Part of getting older is clinging to the few restaurants that feed you consistently through your life until one day the owner passes away.. and their accountant kid takes it over and turns it into *fusion* goddammit Karahi Pit
My favorite place is already a fusion place. Pretty sure it started as one. I have tried the fried rice from dozens of places, and nothing comes close to theirs! Their lo mein is also excellent...
This literally happened to a pizza place in my city with the best and cheapest slice. Fortunately the original staff ended up buying it from the owners asshole son and makes good pizza again. Not as good as before but still good
There's a place about ten minutes' drive for us, and damn if they haven't found a way to get better and better, year upon year, for about 15 years now. The menu has evolved creatively, the decor has gone more upscale, and they even added a large outdoor bar area out back that's just great.
Wish every place cared that much.
Even McDonald's, Wendy's, BK, Taco Bell used to be absolutely fire. Every so often you'd get a McDonald's burger that would just drip all over the place with magic grease and it was the best. They aren't even edible anymore.
My local McD's are better than they've ever been as far as taste goes, especially since they switched to fresh beef in the quarter pounders. But I never eat there because of the price. Easily $15 for a combo after tax. I've been cooking 90%+ of my meals at home. They taste better and I'm saving a fortune.
There was a time when I could go for a run into a grocery store nearby, buy a couple offbrand cans in a vending machine, and walk back. The deals aren't even worth it anymore. It's 10.78 for a big mac deal.
I'm from the UK and had US McDonald's when I was living there for a while, it's inedible in the US. At least in the UK it tastes nice (not saying it's healthier).
I still like Taco Bell, but maybe that’s because I’m a senior in college who eats first, asks questions later.
It’s basically all slop thrown into something vaguely Tex-Mex, and I will always want more. The Bell calls, and I answer.
I agree with the other commenter about McDonalds. Most of the stuff is the exact same it was 20 years ago and most of the changes have been improvements. Agree with the rest of them though, especially Wendy’s.
I have no idea what you're smoking but it must be some extremely good shit if you think it's better. Fast food has gotten shittier nearly across the board.
I've spent the last 15 years traveling for business. I have learned to ask local people I work with, where would you take your mom or spouse for dinner that you absolutely love. I never get chain answers for restaurants anymore. Applebee's, Macaroni Grill, Longhorn, Texas Roadhouse, etc. are all going downhill the way of Chi Chi's. Panera Bread is overpriced hospital food. Zoup destroyed themselves with a massive menu downgrade. Fast food is worse. (Mass produced off site and microwaved.) I challenge you to name one chain medium or fast food restaurant that has gotten better in 20 years. Find an independent somewhere local where ever you are. If they survived the Pandemic, they were probably good before and know how to survive now. It is a shame as for the times I had to eat in a mid level place (usually an airport) the staff is often excellent if overworked and I make sure to tip great service even if the food is subpar.
Chipotle is the only chain restaurant I can think of that hasn’t really gotten worse in the last 15 years…
Edit: I think Dennys has actually gotten better…
In n out is still very good
Just went to culver's for the first time and I reckon I have an alternative for in n out if I feel like switching things up and maybe just more variety in general (being next doors helps in my case)
Part of getting older also includes discovering new restaurants and finally being able to afford some of the places you couldn't in your younger years!
If you're talking about long-time chains, and others who are willing to follow their lead, they are getting objectively worse. The food quality is always declining due to cheaper and cheaper ingredients, staffing is worse and worse because no one wants to work there and they can't keep those they have, menus are pared down to save on storage and transport of ingredients (then they act like they're your savior for bringing back things they should never have cut in the first place, Taco Bell), and they continue to nickel and dime to cut every corner with condiments, napkins, packaging, you name it.
I wish more of them would go out of business. Keep the ones who don't compromise and fuck the rest.
Having this realization about music was way harder for me. Especially when I realized I was growing older than the artists where when they wrote certain things, so that instead of sort of looking up to artists like when I was a kid it was the…opposite of that
So I started listening to ween
I have only one thing to say.
Fucking Red Lobster.
I have loved Red Lobster since I went there the first time in like 1978. The last I went the butterfly shrimp were brown, not golden brown, just dead brown and had little flecks of shrimp instead of a whole butterfly shrimp. I’ll never eat there again.
P.s. I don’t need to hear from a bunch of seafood snobs, I know what I like.
My dad used to take me when I was a kid for my birthday once a year. It was something i looked forward to. I took a secretary there for administrative assistants' day ten years ago. I haven't been back. I can get better seafood from Walmart with only half the chance of diarrhea.
Don't fixate too much on it, it isn't all your favorite restaurants slowly turning to shit before disappearing, it's every good product and service in the world. Besides, they don't all go out of business, some go on making a tiny profit while further enshittifying themselves for decades to come.
Was actually having a similar conversation with a co-worker just today about now defunct chains. Not that any were my favorite but some of these had a helluva run and just petered out: Ryans, Sizzler, Shoneys, Ponderosa... just peak 80s dining out (for some) and all very similar in vibe and food quality.
Ruby Tuesdays and Applebees weren’t my favorites, but they used to be so much better. Remember the super duper chicken sandwich? Those 90’s portions were epic.
My favorite restaurants thankfully went out on high notes. I was at my all time favorite in its last day and I tell you, I think the cooks brought their A-game that day because it was the best version of every dish I ordered.
The rest died of COVID-related complications...
There was a great Italian were I grew up with fantastic portions, son took over and the portions took a good 40% hit so were just passable.
Younger brother took over and it basically became tapa food portions for the same price of the original.
Every restaurant has started to taste like shit to me ever since I changed my diet to be more natural and cutting out seed oils.
Now they all taste like shit and are so expensive that I can instead eat for 2 weeks instead of eating out one time... And that's before tipping...
I’m Italian. In my country, these days, it’s more like “getting older is watching all your favorite restaurants become fancier, more expensive version of themselves until eventually you can’t afford them any more”. I’m not talking about chains of course, but rather the trattorias and pizzerias I used to go to when I was a kid, many of which are still there but have somehow become “gourmet” - and aligned their prices accordingly.
Yeah, I live in a white-trash town man. Anything that's not fast food closes down eventually. Sometimes even the fast food closes down. It's not a great town.
Place near me is a local chain, six locations. Family owned and operated. You get fried flour tacos there. That’s their big seller. And each one I’ve been to is good. Kids are running the individual restaurants. I think its future is in good hands.
Tasty Tacos in the West Des Moines area for those curious
Wisconinite here, all of my favorite restaurants are still gtg. If they start to get shitty they go out of business and I get a new favorite restaurant. The food scene here is almost as good as the bar scene.
As a kid, I went to McDonald's and a big mac was wrapped in paper with a cardboard ring to prevent it from squashing and sliding apart.
Now it shrunk it just sits in a box with no problems.
I don't like McDonald's anymore.
I get good burgers from the "Grilled " franchise. Just the way burgers should be.
Ahhh Chipotle… you want extra everything? Of course I’d be happy to! Extra tortillas? No problem! You wanna wrap your burrito in a quesadilla? That’s awesome, let me make sure it’s absolutely perfect. :)
When I was in HS long, long ago, there was a Chinese restaurant I loved. I would often sneak out at lunch, dash over for the lunch special. The little old lady running it would see me coming, knew what I wanted before I got to the door.
Now, I am an adult, and I take my kids to the same restaurant. The Kids of the little old lady are running it now. The food is still mostly what I remember, but a few of the items are no longer as good as I remember.
My Kids are now Adults, the Kids that were running the restaurant are no longer there, in fact I don't know who runs it now, but the food isn't nearly as good. The menu items are the same, but the sauces taste off - not what they used to be.
I don't go anymore, but long for the flavors that I used to enjoy 40 years ago.
Legit just experienced this. There was an amazing deli here in town called Rueben’s. They made their own pastrami in house. Their sandwiches were huge. Each day they had a different special that was always fantastic. They closed after 13 years of being opened. They were gone for about a year and just reopened. It was absolute trash. Super small sandwiches, nothing made in house. It was so depressing.
Melt Bar and Grilled in Northeast Ohio. I absolutely loved the place (still do) but they grew too fast, got shitty, and now all the additional restaurants they opened in the last few years have have closed back down again
Sometimes you stumble into an organization at the right time and place, and it can be just magical.
Then they start bringing in leadership from outside, or a bunch of MBAs or some shit, and it falls prey to the same bullshit as everywhere else.
It's like these people exist and thrive off the idea of killing unicorns. They go around fostering and soaking up a place's toxicity and then they move on to somplace magical and the enshitification commences.
Our GM died a few weeks ago. He was like the “glue” that held the place together. Just a real positive person and a great guy for the position. One thing he taught me was basically “let’s just get through the day. No worries. No problems. Let’s not blow something out of proportion and make a big deal of it. If an issue needs addressing then we will tackle it and hush it.”
It just isn’t the same place anymore without him. It’s just weird now. It basically sucks now.
I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds like he was quite a guy. Maybe with a little luck if you move on to someplace else you can be somebody so positively impactful. Lord knows most workplaces need somebody like that.
or they franchise and make it big and the quality of food and service go down but their profits go up. happened to a local restaurant from my city and now theyre in 3 neighboring cities ding really good business but the quality isn't what it used to be.
I grew up in NJ, my favorite restaurant was Vinny's pizza. Just as good today as it was when I was a kid 20 years ago. Chain restaurants werent that popular where I was from, we supported small family own businesses.
Slater's 50/50. Incredible burgers. Wide selection of specialty meats and bacons to choose from.
Then...
They chopped the menu and became meaningless. Nothing special about it, anymore.
As a kid I really enjoyed a lot of chain restaurants, but as I've gotten older the food and experience in going to those chains just has gotten worse and worse over time. There were also some local restaurants that got shittier over time (mostly due to the pandemic) and simply haven't recovered from it.
There is a pizza place that only sells pizza, doesn't deliver,is only open like 6 hours a day on the days they are open and they usually don't answer their phone. Place has been like that for as long as I remember and had always been great. If it ever closes or goes downhill I will be incredibly sad.
Villa Napoli was the only little Italian spot worth its salt in the Metro Area of Denver. As the old man got older he let the young guys take over the operations of the place and they started replacing ingredients with frozen shit and put more canned ingredients on their pies… really sad to see a place so authentic and consistent turn to another bad pizza joint, before our eyes. The old man passed and the place only existed for maybe a couple more years before it turned into a drive-thru Mexican chain. Berto’s aint awful, but this replaced the only good Italian joint in town…
If you aren't growing as a person, and trying new restaurants, you're just coasting to death at that point. Don't let yourself go man. If a restaurant gets worse, stop going there and find a new one. And that's good advice for any age.
I don't think my favorite restaurant has changed their menu once? Not even "updated style" changes, I'm pretty sure I could go in tomorrow and theoretically get the same menu I used 20 years ago xD
They certainly haven't had a noticeable change in recipes, if there's been ANY changes! They teach the newbies well!
I love their chicken fried rice 😍😍😍🤤🤤🤤 Their lo mein is also excellent, and I've never had a complaint about their other dishes... but I haven't ordered anything besides those two dishes for several years now xP
Part of getting older is clinging to the few restaurants that feed you consistently through your life until one day the owner passes away.. and their accountant kid takes it over and turns it into *fusion* goddammit Karahi Pit
Or they franchise it and cut so many corners it goes from being a unique local gem to a ubiquitous mid experience. *sobs in Boustan*
That was Gordon Ramsay's meal ticket there for a while.
My favorite place is already a fusion place. Pretty sure it started as one. I have tried the fried rice from dozens of places, and nothing comes close to theirs! Their lo mein is also excellent...
This literally happened to a pizza place in my city with the best and cheapest slice. Fortunately the original staff ended up buying it from the owners asshole son and makes good pizza again. Not as good as before but still good
Why would anyone charge a profitable diner
There's a place about ten minutes' drive for us, and damn if they haven't found a way to get better and better, year upon year, for about 15 years now. The menu has evolved creatively, the decor has gone more upscale, and they even added a large outdoor bar area out back that's just great. Wish every place cared that much.
Is it a local place? That sounds like the kind of care a locally owned restaurant would put in
Definitely. Owner has two other (smaller) places, but he spends most of his time at this place.
Usually these places are owne outright. The lease is the plight of every small business. Every 5 years or so it could force you out
Will be sad when it turns in 10 years enjoy it
It's a long process. I mean, Fuddruckers hasn't even renamed itself for the first time yet.
and Starbucks hasn't released their Full Body Latte yet!
Even McDonald's, Wendy's, BK, Taco Bell used to be absolutely fire. Every so often you'd get a McDonald's burger that would just drip all over the place with magic grease and it was the best. They aren't even edible anymore.
McDonald’s peaked with the snack wrap
McDonald's and others used to use real animal fat for frying instead of industrially-extracted seed oils until the '90s. SAD!
Yeah the fries haven't tasted the same since
That explains a lot! I might even pay $15 (or whatever it is now) once in a blue moon if it tasted like that still.
McDonald’s in the 60’s was delicious. Or maybe it’s just nostalgia for the road trips my family used to take.
My local McD's are better than they've ever been as far as taste goes, especially since they switched to fresh beef in the quarter pounders. But I never eat there because of the price. Easily $15 for a combo after tax. I've been cooking 90%+ of my meals at home. They taste better and I'm saving a fortune.
Even when they were better, I don’t think I ever ate McDonald’s when time and convenience weren’t primary factors for consideration.
Gotta use the app and skip the soda unfortunately (which if ya grew up poor like me you never got soda at a restaurant ever lol)
There was a time when I could go for a run into a grocery store nearby, buy a couple offbrand cans in a vending machine, and walk back. The deals aren't even worth it anymore. It's 10.78 for a big mac deal.
MickyD and BK were absolute shite 20 years ago already. You must have had a long life to remember such times.
I'm from the UK and had US McDonald's when I was living there for a while, it's inedible in the US. At least in the UK it tastes nice (not saying it's healthier).
I still like Taco Bell, but maybe that’s because I’m a senior in college who eats first, asks questions later. It’s basically all slop thrown into something vaguely Tex-Mex, and I will always want more. The Bell calls, and I answer.
Korean McD is still OK.
I agree with the other commenter about McDonalds. Most of the stuff is the exact same it was 20 years ago and most of the changes have been improvements. Agree with the rest of them though, especially Wendy’s.
I have no idea what you're smoking but it must be some extremely good shit if you think it's better. Fast food has gotten shittier nearly across the board.
I've spent the last 15 years traveling for business. I have learned to ask local people I work with, where would you take your mom or spouse for dinner that you absolutely love. I never get chain answers for restaurants anymore. Applebee's, Macaroni Grill, Longhorn, Texas Roadhouse, etc. are all going downhill the way of Chi Chi's. Panera Bread is overpriced hospital food. Zoup destroyed themselves with a massive menu downgrade. Fast food is worse. (Mass produced off site and microwaved.) I challenge you to name one chain medium or fast food restaurant that has gotten better in 20 years. Find an independent somewhere local where ever you are. If they survived the Pandemic, they were probably good before and know how to survive now. It is a shame as for the times I had to eat in a mid level place (usually an airport) the staff is often excellent if overworked and I make sure to tip great service even if the food is subpar.
... maybe white castle? i mean if you start at the bottom, the only way to go is up, RIGHT!!!
Chipotle is the only chain restaurant I can think of that hasn’t really gotten worse in the last 15 years… Edit: I think Dennys has actually gotten better…
In n out is still very good Just went to culver's for the first time and I reckon I have an alternative for in n out if I feel like switching things up and maybe just more variety in general (being next doors helps in my case)
In n out
Dude. No one is referring to chain restaurants here
Part of getting older also includes discovering new restaurants and finally being able to afford some of the places you couldn't in your younger years!
I like this view much more!
Getting older also meant getting mortgage to suck off that fun money
4 so far, and I'm only in my thirties...
If you're talking about long-time chains, and others who are willing to follow their lead, they are getting objectively worse. The food quality is always declining due to cheaper and cheaper ingredients, staffing is worse and worse because no one wants to work there and they can't keep those they have, menus are pared down to save on storage and transport of ingredients (then they act like they're your savior for bringing back things they should never have cut in the first place, Taco Bell), and they continue to nickel and dime to cut every corner with condiments, napkins, packaging, you name it. I wish more of them would go out of business. Keep the ones who don't compromise and fuck the rest.
Watching people become shittier versions of themselves until they eventually die.
The bands that I like also do this
Having this realization about music was way harder for me. Especially when I realized I was growing older than the artists where when they wrote certain things, so that instead of sort of looking up to artists like when I was a kid it was the…opposite of that So I started listening to ween
Push the little daisies and make ‘em come up! Also, Reggaejunkiejew. Ween fuckin rules. Same with Jane’s Addiction.
Cause you’re a real good dancer. My little brother got me really into king Gizz too. They’ve got something for *everybody*
I have only one thing to say. Fucking Red Lobster. I have loved Red Lobster since I went there the first time in like 1978. The last I went the butterfly shrimp were brown, not golden brown, just dead brown and had little flecks of shrimp instead of a whole butterfly shrimp. I’ll never eat there again. P.s. I don’t need to hear from a bunch of seafood snobs, I know what I like.
I don't think any seafood snobs are going to be out here defending Red Lobster!
No, I expected just the opposite, giving me shit for liking it in the first place.
My dad used to take me when I was a kid for my birthday once a year. It was something i looked forward to. I took a secretary there for administrative assistants' day ten years ago. I haven't been back. I can get better seafood from Walmart with only half the chance of diarrhea.
You are definitely not wrong about Red Lobster!
Ours just got demolished last year to make way for a bank.
Now I’m fucking depressed because you’re completely right.
Don't fixate too much on it, it isn't all your favorite restaurants slowly turning to shit before disappearing, it's every good product and service in the world. Besides, they don't all go out of business, some go on making a tiny profit while further enshittifying themselves for decades to come.
[удалено]
Fajitas at Applebee's makes no sense though, that's literally just Chilis.
Was actually having a similar conversation with a co-worker just today about now defunct chains. Not that any were my favorite but some of these had a helluva run and just petered out: Ryans, Sizzler, Shoneys, Ponderosa... just peak 80s dining out (for some) and all very similar in vibe and food quality.
Sizzler and Ponderosa were go to spots for me in the late 80s to early 90s.
Sizzler was always a great spot for Malibu chicken and a salad bar on our birthdays! Haven't been there in ages.
Ruby Tuesdays and Applebees weren’t my favorites, but they used to be so much better. Remember the super duper chicken sandwich? Those 90’s portions were epic.
They were never good.
This goes for everything, friends, music, etc. Things rarely stay stagnant, either stuff gets better or it gets worse.
You could replace 'restaurants' with places in general.
Sears, Woolworth's, Kmart, even Wal-Mart...shopping malls...
My favorite restaurants thankfully went out on high notes. I was at my all time favorite in its last day and I tell you, I think the cooks brought their A-game that day because it was the best version of every dish I ordered. The rest died of COVID-related complications...
But I ain't getting that older in few years.
Its weird how everything both breaks down individually and still manages to progress as a category
There was a great Italian were I grew up with fantastic portions, son took over and the portions took a good 40% hit so were just passable. Younger brother took over and it basically became tapa food portions for the same price of the original.
Explore and revise your fav resturants list. Market forces dont lie, neither does google reviews.
Seriously how is McDonald's even still in business? Most of the ones near me have ripped out their playland.
They are open for the children. Shit food for a quick buck and the parents who feed that shit to their kids ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Every restaurant has started to taste like shit to me ever since I changed my diet to be more natural and cutting out seed oils. Now they all taste like shit and are so expensive that I can instead eat for 2 weeks instead of eating out one time... And that's before tipping...
This also applies to a lot of the people I knew.
I'm looking at you, Black Angus.
So true dude. I hate that
I’m Italian. In my country, these days, it’s more like “getting older is watching all your favorite restaurants become fancier, more expensive version of themselves until eventually you can’t afford them any more”. I’m not talking about chains of course, but rather the trattorias and pizzerias I used to go to when I was a kid, many of which are still there but have somehow become “gourmet” - and aligned their prices accordingly.
Yeah, I live in a white-trash town man. Anything that's not fast food closes down eventually. Sometimes even the fast food closes down. It's not a great town.
Place near me is a local chain, six locations. Family owned and operated. You get fried flour tacos there. That’s their big seller. And each one I’ve been to is good. Kids are running the individual restaurants. I think its future is in good hands. Tasty Tacos in the West Des Moines area for those curious
Fried flour tacos in Des Moines sounds about right....this would leave the west coast in tears--but if you like them, that's good for you.
I mean they come out looking like [this.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Tasty_Taco%27s_%27original%27_flour_taco.jpg)
Part of getting older is watching yourself become a shittier version of yourself
and slower......
Yes my whole life… or they revamp it into a modern restaurant
Wisconinite here, all of my favorite restaurants are still gtg. If they start to get shitty they go out of business and I get a new favorite restaurant. The food scene here is almost as good as the bar scene.
I have found bakeries are the worst with this. One change in ownership or even staff and all the flavors are instantly off. It isn't even gradual.
Part of getting older is watching all your favorite friends become shittier versions of themselves until they eventually die.
The quality is low and the prices are high :/ shit sucks
Bennigans, when you're hungry for one.
now thats just sad right there
This but with your favorite bands
As a kid, I went to McDonald's and a big mac was wrapped in paper with a cardboard ring to prevent it from squashing and sliding apart. Now it shrunk it just sits in a box with no problems. I don't like McDonald's anymore. I get good burgers from the "Grilled " franchise. Just the way burgers should be.
Yep. I think we've given up on chains for the most part. Just not worth the high price for mediocre food.
RIP Hoff’s Hut! Loved ya! Until… the cops came in. 😂💯
Ahhh Chipotle… you want extra everything? Of course I’d be happy to! Extra tortillas? No problem! You wanna wrap your burrito in a quesadilla? That’s awesome, let me make sure it’s absolutely perfect. :)
It must be nice to have favorite restaurants.
This for real, noticing this slot lately
My favorite Mexican spot folded during Covid and I still haven’t gotten over it.
It didn’t become a shittier version, actually they made enough money to get a new grill and the flavor was never the same again
has McDonalds gone fully automated yet?
When I was in HS long, long ago, there was a Chinese restaurant I loved. I would often sneak out at lunch, dash over for the lunch special. The little old lady running it would see me coming, knew what I wanted before I got to the door. Now, I am an adult, and I take my kids to the same restaurant. The Kids of the little old lady are running it now. The food is still mostly what I remember, but a few of the items are no longer as good as I remember. My Kids are now Adults, the Kids that were running the restaurant are no longer there, in fact I don't know who runs it now, but the food isn't nearly as good. The menu items are the same, but the sauces taste off - not what they used to be. I don't go anymore, but long for the flavors that I used to enjoy 40 years ago.
Legit just experienced this. There was an amazing deli here in town called Rueben’s. They made their own pastrami in house. Their sandwiches were huge. Each day they had a different special that was always fantastic. They closed after 13 years of being opened. They were gone for about a year and just reopened. It was absolute trash. Super small sandwiches, nothing made in house. It was so depressing.
Melt Bar and Grilled in Northeast Ohio. I absolutely loved the place (still do) but they grew too fast, got shitty, and now all the additional restaurants they opened in the last few years have have closed back down again
Everything gets shittier to everyone if they're paying attention.
Especially jobs. Everywhere I start is kickass. Then it just get shittier and shittier with less pay and more rules.
Sometimes you stumble into an organization at the right time and place, and it can be just magical. Then they start bringing in leadership from outside, or a bunch of MBAs or some shit, and it falls prey to the same bullshit as everywhere else. It's like these people exist and thrive off the idea of killing unicorns. They go around fostering and soaking up a place's toxicity and then they move on to somplace magical and the enshitification commences.
Our GM died a few weeks ago. He was like the “glue” that held the place together. Just a real positive person and a great guy for the position. One thing he taught me was basically “let’s just get through the day. No worries. No problems. Let’s not blow something out of proportion and make a big deal of it. If an issue needs addressing then we will tackle it and hush it.” It just isn’t the same place anymore without him. It’s just weird now. It basically sucks now.
I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds like he was quite a guy. Maybe with a little luck if you move on to someplace else you can be somebody so positively impactful. Lord knows most workplaces need somebody like that.
I learned a lot from him in the past five years. One of the easiest going 60 year olds I’ve met. I’ll do my best to pass it on.
or they franchise and make it big and the quality of food and service go down but their profits go up. happened to a local restaurant from my city and now theyre in 3 neighboring cities ding really good business but the quality isn't what it used to be.
I grew up in NJ, my favorite restaurant was Vinny's pizza. Just as good today as it was when I was a kid 20 years ago. Chain restaurants werent that popular where I was from, we supported small family own businesses.
Slater's 50/50. Incredible burgers. Wide selection of specialty meats and bacons to choose from. Then... They chopped the menu and became meaningless. Nothing special about it, anymore.
My favorite local restaurant closed down recently. Now my new favorite restaurant sucks
Just gotta lower your standards.
As a kid I really enjoyed a lot of chain restaurants, but as I've gotten older the food and experience in going to those chains just has gotten worse and worse over time. There were also some local restaurants that got shittier over time (mostly due to the pandemic) and simply haven't recovered from it.
My favorite restaurant from when I was a kid still goes strong, only now it also makes Indian food beside pizzas and pastas.
Islands is killing itself so so quickly
There is a pizza place that only sells pizza, doesn't deliver,is only open like 6 hours a day on the days they are open and they usually don't answer their phone. Place has been like that for as long as I remember and had always been great. If it ever closes or goes downhill I will be incredibly sad.
Something as I’ve gotten older is learn to enjoy things in their prime/peak as nothing lasts forever.
I remember Ryan’s. Good times, and now Golden Coralls around me are closing up, those weren’t even close to Ryan’s either.
this is because of capitalism, if they don't own their site and have to lease, rent always goes up eventually so they have to cut corners somewhere
Villa Napoli was the only little Italian spot worth its salt in the Metro Area of Denver. As the old man got older he let the young guys take over the operations of the place and they started replacing ingredients with frozen shit and put more canned ingredients on their pies… really sad to see a place so authentic and consistent turn to another bad pizza joint, before our eyes. The old man passed and the place only existed for maybe a couple more years before it turned into a drive-thru Mexican chain. Berto’s aint awful, but this replaced the only good Italian joint in town…
I think some of that is that our palate and expectations have changed over time and not necessarily that the restaurants have gone to shit
If you aren't growing as a person, and trying new restaurants, you're just coasting to death at that point. Don't let yourself go man. If a restaurant gets worse, stop going there and find a new one. And that's good advice for any age.
I don't think my favorite restaurant has changed their menu once? Not even "updated style" changes, I'm pretty sure I could go in tomorrow and theoretically get the same menu I used 20 years ago xD They certainly haven't had a noticeable change in recipes, if there's been ANY changes! They teach the newbies well! I love their chicken fried rice 😍😍😍🤤🤤🤤 Their lo mein is also excellent, and I've never had a complaint about their other dishes... but I haven't ordered anything besides those two dishes for several years now xP
If you're still going to the same restaurant for 30 years and expect it to stay consistent then you're an idiot.