Dayton Dining

Do you have any favorite food places that went out of business, and you still miss them to this day ?  Yeah, we do too.   How cruel to take a fantastic restaurant away from an addicted foodie.  This week, Food Adventures take a trip down memory lane and talk about some restaurants we miss in the Dayton area.  Please join us in this of recollection of Forgotten Food Adventures.  Feel free to comment and add some places of your own that you crave from time to time.

Here is our list of places that we wish had never closed.  Our “Lost Food Gems of Dayton”

BILL KNAPPS – We loved the chicken on a biscuit meal, also known as the elephant on the kids menu.  We also remember their au gratin potatoes as the best ever, served in a crock pot with browned cheese on top.  Ragu loved the clam dinner and chocolate cake.  We never forgot their incredible chocolate chip cookies.  There was a Bill Knapps on 48 near Loop Rd. in Centerville, and one by the Dayton Mall, and another near what is now The Greene.

Who else misses Rax?

RAX ROAST BEEF – We loved the salad bar.  We fondly remember the “BBC” (the beef bacon and cheddar).  The “BBC” proved the rule that bacon makes everything better but the cheese sauce made sandwich.  We frequented the 725 store that is now a Tim Horton’s

ROY ROGERS – We remember sitting in the little saddle chairs, and being addicted to the apple cheese crisp menu item.

WOODY’S GROCERY – The Big Ragu would tell you the bakery and seafood department was the best part of this West Carrollton icon.  Some however loved the deli with shaved fresh Corned Beef and Swiss on hard rolls with poppy seeds on top.  There was a cashier named Don Baker who had hair like Elvis that never changed for years.

WESTERN SIZZLIN STEAKHOUSE – We miss their beef tips

JED’S STEAK AND RIBS – Ragu remembers the salad bar had croutons that tasted like crayons, and their steak burger and ice cream bar were great childhood memories.  Jed’s was located on 725 in Centerville and is now a Goodwill store.

ROCKY ROCOCO’S PIZZA– We loved the chunks of roma  tomatoes on their pizzas.

JOE BISSETT’S GRUB STEAK– Remember the Princess Steak and a salad with blue cheese crumbles on top?  We also rocked the “kiddie cocktail” on North Main St, Dayton.

Free Ice Cream on your birthday

FARRELL’S – Across from Tri-County Mall in Northern Cincinnati, this place had a sundae on a stretcher. The staff  would sing happy birthday to people on kazoos.

GIRVE’S BROWN DERBY– a place where Big Ragu loved the salad bar, and kiddie cocktails.  Ragu also loved the kids fish dinner. .  Ironically, the Brown Derby on Bigger Rd. is now a gym.

COZYMEL’S –  They had great margaritas and you got lots of food at a great price.  This place was located on 725 near McEwen Rd. in Centerville.

RIKES DOWNTOWN– Childhood memories of the snack bar in downtown Dayton.

This timeless restaurant in Miamisburg, is now a “lost food gem”

PEERLESS MILL– The Miamisburg Restaurant with the old fashioned and old school menu was like Thanksgiving everyday.

LUM’S – One of our favorites.  They had hot dogs cooked in beer.  Lum’s was located where Marion’s Pizza is now, in Town and Country shopping center.

PEASANT STOCK – We loved the peasant salad.  Ragu loved the atmosphere at the restaurant in the Town and Country Shopping Center.  We also visited the Peasant Stock Café in Dayton mall

THIRSTY DOG – A great microbrewery restaurant on the corner of Alex Bell Rd and 48 in Centerville that served homemade chips in dog bowls.  Ragu loved the Raspberry Light Beer, while Jax used to enjoy the Robinson’s India Pale Ale served warm.

Shuckin Shack on N. Main in Dayton, Ragu misses you the most

SHUCKIN’ SHACK – Ragu’s all-time favorite place on North Main St. in Dayton.  They would bring steamed clams out in golf ball baskets.  They also had a bar you could sit and eat raw oysters and clams, and throw your shells into a trough.  Another thing Ragu loved was their peel and eat shrimp and fried smelts.

KEENG WHA – This Chinese restaurant used to be on the corner of Woodman and Dorothy Lane.  They served Ragu’s favorite Chinese dish of all time: “Princess Prawns.”

ELDER BEERMAN RESTAURANT –  They hosted breakfast with Santa and the Easter bunny at this place located upstairs in the Centerville store on State Route 48.  Ragu’s memories are going to the Friday night buffet with his grandparents.  This was a place where the waitresses were “real” waitresses and they had the same staff for years.

HUNAN GOURMET – A long gone gem that was on 48 near Whipp Rd.  Ragu loved this place, especially their dry braised shrimp and sizzling rice soup.  It is now a Caribou Coffee.

NOBLE ROMAN’S – We miss the real Noble Roman’s, the new restaurants are completely different.  We miss the hand tossed pizza in the window, monster pizza and the hand rolled breadsticks with nacho cheese.

Sambo’s was like a weird version of Denny’s

SAMBO’S – Ragu loved their pancakes served with boysenberry syrup.  This place was located at 48 near Loop Rd in Centerville.

ARTHUR TREACHER’S FISH & CHIPS – It was fried fish, so Ragu could live here.  The Jersey Mikes on 48 in Centerville is where one of the Arthur Treacher’s used to be.

CHICKEN LOUIE’S – This 24 hour chicken wing place is sorely missed on North Main Street in Dayton.  Ragu would risk life and limb by ordering through the bullet proof glass.  The related “Lou’s Broaster Hut on 3^rd st had a special place in our heart.

FOUR’S COMPANY – After the Arthur Treacher’s closed on 48 near Whipp Rd in Centerville, this short lived place served up giant beer battered onion rings.   They were so full of beer you almost got buzzed by eating a few.

TOTENKO – This place on the corner of 725 and 741 near the Dayton Mall was like a 70’s verison of PF Changs.  A great restaurant until it closed because a food critic found roaches on her plate.  Ragu learned to use chopsticks here while wearing his “toughskin” pants.  This place turned into a Chi Chi’s which has since gone out of business too.

MARK PI’s CHINA GATE –The fried rice was addicting at the Town and Country location.

GROUND ROUND– Throw your peanut shells on the floor.  Ragu loved their all you can eat Friday night fish fry.  Remember the scale at the Wilmington Pike site where the cost of a kid’s dinner was a penny for each pound they weighed?

BAJA FRESH – The Big Ragu still craves their fish tacos at the now defunct Dorothy Lane and Kettering Blvd location.

Burger Chef was one of our childhood favorites

DOMINIC’S – The iconic location on South Main Street in Dayton whose manicotti was incredible.  The real attraction here was the house salad dressing with so much garlic flavor that you breathed fire for 2 days afterward.

PHIL AND JERRY’S FOOD-A-RAMA –  Legendary Centerville grocery that had annual anniversary parties where a hot dog and a coke were around 20 cents.

BURGER CHEF- To this day, Ragu craves the Big Chef sandwich and their “works” bar where you could load up your burger!

D’LITES- Healthy fast food!  We loved their burgers and smoothies at the location of 48 and Whipp Rd.

WESTWARD HO – South Main Street cafeteria style restaurant that had drink glasses as big as your head.

PO’ FOLKS – Fried food all over the menu, made this one of Ragu’s faves.  The fried clams and fried okra were so good.  The one we frequented was on the corner of Wilmington Pike and Dorothy Lane.

What places do you still think about? Casa Lupita? Joe’s is a Fish House? Tequila Willie’s?  Kettering Village Inn?  Let us know any and all of them !

Please visit FOOD ADVENTURES on Facebook. Check back every Thursday for a new “Food Adventure” article on DAYTONMOSTMETRO.COM

What restaurants do you miss? Please comment below !

[album: http://www.daytonmostmetro.com/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/Lost Food Gems/]