Around my area, Top Hat was another one that up and disappeared.
They were along the lines of White Castle, and inhabited many street corners around the metro area. I don't know if they existed outside the Detroit area or beyond Michigan. There are still some of these buildings standing today, of course, having changed hands many times along the way, but keeping that same design intact. (Let me just say that today, they are not in the best of neighborhoods, and are not establishments any of us here would dare attempt to eat at. )
Heh, this is not far from my house. It was an old Red Barn, from the 70s. It has changed hands several times since Red Barn left the area. It was redone outside now with brick, and a half-round facade to cover up the front, but check out the old familiar roofline...
As for Burger Chef, we had one at the Hoover/Eleven plaza, about a mile and a half from my house. I think they went out of business because of the salad bar. Seriously. We used to see these "big" ladies come in there, buy a burger that was served in the styrofoam container, put the burger on a wrapper and then proceed to fill up the styrofoam containers with salad. (And hey, since Burger Chef had the "works bar" where you could load up your burger your own way, it was no stretch to reach over and put a few things from the salad bar on your burger.) Ours was the modern-styled version, similar to this:
We briefly had one here in the east 'burbs of the Detroit area--on the southeast corner of Groesbeck Hwy. and 11 Mile/I-696 service drive. I don't think it lasted more than a year or two. Being younger, I didn't quite "get" the name until a few years later. Then I, too, wondered how they could get away with having a business with that name.
I still see that "Clock Fine Food" signage around town. Numerous diners have come and gone in those locations, but that unique three-tiered sign still remains. I don't see any with the clock on it, though. Never ate at one, but they were all over the place here.
We still have a couple of A&Ws around, although I don't know if any of the drive-up outdoor A&Ws still exist around here. One of the last ones I recall was downriver in Trenton (on Jefferson Ave.) but that has changed hands now.
They were along the lines of White Castle, and inhabited many street corners around the metro area. I don't know if they existed outside the Detroit area or beyond Michigan. There are still some of these buildings standing today, of course, having changed hands many times along the way, but keeping that same design intact. (Let me just say that today, they are not in the best of neighborhoods, and are not establishments any of us here would dare attempt to eat at. )
Burger Chef ... as I recall ... the burgers didn't taste like McD or Burger King. I think they became Hardees but that did not taste like the Chef ... as I recall.
Red Barn ...
You can still see some of their old buildings around ... look like the picture below.
Heh, this is not far from my house. It was an old Red Barn, from the 70s. It has changed hands several times since Red Barn left the area. It was redone outside now with brick, and a half-round facade to cover up the front, but check out the old familiar roofline...
As for Burger Chef, we had one at the Hoover/Eleven plaza, about a mile and a half from my house. I think they went out of business because of the salad bar. Seriously. We used to see these "big" ladies come in there, buy a burger that was served in the styrofoam container, put the burger on a wrapper and then proceed to fill up the styrofoam containers with salad. (And hey, since Burger Chef had the "works bar" where you could load up your burger your own way, it was no stretch to reach over and put a few things from the salad bar on your burger.) Ours was the modern-styled version, similar to this:
In Ames, IA in mid 1970's ate at "Sambos" - no wonder they went out of business with such an offensive name!
We briefly had one here in the east 'burbs of the Detroit area--on the southeast corner of Groesbeck Hwy. and 11 Mile/I-696 service drive. I don't think it lasted more than a year or two. Being younger, I didn't quite "get" the name until a few years later. Then I, too, wondered how they could get away with having a business with that name.
Couple locals that used to litter the area and disappeared a while back.
Regular customer at both back in the day. Good stick to yer ribs kinda chow ...
I still see that "Clock Fine Food" signage around town. Numerous diners have come and gone in those locations, but that unique three-tiered sign still remains. I don't see any with the clock on it, though. Never ate at one, but they were all over the place here.
We still have a couple of A&Ws around, although I don't know if any of the drive-up outdoor A&Ws still exist around here. One of the last ones I recall was downriver in Trenton (on Jefferson Ave.) but that has changed hands now.