Recipes How To Reviews Chefs News Inspiration Sign In

Brilliant American fast food restaurants that have closed for good

A tasty trip down memory lane
38. Pup ‘N’ Taco, various locations, USA
37. Goody Goody, Florida, USA
36. The Main Deli Steak House, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
35. Minnie Pearl’s Chicken, various locations, USA
34. Cheeseburger in Paradise, various locations, USA
33. Little Tavern, various locations, USA
32. The Rosedale Diner, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
31. Red Barn, various locations
30. Taco de Carlos, various locations, USA
29. Sharkey's Bar & Grill, Binghamton, New York, USA
28. Henry’s Hamburgers, various locations, USA
27. Carrols, various locations, USA
26. Burger Queen, various locations, USA
25. Marvellous Mmmuffins, various locations, Canada
24. Spudnut Shops, various locations, USA
23. Burger King Drive Inn, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
22. G.D. Ritzy’s, various locations, USA
21. Beefsteak Charlie’s, various locations, USA
20. Chi-Chi’s, various locations
19. Wetson’s, various locations, USA
18. White Tower, various locations, USA
17. Doggie Diner, various locations, USA
16. The All-American Burger, various locations, USA
15. VIP’s, various locations, USA
14. Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour, various locations, USA
13. Murray’s, various locations, Canada
12. Lum’s, various locations, USA
11. Wimpy, various locations
10. Arthur Treacher’s, various locations, USA
9. Matt's Place, Butte, Montana, USA
8. Official All-Star Cafe, various locations
7. Lick's Homeburgers, various locations, Ontario, Canada
6. Chicken George, various locations, USA
5. Horn & Hardart Automat, various locations, USA
4. Mother's Pizza, various locations, Ontario, Canada
3. Kenny Rogers Roasters, various locations
2. Howard Johnson’s, various locations, USA
1. Burger Chef, various locations, Canada and USA
1 of 39
Chicago History Museum/Getty Images ; wimpyrestaurants/Facebook

A tasty trip down memory lane

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.​

Gallery view |
List View

Natasha Lovell-Smith

02 April 2025

News

See more on this topic

Share the love