Fast Food Restaurant Chains - the Missing Links

Yesterday, I was driving home and looking for a place to have a quick lunch.  Nothing was looking good...   and then I passed an H.Salt Fish and Chips restaurant.   Now THERE was a fast-food chain I hadn't seen in a while.   Within five minutes I was staring up at the retro-1970's menu board, while a older Asian woman patiently waited for me to make up my mind.   I ordered the "Captain's Combo" and then it was MY turn to wait patiently, as they made my food to order.   Eventually I received my food, sat down next to the framed map of England, and ate a meal I hadn't had in years.    It was all still pretty much the same...   The fish was great, not to greasy and contained in a nice crispy outer coating.   The jumbo shrimp is a shrimp "ring," it actually looks like two shrimp mating.  There isn't much more to the menu, as this chain has not been part of the big diversifying drive that has hit fast-food restaurants in the past few years.   Just the same menu they've had for years.
As I sat there, eating a hush puppy, I began to think: what other great fast food restaurants have nearly disappeared, or disappeared entirely?   I thought I'd do an occasional feature on those lost

Take a look at the shrimp... See what I mean?

chains..   Since I just went to the H.Salt, I'll give you a few details on them.

H. Salt Fish and Chips began in Sausalito, California, by Hadden Salt.   Salt was an English immigrant and opened his first shop as Salt's Fish and Chips.   The shops were successful, but Hadden felt the name wasn't quite right.  He consulted with an advertising firm, who suggested he change the name to H. Salt, Esq. Authentic English Fish and Chips.   He eventually entered a joint venture with KFC, which expanded the chain, but the chain has gotten significantly smaller throughout the years.   Currently there are 25 stores, all in Southern California.  The chains still have an English pub influence, with some Tudor motifs still in existence.   They always seem to enjoy a bit of a renaissance around Lent.

The next chain restaurant no longer exists...  Pup 'n' Taco.  This is a chain that is sorely missed by many of us, especially those of us who enjoy cheap food.   Pup 'n' Taco would sell you 4 hot dogs or four tacos, or any combination of the two, for a buck.   Sure, they were cheap tacos, but they were still good.   And they served slushes.  Pup 'n' Taco began in 1965, just as Mexican food was just beginning to be served at fast-food restaurants in Southern California.   Russell Wendell, the founder of Pup 'n' Taco, had good timing, as Mexican food was just becoming popular at fast food chains.     Del Taco opened its first store in 1964 and Taco Bell in 1965, so Pup 'n' Taco was riding the crest of this new fad in fast food.  The chain grew quickly, but not quick enough.   By 1984, Taco Bell owned 1600 stores and Pup 'n' Taco had 99.   At this tragic point in the story, Taco Bell saw a chance to buy out its competitor, which it did.  They converted most of the Pup 'n'Taco outlets to Taco Bell, and either razed or sold the remainders.  After 1984, only 3 stores remained in Albuquerque, operating as "Pop 'n' Taco."  As of now, it sounds like these last three stores recently closed, closing up the Pup 'n'Taco story for good.
My oldest sister worked at the Pup 'n' Taco in El Monte for a while, so you can bet I was well versed on the food.   As I said, it was your standard cheap taco you can find just about anywhere.   It was the fact that you got 4 for a dollar that made it so irresistible.   That location is still standing...   it was a Tommy's Burgers for a while (which must have made the building proud), but now operates as Alfredo's Mexican Food.   Well, at least they still serve tacos.

Here's a Pup 'n' Taco commercial from their glory days, about 1981:


I owned these two hand puppets for a while.   I wish I still had them:

Next time, we'll look at other favorites, and I'll combine two current series by talking about an old favorite, Pioneer Chicken.   See you then!