1. The Pastime A modest unassuming Italian cafe on West Main Street. Great food and since it was across from the County Courthouse, you could rub elbows with the town leaders. Also had a card room and lounge Closed only 5 years ago.
2. The Red Apple This cafe was on Main Street in the center of town. It eventually became a 24 hour operation, popular with the drinking crowd. I remember the squeaking front door, which let a cold breeze come in when it opened during the winter months. A breakfast favorite, it also had a bar in the back with nightly entertainment. Also shut down with in the last decade.
3. Roy's Chuckwagon Most people remember that it was a buffet, very few remember that it had a Western motif. No bar at this establishment, it was fun and filling for the family. It was located at the Big Y shopping center (between Walla Walla and College Place) which also no longer exists.
4. Fancy Dan's The name is the most memorable thing about this joint, as well as the prime location on the corner of Main and Spokane. Not famous for good food, but rather it's bright orange interior.
5. Triple X By default since it was the picture that inspired this post. A similar Triple X is still going in Issaquah.
Also Abby's Pizza, Pizza Pete, Lutcher's, Denny's Hi-Spot, and many more. Which ones do you remember?
I can tell a story from my past that involves almost every one of these places. My husband, Ray & Mike Witt stole a chair out of the bar in Fancy Dan's. Ray managed the original Abby's for several years. The Hi-Spot was the "go to" place after school. I could go on and on!
ReplyDeleteLeilani Finley Wildman
Does anyone remember Pizza Pete's?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, first time I had a Canadian bacon with pineapple pizza.
DeletePizza Pete was great. Jerry always had a smile. Their Stromboli sandwich was wonderful
DeleteOh yes...and Little John's in eastgate.
DeletePuggie pete was one of my favorites. pizza Pete was the place to go after a football game.I miss the entire Magnoni (Manuel) Family
DeleteHow about the Book Nook 2nd floor of the Book Nook Store. Always packed at lunch time.
DeleteOr Pepee's Pizza?
DeleteAbby's sponsored my baseball team in the late 70's
ReplyDeleteMy youth baseball team was sponsored by Abby's in 1978.
ReplyDeleteHow about the Polyanna Cafe, The Canton and the lunch bar @ Book Nook.
ReplyDeletehow about the launching pad
ReplyDeleteMy Dad took me to the Launching Pad when I was 13. My first meal at a restaurant just with Dad (I have 8 brothers and sisters!)
DeleteThe Corner Cafe (I think that was the name) ....on the corner by Tallman's.
ReplyDeleteThe Turf
ReplyDeleteThe Turf
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the Ice Burg. Also remember the lunch counter at Shep's and Tommy's Dutch Lunch.
ReplyDeleteI do remember pizza petes. When I was on my "parade clown days " way back in the late 70's, the owner of pizza petes asked my group to wear pizza topping costumes in the frontier days parade. We had a tomato, (my costume) olive, pizza slice. Pepperoni, etc. He also asked us to go the fair in the costumes. The person who was wearing the pepporine had a difficult time with her costume and we were trying to cross 9th to the fairgrounds. We had to roll her into the back of a pickup to get her there. We all got a laugh out of that one..
ReplyDeleteShep's Smoke Shop. Spent hundreds of hours there playing snooker and pool
ReplyDeleteRed Steer and Artic circle
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the Launching Pad, in my pre-teen years I used to ride my bike around downtown early in the morning right after businesses opened and deliver bags of fresh made donuts that I would get from the Launching Pad. The best donuts I ever ate...
ReplyDeleteI remember all five, plus most of the others mentioned in the comments. My family went to the Chuckwagon fairly regularly, as well as the Modern (in its original location), DeLuca's (though my sister and I preferred the Pastime) and the (Original?) Pancake House.
ReplyDeleteFancy Dan's and the Red Apple were where many of my friends and I hung during our high school years. I have many great memories from both.
Don't forget the old Dairy Queen!
I must be a lot older than some of you young ones. Of course, Triple X was great but then we had El Rancho, best fries in the country. Before 9th street Modern was Trolley Inn, best fried chicken. And first great steak back in 1950 was out at Bridgewater's Oasis. Remember all those you mentioned and ate or partied at most.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember Reed and Bell's drive-in? They had great rootbeer
ReplyDeleteI'm looking for a reactant you all might remember they had shorty shakes they sold hamburgers corndogs prawns stake sandwich onion rings fries and ice cream u could buy by the art or half gallon and the menue had a pepsi cola logo on it
DeleteDid anyone mention PePe's Pizza Mmmmmmmm
ReplyDeletePepes pizza was my first job. Became petes pizza before it closed in 2003. Loved that place
Delete.
Red Steer and the Steak Out.
ReplyDeleteThe last XXX Drive In is located in Issaquah.
The old Chicks drive inn.Keith Donley
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather, Ed Hilbert, used to go down to Lutcher's to play cards after he was retired. He was so good that he used to clean out the house. Finally Dutch Lutcher came to him and said, "Ed, you're too good of a card player. You've either got to quit comin' in or go to work for me." So Grandad worked for Dutch Lutcher for the next twenty years, dealing cards.
ReplyDeleteSheps, Lutchers I bet that Walla Wallans wanted them gone when they were around, now I think they want them back. It may be the shadow between the idea and the reality.
ReplyDeleteThose places gave Walla Walla class, because it meant that there was something for everybody and that was fine with everybody else.
ReplyDeleteI have fond memories of the Red Apple with the squeaky doors and the cold breeze blowing in when they opened in the winter. Remember Rotary Day at the Red Apple?
ReplyDeleteOne of my best friend's parents owned the Canton. Always a good meal there. Used to cruise from the Red Steer to Pizza Pete's. A&W out East of town was always good too.
ReplyDeleteThe Hi-Spot with Singing Joe Denny was a great restaurant. It was right next to Thrifty Drug. I saw Robert Conrad when I was in third grade over there when he was in The Wild, Wild, West. I waited for two hours in line and he turned out to be a jerk.
ReplyDeleteI remember Rochester Tavern, the best place in town to get chicken gizzards. They also had a great burger with Italian sausage on it and it was called the Rochester Special The place had wooden booths with the old style mini juke boxes at each table. Fritz Vores was the owner and he was a great host and nice man who genuinely cared about his customers. I used to meet my Dad there for lunch and we would have a Rochester Special and play a game or two of pool. Here is a Rochester's ad:
ReplyDeletehttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_wnavtQZh9M/UaYDD9aZS0I/AAAAAAAASHs/djBv9qJqYto/s1600/Rochester+Tavern,+Feb+1948.JPG
And the best Broasted Chicken ever!!
DeleteI remember Sambo's at 2nd & Oak, where El Sombrero is now.
DeleteOutrageous Tacos!!!!
DeleteArtic Circle on 9th St
ReplyDeleteI remember most of them. Also, there were the Homestead, Sea Galley, Skippers, Royal Motor Inn Restaurant, Godfather's Pizza and Sambo's. Reading the posts reminded me of places I'd forgotten about. Good memories.
ReplyDeletePastime Cafe
ReplyDeleteI'm suddenly getting a lot of hits here, anyone want to tell me where to find the link?
ReplyDeleteI miss Outrageous Taco.
ReplyDeleteThat was a small little sit on a stool place with great burritos.
DeleteThe beauty of a top 5 list is that it leaves a lot of room for reader comments.
ReplyDeletePrime Cut, Red Steer, Sambo's
ReplyDeletePrime Cut, Red Steer, Sambo's
ReplyDeleteI remember prime cut before it got taken over by some guy who had affiliations with a drug dealer. It was a great place. Loved it so much. Oh and SeaGalley....awesome place with good drinks served under age drinkers no questions asked.dont forget the airport...stiff drinks and decent food at one time.
ReplyDeleteLorenzo's was always iconic for me. They had these fried potatoes that I never figured out how they made.
ReplyDeleteBlue Mountain Tavern had the best sandwiches ever!!!
ReplyDeleteI’m so glad Blue Mountain is back. I live in California but would consider flying home just for a round sandwich
DeleteAnd of course Delucas.
ReplyDeleteNewberry's. Soda fountain.
ReplyDeletePete's Charcoal Broiler on Alder. Can't remember the block it was on though. My Dad and I would go there when I was in grade school.
ReplyDeleteYes, Pizza Pete... SHRIMP SALAD TOPPED WITH SHREDDDED CHEESE!!
ReplyDeleteand the CORNER CAFE!!
Have a chef in WW looking for the original recipe for the shrimp salad to bring it back as a special at his new spot. Anyone have any connections to get the original recipe?
DeleteBlue Mountain is back? That's news to me!
ReplyDeleteI remember Pizza Pete's for their salad. Does anyone remember the ingredients? I know it had salami, lettuce, parmesan cheese (I think), and the BEST Italian vinaigrette!!!!! Ohh how I wish I had the recipe, so I could recreate it.
ReplyDeleteNow, Triple X is no longer in Issaquah.
ReplyDelete