The open pit BBQ in the dining room gave the place an authentic feel.

They had two sons, Jerry and Richard who both worked as hosts while attending Western High School in the early 60s. O'garity's rest on Lincoln just west of Beach was built and owned by Lou and Dolly O'garity who lived on San Martin Way. Of course, who can't remember The Barn, on Red Hill Ave and Edinger in Tustin? That location is no longer there, but they used to have red & white checkered table cloths, and saw dust all over the floor. It was the first restaurant in the current BJ's Restaurant and Brewery. I can add to that list, the original BJ's Pizzeria, on 17th street in Santa Ana, just a block east of Bristol. Too bad they stopped serving those, but of course, I had to invent my own! Then they would top it with marinara sauce, black olives, green onions, and Italian sausage rounds. is still with us, but do you remember that Italian baked potato they used to serve at the South Coast Plaza store in the late 1970s? They would mash up the potato, adding butter. I remember that Salvatore's would give you food for an army!Ĭarls Jr. Mama Cozza's and Salvatore's were mentioned in here, and I remember those as being outstanding restaurants. Over the decades, I've also missed Seafood Broiler, Belgian Waffle, and Jolly Roger. I always ordered the 'Parisian Picnic,' which was a Caesar salad with fried brie, along with Baxter's special sweet bread. I often went to Baxter's on Walnut Avenue and Culver during the 1980s.

They had a fantastic Chinese chicken salad, and their chicken curry was good, too!Įl Paso Cantina on Harbor & Adams had a wonderful chicken enchilada with verde sauce, and my husband still mourns the loss of those perfect flour tortilla chips they would serve with the salsa! One restaurant no one here mentioned is the old Ricky Rickshaw Chinese restaurant near John Wayne Airport circa mid- to late 1970s. I remember that their buffet was pretty good.

That was truly a one-of-a-kind place! Another popular restaurant with the Ford crowd was Isidore's in Newport Beach on Pacific Coast Hwy. In the late 1970s, all the employees at Ford Aerospace would trek over to the Gorda Liz Restaurant in Newport Beach for lunch.

Actually everything they served was of impeccable quality, including the Mai Tais! My most vivid memories of that place were the entertainment and the delicious ginger salad dressing. What a time trip!ĭuring the 1960s and 1970s, one of my favorite restaurants was Kono Hawaii. This is a great web site! I'm always remembering old restaurants in Orange County that bit the dust years ago. Anonymous writes of some old restaurants in Orange County that perhaps no longer exist.

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