DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum The late great .......

I was thinking about a thread a while back that brought up the memory of the Zantigo Mexican Restaurants that I used to go to when I lived iin Columbus as a callow youth. That kind of lead to some memories of some other gone and lamented places I used to go as a kid (or young adult) that are now just a part of history.

Zantigo: Of course. It was Taco Bell .... only better. They actually seemed to use actual food in their recipes. There were none in Youngstown when I moved back ..... and evidently there are none left in Columbus anymore either.

Red Barn: My 1st job. Great fast food place. Banbusters .... fried chicken that made the Colonel jealous ..... onion rings ..... fish .... all under one barn style roof. Most of the building are gone now .... but the distinctive design still stands out even today, no matter what business now occupies the once familiar barn shaped building. I still won't stay at a Motel 6 to this day because they bought the company only to get the parent Servomation ..... and closed the Red Barns shortly after their purchase.

Burger Chef: Sure, just another burger joint ....... but they had this great "fixin's bar" where you could take your cheapie burger and make it as deluxe as you wished. Pickles, mayo, tomato, lettuce .... load up that burger with as muh as you like. They were later bought out by Hardees, and some converted, and some closed.

Bill Knapp's: I don't really remember this one all that well .... but my mother has tole me that we used to go when I was a really young kid living in Michigan.

Rax Roast Beef: Another one from my Columbus days ..... that later made it to Youngstown ..... then passed away. A roast beef restaurant that never really found a clear message or target customer base. Goos food though.

What were some of your favorites that were gone too soon?

A Red Barn was recently razed in Fairview Park ... it had been a local diner since Red Barn went OOB ... sad to see it go. Red Barn had great Fish Sandwiches - I think they called it a "Whaler"(?).

Another local favorite of mine was Royal Castle, along the lines of White Castle, but better ... I think their burgers contained actual beef. When I was a kid, you could get a 6-pack of sliders for 89 cents.

I think the Whaler was Burger King.

You know that corner at Idaho and Mahoning in A-Town,...?? That's an original Red Barn,...

The only one of those that I heard of around here was Burger Chef.


Off the top of my head, the only place that I miss in Youngstown is Little Caesar's. They didn't have the biggest pizza in the world, but I always thought their pizza was pretty good and priced just as well.

And their commercials were great.

You didn't/never liked Wedgewood ?? I swear I could be a millionaire with a Wedgewood franchise in Columbus,....

Never said that!

I love Wedgewood pizza. Best pizza in the area, but I like to switch up, and Lil Caesar's was relatively cheap and enjoyable.

They just opened a new Little Cesears in mentor here, but the pizza is kinda crappy now. deff not like the "Pizza Pizza" days of the past It used to be my favorite.

I miss some places down in Akron, Swenson's, Gioninos Pizza (I LIVED on that stuff,,bomb!), this Cajun Place in Chapel Hill Mall. They used to give u a huge portion of chicken and rice,,it was so damn good.
If anyone is ever in Euclid, Stevensons on Lakeshore has the best burgers and Papa Joes oN E.200th St just has awesome everything. I don't go over that way much except my hang out with friends, when I do I make sure to hit those places up!

That sucks to hear. Used to love Lil Caesar's.

Oh man, just thought of another one, but can't think of the name....damn, what's the flippin' name of it???

Any Youngstown people.....remember a pizza place in the Southern Park Mall that served some New York style pizza? Big slices, thin pizza, really good. It was probably late 80's to early 90's. I remember everytime we went there with my mom, we'd stop and get a slice and a glass of red pop. I used to look forward to that pizza and red pop.

What the hell was the name of it? Arrggghhhh!

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Burger Chef: Sure, just another burger joint ....... but they had this great "fixin's bar" ...

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I used to get a charge out of my cousin when we went there as young adults and low on funds. He would buy two burgers and take the meat from one and put it on the other. He would then proceed to make the biggest "salad sandwich" you ever saw using the empty buns and the Fixins' Bar. For the other sandwich he made the biggest, fattest double burger he could. Hunger is the mother of invention.

When I was too young to drive but went to the Burger Chef with my parents we would park in the parking lot and eat. The Burger Chef was the spot in town where all the teenage drivers would congrate on the weekends. There was a constant parage of cars driving into and out of the lot. Most were not there to eat. Just crusing to see "who was there" and maybe parking and getting out to socalize. I watched them with a child's amazement while chomping on the best fries in town.

(This is a story unrelated to your post but from the parking lot of a fast food joint)...

As a married couple with our young daughter we used to go to McDonald's here in town and back into a parking space and eat while watching the action similar to that at the Burger Chef mentioned above. But McDonald's was trying to crack down on that sort of thing and asked that customers who ate in the parking lot pull forward into the space facing an empty field while they "enjoyed" their meal.

They tried to enforce this by hiring a security gaurd to make sure people didn't back into their parking space. We were more inclined to sit and watch the action so I backed into a space anyway. After all, we were a family, not a carload of teenagers there to socalize and potentially cause problems and I explained this in detail to the guard when he came over and asked us to turn the car around. He couldn't see the logic in my plea so he insisted we turn the car around and began to walk away only after I started the engine to leave.

My 12 year old daugher, in the backseat, had begun taking trumpet lessons in school just that week. I didn't know it at the time but she had the trumpet out of it's case sitting close beside her as children are prone to do with an exciting new toy. As the guard was walking away, and not more than a few short feet from the front of our car, my daughter stuck that shinny brass horn out of her window and shot off a mega decibel blast that scared the crap out of that pompous guard and sent him no less than a foot off the ground!. He almost fell as he struggled to retain his balance, even hopping on one foot for several steps as he tried to right himself.

He turned around and saw my daughter, horn still out the window and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. The blast startled the hell out of my wife and I too, but once we realized what had happened were laughing uncontrollably as the dance he did was the funniest slap-stick I ever saw. All he could do was stand there and glare.

In an attempt to salvage some dignity and assert some of his authority he made a hand motion for us to get the car turned around. But it was too late. We were ready to leave anyway as there was nothing that was going to happen in the McDonald's parking lot that night that would top the amusement we just had.

I couldn't scold her. How do you scold your child while still unable to stop laughing at her action?

My daughter, now 29, is coming over later today. I'm going to bring that up with her. It's been a long time since I've thought about that night. Maybe we can have another laugh at that guards expence.



I liked Red Barns too. My only problem with them was that they shreadded the lettuce and put about three pounds of it on a burger. It took me longer to clean up the fallen lettuce than it did to eat the sandwich. And you're right, no matter what business took over the buildings they still looked like Red Barns to me.


The one I'm going to miss if it ever goes down is the hotdog shop on 224 in Boardman, (Bernie's hometown). I forget the name of it. Maybe you know it. Everytime I go to Boardman, which is not that often, I have to stop there for a couple of coneys. The place has an odd atmosphere as I doubt they clean the dining area every day and the employees all look like they were rescued from the isle of misfits. That area of Boardman is a high dollar business district and all the businesses reflect that, except this hotdog place.

But the coneys are the best I've ever had. They're not expensive either. The hot dogs are of a cheaper variety but the coney sause could make a turd-in-a-bun taste good. I wish I could remember the name. I think there was another one owned by the same guy on Mahoning Ave. near a plaza, (Mahoning Plaza?), that was built to look like a doghouse. It was a tiny place but if I remember correctly they had the same hotdogs.

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Yep ... it's a Jay's now.

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That's the name of the hotdog shop isn't it? Austintown? I'm having an Altzheimer's moment because I could have sworn, I know I'm right aren't I? that it was in Boardman. ?!?!?

If it's an older, odd looking building right near the mall, it's Jay's Famous Hot Dogs.

There's a Coney Island further down 224 as well, but it's a newer place. Well not new, but not an older building like Jays.

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If it's an older, odd looking building right near the mall, it's Jay's Famous Hot Dogs.

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That's it! For a minute there I thought I was losing my mind.


Everything about that place is odd exceot for the coneys.


In fact, you couldn't get more odd if you planned it.

Yeah, it is a very strange little building.

There's one in Austintown as well about 5 minutes from me. They have good homemade fries as well.

Sabarros?

lol @ your daughter.
Back when I was a bored teenager we used to drive around all the time and ended up at a Burger King on RT 91 and Euclid Ave to hang out. Burger King didn't mind though. It was back when we all had CB's in our cars and 15' speakers booming

I loved the Red Barn's fish sandwiches too.

This site has lots of Red Barn memories for you:
http://www.barnbuster.net/index.html

I forgot all about Red Barn. There was one on West market St. in Warren. I cant remember if the building is still up but the people who bought it and made it into a family owned resteraunt really didnt keep it up as well.

I also miss the origianl A&W drive up setup. Now the only one in the area is more fast food and combined with a KFC. Do they still have that A&W in Boardman?

Little Ceasers is better then the Pizza place that took alot of them over. its right down the street and i cant even remember the name of it. Its just too plain.

One thing me and my brother-in-law were talking about that we miss is Sports Card shops. There use to be one in every other town. In Plazas, in the aisles of malls. Now you can barely find them and if you do, over half of them are also comic book shops.

I also miss the smaller local owned pet stores. I cant think of a pet store that is not a chain like Pet Supplies Plus or Pet Smart.

Carmino's Pizza in North Royalton. Great pizza at a great price, and I used to be able to walk there from my house.

The Monte Carlo Brewery in Las Vegas. Great spot in the center of the Strip to chill out and enjoy good, moderately priced food, watch sports, and drink their microbrews, something you really can't find on the Strip. Winner's Wheat was a great beer, the first wheat beer I'd ever tried.

Darryl's Restaurant in Lexington, Ky. Used to go there all the time as a kid - the made the best spaghetti. It is now a parking lot.

I didn't know Arrowhead Music in mentor was a Red Barn,,actually, I never heard of Red Barn till this thread. When were they around?

I'm thinking the pizza place in the Southern Park Mall started with a "C."

It would have been down past where Chick-Fil-A is now (which is possibly the greatest fast food joint ever). Capri's mabye?????

My buddy worked for Chik-Fil-A so I ate it all the time in Great Lakes Mall here for free hehe. We used to go to the mall every Saturday and walk around during the day.

Is there a mall in Youngstown called Eastwood,,Eastgate,something "East"? I have been there a few times. A good college buddy of mine used to live in Champion, which I have really no clue where that is but the mall is near him somewhere. I think near Warren somewhere.

Eastwood Mall, yup in Niles.

I work at a hospital about 5 minutes from there in Warren.

When I lived in Canton, OH there was a Pizza place called Noble Roman's. I loved that place. You could actually go to the window and watch them make the pizza's. I used to just be in awe as the would toss the dough up in the air and catch it. Does anyone remember this?

I am surprised you all miss Little Caesar's so much. They are all over the place here. Their new special is a hot and ready large 1 topping pizza for $5. The old pizza pizza days were the best.

And I loved Zantigo's. They totally put Taco Bell to shame, even though I am a huge Taco Bell fan!

I kinda miss Roy Roger's fast food place. They had the best burgers IMO.

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When I lived in Canton, OH there was a Pizza place called Noble Roman's. I loved that place.

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I remember...it was on 30th street near rt 62....same one you talking about.....

There's a Roy Rogers on 80E at a rest stop on the way to Pukesburgh right outside of Cranberry.

How about Isaly's........(from Wikipedia):
Isaly’s was a chain of family-owned dairies and restaurants started in Mansfield (Richland County), Ohio with locations throughout the American Midwest from the early 1900s until the 1970s. It is best known today for its iconic Klondike Bar ice cream treat, popularized by the slogan What would you do for a Klondike Bar? The company was founded by William Isaly, son of Swiss immigrants who settled in Monroe County, Ohio in the 1800s. By the early 1960s, the company boasted retail outlets that stretched from Pennsylvania to Iowa.

Remember the chip-chopped Ham? There is one Isaly's still in operation in West View, Pennsylvania

2 places that I miss (besides ones that have already been mentioned) from growing up are: The Dariette (formerly on Graham and Bailey in Cuyahoga Falls) and Kirby's Meat Market (across from the Dariette).

There is a Kirby's still in existence, but it's in Stow now. Not the same feel as the original one. Plus, my Dad and Kirby were pretty good friends back in the day.

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Their new special is a hot and ready large 1 topping pizza for $5.

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But their sause got sweet here in Alliance, if you like that. I don't.

I think the $5 pizza is made to feed the kids quick without spending $12 at McDonald's.

Kirby's haha nice.

Dude....no butchers in Hawaii. Can you believe that?!? And if you want a local steak it's all funky stringy grass fed beef for a zillion a pound.

If I opened a butcher shop in Kailua I'd have more business than I could serve.


And I can't tell you the hunger pangs for Swensons....hopefully that chain lives on forever.


One thing that used to be in Kailua was Kevin's Two Boots. It was a guy from Metarie that made killer cajun food, reasonably priced. And he had jazz on TH nights.....only 5 tables. Awesome awesome place but he moved back to Louisiana.

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How about Isaly's........

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We had an Isaly's in North Jackson where I grew up. They made a lot of good products. Their main HQ for our area was in Youngstown. I remember coming over the Mahoning Bridge going West into Youngstown and seeing that big yellow-glazed brick building come into view. It had a huge glass block "window" that rose up in front from the bottom to the top. It had a pyrimid style peak with a flag pole on top of that yet. When I was a kid that looked like New York City to me.

Our Isaly's had a soda/lunch counter. That's the first place I ever tasted a cherry coke. They draw the coke then give it a shot of cherry flavor. Or Chocolate. They tasted better back then. I can't stand the ones in cans or 2-litres. Milkshakes were awesome.

They also carried the best cold-cuts of anyone. Even when they changed over to Dairy Mart the cold-cuts were top quality. One of the last times I was in a Dairy Mart for lunch meat I ordered a lb. of meat and a lb. of cheese. After slicing one the dude cleaned the slicer before slicing the other. I told him he needed not do that, I didn't mind a few morsels of meat stuck to my cheese. He told me they had to do it from now on. Something about cross contamination. "Cross contamination between meat and cheese?!" I asked him. "I'm going to put them on the same dang sandwich!" He just shrugged. It wasn't long after that Dairy Mary stopped carrying Deli products.

No worries about Swenson's closing up shop. They've been around since 1930 something. Hmm...may have to go grab some Swenson's for lunch tomorrow now...

I always liked Red Barn.......other places i remember from up there...

Kenny Kings....sold KFC but kept the Kenny King name.

Big Steer.

Stouffers...always went there for Sunday dinners.....first downtown then when they opened at Westgate shopping center(before it was a mall).

Rax...forgot about them....Roy Rogers had some roast beef outlets too.

Franklins Ice Cream...Howard Johnsons Ice Cream was good too....and they made a good clam plate.