While the likes of McDonald’s and Burger King may dominate the modern fast food landscape, back in the day our fast food options looked rather different. From retro donut chains to quirky regional gems run by generations of the same family, as well as vintage pizza joints that once rivaled Pizza Hut, here we take a nostalgic look back at the much-loved fast food restaurants that have either gone forever or have just a few outposts left, counting down to reveal the one that's missed the most.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the fast food spots in Canada and the USA 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, and French fries. However, in 1984, Taco Bell bought the majority of its locations, leaving just three in operation. The remaining restaurants changed names to become Pop ‘N’ Taco (pictured), and just two continued into the 2010s.

Goody Goody had been a Tampa, Florida favorite since 1925. The fast food chain became renowned for its P.O.X. burger, which saw a classic beef patty topped with pickles, chopped onions, and a secret tomato sauce, and it went on to open many locations throughout its century-long history. The chain, owned by the 1905 Family of Restaurants, initially closed its flagship Tampa location in 2005; however, it reopened in 2016, much to fans’ delight. Sadly, the city lost the store again in 2024 due to varying economic struggles, though fans can still get their hands on classic menu items at the brand’s last remaining location at Tampa International Airport.

Once a staple of 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.

From food to products to restaurants, celebrity-owned brands often have varied success – and sadly, American comedian Minnie Pearl’s venture didn’t take off like she’d hoped. Pearl was approached by entrepreneurs Henry and John Jay Hooker in the 1960s, who hoped to use her name to launch a fast food joint that could compete against KFC. Unfortunately, the brothers were more interested in franchising than the actual product, resulting in different outlets offering varying menus. By 1969, the chain had less than half of its 800 franchises open and lost millions of dollars. It eventually closed its last outpost in 1973.

Can you remember dining at Cheeseburger in Paradise? Like Margaritaville, this over-the-top fast casual restaurant group was inspired by Jimmy Buffett’s vacation-themed songs and operated from 2002 to 2020. Diners were transported to sunny climes, with beach-inspired décor and giant burgers featuring heavily on the menu. Cheeseburger in Paradise ran into financial difficulties and eventually closed all of its locations in September 2020.

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. The last location closed in 2008.

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 Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

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. There were locations in Canada and Australia, too.

Can you remember when Carl’s Jr. tried (and failed) to enter the Mexican-style fast food market? The burger chain, founded in 1964, was already fully established by the time it attempted to launch Taco de Carlos in 1972. This new Mexican-inspired brand hoped to compete against the likes of Taco Bell, and it even went as far as launching 17 locations across the US. Taco de Carlos sold fiery burritos, spicy burgers, and Crispiritos, a crunchy chimichanga-style dish. Sadly, after a decade of trying to stay afloat, the brand failed and closed its locations.

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 it 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.

Not to be confused with two similarly named fast food giants, Burger Queen was founded in Winter Haven, Florida, in 1956. The brand, known for its fried chicken, burgers, and milkshakes, went on to open more than 15 locations across Florida. A pair of entrepreneurs bought the company in the mid-1960s, expanding outside the Sunshine State. By the 1970s, international locations had been launched, complete with stylish salad bars and seafood specials. Burger Queen eventually changed its name to Druther’s in 1981 but, sadly, many of its locations closed over the next decade, with most becoming Dairy Queen franchises. Only one Druther’s location remains, in Campbellsville, Kentucky.

For many Canadians, heading to the local mall meant stopping by Marvellous Mmmuffins for a freshly baked treat. In its heyday, the brand, which opened its first store in 1979 and became famed for its vast selection of flavored muffins, boasted more than 130 locations across the country. Sadly, due in part to changing dining trends, the brand fell out of favor; now, just one location remains, in Montreal’s Côte St-Luc Shopping Centre. Donut brand Country Style has since started selling some Mmmuffins products, enabling fans to get their fix once more.

The Spudnut brand was founded by brothers Bob and Al Pelton, who opened their first store in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1940 following Bob’s discovery of potato donuts after working in Germany. Larger, fluffier, and airier than your average style, they were an instant hit, and more than 350 Spudnut outlets opened across the US. Sadly, the brothers retired in 1968 and sold Spudnut Shops, along with the recipe and trademarks. Following legal issues with the new owner, any remaining franchisees had to develop their own recipes. In 2014, Keith Larson founded Johnny O’s Spudnuts and bought the rights to the Spudnut name and original recipe; he now owns two branches, in Salt Lake City and New Mexico. 

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) that existed from 1956 until 1995? At its peak, the brand had 12 restaurants around Edmonton, and popular dishes included a mushroom burger and the joint's signature Canadian Burger. Burger King (the one that exists today) came to Canada in 1969, but it couldn't open stores in Alberta until Burger King Drive Inn eventually sold its naming rights in 1995.

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 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – made with Texas toast, fresh strawberry slices, and crushed salted peanuts. At one point there were 95 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.

A New York City favorite since 1914, Beefsteak Charlie’s didn’t begin franchising until the 1970s. The brand, known for its refillable salad bars, huge portions, and unlimited alcoholic drinks, boasted 68 locations across the US at its peak. Unfortunately, the chain couldn’t sustain its lavish, rather generous offerings for long and began gradually closing locations in the late 1980s. Beefsteak Charlie’s final outpost eventually shuttered in the mid-2000s.

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 McDermott. Popular in Canada and the US, 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's fix at the last remaining outpost. In December 2024, Chi-Chi's announced that it's hoping to come back to the US in 2025 – so watch this space. 

Inspired by a trip to California where he sampled McDonald’s for the first time, Herbert Wetanson launched his own fast food restaurant in Levittown, New York in 1959. Alongside his brother Erol, he began selling hamburgers inside an old coffee and donut shop before eventually expanding. Famed for its 15-cent burgers and 10-cent fries, as well as its two clown mascots (again, inspired by McDonald’s), the brand went on to boast over 70 locations across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, before eventually merging with hot dog chain Nathan’s Famous.

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 décor was so similar that the burger chains ended up in a lawsuit in the 1930s. Despite this, White Tower eventually grew to 230 nationwide locations and was known for its five-cent hamburgers, 10-cent pies, jelly rolls, and marble cake. The problem was they were all located 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. However, the Doggie Diner name is still represented at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

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, a chili burger, and a 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 a 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 restaurants.

An ice cream parlor with epic sundaes, singing waiters, and kitsch décor, 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 the diner was known for offering a free sundae to customers celebrating a birthday. Over the next decade it grew to 130 locations, but the brand only survived until 1990. The franchise had a brief second wind in 2008, opening several branches around California – all of which are now closed.

Hot dogs steamed in beer were the signature offerings at this old-school spot. Lum’s was known for its distinctive red-and-white striped 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 beers. 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 experiencing 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 two outlets are 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 City to huge fanfare. It served burgers, hot dogs, fried onion rings, crab dip, matzo ball soup, and cheesecake, and it was filled with sports memorabilia. By the end of the century, it was no longer fashionable and started to shut 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 it was the nation’s largest Black-owned restaurant business, with locations in cities around the USA, including in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, in 1991 it filed for bankruptcy, and its stores were sold off.

America’s first fast food chain, Horn & Hardart Automat was revolutionary when it opened at the beginning of the 20th century. Customers served themselves from coin-operated vending machines at this long-lost restaurant chain, which fed weekday lunches to workers at affordable prices. 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.

Loved 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. Fans also 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 it 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. It's since taken off 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 for coming in 28 flavors), and the menu featured classic comfort foods such as fried clams, chicken pot pies, and hot dogs. 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 in Indianapolis and had around 1,200 stores at its peak in the 1970s. The chain pioneered selling a hamburger, fries, and a drink as a package deal, and it 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

Last updated by Lottie Woodrow.