Fun Restaurants from Milwaukee’s Past

In the 1960s fast food drive-ins and other low-priced eateries began appearing on the national landscape. These restaurants were sold to potential owner/operators as the chance to make a comfortable income with a moderate investment. Local entrepreneurs who lacked experience, or even interest, in the restaurant business were among the first to declare bankruptcy.

Here’s Johnny’s

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Here's Johnny's

Here's Johnny's

In 1967, Johnny Carson was the face of Here’s Johnny’s family-style restaurants. Development and operations were financed by the Swanson frozen food empire that introduced TV dinners to America. The plan was to open 300 restaurants in major cities and Carson would do a dozen in-person appearances.

After the first Here’s Johnny’s opened in Omaha, Nebraska, a Wauwatosa, Wisconsin operation was next. Located at 11320 W. Bluemound Road, Here’s Johnny’s featured booth seating with a red telephone on each table for the customers to order their food. The menu offered 12 gourmet burgers, including one called "The Great Carnac" for $1.90. The honey-fried chicken dinner was the "Bird of Paradise." A second location at 3851 S. Howell Avenue opened a year later but both restaurants closed in the early 1970s. Less than dozen locations actually opened before the company declared bankruptcy.

Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlors

Farrell’s was founded in 1963 with restaurants decorated like an 1890’s ice cream parlor. Wait staff wore white hats and aprons to further the illusion. The energetic party atmosphere included sing-alongs and barbershop quartet music. Northridge and Southridge malls hosted locations for the popular restaurant until the restaurants closed in the mid-1980s

Captain’s Steak Joynt

Captain’s Steak Joynts were founded by the Marcus Corporation in 1970. The ensuing publicity credited Marcus with being the first in the city to offer a deluxe salad bar, this one custom-made to resemble a pirate ship. Crowd favorites were the cheese fondue and sourdough bread or rye chips for dipping. Even in the hands of the restaurant-savvy Marcus corporation, the Captain’s restaurants faltered in the early 1980s. Stiff competition from Nino’s, Bonanza, Ponderosa and several other steak restaurants helped sink the Captain’s ship.

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Ponderosa menu (1970)

Ponderosa menu (1970)

Ponderosa

Founded in 1971, Ponderosa initially had more locations than any other U.S. steakhouse chain. in the early 1990s, declining profits and management shakeups gave Sizzler the chance to earn more than $100 million, putting the company in first place. Golden Corral buffets also increased their market share. Locations included Second and Layton, 76th and Capitol, and Highway 100 near Burleigh.

Bonanza

Bonanza Steakhouses called up images of the frontier at a time when cowboy and western television shows dominated the air. Named for the TV Western series, “Bonanza,” the chain was founded by actor Dan Blocker who played Hoss Cartwright. The first restaurant opened in Connecticut in 1963. For 99-cents, diners could choose a steak dinner, giant steak sandwich or a chopped sirloin steak platter. A family of five could eat for about $6, helped by a no-tipping policy. Milwaukee locations included Highway 100 near National Avenue.

Nino’s Steak Round-Up

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Nino's Steak Round-up Menu

Nino's Steak Round-up Menu

The first steakhouse opened downtown in 1959 on Plankinton Ave. Locations on W. Capitol Drive, S. Howell Avenue, N. Port Washington Road followed.

Barnaby’s Family Inn

The Chicago-owned Barnaby’s opened in 1968 at 85th and Capitol, S. 27th Street, N. Port Washington Road and N. 76th Street. The restaurant’s interior was modeled after a 19th century British inn. A light at each booth that blinked when an order was ready. Barnaby’s specialty was the pizzas, and the dough made from scratch. The restaurants closed in 1980.

Heap Big Beef

Heap Big Beef opened in 1967 and offered “giant” beef sandwiches for 59 and 99 cents The concept was doomed from the start. Offensive American Indian language included “You’ll let out a war whoop when you eat our sandwiches, Warrior Burgers, and Pawnee Pies.” It was a chain that could not exist today. Less than 60 Heap Big Beef outlets opened across the country. Milwaukee’s restaurant was at 76th and Appleton.

Roy Rogers Roast Beef

Named after the popular movie cowboy, Roy Rogers Roast Beef was financed by the Marriott hotel/restaurant chain in 1967. Roy and his wife Dale Evans performed at State Fair beginning in 1958 and drew more than 100,000 fans to their shows.

There were two Milwaukee locations, one near the Point Loomis shopping center, another at Fifth and Wisconsin. Customers loved the Fixins’ Bar, with lettuce, tomato, and condiments to customize their sandwiches. Also on the menu was Gold Rush Chicken and the Double-R-Bar hamburger.

Arby’s Roast Beef Sandwiches

Arby’s was founded in Ohio in 1964, and the first Milwaukee location appeared in 1968 on S. 27th across from the Southgate shopping center. The 10-gallon cowboy hat was visible for blocks in either direction. Arby’s locations included Highway 100 and Capitol Drive, 76th and Appleton, and Third and Wisconsin, two blocks from Roy Rogers. 

With stiff competition from Arby’s Roast Beef Sandwiches, the Roy Rogers restaurants were acquired by the Hardee’s hamburger chain. Many locations became Hardee’s, and others were sold to Boston Chicken, Wendy’s, and McDonald’s.

Sambo’s Pancake House

The chain begin in 1957 and had four Milwaukee locations, 83rd and Brown Deer, S. 27th St. 67th and Hampton and on Appleton Avenue in Menomonee Falls. The national chain suffered from references to the 1899 book Little Black Sambo. The Milwaukee locations were purchased and converted into Denny’s restaurants.

Village Inn

One of the other pancake houses that fared much better was the Village Inn, famous for the morning fare, but providing a full menu in the afternoon and evening, Village Inn came to Milwaukee in the late 60s and opened at 76th and Capitol Drive across the street from Captain’s Steak Joynt. The second restaurant was on S. 27th Street in Oak Creek.

Red Barn

"You get a whole lot MORE than yer hungerin' for....at the Red BARN!!" In 1961 the first Red Barn restaurant in Springfield, Ohio. The specialty sandwich was the Big Barney served on fresh baked bread. Oscar’s Frozen Custard on Highway 100 near Lincoln still has the peaked roof from the days when it was a Red Barn.

Robby's Hamburgers

In 1964 Green Bay Packer fullback Jim Grabowski was a vice president of Robby’s and appeared in all the ads. Milwaukee locations included 60th and Silver Spring and 61st and Bluemound. The restaurants closed in the mid-‘70s,  

Burger Chef

Burger Chef, founded in 1954, was one of the first fast food restaurants to cook hamburgers on a flame broiler. The Big Shef (a double burger) and the Super Shef (a quarter-pound burger) were popular menu items. Burger Chef experienced rapid growth in the 1960s and 70s, reaching a peak of 1,050 restaurants in 1973. Milwaukee locations were at Seventh and Wisconsin, 76th and Cold Spring, 50^th and Fond du Lac, Appleton and Capitol, 124th and Capitol, 76th and Oklahoma, 27th  and Morgan, National Avenue in West Allis, and Highway 100 in Hales Corners. The company was sold to Hardee's in 1982. 

McDonald’s

In 1940, the McDonald brothers opened a drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. The McDonalds created a simple fast-food concept that was limited to hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, soft drinks, and milk shakes. Ray Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman, joined the corporation in 1958 as a national franchise manager. Three years later he bought the entire business for $2.7 million.

Kroc died in 1984, leaving 7,500 franchise restaurants across the country. Greater Milwaukee currently has more than 50 McDonald’s restaurants.

In 1972, a colossal fiberglass turtle appeared on the roof of Mr. Sea, a diner at 62nd and Capitol. Countless people slowed down to admire the gimmick, but few stopped in for the homemade seafood meals. In 2017, local radio personality Gino Salamone found pieces of that turtle from 50 years earlier. They once hung from an apple tree in Oak Creek and are now at a farm in Caledonia.