Where Middle-Class Families Went Out to Eat in the '70s

Though it wasn’t an every-night occasion, going out to dinner wasn’t unheard of when you were growing up in the middle class in the 1970s. But when it happened, for the most part, there was a budget to be kept to. Remember the days of a big family meal in the '70s? They probably happened at one of these 12 chains. 

The brand you may only know for its root beer was absolutely popping off during the '70s, with more locations than McDonald’s at its peak in 1974. During this time, there was a drive-in, making the burger-and-float experience all the better. 

Take a trip back in time with these vintage photos of A&W drive-ins.

Red Barn was a burger chain that only lasted about 20 years, but during its height of popularity in the '70s, it was operating about 400 restaurants in almost 20 states. 

Once it merged with the company that also ran Motel 6, they let the leases dissolve and Red Barn was nothing more than a whisper on the wind. 

As good as a pizza parlor was for celebrating after Little League, it was just as good for a big night out as a family. One extra large pizza and everybody’s satisfied. 

Right there in the name, eh? I remember eating at Carrow’s in the early ‘90s, and it’s one of the core places that inspired my love of diners. There was something for the whole dang family to enjoy at this magical-in-my-mind-but-probably-just-average diner, and you could handle the bill without breaking too much of a sweat in the '70s.  

The hyperlocal Yankee Doodle Dandy was only around until the '80s, operating about 30 restaurants in the Chicago area. Midwestern families may remember the Burger King-esque menu well. 

If you liked the show “Bonanza,” you probably liked the pair of themed steakhouses the show had, which were co-founded by actor Dan Blocker. Ponderosa (where “Bonanza” took place), another steakhouse under the same umbrella, was just as easy on the wallet for a family going out to eat. 

Arty Treach was extremely popular in the '70s, running over 800 locations. While it still exists, only a few locations in Ohio still stand. Future founder of Wendy’s Dave Thomas was behind this simple fried fish and chicken shack, but for some reason, Long John Silver’s seems to have survived it.  

There are only about 10 Dogs n Suds left in the world, but in the '70s, the drive-in chain known for its hot dogs had more like 650 locations. Those familiar with the history of tornadoes in Mississippi will recognize Dogs n Suds as a location that got completely destroyed during the 1966 Candlestick Park tornado outbreak. 

In the '70s, you were feeding your family fried chicken from Golden Skillet if you wanted to lay off the KFC for a bit. The pressure-cooked chicken (so, not a skillet then) was a big hit, with over 200 locations at the restaurant’s peak. 

Believe it or not, even in the '70s, White Castle was 50 years old. The beloved east coast slider chain was an easy one to keep on standby if you wanted to feed the entire family for cheap. Big family? More sliders. 

Lum’s got famous for steaming hot dogs in beer and was well-loved with about 400 locations before it finally died in the early '80s. You may have spotted it in one of the 19 hours of runtime that made up Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.” 

A family dinner was easy, even fun, at the Hut in the 1970s. And for feeding the family on a birthday dinner night? Forget about it.