. Went there all the time growing up.

Loved Farrells Ice Cream Parlor. Many birthday and special occasion gatherings there with family and friends. In our small town we had an Arctic Circle and a nearby town had a Herfy's for a hamburger and fry fix. Many a time friends and I stopped by Arctic Circle for fries and fry sauce walking home from school. There was also a Big Scoop inside the public swimming pool! Ah, the carefree days of youth, when you could walk home from school and actually get there without dangers on the way. Even back then we still had at least two of us together at all times as a precaution. Miss some of these places now. Teenage hangouts.

Good List. I also miss ROY ROGERS !!! Great Burgers and Roast Beef

There used to be a chain restaurant in the south called Druthers but they got bought by Dairy Queens. The mascot was a Queen Bee.

Am I the only one who misses Rax? Great sandwiches, great salad bar, with hot and cold food, and great shakes. It was wonderful.

19:24, in the early 80's my mom worked at Howard Johnson. Loved those clam strips!

I grew up in South Alabama where Krystal hamburgers were and still are a staple.

Yep, Krystal’s is in Florida too. Basically the same food as White Castle’s.

Of all of these places I miss our local A&W. They kinda still exist but very very rarely. 😥 And our Howard Johnson's got turned into a Cracker Barrel.

Pizza oven and Lito’s fire grilled pizza was the absolute star of the Maryland area !

Although it was long gone by the time I moved to Manassas, Va. in 1981--there used to be a Minnie Pearl's Fried Chicken here in town. I recognize it by the building architecture. By the time I moved here it was a U-Haul rental place. There was also one in Woodbridge, Va. 30 mins. away that was turned into Smokey's BBQ. Both buildings have since been torn down.

One you missed was Pioneer Chicken, that tried to compete with KFC in the 1970's. Their mascot was this chubby chef guy holding a bucket of chicken as he rode on a covered wagon.

Farrell's Ice-Cream Parlour reminds me of both Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag or Butterfat's 5600 Flavors Ice Cream Parlor or Phineas Q. Butterfat's Ice Cream Parlor from the Simpsons I think the writers got inspired by that former eatery.

Now I remember Gino's restaurants when I was a kid in Philadelphia. This was at a time when they teamed up with Kentucky Fried Chicken, and their only competition was McDonalds. I do recall when Gino's tried to make a comeback in the King of Prussia area, but I don't think it lasted.

Funny Howard Johnson's they mention their clam strips, sometimes we got the clam strips my mom and I, but usually we had a club. When we would go to Lums I always got clam strips there, both places we went to were in Elmira N.Y. I walked over not far from where I lived to the Red Barn. I wouldn't mind going back for a moment to share a meal with my mom again, I sure miss her and those restaurants.

I loved Burger Chef and was really disappointed when it became Hardee's, part of my childhood died. A birthday party at a Farrell's is also a cherished memory and we were there longer that expected as our first "zoo" fell off the stretcher.

Watching this got me thinking about the food joints I miss. Burger Chef is a big one and if it wasn't for their rotten ownership they'd probably still be around now. They were more innovative than others, they developed the chain broiler Burger King still uses (along with the bun toaster), had a Works Bar where you could add your own toppings, had the Funburger and FunMeal way before McDonald's, and had the Star Wars collector glasses. And still they wound up getting absorbed into the Hardee's family (which seems to have picked up a lot of failed chains). Others I miss are Dog 'N Suds, the original A&W's with carhops, G.D. Ritzy's, Mr. Quickburger, Shakey's Pizza, Daddy-O's, Top Boy, KFC's failed Roast Beef And Ham, and others my nearly 60 year old brain ain't coming up with at the moment. All of them had their charm, their gimmicks, and they gave us more choices, unlike today. We used to have a lot more places to shop other than Walmart too. When all the competition is gone life gets pretty boring and a lot more expensive. Anyone up for a game of Monopoly? (Not really a fast food chain but I still miss Stuckey's too, would ride my bike a mile out of town to the interstate exit just to eat there and get a pecan log)

Red Barn was soooo 70's !! Didn't really go there more than once or twice as a 1970's kid , but man - that huge barn sign was so surreal and iconic as a childhood memory !!

Yummies for your tummy,now I'm hungry after watching this and others food history shows mmm