"It's Been Years Since I've Seen It On A Menu": 21 Once-Popular Foods From The '80s And '90s That Have Silently Vanished From Restaurants Everywhere
Recently, we posted about the once-trendy menu items that older adults saw vanish from restaurants in their lifetime. Well, according to the BuzzFeed Community, there are a lot more "old-school" dishes that are pretty much impossible to find today. Here are a few more of them.
1."Fried ice cream. So good!"
"Oh, I haven't had that since Chi-Chi's went out of business. I'm not sure if I've ever seen it elsewhere. I read a recipe once on how to make it, which I never will."
2."I worked at a country club in 2010, and they always served crudités, Shirley Temples, and gazpacho in the summer. I have not seen crudites anywhere else, but people loved it."
3."French dip sandwiches used to be a big thing with the 'au jus' to dip it in. It was even served in steakhouses. It is RARE to see them on a menu these days."
—Ruth, Maine
4."Rainbow trout was always on every restaurant menu, and now you'll never find it."
—Anonymous, 67, Rhode Island
5."Seafood edition: I miss Coquilles St.-Jacques, frog legs, lobster thermidor, and especially escargot!"
6."Not a dish per se, but alfalfa sprouts. You couldn’t get a sandwich back then without that stuff on it. No matter what sort of sandwich you ordered, if it had alfalfa sprouts on it. The damn stuff would overpower whatever the sandwich was supposed to taste like."
—Anonymous, 60, Canada
7."Turkey Devonshire — total comfort food! Freshly sliced turkey, bacon, and tons of cheese sauce were layered over crusty bread, which softened and was placed under the broiler in a special casserole dish that required the wait staff to carry out with pot holders and warn you of the very hot plate. I was a waitress, and it was a regularly ordered item on the lunch menu. I hardly see it on a menu anymore, but I am happy when I do!"
—Anonymous, 60, Pennsylvania
8."I miss shrimp stuffed with cheese and crabmeat. You used to be able to get it all over or buy it frozen, but now I can't find it anywhere."
9."Pineapple salad: a slice of pineapple, a dollop of mayonnaise, and shredded cheddar cheese on a lettuce leaf. Does anybody do these anymore?"
10."Bruschetta. Basically, little toast pieces with chopped tomatoes and spices on top. We used to get bruschetta as an appetizer all the time in the late '90s, and I never see it anymore."
—Anonymous
11."Liver and onions. Thank goodness that's gone!"
"The last time I had liver and onions was when I was in army basic training 40 years ago, and they made us eat it. I'm still not over the trauma."
12."I have not seen a Monte Cristo since Bennigan's."
13."Taco salads. My mom used to order it — what seemed like — any time she saw it on the menu in the '90s. I guess it was a greens salad with cooked ground beef served in a big fried tortilla shaped into a bowl. It was a bit of a spectacle."
—Anonymous
14."I haven't seen chocolate or lemon pudding cake in ages! I used to have a recipe for chocolate pudding cake, but nowhere near what you used to find!"
15."In the '80s, loaded baked potatoes and soups served in a giant bread bowl (where you were basically eating an entire boule) were ubiquitous."
—Ana, 53, Virginia
16."Mushrooms on toast. Sliced mushrooms cooked in a creamy, garlicky sauce (tarragon optional) and then served on toasted white bread. It was a common starter in French/Luxembourg restaurants until the '90s. The dish has now been replaced by more extravagant stuff. But you know what? 'Toast champignons' is delicious."
—Anonymous, Luxembourg
17."Fried ravioli. Maybe it’s more of a Midwestern thing, but it’s been years since I’ve seen it on a menu."
—Anonymous, 48, Idaho
18."In the freezer section, you could buy chicken croquettes with a wonderful sauce/gravy to dip them in. You can't get them in restaurants — forget the frozen food section. It's the only food I really miss after all these years. I wish they'd make them again."
"My husband recently was craving these, and I had no idea what it was. He used to get them in restaurants and frozen aisles. No idea what happened."
19."Carrot raisin salad."
20."Bread pudding. A mom-and-pop diner near us had it with rum raisin sauce, served hot. So good."
—Anonymous, 70, Virginia
21."I used to get ham salad sandwiches on toast with lettuce at Woolworth's. The ham salad was made with tiny chunks of ham and tasted delicious!"
—Kathy, 71, Indiana
What menu item vanished in your lifetime? Tell us in the comments or fill out this anonymous form!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
