Restaurant chains that Philadelphia needs

vsp · 03-26-2003, 12:49 PM

After finding one of my favorite restaurants (by luck) at Franklin Mills last night, I started thinking about what quality restaurant chains have either vanished from the Philly area, have a limited presence, or never ventured there in the first place...

<a href="http://www.johnnyrockets.com">Johnny Rockets</a> simulates a 50's Malt Shop experience, and delivers GREAT hamburgers. The Christiana Mall (DE) location closed up, so Franklin Mills is the only one I know of within an hour's drive, and that's just under an hour for me. (There may also be one on South Street, for those who dare to venture there.)

Or, for burgers, there's <a href="http:/www.fuddruckers.com">Fuddrucker's</a>, which goes with a flashier style. There used to be one in Springfield; now Philadelphians must either venture into Jersey (Voorhees, Turnersville) or head west to Lancaster.

<a href="http://www.schlotzskys.com">Schlotzsky's Deli</a> closed up a while ago in Bryn Mawr, and now has no locations within a hundred miles of Philly.

We see commercials for <a href="http://www.quiznos.com">Quizno's Subs</a> all the time... but where are they? Voorhees, NJ, again, or all the way out in Nazareth, PA. A small outlet is coming to Exton, but it's not open yet.

The <a href="http://www.hardtimes.com">Hard Times Cafe</a> (GREAT chili) is an even longer haul -- the closest are along the Baltimore-Washington corridor. Naturally, they opened up a store in Raleigh years AFTER I'd graduated from college and returned home.

One that we _have_ gotten recently is <a href="http://maxandermas.com">Max & Erma's</a>, which has opened up in Downingtown and (reportedly) sometime soon around Newtown Square. They have several locations in western PA, but are only now invading the eastern half of the state.

Anyone?

wolf · 03-26-2003, 01:10 PM

I am a person of relatively simple desires, sometimes. (other times, they become impossibly complex and may result in serious injury if attempted without a spotter, but that may just be TOO much information ...)

I whole heartedly agree about Fuddruckers, Quiznos, and Schlotsky's ... commercials for the two deli sandwich places make me drool. I'm hoping that they are precursors of an extreme market pentration of our local area.

But what I REALLY want to know is ...

Where did Denny's go?

They're all GONE. I keep seeing TV commercials and hearing radio spots, so I know they're still in business somewhere ...

And I want Chicken Fried Steak 'n' Eggs in the worst way (and I'm not willing to go to City Line Ave to do it, either. I was told that one's still up and operating.)

We had a similar experience last night. The ambulance crew called in on the radio to get the location of the nearest Pizza Hut. I hit the web and came up with Paoli, North Wales, and Maple Glen, and that was IT (none of which were convenient, of course). Without even thinking hard we came up with the locations of 6 Pizza Huts that aren't there anymore. What happened to them too? My lawds ... My cutural heritage is disappearing before my eyes ...

vsp · 03-26-2003, 01:17 PM

There's still a Denny's on the outskirts of West Chester, on the north side of Route 3. A quick Store Locator hunt revealed stores in Media, Clifton Heights and Essington.

As for Pizza Hut, a friend of mine who used to work in pizza delivery said that she heard that one guy owned a bundle of franchises in the Philly area -- 25 or so -- and recently said "Screw it, I quit." In the carnage that followed, most of those franchise stores closed up. Your mileage may vary.

wolf · 03-26-2003, 01:22 PM

I thought of one more ... Hops

Chain Microbrew. I went to one in West Warwick, RI. Phenomenal Food, great beer.

Another Chain Microbrew that I really liked was Capitol City Brewing. I make a point of getting to the one in the Inner Harbor at least once while I'm down in Baltimore. Anyplace that brings me a bread pan full of the most delicious onion rings I have ever experienced has my vote. The beer is AMAZING (Prohibition Porter and Blackout Stout RULE), and I'm told that each Cap City Restaurant's Brewmeister is given control over his choice of ingredients, so while the same recipe is followed everywhere, different hops, malts, and grains may come into play giving subtle differences to the product. Of course, this could be advertising hype which is supposed to make me clamor to go to Annapolis to try out THEIR Blackout Stout to see if it's better.

Yes, I've been to Iron City Brewing, Mike Schmidt's place, on a number of occasions, and while the beer is good, it's not as good as Cap City's, and while the food is tasty, it's too much of that froo-froo neo-euro quisine crap for me. Gimme a burger with that microbrew and I'm a happy woman. (and it better not have any garnishes that I can't spell on it.)

Pie · 03-26-2003, 03:16 PM

Personally, I'd vote for a Chipotle. (URL may not be good for the bandwidth challenged.) They make wonderful burritos, modeled on a Subway-style assembly line. There is one in Columbus, OH that we always hit when we go back to see Badger's folks...

- Pie

[edit] Oooh, and I almost forgot, Buffalo Wild Wings (formerly known as BW3's). Again, a place I came to know and love while living in Cleveland (and no, Cleveland Sucks).
[/edit]

elSicomoro · 03-26-2003, 03:53 PM

So, there are actually other Quizno's in the area now? The only one I knew of was at 30th Street Station. That is definitely one of the places I will be hitting when I go home.

Along with Jack in the Box. And Long John Silver's. And Sonic.

I used to eat at a Chipotle in Bethesda, MD regularly for lunch. Good stuff...there is a restaurant in St. Louis very similar to it called Tomatillo.

Vsp, which restaurant? Popeyes? Arthur Treachers? (Though I don't think that's in the mall anymore...I didn't see it when I was there a few months ago.)

We're very fortunate to live just down the street from Franklin Mills, since just about every chain has a location there. And if it's not at Franklin Mills, then it's on Street Road. Otherwise, we'd be in a jam...not a lot of chain restaurants here, compared to most cities.

There's a vacant Fuddrucker's near Oxford Valley...no telling how long it's been closed. And there's only one White Castle left in the area--in Pennsauken, NJ. There used to be a Denny's on Street Rd., but it's closed now. The next closest one to me is at Oxford Valley.

There is a Johnny Rockets on South St. 5th and South, IIRC.

We need more Starbucks. We have a pseudo-Starbucks at the Acme in Bensalem, and another pseudo one at Oxford Valley, but other than that, I think the next closest one is in Center City.

And we need Dairy Queen restaurants. There are a couple of them here (KOP and Bethayres), but they're more like ice cream shops that have a few food items. Most of the DQs back in St. Louis are fast-food style restaurants.

I've only had Schlotzsky's once...when I lived in Cape Girardeau, MO. We didn't even have them in St. Louis yet.

And we only have two Subways in my area...one run by the "Russian mob" on Bustleton Ave. and one on Street Rd. that is good, but closes particularly early at night (8pm).

I suspect some chains don't bother coming here b/c of the incredible number of mom-and-pops joints. I've never seen so many in my life until I moved here. That's good to a degree, but I'd like more variety.

Undertoad · 03-26-2003, 04:09 PM

Fuddruckers is worth the trip to Jersey.

It's a good thing the Springfield one went away because one can only weigh so many pounds. And the larger Michael Moore gets, the less I want to look exactly like him...

vsp · 03-26-2003, 04:22 PM

Sycamore, the favorite I was referring to was Johnny Rockets. I used to haunt the one in Christiana, until it vanished. The Franklin Mills store didn't have the singing & dancing or a working jukebox, but I may have just hit it on a slow night.

A friend of mine swears that if Sonic ever hits the Philly area, lots of other fast-food places will roll over and die. We'll see.

We're loaded down with Subways, but the only full-scale Dairy Queens I know of are in Edgmont and Chadds Ford. The burgers are much better than I'd initially suspected, albeit greasy. My only problem with DQ is that I can't stand their ice cream! (I like my ice cream chewy and full of texture, like Breyers or Baskin-Robbins; DQ is more like ice milk.)

I haven't been to the Bethesda area in years, but I'd like to. Not only is that Hard Times Cafe territory, but they've also got Armand's Chicago Pizzeria within reach. Woot!

I agree heartily on the mom-and-pops, particularly when it comes to pizza joints. Of course, I view that as an asset. I swear by one particular mom-and-pop pizza empire in particular (John's in Frazer, Mike's in West Chester, Berwyn Pizza in Berwyn, Mr. Pizza in Edgmont, Roger's Bistro in Exton), all of which are tied to one family and all of which are excellent.

elSicomoro · 03-26-2003, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vsp
Sycamore, the favorite I was referring to was Johnny Rockets. I used to haunt the one in Christiana, until it vanished. The Franklin Mills store didn't have the singing & dancing or a working jukebox, but I may have just hit it on a slow night.

Shit...shows what I know. I didn't even know there WAS a Johnny Rockets up there.

Quote:

A friend of mine swears that if Sonic ever hits the Philly area, lots of other fast-food places will roll over and die. We'll see.

Sonic is (to my knowledge) still a largely southern chain. I first had them in Southeastern Missouri back in the early 90s. They expanded into St. Louis about 5 years ago and are doing well. Their food kicks ass, and is relatively cheap.

Speaking of southern chains, I haven't had a Krystal burger in ages.

We need Taco John's here too. I liked their food better than Taco Bell.

Quote:

I haven't been to the Bethesda area in years, but I'd like to. Not only is that Hard Times Cafe territory, but they've also got Armand's Chicago Pizzeria within reach. Woot!

That reminds me...we need a BD's Mongolian Barbeque here. Oh my god, that shit is so good. There happens to be one in Bethesda, on Wisconsin Ave. (Chipotle is over on Old Georgetown Rd., just off Wisconsin.)

I don't like most mom-and-pop pizzas. Santucci's in the city is good. Sal's in Valley Forge is good too, and Society Hill Pizzeria at Broad and South is probably the best I've had in this town.

perth · 03-26-2003, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore
We need more Starbucks.

god, take some of ours. i can count 4 starbucks within 2 miles of my house. in all fairness, thats counting the barnes and noble with the fake starbucks, but even so. i think its only a matter of time before they start putting each other out of business.

~james

elSicomoro · 03-26-2003, 08:03 PM

Yeah, but remember James...you live in the "new West." Everybody and their mom wants to move out to the mountain states. Nobody wants to move to Philadelphia...we can't even keep the college students. And where people go, the goodies follow them. What do you have? 13 Ikeas out there?

perth · 03-26-2003, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore
Yeah, but remember James...you live in the "new West." Everybody and their mom wants to move out to the mountain states. Nobody wants to move to Philadelphia...we can't even keep the college students. And where people go, the goodies follow them. What do you have? 13 Ikeas out there?

actually, im fairly certain we have no ikeas here.

so there. im about sick of this place too. we have talked a bit about moving to ohio (i have family there) in part because the influx of people to colorado has blown housing prices way the fuck out of proportion. good if you owned a house before we got popular. bad if you were in middle school when just about everybody with 500 grand to spend decided they wanted to spend it here.

its really not as bad as it could be, we actually can afford to buy a house, but its not as much house as i would have hoped for the price. bah. think ill go get a caramel frappuccino.

~james

wolf · 03-27-2003, 12:45 AM

I can't see the value of adding additional Starbucks in the area. We're already overrun.

I'd give my eyeteeth (and I REALLY like my eyeteeth) for a real honest to goodness hang out and talk to cool people coffee shop out here in the burbs. All the places we have are the kind where if they have a sit-down area everybody kind of huddles in their little bubbles of personal space and ignores everybody else. Okay, so what I really want is a place like the coffee shop in Friends, not that I actually WATCH Friends or anything, but without people that are that stupid and annoying. Okay, what I really, really want is The Cellar with coffee and a shop.

Oh, and there's a full service Dairy Queen up in Quakertown, on Route 309. It even has a massive kid playland climbing thing that puts most mickey-dee versions to shame. I was VERY surprised to find out that they even have genuinely decent food. (awesome salads, which one eats to justify the caloric nightmare associated with the peanut buster parfait dessert) When faced with soft serve ice cream I do prefer a REAL frozen custard to the DQ version, but hey, large twist vanilla and chocolate cone dipped in chocolate is a childhood comfort food, and therefore gets a thumbs up anyway.

That Guy · 03-27-2003, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore
Blah, blah, blah...
Along with Jack in the Box.... yada yada yada

Anyone else seen the Jack in the Crack commercial where they send the suit to Philly to do research on the new Philly CS? Man, oh man, this is one funny commercial.
"Hey, Jackie! How you doin'?"
Classic!

elSicomoro · 03-27-2003, 09:43 AM

I don't appreciate you misquoting me. I order you to cease and desist!!!

Haven't seen any of their commercials recently, but Jack in the Box has had the best commercials ever since they brought Jack back.

I loved the antenna balls...bought 3 of 'em. 2 got stolen, and the third died a slow death in the elements. Do they still sell those?

03-26-2003, 12:49 PM	#1
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	Restaurant chains that Philadelphia needs After finding one of my favorite restaurants (by luck) at Franklin Mills last night, I started thinking about what quality restaurant chains have either vanished from the Philly area, have a limited presence, or never ventured there in the first place... <a href="http://www.johnnyrockets.com">Johnny Rockets</a> simulates a 50's Malt Shop experience, and delivers GREAT hamburgers. The Christiana Mall (DE) location closed up, so Franklin Mills is the only one I know of within an hour's drive, and that's just under an hour for me. (There may also be one on South Street, for those who dare to venture there.) Or, for burgers, there's <a href="http:/www.fuddruckers.com">Fuddrucker's</a>, which goes with a flashier style. There used to be one in Springfield; now Philadelphians must either venture into Jersey (Voorhees, Turnersville) or head west to Lancaster. <a href="http://www.schlotzskys.com">Schlotzsky's Deli</a> closed up a while ago in Bryn Mawr, and now has no locations within a hundred miles of Philly. We see commercials for <a href="http://www.quiznos.com">Quizno's Subs</a> all the time... but where are they? Voorhees, NJ, again, or all the way out in Nazareth, PA. A small outlet is coming to Exton, but it's not open yet. The <a href="http://www.hardtimes.com">Hard Times Cafe</a> (GREAT chili) is an even longer haul -- the closest are along the Baltimore-Washington corridor. Naturally, they opened up a store in Raleigh years AFTER I'd graduated from college and returned home. One that we _have_ gotten recently is <a href="http://maxandermas.com">Max & Erma's</a>, which has opened up in Downingtown and (reportedly) sometime soon around Newtown Square. They have several locations in western PA, but are only now invading the eastern half of the state. Anyone?

03-26-2003, 01:10 PM	#2
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I am a person of relatively simple desires, sometimes. (other times, they become impossibly complex and may result in serious injury if attempted without a spotter, but that may just be TOO much information ...) I whole heartedly agree about Fuddruckers, Quiznos, and Schlotsky's ... commercials for the two deli sandwich places make me drool. I'm hoping that they are precursors of an extreme market pentration of our local area. But what I REALLY want to know is ... Where did Denny's go? They're all GONE. I keep seeing TV commercials and hearing radio spots, so I know they're still in business somewhere ... And I want Chicken Fried Steak 'n' Eggs in the worst way (and I'm not willing to go to City Line Ave to do it, either. I was told that one's still up and operating.) We had a similar experience last night. The ambulance crew called in on the radio to get the location of the nearest Pizza Hut. I hit the web and came up with Paoli, North Wales, and Maple Glen, and that was IT (none of which were convenient, of course). Without even thinking hard we came up with the locations of 6 Pizza Huts that aren't there anymore. What happened to them too? My lawds ... My cutural heritage is disappearing before my eyes ... __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-26-2003, 01:22 PM	#4
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I thought of one more ... Hops Chain Microbrew. I went to one in West Warwick, RI. Phenomenal Food, great beer. Another Chain Microbrew that I really liked was Capitol City Brewing. I make a point of getting to the one in the Inner Harbor at least once while I'm down in Baltimore. Anyplace that brings me a bread pan full of the most delicious onion rings I have ever experienced has my vote. The beer is AMAZING (Prohibition Porter and Blackout Stout RULE), and I'm told that each Cap City Restaurant's Brewmeister is given control over his choice of ingredients, so while the same recipe is followed everywhere, different hops, malts, and grains may come into play giving subtle differences to the product. Of course, this could be advertising hype which is supposed to make me clamor to go to Annapolis to try out THEIR Blackout Stout to see if it's better. Yes, I've been to Iron City Brewing, Mike Schmidt's place, on a number of occasions, and while the beer is good, it's not as good as Cap City's, and while the food is tasty, it's too much of that froo-froo neo-euro quisine crap for me. Gimme a burger with that microbrew and I'm a happy woman. (and it better not have any garnishes that I can't spell on it.) __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-26-2003, 03:16 PM	#5
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	Personally, I'd vote for a Chipotle. (URL may not be good for the bandwidth challenged.) They make wonderful burritos, modeled on a Subway-style assembly line. There is one in Columbus, OH that we always hit when we go back to see Badger's folks... - Pie [edit] Oooh, and I almost forgot, Buffalo Wild Wings (formerly known as BW3's). Again, a place I came to know and love while living in Cleveland (and no, Cleveland Sucks). [/edit] __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not. Last edited by Pie; 03-26-2003 at 03:18 PM.

03-27-2003, 12:45 AM	#13
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I can't see the value of adding additional Starbucks in the area. We're already overrun. I'd give my eyeteeth (and I REALLY like my eyeteeth) for a real honest to goodness hang out and talk to cool people coffee shop out here in the burbs. All the places we have are the kind where if they have a sit-down area everybody kind of huddles in their little bubbles of personal space and ignores everybody else. Okay, so what I really want is a place like the coffee shop in Friends, not that I actually WATCH Friends or anything, but without people that are that stupid and annoying. Okay, what I really, really want is The Cellar with coffee and a shop. Oh, and there's a full service Dairy Queen up in Quakertown, on Route 309. It even has a massive kid playland climbing thing that puts most mickey-dee versions to shame. I was VERY surprised to find out that they even have genuinely decent food. (awesome salads, which one eats to justify the caloric nightmare associated with the peanut buster parfait dessert) When faced with soft serve ice cream I do prefer a REAL frozen custard to the DQ version, but hey, large twist vanilla and chocolate cone dipped in chocolate is a childhood comfort food, and therefore gets a thumbs up anyway. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-26-2003, 01:17 PM	#3
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	There's still a Denny's on the outskirts of West Chester, on the north side of Route 3. A quick Store Locator hunt revealed stores in Media, Clifton Heights and Essington. As for Pizza Hut, a friend of mine who used to work in pizza delivery said that she heard that one guy owned a bundle of franchises in the Philly area -- 25 or so -- and recently said "Screw it, I quit." In the carnage that followed, most of those franchise stores closed up. Your mileage may vary.

03-26-2003, 03:53 PM	#6
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	So, there are actually other Quizno's in the area now? The only one I knew of was at 30th Street Station. That is definitely one of the places I will be hitting when I go home. Along with Jack in the Box. And Long John Silver's. And Sonic. I used to eat at a Chipotle in Bethesda, MD regularly for lunch. Good stuff...there is a restaurant in St. Louis very similar to it called Tomatillo. Vsp, which restaurant? Popeyes? Arthur Treachers? (Though I don't think that's in the mall anymore...I didn't see it when I was there a few months ago.) We're very fortunate to live just down the street from Franklin Mills, since just about every chain has a location there. And if it's not at Franklin Mills, then it's on Street Road. Otherwise, we'd be in a jam...not a lot of chain restaurants here, compared to most cities. There's a vacant Fuddrucker's near Oxford Valley...no telling how long it's been closed. And there's only one White Castle left in the area--in Pennsauken, NJ. There used to be a Denny's on Street Rd., but it's closed now. The next closest one to me is at Oxford Valley. There is a Johnny Rockets on South St. 5th and South, IIRC. We need more Starbucks. We have a pseudo-Starbucks at the Acme in Bensalem, and another pseudo one at Oxford Valley, but other than that, I think the next closest one is in Center City. And we need Dairy Queen restaurants. There are a couple of them here (KOP and Bethayres), but they're more like ice cream shops that have a few food items. Most of the DQs back in St. Louis are fast-food style restaurants. I've only had Schlotzsky's once...when I lived in Cape Girardeau, MO. We didn't even have them in St. Louis yet. And we only have two Subways in my area...one run by the "Russian mob" on Bustleton Ave. and one on Street Rd. that is good, but closes particularly early at night (8pm). I suspect some chains don't bother coming here b/c of the incredible number of mom-and-pops joints. I've never seen so many in my life until I moved here. That's good to a degree, but I'd like more variety.

03-26-2003, 04:09 PM	#7
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Fuddruckers is worth the trip to Jersey. It's a good thing the Springfield one went away because one can only weigh so many pounds. And the larger Michael Moore gets, the less I want to look exactly like him...

03-26-2003, 04:22 PM	#8
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	Sycamore, the favorite I was referring to was Johnny Rockets. I used to haunt the one in Christiana, until it vanished. The Franklin Mills store didn't have the singing & dancing or a working jukebox, but I may have just hit it on a slow night. A friend of mine swears that if Sonic ever hits the Philly area, lots of other fast-food places will roll over and die. We'll see. We're loaded down with Subways, but the only full-scale Dairy Queens I know of are in Edgmont and Chadds Ford. The burgers are much better than I'd initially suspected, albeit greasy. My only problem with DQ is that I can't stand their ice cream! (I like my ice cream chewy and full of texture, like Breyers or Baskin-Robbins; DQ is more like ice milk.) I haven't been to the Bethesda area in years, but I'd like to. Not only is that Hard Times Cafe territory, but they've also got Armand's Chicago Pizzeria within reach. Woot! I agree heartily on the mom-and-pops, particularly when it comes to pizza joints. Of course, I view that as an asset. I swear by one particular mom-and-pop pizza empire in particular (John's in Frazer, Mike's in West Chester, Berwyn Pizza in Berwyn, Mr. Pizza in Edgmont, Roger's Bistro in Exton), all of which are tied to one family and all of which are excellent.

03-26-2003, 08:03 PM	#11
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Yeah, but remember James...you live in the "new West." Everybody and their mom wants to move out to the mountain states. Nobody wants to move to Philadelphia...we can't even keep the college students. And where people go, the goodies follow them. What do you have? 13 Ikeas out there?

03-27-2003, 09:43 AM	#15
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I don't appreciate you misquoting me. I order you to cease and desist!!! Haven't seen any of their commercials recently, but Jack in the Box has had the best commercials ever since they brought Jack back. I loved the antenna balls...bought 3 of 'em. 2 got stolen, and the third died a slow death in the elements. Do they still sell those?

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