What restaurant did you grow up thinking was nice but now realize it isn’t?

[Kenny Powers]

Growing up I always thought Olive Garden was “fancy” and now know it is not. Still love the place though. What about you? 

[Randy Parker]

Ponderosa 

[PP1]

I would say Dairy Queen. Not even the best ice cream anymore.

[nkypete]

My dad was an immigrant from Germany.  Back in the 1940's, he was looking for a second job to supplement his primary job as a musician.  He saw an ad in the newspaper for "White Castle".  He immediately thought that this would a high class waiter position where he would get to wear white gloves and make big bucks.  Boy was he surprised when he went for the interview!

[nees1212]

Ponderosa and Ryan’s

[sweet16]

Buffalo Wild Wings. 

[catholicdude]

Pizza Hut

[MJAlltheWay24]

On 12/30/2020 at 7:55 PM, Randy Parker said:

Ponderosa 

100%. It was such a special treat when I was younger.

[Parrott]

Ryan's, or a local place called Rib Shack, which was in a building that kind of looked liked a barn (at least that's the way I remember it).

[JDEaston]

Ponderosa for me as well. My aunt and uncle would eat there once a week and always invited me when I was in middle school. I always got the sirloin and salad bar and loved both, but I wouldn't eat anything from there now. Honestly I don't do buffets at all anymore unless its seafood and thats just for the crab legs.

[Kenny Powers]

31 minutes ago, JDEaston said:

Ponderosa for me as well. My aunt and uncle would eat there once a week and always invited me when I was in middle school. I always got the sirloin and salad bar and loved both, but I wouldn't eat anything from there now. Honestly I don't do buffets at all anymore unless its seafood and thats just for the crab legs.

I haven’t seen a Ponderosa in years; I honestly thought they were closed. I’m with you on buffets... everything always tasted the same whether I was eating chicken or steak. 

[JDEaston]

7 minutes ago, Kenny Powers said:

I haven’t seen a Ponderosa in years; I honestly thought they were closed. I’m with you on buffets... everything always tasted the same whether I was eating chicken or steak. 

We still have one locally across the bridge in South Point, Ohio, though I don't know if it survived covid or not. My mother ate at that one a few years ago with my aunt and uncle and she ended up with food poisoning. 

[blue4sure]

I’m old Po Folks in Florence I thought it was cool to drink from a mason jar 

[rjs4470]

Pondersoa/Bonanza definitely fits the bill for me. Bonanza sponsored my summer baseball team when I was 16/17 and the end of the season party was always held there, and we thought it was a big deal. 

I hate to admit it, but my Grandparents always used to take us to Golden Corral when I was a kid, and we always thought that was a big deal too.

[ColonelMike]

Ponderosa.

See a trend developing?