Any Cafeterias Left In Your Area?

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The department store thread got me thinking about another type of establishment that’s going away - the cafeteria.

I grew up in the 80s and 90s, and even then, they were dying out. In Memphis, there used to be several different cafeterias - both chains with several locations (Piccadilly, Luby’s, S&S) and independent ones.

The only one I’m aware of that’s still around is Piccadilly. There are a few locations in Memphis and 1 in Nashville.

Still love them. I always get the same thing - jumbo hamburger steak platter with mashed potatoes & gravy, turnip greens or green beans, corn, and a roll or Mexican cornbread and a broccoli salad. Sometimes a slice of pie for dessert.

Not real sure why they fell out of favor, but I know the parking lot is always full of Lincolns, Crown Vics, Buicks and Chryslers. And I’m usually the youngest person in there (I’m in my late 30s).

It’s not a cheap meal but it’s good quality food - like home cooking. And faster than a traditional restaurant.

I like cafeterias. Wish there were more around these days.
 
We've got several within a half hour's drive, or so, and they are all good. The closest to me is MCL, about 10 minutes away. It isn't cheap, but the food is very good, and the place is new. Then, in Mooresville, IN is Gray Brothers, and just up the road from that is Poe Brothers. Both of those are great, too, although I prefer Gray Brothers. Gray's is probably the best of the three. All three appear to be thriving. I'm pretty sure MCL has other stores in and around Indianapolis, too.

Edit...I just checked and there are 6 MCL cafeterias around Indianapolis, and there is also Jonathan Byrd's, north of Indy, which is legendary.
 
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Originally Posted By: john_pifer

Not real sure why they fell out of favor, but I know the parking lot is always full of Lincolns, Crown Vics, Buicks and Chryslers. And I’m usually the youngest person in there (I’m in my late 30s).


As the Baby Boomers die off, so will the cafeterias.
 
The local Price Chopper grocery store has an embedded cafeteria. It is reasonable $7-8 for a dinner. Inside the store it does very well, you can have a balanced home style meal. Salad bar by the pound. Starbucks too if you just have to spend for a coffee.

Rod
 
Once or twice a year, my wife and I will hit a Golden Corral about an hour north of us.
About the only thing the servers have to do is refill your drinks.
 
Originally Posted By: pkunk
160 miles to Alb., NM and we have a Furrs. Sometimes good, others, not so.
\


Grew up on Furrs! We've been contemplating riding the Cumbres and Toltec and hitting up Furrs in Farmington this summer.
 
Not really something we had here, cafeterias were usually places in large organisasions where they provided meals for employees. I've only worked at one place that had a cafeteria.

In the motorcycle world there is a British custom bike called a cafe racer, people mostly pronounce it the Fench way, with a little mark above the E in cafe. But it comes from the cafeterias they used to race to, and is pronouced caf...it's a caf racer, not cafe racer, although these days riders seem to hang out at cafes drinking latte.
 
My father in law died in OKC in 1989. My mother in law had been trapped in the apartment with him while he slowly died over a couple of years. After the funeral her biggest wish was to go to Luby's. My kids, who were five and eight got ahead of me in line and thinking they were in an Old Country Buffet or Golden Corral got ahead of me and stocked up. I think each of them topped $20 in worthless food which they didn't eat.

Cafeterias are completely gone here and buffets slowly disappearing--only a couple of Chinese places and a Golden Corral in this county of 400,000.
 
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Originally Posted By: john_pifer
It’s not a cheap meal but it’s good quality food - like home cooking. And faster than a traditional restaurant.

I like cafeterias. Wish there were more around these days.


You do go to Arnolds don't you?
 
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
Even our urban equivalent of the cafeteria, the Automat, has died out


My parents took us to an Automat in NYC in the 60s, maybe the World's Fair trip. Quite a sight for a kid from a small town in western Pa. Will have to ask mom about that. Thanks for the memory bump start.
 
Luby's and Golden Corral are E X P E N S I V E

The only patrons are going due to brand loyalty/nostlagia.

You can as good/better food nealry anywhere else for less.

Jason's Deli is about the top of my list for A+++ quality and still affordable.
 
None, gone a long time ago. I remember my mom taking my sister and me to the cafeteria at Woolworth's and S.H. Kress.
 
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
The department store thread got me thinking about another type of establishment that’s going away - the cafeteria.

How about the cafeterias that were in the department stores?
wink.gif
Our Zellers used to have a bit of a cafeteria. Woolco stores did, and I liked theirs. The Bay used to have a malt shop.
 
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