Classic Foods Of The 1980s!

Rhetty for history ^ | 3/31/22 | Rhetty for history

[DallasBiff]

Let's take a look at some of the long lost classic foods of the 1980s! Times have changed and some of them wouldn't work today but I do feel some of them need to be brought back

[DallasBiff]

I've had a theme for the last few days, and it is American food trends, in the last few decades.

Enjoy.

[DallasBiff]

This thread is dedicated to you.

[married21]

Food trends I recall included
pasta primavera,
getting Parmesan freshly grated onto your salad,
European style coffee like cappuccino catching on,
Loaded nachos at happy hour,
Long Island Iced Tea,
Red Zinger Herbal Tea,
ramen noodles/Cup o Noodles,
Chicken McNuggetts
Buffalo Wings
Golden Grahams cereal
Chinese chicken salad (?)
Chimichangas
Strawberry margaritas
Chicago style pizza (new to CA)
Cobb salad
Clam chowder in a bread bowl

[LukeL]

Keebler Magic Middles, TMNT pies, Ectocooler

[Trillian]

I miss these!

[olivia3boys]

Hamburger Helper. Fish sticks. Bologna. American Cheese. Frozen peas and canned green beans. Wine coolers. Frozen waffles.

I’m Gen X and grew up on such fare; my Gen Z kids shun it.

[DallasBiff]

You forgot, fresh ground pepper, where the waiter/waitress would put it on your salad.

[DallasBiff]

I forgot Mrs, Paul’s fish sticks, they were a staple in our house.

[Yardstick]

Themed chain restaurants like Chilis, Ruby Tuesday, Steak And Ale, TGI Fridays
Capri Sun and other “juice boxes”
Nerds candy
“Healthy” breakfast cereal like Kashi and Fruit ‘N Fiber
Freeze dried ice cream (Space Shuttle food)
“Super sized” soft drinks start to take off
Glass soft drink bottles become plastic
Cars gain cup holders
Grocery stores gain laser scanners (phasing out clerks with lightning fast fingers)
Seems like Chik Fil A appeared in mall food courts in the ‘80s...they would give you sample nuggets on a toothpick to hook you in
Quiche!
Subway was actually good back then
Taco bell still had hand cut tomatoes and onions
Microwave popcorn
Cool Ranch Doritos
Beginnings of ranch dressing/flavor craze?
Bottled water becomes a thing
“Modern” bubblegum like Hubba Bubba
Big pizza delivery chains like Papa Johns (or did those get going in the ‘70s?)
Haagen Daas ice cream

[sumuam]

I remember the Le Menu dinners as a teen. The Yankee Pot Roast was awesome.

[nathanbedford]

1980s? I remember when TV dinners were a novelty.

[Libloather]

[eyedigress]

Little Caesars “Pizza Pizza”.

[dakine]

Oly Beer Balls...

[Cowgirl of Justice]

With the huge pepper mill presented on their forearm that was draped with a napkin like it was fine wine!!!

[Cecily]

Cajun and Creole cooking (Paul Prudhomme)- blackened, spicy everything, crawfish etouffe, dirty rice, etc.

I didn’t like any of it.

[Cecily]

Specialty pizzas, like California Pizza Kitchen and pizzas at Spago by Wolfgang Puck.

Alcoholic slushies at places like Fat Tuesday’s.

Trendy, flavored vodkas (Absolut).

[jimmygrace]

I remember going to Red Lobster for all-you-can-eat King Crab legs. I think my family is responsible for the near extinction of them, but they were fantiastic drawn in butter!

[Albion Wilde]

Red Zinger Herbal Tea

Now that's a good memory!

Most of these foods in the OP were things we never experienced. Fortunate to live near a fresh farm market while raising family.

[Albion Wilde]

We liked Rice-a-Roni a couple of times a month. Also, I recall wagon wheels pasta, which I never see any more. Made it with peas, and kids had fun inserting peas between the spokes of the wheels.