Restaurant chains that no longer exist

What, pray tell, is a big fat yeast roll?

 

I would eat there.

 

Ah, Chi-Chi's.... My first job was at a Chi-Chi's in Iowa, at age 16 in the late '90s. I can't imagine a cooler first job for a teenager. Among the perks:

- the bartenders often gave us their beer posters and paraphernalia once the bar was done with it.

- Virtually the entire staff was comprised of my high school classmates, except for the aforementioned bartenders.

- As a busboy, I usually took home about $40 in singles after getting tipped out each night.

- Maybe it's revisionist history, but I remember their food being AWESOME.

- Finally, you got all the chips, salsa and queso you wanted during your shift.
Hell, I think I'd take a 2nd job there right now, at the ripe old age of 38...

 

Chi Chi’s had the hilariously fucked up slogan, “Sometimes you want to feel a little Mexican. “

 

How about Eva Longoria?

 

Here's what I remember about Shakey's:
They had a buffet that largely consisted of pizza, some pretty horrible wedge fries, and cinnamon rolls. And everything sorted of all tasted similarly, with a similar, antiseptic aftertaste. I won't miss Shakey's...

 

beer posters and paraphernalia?
Did they let you drink beer? Not trying to rain on your parade, but if they didn't give you the beers posters, they would've thrown them in the garbage.

 

Hmmm ... Chi-Chi's, Iowa and Shakey's. It wasn't in Davenport, was it, Lt.?

I remember Shakey's food as about the same as you described. But when we got away with skipping school to dive into that buffet, it tasted like freedom.

 

Man, I must be the only person on the planet that dislikes Chik Fil A. I've gotten food there twice and was thoroughly unimpressed. Both times I ordered chicken strips, and they were served in a comically tiny box. Everything else I ate was just totally unremarkable.
There must be a great menu item I haven't tried yet...

 

Swenson’s Ice Cream Parlors

 

So these places are still around, everywhere, but I'm curious. When is the last time you dined at a Pizza Hut.

I used to work at one as a second job early in my career. We could make whatever we wanted at the end of the shift, and we could usually score enough goodwill with the kitchen and delivery guys to have a bunch of pizzas delivered to parties for free or next to nothing.

But I haven't eaten at one for probably 25 years.