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Golden Corral, Pancho's and Other Low-Brow Eateries of Your Youth

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55 minutes ago, Rudiger said:

Bennigans was low brow? My mom took me there one time, I got a Monte Christo, and I felt like the Sultan of Brunei. Then again, we were poor and from a small town, so eating out was a big deal. 

Wife had her first girl/girl experience with a chick we met at a Bennigans in Florida on industry night. So, this post hits close to home.

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  • threesheets
    threesheets

    Most of the  good stuff has been covered, but I'll add Grandy's.  My freshman year they had all you can eat (included chicken and CFS plus whatever sides)- I think it was $4.99.  Glorious.  Especially

  • Brisketexan
    Brisketexan

    Y'all remember the Wendy's Superbar?  Soup and chili, baked potatoes, and salad bar with all the usual stuff you'd see in a full salad bar, all for something like $4-5 back in the late 80s?  When that

  • Man was it ever. I remember one time just out of college, I was broke as a convict and somehow ended up going on date with a girl who worked for their corporate office. I didn't like her/wasn't attrac

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1 minute ago, Landomatic said:

Wife had her first girl/girl experience with a chick we met at a Bennigans in Florida on industry night. So, this post hits close to home.


now that’s a monte cristo !

Edited by tx 3 putt

27 minutes ago, Rudiger said:

Feeling nostalgic, I had a "Monte Christo" at a restaurant that was not Bennigans a few years back. Didn't hold a candle to the real deal.

I know Cheddars has a Monte Christo but I haven't stepped foot in one in probably 10 years to know if they're good or not.

1 minute ago, SimonBolivar said:

I know Cheddars has a Monte Christo but I haven't stepped foot in one in probably 10 years to know if they're good or not.

Cheddars is high grade dog food 

47 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

As a baby lawyer, I was involved in a large case relating to the leveraged buyout of Furr's.  I had to go to Lubbock for a shareholders meeting, which ended right around lunchtime.  I had time before my flight, thought it would be wise to do some research, so I had lunch at the "flagship" Furrs in lubbock.  

Then I got on a plane.

I generally avoid destroying an airplane lav on a short flight.

The "don't destroy the lav" option was not a possibility for me that day.  I was forced to do horrific damage. SWA may have scrapped that 737 afterwards.  They probably should have.  

I didn't eat at Furrs again.  I learned all I needed to know.

Good think you weren't flying private with the clients.

6 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Cheddars is high grade dog food 

High grade?

Y'all wrong about Cheddars. It's aimed at the overweight masses, but damn if it isn't good.

Bob Evans/Shoneys/Friendlys patrons seem like a bunch of olds waiting to die. Wildfire BBQ sauce is decent though.

I got feelings on this and you’re all gonna read them.

Sirloin Stockade and Bonanza are the top tier here. A thin, cheap grilled sirloin and baked potato with some rolls at those places was damn good food for the money. Salet bars pretty good. You didn’t hate yourself after. 

Shoneys was a step below. But, Shoneys had a better salet bar for one reason, which is its creamy Italian dressing; the only other place you could get that was Pizza Hut when it had salet. The rest of the salet bar was good too. Almost Jason’s Deli level. True story, I was male student of the quarter in 8th grade and the reward was dinner at Shoney’s with the Vice Principal and the female student of the month. That is also a scene from Napoleon Dynamite that ended up on the cutting room floor, I believe. 

Golden Corral is slop. Have some gotdamn self respect. 

Some of you assholes are pretty fancy calling Bennigans, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, etc. “low-brow.” Olive Garden was borderline prom date worthy. Only the big city had Bennigans or a Red Lobster. 

And all of you are lying to us and yourselves if you can’t admit that a Monte Cristo, or Cheddar Bay biscuit, or Olive Garden salet (extra banana peppers and red onions) with garlic bread is fine eating. 
 

 

Edited by 956 Worldwide

28 minutes ago, TheStoicPaisano said:

Bob Evans/Shoneys/Friendlys patrons seem like a bunch of olds waiting to die. Wildfire BBQ sauce is decent though.

Oh.....Shoneys.  I'd forgotten about Shoneys.  Last time I was in one was well over 20 years ago.  And man, did we look GOOD.  We'd done a halfass duck hunt back in West bay, chilly winter morning.  We packed up our dekes, got back to the truck, and we were starving.  We hauled up to town to find some grub.  4 of us walk in to Shoney's.....still in our chest waders, with mud on them.  We load up plates with breakfast foods, we give zero fucks.

I enjoyed the meal.

Cici's pizza after track meets in HS.. When I went, It was all you can eat for only 2.99. We used to compete on how many slices to eat.. 27 was the record from the 800/1600 runner. 

 

 

1 hour ago, SimonBolivar said:

I know Cheddars has a Monte Christo but I haven't stepped foot in one in probably 10 years to know if they're good or not.

I had one about 17 years ago there.  Damned thing was like hyper sweet county fair food with a side of grape jelly to dip it in.  I need a little savory with my sweet.

So on the BBQ side of this thread, is this where we talk about Luther's and Tony Roma's?

Edited by dcbc

20 minutes ago, texashorne said:

Cici's pizza after track meets in HS.. When I went, It was all you can eat for only 2.99. We used to compete on how many slices to eat.. 27 was the record from the 800/1600 runner. 

 

 

Post HS athletics I preferred Gattis to CiCis. CiCis was always shit. 

14 minutes ago, dcbc said:

So on the BBQ side of this thread, is this where we talk about Luther's and Tony Roma's?

Over a decade ago, as great barbecue in Texas was still a word of mouth thing and nationwide was almost nonexistent, I was living in Arlington, VA. I got a craving and wandered into a Red, Hot, and Blue. It was revolting. 

4 minutes ago, The Ace of Aces said:

Waffle House. Longview. 

Guilty of dining in this specific establishment.  Right across the street from the McDonalds and the sketcy AF motel.

1 minute ago, Texas St. Armadillos said:

Guilty of dining in this specific establishment.  Right across the street from the McDonalds and the sketcy AF motel.

We'd go and rile up the drunk hicks coming out of the Rio. In retrospect, it's amazing I'm not dead. 

Sirloin Stockade on North Lamar. Food was shit but we ate there every Friday for team meal before football games, might have possibley contributed to how awful we were

Denny’s is a place where, if you end up there, something went sideways. It’s for sure never planned and decided. 

6 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Mr Gattis or Chinese buffet was as good as it got in Victoria. 

Yeah, adult me could put a hurtin’ on the Chinese buffets in Austin….

you go now!  You hear 4 hour! 
 

18 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Denny’s is a place where, if you end up there, something went sideways. It’s for sure never planned and decided. 

I ate at Denny's before getting arrested one night. 

Golden Corral and Furrs were when we met for extended family dinners back in the 80s when we decided to slum it from the usual Lubys. 

Red Lobster and Olive Garden were high class dining for me back then when I was a kid. They serve wine? Might as well have been a 5* in France as far as I knew. 

1 hour ago, texashorne said:

Cici's pizza after track meets in HS.. When I went, It was all you can eat for only 2.99. We used to compete on how many slices to eat.. 27 was the record from the 800/1600 runner. 

 

 


that place is horrible 

Let’s go down the rabbit hole …..

 

Queens Garden Alice, Tx. That lunch buffet was damn good

Used to work for the Army All-American Bowl. 

staff stayed in Grand Hyatt Bowl Week but got Denny’s cards for breakfast.

The Army Marketing folks LOVED the Chili’s in Rivercenter Mall.

smoked tons of weed making the rounds on foot amongst all the hotels.

EDIT: Olive Garden house dressing indeed slams and goes hard.

Edited by TheStoicPaisano

2 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Post HS athletics I preferred Gattis to CiCis. CiCis was always shit. 

There's not contest between the two. It's Gatti's by an ocean length. Hell I could go for some Gatti's right now.

9 hours ago, baboso said:

OG Pancho's sour cream enchiladas and chile relleno were legit.  The answer on sopapillas was always just one more.

Oh god...I HATED their chile rellenos...I tried them a couple times just to be sure and I could not stand them.

Fast forward to a few years after A&M when I was first went to work out at WSMR and our group went out to eat at Chope's the first night.  (As the new guy I thought they were fucking with me about the egg on top, but since they all ordered it, too.  Thank god I did).  But, they all said to get a chile relleno on they side.  Based on my Pancho's experience I was horrified, but since it was paid for (we were on per diem for the trip) I figured WTF...

Changed my entire view on CR.  Got them with EVERY meal after that.

Never tried the Pancho's CR again, though.  Didn't want to ruin it for me again.  IIRC it was the batter they used.

3 hours ago, texashorne said:

Cici's pizza after track meets in HS.. When I went, It was all you can eat for only 2.99. We used to compete on how many slices to eat.. 27 was the record from the 800/1600 runner. 

 

 

In high school, I once did 27 slices of pizza, two big salads, and a bowl of chocolate pudding  at Mr. Gattis. Oh to have the metabolism of a 17 year old athlete again.

2 hours ago, next2naus said:

Sirloin Stockade on North Lamar. Food was shit but we ate there every Friday for team meal before football games, might have possibley contributed to how awful we were

McCallum?

5 hours ago, threesheets said:

Most of the  good stuff has been covered, but I'll add Grandy's.  My freshman year they had all you can eat (included chicken and CFS plus whatever sides)- I think it was $4.99.  Glorious.  Especially toward the end of hell week when I'd basically fasted for 5 days straight.  We got sent on a "scavenger hunt" and that was the first place we stopped.  

That shit tasted really fucking good.  I think I put down 4.

FW area from the 70s: 

Zuider Zee

Bill Martin’s Seafood 

nothing says quality fried everything like 1970s, north Texas “fresh” seafood

 

5 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Bennigans had an excellent Monte Cristo.  As did Jojo's/Coco's (of which there once were many, and now they're gone).  I haven't had a Monte Cristo in probably 20 years.  Jesus they were glorious.

Edit:  I see others suggested this as well; I just posted then read through the thread.

If you ever get the hankerin', Cheddars has you covered.  It's pretty tasty.

 

monte-cristo.jpg

 

 

Edited by Francisco 2.0

Grandys- loved their cfs even if was a frozen patty, their chicken was decent also and the breakfast buffet slammed. 

Shoneys- the location on northbound I35 had a strong breakfast buffet.

Shakeys Pizza 

 

7 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Bennigans had an excellent Monte Cristo.  As did Jojo's/Coco's (of which there once were many, and now they're gone).  I haven't had a Monte Cristo in probably 20 years.  Jesus they were glorious.

There is still a Bennigans in Borger.  I have the 1/2 Monte Cristo and the French Onion soup every 3-4 months or so.  It's still weird AF to me.  You made it in Borger and Monahans, but not the rest of the world?

Also: From way back in the early/ mid 80's Duffs... claimed to be a high end buffet.  As a kid I fucking loved it.  Obviously everyone else did not.

Shakey's Pizza buffet.  50th St in Lubbock.  Crushed this like mofo as a high schooler.  My favorite ever was with the offensive line on our football team, and we hit that place one night after 2-a-days.  They ran out of food( or quit bringing more out.)  Lol.

Edited by slorch

2 minutes ago, next2naus said:

All Day. 

Anderson guy here -- once a Knight is enough!

1 hour ago, deadshank said:

FW area from the 70s: 

Zuider Zee

Bill Martin’s Seafood 

nothing says quality fried everything like 1970s, north Texas “fresh” seafood

 

They had a store in Austin on Burnet Road.  Basic fried seafood.  Seemed popular.  

2 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

They had a store in Austin on Burnet Road.  Basic fried seafood.  Seemed popular.  

They had a spot in the architecture Hall of Fame sewed up. 

6A880768-E977-4A07-9EA8-CC373BE1A4CA.jpeg

24 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Anderson guy here -- once a Knight is enough!

Mac owns the Taco Shack Bowl, just saying

2 hours ago, Deej said:

McCallum?

That would better explain how awful they were. 

The Stallion on North Lamar.  $1 chicken fried steak dinners.  Cold beer.  

17 minutes ago, lemonandaturd said:

The Stallion on North Lamar.  $1 chicken fried steak dinners.  Cold beer.  

You must be really old.

Just now, conVINCEd said:

You must be really old.

1973 was a good year at the Stallion for a poor UT student to get a good CFS, fries and a salad for a buck.  

21 minutes ago, lemonandaturd said:

1973 was a good year at the Stallion for a poor UT student to get a good CFS, fries and a salad for a buck.  

1993 the cheapest CFS was $5, and that’s only if you hit Hut’s on 2-for-1 day.

Edited by conVINCEd
Edited to add: or Grandy’s, but that’s not a real CFS despite me having a few fond memories there.

3 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

1993 the cheapest CFS was $5, and that’s only if you hit Hut’s on 2-for-1 day.

In the late 80's and early 90's,  2J's had 2-for-1 CFS on Sunday.  

1993 the cheapest CFS was $5, and that’s only if you hit Hut’s on 2-for-1 day.

Guess you missed the Holiday House $1.99 CFS plate special. Used to show up with $5 and get two.
1 minute ago, Brisketexan said:


Guess you missed the Holiday House $1.99 CFS plate special. Used to show up with $5 and get two.

Well, that’s kind of your fault for not being a better mentor.  I realize you were already in law school my freshman year, but for fuck’s sake, point a guy in the right direction.  

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