Milo;349856 wroteYeah . . . Ponderosa still exists in the States, as does the Olive Garden . . . loveed the Olive Garden.
Olive Garden never went away. I've never been. I try and avoid chain restaurants like the plague. And I don't like me no plague.
I recall going to Ponderosa a few times with a friend's family as a kid and really liking their hamburgers. Back then I thought it was a bit fancy.
I do miss salad bars, in general, a bit. They were big when I was growing-up. I remember going to The Keg often and getting iceberg lettuce (haven't had that in years), the shredded white and yellow cheese (I won't assume what type of cheese that was), the real bacon bits and the French dressing. Sometimes a bit of cottage cheese and cherry tomatoes on the side for good measure. Good times.
It's funny what changing perceptions do over time. I assume that most salad bars were gradually removed from restaurants due to health concerns. Now when I see a place with a salad bar a red flag goes up in my mind.
In the 70s we just didn't give a fuck and we liked it that way.
Oddity -- I recall the Wendy's in Guelph had a salad bar when I lived there in the late 90s.
Anyone remember Chichi's? I think it was the only Mexican restaurant back in the day.