What's the first restaurant you remember as a kid?

[MAD]

What's the first restaurant you remember as a kid?

It’s either Shoney’s Big Boy or Arby’s both on Kingston Pike for me.

 

[malinoisvol]

Dog and Suds in Gatlinburg, the grand opening of the first McDonalds in Oak Ridge, Blue Circle on Broadway, and the lunch counter at Woolworth's in the Oak Ridge shopping center.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Albertie’s (before it was Naples) or Regas or the Quarterback on Cumberland Avenue or Burger Chef on Kingston Pike at Westwood Road (west end of Sutherland Avenue) or the earlier Shoney’s in Homberg or Shakey’s Pizza near West Hills or Ivanhoe (before it became the Copper Cellar) or Kay’s (although it was more ice cream only) or Howard Johnson’s on Kingston Pike at Weisgarber. Probably the Shoney’s with the drive-in in the back.

 

[MAD]

Albertie’s (before it was Naples) or Regas or the Quarterback on Cumberland Avenue or Burger Chef on Kingston Pike at Westwood Road (west end of Sutherland Avenue) or the earlier Shoney’s in Homberg or Shakey’s Pizza near West Hills or Ivanhoe (before it became the Copper Cellar) or Kay’s (although it was more ice cream only) or Howard Johnson’s on Kingston Pike at Weisgarber. Probably the Shoney’s with the drive-in in the back.

I didn’t know Knoxville ever had a Burger Chef. I remember the drive -in at Shoney’s too.

 

[Firebirdparts]

I'm thinking McDonalds. I don't really remember, but they advertised so heavily you didn't need to actually see one or leave the house to hear of it. when I was a kid, there were super-obvious time slots to run kid advertisements, and of course as we all know only 3 channels, so people sure did advertise. In fact I kinda have an urge to play with Hot Wheels now all of a sudden.

 

[joevol33]

Gosh, first time I can remember a restaurant was sitting inside a pizza hut

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I didn’t know Knoxville ever had a Burger Chef. I remember the drive -in at Shoney’s too.

That white building at the bottom-right might be it. Home Federal Bank building replaced the structure on that spot. I don’t think that there was the McDonald’s at West Hills yet. There was also a Blue Circle in Homberg but Mom thought it was too dirty so I don’t remember ever going there. Did go to the nearby Krystal though.

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

A&W in Kingsport

 

[NorCalVol67]

Earliest memories would be Coletta’s on South Parkway, Western Sizzlin on Elvis Presley Blvd by my church, Shoney’s, Pizza Inn and Ruth’s, a diner in my neighborhood shopping center. And some local Memphis BBQ spots.

 

[Boca Vol]

I would have to say the Crosseyed Cricket near Lenoir City. Also, we went to Edwards a lot.

 

[YankeeVol]

 

[EricStratton]

Lamb’s in Lake City. Shoney’s shortly thereafter.

 

[alwaysvol]

my parents loved Piccadilly growing up. Shoneys, Perkins, and Howard Johnsons was up there too.

 

[OldandStillaVol]

Shoneys in Oak Ridge; I think it was built prior to the McDonalds there. There was also a small drive-in off of Highway 62 in Knoxville that we stopped at whenever my parents did their shopping in Knoxville. I can't remember the name of the drive-in but they had good hamburgers.

 

[distrovol]

Po Folks

 

[distrovol]

Lamb’s in Lake City. Shoney’s shortly thereafter.

You from Lake City?

 

[loggervol]

Probably long John silvers

 

[SuzyVol]

That white building at the bottom-right might be it. Home Federal Bank building replaced the structure on that spot. I don’t think that there was the McDonald’s at West Hills yet. There was also a Blue Circle in Homberg but Mom thought it was too dirty so I don’t remember ever going there. Did go to the nearby Krystal though.

View attachment 471408

If the present Home Federal location is not the site of the old Burger Chef, it is very close. I also believe the Bearden Burger Chef predated the West Hills McDonalds.

 

[bigorangewildcat]

Dairy Bar in Jasper and then when we moved here it was Shoney’s in Hixson.

 

[UT_Dutchman]

Pals, Kays, an Orange Julius in the kingsport mall beside the theater and I remember going in a Woolworth lunch counter on Broad St.

 

[Vjcvette]

It was a hamburger place in Virginia beach called Carrol's which was very similar to McDonalds
and the hamburger that I had tasted like a Big Mac, and I also remember White Castle in
Key West, me and my Dad would order a big plate of their hamburgers and have a frosted
mug of Root beer.

 

[Vjcvette]

 

[Vjcvette]

Carrols was a chain of fast food, burger-based joints from the ’50s to the ’70s. The signature menu item at Carrols was their Club Burger. It was started by Herb Slotnick in the early 1960s. In 1975, most of the locations were converted to Burger Kings, except for the international location. The last Carrols, located in Finland, was converted into a Finnish chain in 2012. Currently, Carrols Restaurant Group is the franchisee of Burger King locations, owning more than 800 locations.

 

[pismonque]

Albertie’s (before it was Naples) or Regas or the Quarterback on Cumberland Avenue or Burger Chef on Kingston Pike at Westwood Road (west end of Sutherland Avenue) or the earlier Shoney’s in Homberg or Shakey’s Pizza near West Hills or Ivanhoe (before it became the Copper Cellar) or Kay’s (although it was more ice cream only) or Howard Johnson’s on Kingston Pike at Weisgarber. Probably the Shoney’s with the drive-in in the back.

I didn't grow up in Knoxville, but in East Bumf***, Appalachia where I come from, Burger Chef was the first big city restaurant we got. It got to be a semi-regular after church destination on Sundays. Remember how you ordered burgers "with" or "without" (the fixin's)? I was a "without" man myself -- I could hit that fixin's bar to perfection every time.

Later, when McDonalds saw what was what and opened up a competing spot down the street, it was funny how often you'd be in there and hear somebody order a burger "with" or "without". The employee always seemed annoyed: "With what? This is McDonalds."

 

[feathersax]

In the 50s "fast food" was pinto beans in the school cafeteria. My earliest Crossville memory was Black & White Cafe on Main St.