As long as mankind has known how to cook, we’ve considered the place where we prepare that food the center of the home. Whether it’s the ancient hearth or a modern-day kitchen, we all gravitate toward that source of enticing smells and familiar warmth when we really want to relax after a long day or socialize with family and friends.
But the kitchen isn’t the only place we gather when we want some good food. The restaurant is home away from home; we all have our favorite walk-up taco shops, hole-in-the-wall diners, and fancy eateries. For centuries, we’ve gone out for dinner to celebrate special occasions, to see and be seen by society — to get out of a home-cooking rut.
Eighteenth-century Paris saw the creation of the first restaurants as we know them today, open to all and offering an assortment of dishes catering to every taste. Like most fashionable trends of French origin, devoted patrons took the concept to every corner of the world. In America, restaurants found a stalwart following of gastronomical devotees.
In America, as in France, some restaurants that opened their doors over two hundred years ago are still serving patrons today. Others have come to the culinary scene recently but earned their place among the country’s most famed eateries. Here are five of the most iconic American restaurants.
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1. Howard Johnson’s
Lovingly nicknamed HoJo’s by fans, this iconic restaurant chain got its start as an ice cream parlor in 1925. Howard Deering Johnson, the chain’s founder, defined American food for an entire generation of people.
Johnson wanted his restaurants to bring good food to people no matter where they lived. He spent 48% of the company’s gross revenue on fresh ingredients. He hired chefs out of some of the most elite restaurants in the country to create the menus. He ensured a uniform dining experience in every one of his restaurants by running a central commissary, where chefs would prepare and partially cook meals before shipping them out to restaurants for the final touches.
By the 1960s, Howard Johnson’s opened a new restaurant location every nine days and boasted over 1000 locations. Unfortunately, the chain’s popularity dwindled in the late 70s and was sold in 1979.
If you’re looking for some 1970s nostalgia, you still have one chance to experience a Howard Johnson’s meal. The only surviving HoJo’s serves its iconic dishes to patrons in Lake George, NY. And you can visit this page for other examples of great restaurants we’ve loved and lost!
2. In-N-Out Burger
Among many fast food burger joints that got their start in mid-20th century America, In-N-Out stands out for its commitment to quality and consistency. The chain has never franchised or gone public, instead opting for centralized control. This model allows the restaurant to maintain a standard, quality experience for all its restaurant patrons.
The first In-N-Out opened in Baldwin Park, California in 1948. It has only three burger options on its menu — but that doesn’t mean your options are limited! In-N-Out is famous for its “secret” menu, including lettuce wrapped burgers, Neopolitan shakes, and their Animal Style burgers and fries.
3. Cracker Barrel
Everyone who’s gone on a long family road trip has seen one of these American icons just off a highway exit. Cracker Barrel may be a bit gimmicky to modern eyes, but when it opened in 1969 it took very little time for the restaurant to take off as a great place to eat some home-away-from-home cooking.
Cracker Barrel’s old country style continues to draw patrons to its 655 American locations. And though the food still epitomizes Southern comfort, one-fifth of the chain’s total revenue comes from retail sales — so next time you visit, don’t forget to linger in the restaurant’s store or sit for a spell in one of their well-known (and available for purchase!) rocking chairs.
4. Denny’s
It’s hard to nail down what constitutes a truly American cuisine, but you can certainly make a case for breakfast food. Denny’s is a mainstay of the breakfast eatery scene — unpretentious, reliable, and open around the clock to serve you no matter what time of day or night you get a craving for a Grand Slam.
But Denny’s wasn’t always America’s quintessential breakfast stop. Founders Harold Butler and Richard Jezak opened Danny’s Donuts in 1953, the restaurant that would one day become the popular chain. After a few name changes, the company adopted the simple “Denny’s” moniker in 1961.
And here’s a fun fact: the first Denny’s in New York City opened in 2014. They serve a location-specific Grand Cru Slam — it’s your usual Grand Slam breakfast, but offered with a bottle of Dom Perignon. The champagne special will run you about $300, but hey, not everyone gets that kind of experience.
5. Morrison’s Cafeteria
Southerners are probably very familiar with this scene: it’s a Sunday, about 11 in the morning, and you’re a 12-year-old fidgeting in the fancy outfit your mom insisted you wear this morning. (It’s probably something smocked.) Mom’s got a hand on your shoulder, and she’s giving you that look — “Behave yourself, please” — but you’ve only got eyes for the slices of pie on beige plastic plates at the end of the cafeteria line.
Morrison’s Cafeteria was the Sunday lunch destination of choice for Southern families from 1920 to 1998, when rival Piccadilly Cafeteria bought the chain. But you can still visit a Morrison’s and relive some childhood memories if you visit the former chain’s hometown of Mobile, Alabama. Piccadilly owns the location, but operates it under the name Morrison’s Fresh Cooking.
American Restaurants of the Past and Present
Though some of the burger joints and diners we remember from our childhood are gone now, we can still enjoy a lot of great food from American restaurants. The next time you get home after a long day at work, and the last thing you want to do is cook dinner, think about visiting one of these places. Or if you want to order in, pair food from these iconic restaurants with a great movie from our recommendations!