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Do you remember ash trays on every table, real glasses, baskets of assorted crackers, salads with iceberg lettuce (no such thing as romaine or butterleaf back then) smothered in Thousand Island dressing (no such thing as balsamic vinegar in those days), and vinyl upholstery?
Nope. We couldn't afford to eat out back in the days. There was very little "fast" food and we couldn't afford that either. I was in high school before I ever went to a restaurant, and even then I had to use my baby sitting money to pay for it. Pizza? OMG. Pizza Inn buffet was ever so much better than the stuff my mother assembled from the box kit.
When I was around six I remember going out with my mother and her parents. Granddaddy always wore a jacket and tie, grandmommy always wore a hat, gloves and her cameo. I wore a dress and patent mary janes. Mom wore a dress and gloves. The maitre'd (sp?) always pulled out the chairs. We always had a reservation. I wish I could remember the name of he place, it was near Summit, NJ. It was named after a famous US patriot. I keep thinking the Paul Revere Inn, but I think I am wrong. My grandparents were so classy.
My parents didn't have two nickels between them when I was born, but I remember when I was around five McDonalds was a treat and we would go once or twice a month. They had the real arches back then, that were sculpture. If you took your kids to McD's more than that you were a lazy bad mommy. Or a lazy bad rich mommy.
How about Jukeboxes at diners, there would one at every booth. Jukeboxes at pizza parlors. This one diner we loved to go to used be so packed waiting for tables that they offered appetizers and free glasses of wine while you waited for your table. The challah garlic bread was the best! I remember as a kid dining out at a Howard Johnson's.
How about Jukeboxes at diners, there would one at every booth. Jukeboxes at pizza parlors. This one diner we loved to go to used be so packed waiting for tables that they offered appetizers and free glasses of wine while you waited for your table. The challah garlic bread was the best! I remember as a kid dining out at a Howard Johnson's.
Those were great. We found a nice little pub type place and they do have a jukebox but it's hard as heck
trying to figure out how to use it.
Sorry about your experiences but where we lived there were many choices, great food,
restaurants that were open past 10pm and never got food poisoning until the sprawl
of higher end chain restaurants.
i miss ho-jo's
howard johnsons....it was always a treat if our grandparents stopped there- we loved it,,
in late teens and early 20's in the partying years...loved ho-jos and denny's....
How about Jukeboxes at diners, there would one at every booth. Jukeboxes at pizza parlors. This one diner we loved to go to used be so packed waiting for tables that they offered appetizers and free glasses of wine while you waited for your table. The challah garlic bread was the best! I remember as a kid dining out at a Howard Johnson's.
I remember the table juke boxes! Five songs for a quarter. Also telephones at the table.
Fast food or eating out was a real treat back then. Maybe once or twice a month at most. Now it's a normal way to eat. To the collective detriment of the American waistline.
i miss ho-jo's
howard johnsons....it was always a treat if our grandparents stopped there- we loved it,,
in late teens and early 20's in the partying years...loved ho-jos and denny's....
I loved Ho-Jo's when taking car trips with our parents. I couldn't get enough of their hot dogs. Grandpa and Grandma took my brother and I out to Big Bobs. That was awesome. They had a burger there that was essentially the precursor to the Big Mac.
Dairy Queen was a great treat, too. I didn't go out to a real Mexican restaurant until I was in junior high (our Spanish teacher took our class there as a field trip). I'd never had Mexican food that wasn't served in an aluminum tray. I was so taken with it that my parents took us out as a family. Fantastic, except my parents tried to force me to speak spanish to the staff and I was so embarrassed.
During my wild teens and 20's Denny's was a must stop, too. Chile covered omelet. Mmmmmmm.
How about Jukeboxes at diners, there would one at every booth. Jukeboxes at pizza parlors. This one diner we loved to go to used be so packed waiting for tables that they offered appetizers and free glasses of wine while you waited for your table. The challah garlic bread was the best! I remember as a kid dining out at a Howard Johnson's.
Ha!! That takes me back. Our family had our cousins up for a big dinner at Shakey's Pizza. I had a pocket full of dimes and put the "Theme from Hang `Em High" on about a dozen times -- that and "Rubber Ducky" from Sesame Street. I'm sure there were a few people who wanted to strangle "that little brat by the jukebox".
How about Jukeboxes at diners, there would one at every booth. Jukeboxes at pizza parlors. This one diner we loved to go to used be so packed waiting for tables that they offered appetizers and free glasses of wine while you waited for your table. The challah garlic bread was the best! I remember as a kid dining out at a Howard Johnson's.
My granddaddy LOVED HoJo's.
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I was so taken with it that my parents took us out as a family. Fantastic, except my parents tried to force me to speak spanish to the staff and I was so embarrassed. 
