It’s hard to remember a time before our streets and highways were dominated by global giants like McDonald's and Subway, but back in the day our fast food options looked a lot different. From quirky regional gems run by generations of the same family to retro pizza chains that once rivaled Pizza Hut, here we take a look back at the fantastic fast food joints that were much loved but were sadly never quite able to stay afloat – counting down to reveal the one that's missed the most.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the fast food spots in the USA and Canada that fans wish hadn't closed.
We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each restaurant in its place of origin and beyond, and on the opinions of our well-traveled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.
A restaurant specializing in hot dogs and tacos sounds like a winner to us and, for a while at least, Pup ‘N’ Taco was a popular spot with 100 outposts at its peak. The first orange-roofed Pup ‘N’ Taco opened in Pasadena, California in 1965 and the chain expanded across the state and into New Mexico. The joint sold tacos, tostadas, pastrami sandwiches, burgers, several varieties of hot dogs (the ‘pup’ in Pup 'N' Taco), and French fries. However, in 1984, Taco Bell bought the majority of its locations, leaving just three in operation. The remaining restaurants changed their names to Pop ‘N’ Taco (pictured) and just two continued into the 2010s.
Once a staple on Montreal’s food scene, The Main Deli Steak House was established in 1974 by Peter Varvaro and his family. The spot had a huge fanbase for its Montreal-style smoked meat sandwiches, poutine, smoked meat burgers, and house-made coleslaw. Famously it was located opposite Schwartz's, another iconic Montreal deli, leading to a friendly rivalry and comparison among locals and visitors. The Varvaro family sold the restaurant in 2013 and many say the quality suffered, while prices increased, resulting in the iconic spot shuttering in 2023.
Not the first restaurant to be inspired by White Castle, Little Tavern opened in Louisville, Kentucky in 1927 and had nearly 50 outposts by the 1940s. It was famous for its sliders and 'Buy ‘em by the bag' slogan, not to mention its distinctive castle design, which was changed to look like a green-roofed Tudor cottage in later years. It was popular for decades, but by the 1980s, it was losing market share to more modern fast food companies.
Home to everything from lamb burgers to hummus and hefty breakfast plates, the Rosedale Diner was an icon on Toronto’s food scene and loyal customers were devastated when the owners retired in 2023 after 45 years in business. The cozy, family-run spot was known for its eclectic menu, especially its signature duck poutine, which featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
No, not that Burger King. Did you know that there was a separate Canadian Burger King chain (registered under the trade name Burger King Drive Inn) which existed from 1956 until 1995? At its peak the brand had 12 restaurants around Edmonton, Alberta, and popular dishes included a mushroom burger and its signature Canadian Burger. Burger King (the one that exists today) came to Canada in 1969, but was not able to open stores in Alberta until Burger King Drive Inn eventually sold its naming rights in 1995.
As you might expect, this country-themed restaurant was painted red and shaped like a barn, making it really stand out on the highway. It was known for its Big Barney (like a Big Mac), Barn Buster (similar to a Quarter Pounder), and catchy TV jingle 'When the hungries hit, hit the Red Barn,' which made you want to get in your car and drive to the nearest outpost. The chain was founded in Ohio in 1961 and grew to 400 restaurants across 22 states, as well as Canada and Australia.
Diners in Binghamton were bereft when Sharkey's Bar & Grill closed its doors in 2020, due to the owners retiring almost 73 years after it opened in 1947. While it was popular for many reasons, Sharkey's was notable for being one of the few remaining joints that specialized in the spiedie (pronounced 'speedy'). One of America’s lesser-known sandwiches, the regional specialty consists of skewered cubes of marinated meat – chicken, pork, beef, or lamb – chargrilled and served in a hoagie roll.
'Aren’t you hungry for a Henry’s?' was the slogan belonging to Henry’s Hamburgers, a chain that was founded as a drive-in in Chicago in 1954 and had a following for its chili dogs, fish sandwiches, deep-fried shrimp, and crispy catfish. Today only one Henry's Hamburgers is still standing in Benton Harbor, Michigan but back in the 1960s the brand had 200 locations from coast to coast.
Sorely missed in the New York area, Carrols was one of the most flourishing franchise groups around back in the 1960s. It was distinctive for having a yellow slug character as its original mascot and had more than 150 outposts where you could get Club Burgers (double decker sandwiches), fries, shakes, and Looney Tunes drinking glasses. However, in the late 1970s the parent company converted most of its locations into Burger Kings.
G.D. Ritzy’s (sometimes just branded as Ritzy’s) was a chain of fast food restaurants that sprang up in Columbus, Ohio in the 1980s. The brainchild of a former Wendy’s executive, it focused on serving ice cream, burgers, hot dogs, and chili, as well as more unusual dishes like its signature peanut butter and jelly sandwich – made with Texas toast, fresh strawberry slices, and crushed salted peanuts. At one point there were 95 green and red G.D. Ritzy's across the eastern states of the USA, but by the 1990s many of its stores had shuttered. Now there's just a handful left in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.
If you had a craving for Tex-Mex in the 1970s, you went to Chi-Chi’s. The joint served chimichangas, nachos, and salsa, and was owned by former American football star Max McGee and restaurateur Marno McDermit. It ran into plenty of financial trouble over the years, but it was a hepatitis A outbreak in the 2000s (the largest in US history at the time) that ended its run in the States. However, if you travel to Vienna, Austria, you can still get your Chi-Chi fix at the last remaining outpost.
Do you remember this burger joint that looked just like White Castle? Opened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by a father-and-son team in 1926, it was a pretty blatant rip-off of the historic fast food chain, right down to the menu and building. In fact, the decor was so similar that the burger chains actually ended up in a lawsuit back in the 1930s. Despite this, it eventually grew to 230 nationwide locations and was known for its five-cent hamburgers, 10-cent pie, jelly rolls, and marble cake. The problem was they were all next to train and trolley lines and by the 1960s, people preferred drive-ins.
Remembered more for the huge fiberglass statue of a dachshund wearing a bow tie and chef’s hat outside each of its restaurants than for its food, Doggie Diner was a California-based hot dog and burger chain that existed between 1948 and 1986. It was opened by amateur boxer Al Ross, who expanded it to 30 locations. The pressure of competing with larger chains such as McDonald’s eventually caused its demise.
California is the home of many of America’s most iconic burger chains, from McDonald's to In-N-Out, and while The All-American Burger never reached the same global status, it's still remembered fondly. The spot shot to fame when it featured in the 1980s coming of age film Fast Times at Ridgemont High as the place Brad Hamilton is fired from. Here you could get a quarter pounder, chili burger and hickory burger, but by the time the movie was released the chain was shutting stores due to bankruptcy. The one on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles survived the longest, eventually closing in 2010.
In the 1970s, this simple logo signified a VIP’s restaurant. Located around Oregon, the diner-style chain served sandwiches, burgers, steaks, chips, clam strips, and sundaes – and you certainly didn't have to be VIP to eat there. It had 53 outposts at its height but by the early 1980s they were sold off, with most of the buildings being turned into Denny’s.
An ice cream parlor with epic sundaes, singing waiters, and kitschy decor, Farrell’s was established in Portland, Oregon in 1963. The menu, which was printed as a tabloid-style newspaper, featured sandwiches, burgers, malts, and shakes, and was known for offering a free sundae for customers celebrating a birthday. Over the next decade it grew to 130 locations, which lasted until the 1990s. Then it had a second wind, opening a number of branches around California in the 2000s – all of which are now closed.
Hot dogs steamed in beer was the signature offering at this retro spot. Lum’s was known for its distinctive, stripy red-and-white awning which signaled the joint’s unique hot dogs, fried seafood, hot roast beef sandwiches, and subs, all of which could be washed down with international beer from places like Mexico and Japan. It started in Miami, Florida in 1956 and grew to 450 locations around the USA. Lum's filed for bankruptcy in 1982, but one location in Bellevue, Nebraska, clung on until 2017.
These days you’ll have to travel to the UK or South Africa to eat at Wimpy. The chain began in Bloomington, Indiana in 1934, named after J Wellington Wimpy from the Popeye cartoon. It expanded to 26 stores across six states (most of them were in Chicago), but the majority had closed by the late 1970s, despite the brand having success abroad. Its most famous menu item was its classic hamburger, as well as French fries, sandwiches, and ice cream sundaes.
An outlier in a world awash with burgers and French fries, Arthur Treacher’s tried (and succeeded, for a while at least) to bring a taste of traditional British fish and chips to North America. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1969 and grew to 826 locations at its peak in the 1970s, thanks to its unique offering that diners couldn't find anywhere else. However, over the 1980s a sharp increase in cod prices – combined with changing consumer tastes – caused its slow demise. These days you won’t see a sign for Arthur Treacher’s unless you live in northeast Ohio, where there are a handful left.
The closure of Matt's Place in 2021 was a particular loss to those interested in preserving America’s food traditions. Opened in 1930, it was Montana's oldest drive-in restaurant and home to one of America’s most unusual regional burgers – the nutburger. To make this sweet and salty fast food delicacy, a smashed beef patty is topped with a combination of crushed peanuts and Miracle Whip. First cooked up by founder Matt Korn in the 1930s, it was the joint’s claim to fame until it closed. Unfortunately, no other local restaurants appear to be carrying on the burger’s legacy, so the only way to taste it is to make it at home.
In the 1990s, themed restaurants were all the rage. Official All-Star Cafe was sports themed and the first branch opened in Times Square, New York to huge fanfare. It served burgers, hot dogs, fried onion rings, crab dip, matzo ball soup, and cheesecake, and was filled with sports memorabilia. By the end of the century, it was no longer trendy and started to close locations. At its peak there were 10 outposts, but the last one closed its doors at Walt Disney World in 2007.
Lick's Homeburgers, commonly referred to as Lick's, was a popular Canadian fast food chain that originated in Toronto in 1980. Known for its gourmet burgers, customizable menu, and singing line cooks, the chain had 30 locations in Ontario at its height. However, it encountered financial difficulties in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and slowly shuttered most of its branches. These days only one remains in Parry Sound.
This Baltimore-based chain claimed to serve rice, fries, gumbo, corn on the cob, collard greens, biscuits, and spicy fried chicken 'better than mama's.' Chicken George was founded in 1979 by Ted N. Holmes and in its early days was the nation’s largest Black-owned restaurant business, with locations in cities around the USA, including Atlanta and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the following decade it filed for bankruptcy and stores were sold off.
Customers served themselves from coin-operated vending machines at this long-lost restaurant chain, which fed weekday lunches to workers at affordable prices. America’s first fast food chain, Horn & Hardart Automat was revolutionary when it opened at the beginning of the 20th century. Between New York and Philadelphia there were more than 100 locations, where you could get sandwiches, salads, pies, cakes, and freshly brewed drip coffee. The last of its diners closed in the 1990s.
Fondly remembered for its distinctive garlic butter pizza crusts, unlimited pizza buffet, and family-friendly atmosphere, Mother's Pizza remains a nostalgic memory for many Canadians. It was founded in 1970 and operated mainly in Ontario, where it had dozens of locations in its heyday. With the rise of larger pizza brands, the chain struggled financially in the late 1980s, leading to the closure of many outposts. It eventually went bankrupt in 1991, but many efforts have been made to revive the brand since and fans regularly pay tribute to its legacy through social media groups and gatherings.
Kenny Rogers Roasters was the place to be in the 1990s, after the wood-fired rotisserie chicken chain featured on an episode of Seinfeld. It was launched in Florida in 1991, by country singer Kenny Rogers and former KFC CEO John Y. Brown and enjoyed success on US soil for the best part of a decade. After going bankrupt in 1998, the brand was sold to a Malaysian franchiser and has taken off overseas in Asia and the Middle East.
This legendary fast food chain started life as a soda fountain and ice cream shop in Quincy, Massachusetts and grew to more than 1,000 stores, making it one of the largest chains in the country at one point. Howard Johnson’s ice cream was famous for being exceptionally creamy and smooth (and coming in 28 flavors) and the menu featured classic comfort food like fried clams, chicken pot pies, and hot dogs. Each restaurant was totally uniform too. Sadly, the chain couldn't compete with the giants of modern fast food and its restaurants began to be sold off in the 1980s.
Love a Happy Meal? You’ve actually got this long-lost fast food chain to thank for that invention, among many others. Once upon a time, Burger Chef was America's second-largest burger brand, with almost as many locations as McDonald's. It opened in the 1950s (just like its rival) in Indianapolis and had around 1,200 stores at its peak in the 1970s. The chain pioneered selling a hamburger, fries, and drink as a package deal and also launched a kids' meal with a toy, which it called the Fun Meal. However, things went downhill following a series of lawsuits in the 1980s.
Now take a look at the discontinued fast food menu items we want back