Posted on 05/16/2005 11:06:24 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Even when I was young the store was like an "antique." But it was nice.
Service wasn't too great at the one (and only) my dad ever stopped at when I was a kid.
Every time we drove past it after that (it was about half way between Oakland and Redding, CA) he would mention that their slogan should be "Get stuck at Stuckey's," as in, "getting it stuck to you."
Me too! I still have all their little Flexidiscs that they offered as part of a promotion for the original Star Wars.
McDonald's actually stole the Happy Meal concept from Burger Chef.
"McDonald's actually stole the Happy Meal concept from Burger Chef."
That's the American way.
Never even saw a HoJo's down here, but I remember seeing "Stuckey's" all along I-20 headed to Dallas a few years ago. Never stopped at one, though.
As for "Burger Chef", I remember them from when I was a kid (remember the Burger Chef and Jeff commercials?). Used to love to go there. They got bought out by another chain, "Mr. Cook", around 25 years ago, and the burgers were just as good, and they made nachos to die for, the quality and flavor was better than you'll find in a lot of good Mexican restaurants, and much cheaper. Then, sadly, they went belly up in the early 90s.
The world as I knew it was over when the Howard Johnson in N. Miami Beach closed down. That and the Coppertone girl billboard nearby which was also taken down were my last links to a bygone era that is now...Gone With The Wind.
While we are getting sappy over the days of yesteryear we have to pay homage to "Nickerson Farms". Remember the "Red" roof? I remember their fried chichen...crispy, moist and just darn good. They finally bit the dust in the early 1980's.
Anyone here remember Happy Chef?
There's still one in Mankato, Minnesota. It's got the giant chef statue outside that's been there for almost 40 years. You pushed a button at the base and the chef would 'talk' to you. Creeped me out as a kid.
Someday, I'll have to stop there and see if the button still works. My eight-year-old might get a kick out of it.
I loved Howard Johnson's familiar orange roofs and ice cream. It's sad to them going away.
Thanks for posting this thread. It's nice to take a walk down memory lane.
I had those I think. Wasn't that fried clam strips heaped onto a toasted buttered frankfort bun, served in a plastic basket? Along with tarter sauce of course.
From the internet:
As a guy who worked in a HOJO's in the mid-60's I remember the menu items fairly well. The sandwich you referred to was the Clam Roll. It used the same roll as was used for the hot dog(Franfurt) and the Lobster Roll. It was that type of roll that made the New England 'style' Hot Dog a step above (IMHO) those of other locations where the "normal" bun is the holder of the Dog. The standard Clam Roll contained 2 oz. of clam strips, dipped in canned milk and the flower/batter/breading then deep-fried The roll was buttered on the outside then grilled while the clams were being prepared...so all was toasty hot when combined and served (we hoped!) Price in 1963 was 75 cents.
For me the ice cream of choice was "Buttercrunch" with "Burgandy Cherry" running a close second. Mocha Walnut was another favorite, but it never was a big seller.
Remember "Sandy's?" 10 burgers for a buck??? I remember the one in Denton Texas back during my days at NTSU.
http://www.geocities.com/sandyshamburgers/
I don't recall much about the food at Nickerson Farms, other than the fact that my grandpa loved their fried liver and onions. (:
The part I found fascinating was the working beehive under glass in the lobby at their Adrian, Minnesota location.
I'm deathly afraid of bees and kept a wary eye on the display throughout my meal. I believe it had something to do with selling their own house brand of honey.
Not just the fried clams... onion rings! And hot chocolate. Sadly, somewhere along the line the clams got rubbery and the onion ring batter lost it's lightness: dunno about the hot chocolate.
Can't say I remember Sandy's.
I'm a born and bred northerner. Maybe they never had them in the upper midwest. Sounds tasty though! (:
> i ate at Howard Johnson's once as a kid... i thought the food was quite bland...
I think *most* American Food used to be quite bland...in fact, my parents preferred it that way. HoJo's had Good Bland Food, and part of the reason they are almost out of business is they never brought in the bada-bing (tm). Except for the ice cream, of course.
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