Here, we've ranked some of the very worst and very best Mexican, Mexican-inspired, Mexican-ish, and Tex-Mex fast-food chains in the U.S. 10. If youre an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. However, it is also a pejorative term used to designate black Americans, which was part of the reason for which this chain restaurant finally failed. Best Mexican Restaurants in Los Angeles, California: Find Tripadvisor traveler reviews of Los Angeles Mexican restaurants and search by price, location, and more. Launched by a former Del Taco partner in 1970, Naugles featured simple Cal-Mex food like basic cheese burritos or ground beef crispy tacos. "Man, I miss him. In the mid-1980's. Buffalo locations, 1979. TIO JUAN'S MARGARITAS MEXICAN RESTAURANT. > U.S. sales: $214 million (est.) All the Roy Rogers locations were sold off in the '90s. "Howard Johnson was the king of the road," said a former franchise led by eater. Chuys may not have as many locations as other Mexican chain restaurants (there are fewer than 100 of these restaurants across 17 states) but when it comes to amazing Tex-Mex, its one of the top contenders in America. Dam it was good Mexican food. A few of Buffalo's favorite (chain) restaurants of the past 55 (tie) TEQUILA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT. Taco Bell 7. . By the mid-'80s, there were nearly 100 D'Lites locations across the country. RELATED: Your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here! Burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, nachos, salads, and more are available. A couple of years later, things came full-circle when Butler sold to Collins Food International, who decided to merge Naugles with none other than Del Taco in 1988. In 1979, new owners bought the company for real estate purposes. 4. Lauren Gray is a New York-based writer, editor, and consultant. The restaurants your family ate at when you were growing up might not have been the finest dining establishments, but they probably hold a special place in your heart. RELATED: Your ultimate survival guide and supermarket is here! Annie's Santa Fe was a popular Mexican restaurant during the 1980s and 1990s which had locations at several local malls, including Oak Park Mall and Bannister Mall. But its flame burned short and bright: By the late '80s, the owners filed for bankruptcy, and all of the locations had closed by the 2000s. Sambo is closed in the middle of the decade. At the beginning of the decade, Gino stopped that the brand Burger trademarks and other favorite fans in order to reorganize the restaurant. > Number of U.S. units: 484. But at its peak in the 1960s, there were hundreds of these orange-roofed restaurants . During its first 20 years of activity, the chain plunged its claims on 19 states, serving its famous burgers and fries in about 400 restaurants. More than half of the locations were eventually converted to Roy Rogers, and the rest were closed. Unfortunately, it didn't matter how good the chicken tastedthe business met its untimely end to the dismay of fans everywhere. 1 of 3. In 1956, Pup 'N' Taco began gracing roadsides in Southern California. Nopales, eggs and beans and hand made tortillas with really good salsas. But all hope was not lost. Cobb Lane Restaurant, Birmingham, 1948-2009. Now Holidays Restaurant. 18 Best Mexican Restaurant Franchises of 2023 (UPDATED RANKINGS) During the 1990s and 2000s, a wider availability of Mexican food at different price points--low, medium, and high--spread beyond Manhattan to Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. What sets Baja Fresh apart from the Mexican fast food chains dotted around the U,S. Burger Chef. El Torito is one of the longest-standing Mexican chain restaurants in America, dating all the way back to 1954! 17 Failed Fast-Food Chains From the '80s You Have to See, 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback, Hardee's marketing executive said in 2007, 19 Old Happy Meal Toys That'll Bring You Back to Your Childhood. "The love affair with Burger Chef remains strong," a Hardee's marketing executive said in 2007when Hardee's brought back Burger Chef's iconic Big Shef. Among the meats offered, are unusual sweet pork barbacoa and spicy Hatch chile pork options. You could get the famous "Gino Giant," a massively stacked hamburger aptly nicknamed "a banquet on a bun," all over the place. Of course, the fare offered by Mexican chains, whether fast-food places or sit-down restaurants, is designed for a wide American audience, and rarely reflects the way people eat in Mexico. The menu at G.D. Ritzy's stood out for all the ways that you could customize your burgers, drinks, and ice cream. ), but also offers flautas the rolled, fried tacos sometimes called taquitos. However, it's also a derogatory term used to refer to Black Americans, which was part of the reason this chain restaurant eventually failed. DEL TACO. El Torito is one of the longest-standing Mexican chain restaurants in America, dating all the way back to 1954! At its pinnacle in the 1970s, Burger Chef had 1,200 locations and was a thriving competitor of McDonald's. The American company has units all over California (and especially in the southern portions of the state), as well as in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Louisiana. If youre looking for Mexican food that tastes fresh and that you can tell has been homemade from scratch, you need to check out Baja Fresh. From there, unfortunately, it was all downhill. But then, things took a ride. In many cases, these restaurants serve a variation of Tex-Mex (Americanized Mexican cuisine) but its also possible to find authentic Mexican food at several of these chains. 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e. With increased competition and not enough to distinguish the Bennigan tastes of Chile and T.G.I. A food that is better left in the past?The 80's snack that you should never eat again, says science. In particular, he was a founding partner of Del Taco. It's risky ranking Chipotle at the bottom of a Mexican-American food roundup, considering the sheer size and ferocity of Chipotle's die-hard fan club. Oklahoma City Mexican Restaurants 1983. Bennigan's. This fast food chain was one of America's first casual dining and sports bar chain. Theres no doubt that we love our Mexican food. 18 Blockbuster Restaurant Chains From the '90s That Are Gone or Hard to 5. And some fan of Fan Favorites - like Burger Chef, G.D.'S Ritzy and Howard Johnson have not fallen by the road. Dick Naugle had a history of helping build successful restaurant chains. Many were not surprised when the metromedia filed for bankruptcy in 2008. > U.S. sales: $371 million However, in the late '80s, La Petite Boulangerie was purchased by Mrs. Field's, where cookies were the name of the game. 1983 The Food Marketing Institute reports that 2/3 of all fish consumed in the U.S. is eaten in restaurants. There were 225 locations by the mid-'80s, but Naugles merged with Del Taco, and locations slowly converted. Most notably, he was a founding partner of Del Taco. It took on the rest of the East Coast in the '70s, too. el Restaurante Top 100 Mexican Chains - elrestaurante.com Bankrupcty. Missing those iconic kids' meals? Local Chains - Columbus Restaurant History Fast-food chains aren't necessarily known for their healthy options (especially in 1980s America), but that's what D'Lites sought to do with its menu. The fun meal, as they called it, launched in the early 1970s and included stories about Burger Chef Lore, including the mascot of Jeff chain, La Burgerini (a magician), Count Fangburger (a vampire), Burgerilla (a gorilla), and Cackleburger (a witch). Serving both Mexican and classic American fast-food, Del Taco offers something for everyone. 13. Pappasito's Cantina. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1992 and never quite recovered. First started in 1968 in Los Angeles, the chain's last location closed in 2010. Who doesn't love a restaurant with good food and a great happy hour? Finally, if youre looking for really high-quality, rustic-inspired Tex-Mex, theres nowhere better than Uncle Julios. This restaurant is part of a larger family of restaurants known as the Pappas family-owned restaurants. 25. Qdoba comes out of Denver, where its ancestor, called Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill, opened in 1995. Mexican cuisine is the full package: flavorsome, filling and exciting without being overly complicated. There were at least 140 locations at its height, with spots serving up bread in Denver, New Jersey, San Francisco, and more. If you were a kid in the '80s, there's a good chance you had a birthday party or two at Showbiz Pizza Place. Chi-Chi's Inc., owned by Prandium Inc., is a chain of 130 Mexican full-service restaurants that can be found in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Briazz. He continued to grow in the 60s and 70s. I wish it was always there.". Bennigan's got its start in Atlanta in 1976, but by the early '80s, they were everywhere. Originating in El Paso, Texas, Pancho's Mexican Buffet grew in popularity, thanks to its all-you-can-eat "buffet"-style service. There are also salads on Moes menu if youre in the mood for something light and healthy which, in addition to the customizability of the menu, means that Moes is the perfect Mexican restaurant for everyone regardless of tastes or preferences. Taco Bell was established in 1962, and since then the restaurant has become famous for its incredible Crunchy Taco recipe, which continues to be one of the most popular items on the menu. Mexican food may seem like a Southwestern specialty, but that hasn't stopped this Pennsylvania chain from becoming a local institution. Anyone who lived in middle America and grew up in the '80s likely knows the odd name G.D. Ritzy's. Another Dallas-born chain, on the border launched in 1982, featuring mesquite-grilled meats, hand-pressed tortillas, and small-batch salsas. Taco Bell is probably one of the first Mexican chain restaurants that come to mind when you think about Mexican fast food, which is hardly surprising since there are more than 7,000 Taco Bell Restaurants across the United States. Del Taco There are a few states where people should leave quickly. New Balance (CC BY 2.0) by Mike Mozart 5. Chipotle specializes in Mexican food favorites such as burritos, but it has an extensive menu ranging from burrito bowls to tacos and fajitas. The Bannister Mall was the location I remember visiting. 40 Closed Restaurant Chains We Wish Were Still Open 17 Failed Fast Food Restaurants From the 1980s - Eat This Not That First of all, the tortillas at Pappasitos Cantina are made fresh, from scratch, every hour, and you get the satisfaction of watching your guacamole be prepared in front of you at the table, so you never have to worry about stale ingredients spoiling your meal. "Bennigan was the lowest of the main stakeholders," said an analyst at theAssociated pressat the time. If you're from that neck of the woods, then you probably remember the chain's seven-foot-tall, rotating dachshunds in chef's hats and bowties that stood outside each of the restaurants.