I googled Ponderosa Steakhouse and apparently they've combined with Bonanza tand the website is www.pon-bon.com
In the fridge? *Looks it up.* Huh. Steak sauce is apparently supposed to be kept in the fridge. When I was growing up, it was a pantry item.
Growing up, my parents would often make kielbasa with mashed potatoes and peas for dinner. I would always put A-1 on my kielbasa.
I have walked by and peeked in numerous times since the window decals went up. It is still a raw tenant space, in a new building, at the corner of First Ave. and High St. Hopefully the Crew build out will begin soon. Looking forward to having that in my hood. I wonder if they will keep the space as a Crew gear shop after the new stadium ticket marketing is complete?
I live in Toledo. We have one Golden Corral that I know of. It has a widely known reputation as being a complete sh**show. Like the cops get called out there more often than should ever happen at a restaurant that is not a bar. One time a few years ago an all out brawl broke out involving many of the patrons...I'm talking like probably 30-50 people. Classy joint.
Years ago I had to defend a number of clients involved in a series of unrelated brawls that broke out at the local Chuck E. Cheese. It seemed like every few months adults were throwing down at the place. On the one hand, you have to deal with the bad optics of people fighting in a restaurant geared toward kids. On the other, anyone who has actually been to a Chuck E. Cheese and been subjected to the terrible music, bells, lights, and food for any length of time could understand how someone might be driven to the breaking point.
I lived in lima from 0-18 and went to SGS but based on your other references, I'm guessing there's a bit of time gap between our tenures. Kewpee is obviously still around (I'm sort of meh on it, it's a good fast food option but still fast food and I like the options Happy Daz provides better) and I have some faint memories of HoJos (did the Holidome replace it?) but Burger Chef sounds like something you made up.
No. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burger_Chef There was one near my hometown I went to as a kid. They were pretty much gone by the early 80s.
Oh I believed him, just being factitious since it appears this was all before my time and the Burger Chef name sounds like something made up for a bad TV show or something. I can't find evidence of when exactly it closed down but looks like it was located on 117 in Eastgate (coincidentally across the street from a Kewpee) which would make sense since that's where the HoJo was located too. I've always found historical details about Lima interesting. I'm the youngest member of my generation and my dad was close to the youngest of his generation so I've had a lot of "whew boy was it ever better way back when" from older cousins and even more so from the uncles in the family. As far as I know, this is the first I've ever heard of Burger Chef. EDIT: it's Christmas week, everyone's slow, let's really get the board cooking: Rank Swenson's, Kewpee, and Burger Chef!
They actually upgraded their pizza a few years back. Not saying it's Tommy's or anything, but it's edible now and, on a good day, probably better than most national chains.
Burger Chef used to be the #2 Burger Chain behind McDonald's. I believe they were the ones that invented the kid's meal and the combo meals that McDonald's later became known for. I will always remember that the Burger Chefs all over Western Ohio had collectible disc-shaped baseball cards for all the members of the Big Red Machine Era Cincinnati Reds. They also had a tie-in with the first Star Wars movie where you could get 4 different collectible posters. The ad featured C-3P0 and R2D2. Sadly, Burger Chef got bought out by Hardee's and all the Burger Chefs got converted to Hardee's.
For years when Middletown High played a Lima high team the Middleton school bus would stop at kewpees restaurant in Lima! My second year as asst coach we made the trip to Lima but for some reason the players pissed off the head coach so we made the trip home without eating or stopping!
You want Mancy's, pay for Mancy's Golden Corral is a Binge-and-Purge. Not quite a Ryans, but close. When I worked in Reynoldsburg wed have our management meetings at Ryans. Didnt eat again for a couple days.
When I was in college I worked at a PizzaHut. Only way I survived; you could eat all you wanted for free. Id go in early, have a meal, then have another when I got off. It got so you hated everything on the menu. But there was a Burger Chef ( and Jeff!) a mile or so away and they had the same deal. So a couple times a week wed call over and arrange a food swap. Someone from one of the two places would drive past the back door of the other and hand us a bag of food in return for same. Having a 20 year old digestive system came in handy.
My 1st grade soccer team - first time I ever heard of soccer - was sponsored by the local Burger Chef. I didn’t know much of the restaurant but I’ll forever tie Burger Chef to my love of the game.
My team was sponsored by the Breakfast Optimist Club, so I always looked at the glass of orange juice as half full. I'll see myself out now.