The last HoJo's restaurant

[ouchfeelsgood]

Sadly, with the closing a couple of days ago of a Howard Johnson's restaurant in Bangor, Maine – there’s now only 1 left -- in Lake George, NY.

As a kid in the 1960's, into the 70's, my family would make frequent road trips throughout the Northeast and New England areas, and stop at HoJo's whenever we saw one and were hungry. Many happy memories -- back then, their food was actually quite good -- especially the all-you-can-eat fried clams special! The atmosphere was welcoming, clean, and fun -- loved the orange vinyl seats! Another bit of Americana on the verge of extinction. I'm sorry but Denny's and Applebees doesn't do it for me!

http://www.theatlantic.com/business.../499157/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-weekly-090916


Great website devoted to Howard Johnsons restaurants:

http://www.hojoland.com/

 

[RobDownSouth]

Oh wow, I'd forgotten about the fried clams special! Growing up, we'd go on vacation and alternate between HoJos and Stuckey's restaurants along the way. Very kid-friendly chains.

 

[Christobal]

I was just talking to a friend yesterday about it. Hojo was a way a life a long time ago. Orange roof and clams. You left out the salt water taffy.

 

[pointless]

i've never been to a howard johnson's and i'm okay with that.

 

[pointless]

also, waffle house is terrible and i'm well aware that the chain still exists, but since i live far, far away from them i miss them greatly. probably because i was almost never in one while sober, but nostalgia don't give a shit about that nonsense.

 

[Aglaopheme]

We spent a summer in a HoJo hotel when our house was being worked on. I've had my filled. There will be no mourning the loss of HoJos from me.

 

[Wrong Element]

I am old enough to remember these:


http://dreamsofspace.blogspot.com/2013/05/2001-space-odyssey-howard-johnsons.html


I had that menu when we went there with my grandparents. But I can't say HoJo's was part of my childhood apart from that. The (relative) disappearance of Stuckey's is more mystifying to me.

 

[ouchfeelsgood]

I was just talking to a friend yesterday about it. Hojo was a way a life a long time ago. Orange roof and clams. You left out the salt water taffy.

I never had their salt water taffy, to my recollection. I'll have to drive up to the Lake George HoJo's and have some before it's too late!

 

[Queersetti]

Oh wow, I'd forgotten about the fried clams special! Growing up, we'd go on vacation and alternate between HoJos and Stuckey's restaurants along the way. Very kid-friendly chains.

Most places, HoJo's fried clams were the best around. In Maine, they didn't make the top 500. Still, they held on. Now, the most iconic restaurant in Bangor is probably the Chinese buffet at the mall where everybody met for dinner in It.

 

[ouchfeelsgood]

I am old enough to remember these:


http://dreamsofspace.blogspot.com/2013/05/2001-space-odyssey-howard-johnsons.html


I had that menu when we went there with my grandparents.

Don't remember that menu, although I saw 2001 when I was 9. Love the artwork on the menu cover -- I'm sure I would have admired it as a young lover of both HoJo's and the movie!

 

[doowdniw]

Ho Jo's - Blazing Saddles just wouldn't be the same without Howard, and the rest of the whole Johnson clan.

I had forgotten about the fried clams. They were a summer staple as a kid.