10 Southern Restaurant Chains You Might Still Remember

It can be easy to look into the past with a nostalgic gaze, especially when reminiscing on places that were once childhood favorites, whether we're talking about vintage department stores or old-school restaurant chains. For the latter, there's been quite a few once-popular restaurant chains that started in the South and have now sadly gone defunct. You might even remember many of these Southern restaurant chains from your own trips with family or friends.

Here are 10 beloved (and now-extinct) restaurant chains from the South that we wish we could visit again.

Morrison's Cafeteria

Similar to the cafeteria-style serving of the South's beloved meat-and-threes, Morrison's Cafeteria began as a single cafeteria opened in 1920 in Mobile, Alabama, by J. A. Morrison. At its peak, it operated over 150 restaurants in 13 states, largely throughout the Southeast, serving over 100 homemade items a day. Now, the chain has closed all locations with the exception of one location in its former hometown of Mobile.

Kenny Rogers Roasters

Country musician Kenny Rogers opened this chicken-based chain in 1991, with the first location in Coral Springs, Florida. Its specialty became wood-fired chicken to huge success, eventually growing the chain to over 350 restaurants throughout the world. It was even showcased in an episode of Seinfeld. Now, there are no longer any U.S. locations of Kenny Rogers Roasters, however there are a scattering of international locations still in operation.

Cheeseburger In Paradise

Operating between 2002 and 2020, this Florida-based casual dining concept began as an homage to Jimmy Buffett's hit song, "Cheeseburger in Paradise." Buffett licensed the name, opening the restaurant in partnership with Outback Steakhouse. As expected, it was known for its burgers and all-American fare.

Don Pablo's

Texans will recognize this Tex-Mex chain that, at one point, had as many as 120 locations throughout the United States, which made it the second-largest full-service Mexican cuisine chain in the country during the 1990s. Don Pablo's started in Lubbock, Texas, in 1985 and was known for its fresh-made tortillas and salsa. The last location closed in 2019.

Spaghetti Warehouse

Another Texas-born restaurant chain, this Italian concept opened its first location in Dallas in 1972, which closed in 2019 after 47 years. Spaghetti Warehouse, as suggested by its name, preferred to open locations in large historic warehouses, and one of its locations in Ohio could even seat 800 people. While it had once opened over 50 restaurants with many throughout the South, only five remain.

Mighty Casey's

This Atlanta-based chain was known for generous portion sizes and creative fast-food options. Many of the classic menu items will sound familiar to Georgia natives who have been to the beloved Georgia drive-in joint, The Varsity, including hand-battered onion rings, frosted orange shakes, and hot dogs with all the fixings. Mighty Casey's was bought out by Krystal in 1994.

Burger Queen

No, we're not talking about Burger King. There was once also a Burger Queen, which opened in 1956 in Winter Haven, Florida. By 1973, there were 50 locations that specialized in burgers, fried chicken, and build-your-own salad bars. In 1981, Burger Queen was acquired and consolidated into Druther's.

Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon

All the Texas Roadhouse fans out there would have also gotten their kicks at this saloon restaurant. Similar in style and menu (including free peanuts you could snack on and throw the shells on the ground), it opened its first location in 1989 and grew to over 260 locations at its peak. The steakhouse went in and out of ownership before shuttering its last U.S. location in 2019.

ShowBiz Pizza

Opening its first location in 1980, ShowBiz Pizza was an entertainment chain that offered a large selection of arcade games and coin-operated rides—along with pizza, of course. For that reason, it was the sole competitor of Chuck E. Cheese. ShowBiz Pizza was headquartered out of Irving, Texas, until all locations were eventually rebranded as Chuck E. Cheese as part of a merger.

Bennigan's

This Irish pub-themed restaurant was founded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1976 by Norman Brinker, before becoming a popular tavern-style chain with over 100 locations. After more and more bar-grill concepts began popping up, Bennigan's started to decline. As of now, it is based out of Dallas, Texas, with only around 10 U.S. locations left operating, most of which are outside the South.