Sambo's Restaurant's(non-Political)

Does anyone remember Sambo's restaurant's, and are there any still around. I remember it was in direct competition with Dennys.. and I am going way back to the mid 70's for this one....
ouch..I think they might have been national, but had a problem with the name.Cant remember, someone please refresh it for me!
Thanks...
Tara

the sambo's I remember was like Bigboy or Shoneys, in fact I think it became Shoneys

http://www.cnn.com/US/9801/28/sambo.revival/

When we vacationed with our extended family, Sambo's was often our dinner stop of choice. This would have been in the early to mid 70's. Seems that they were mostly located in the south. I was a pancake and waffle eater at dinnertime, so I always loved them. It never occurred to me to question the name until later when it became an issue. To me, it was just a childhood story. Unfortunate choice for a name, but I think it came about because of the connection to butter in the story. It wasn't meant to be a slur.

I did some college time in Salt Lake City in the early '70s. Sambos was the place to work off either adrenaline or liquid refreshment. We'd spend hours, have a $2 coffe bill for the group, but leave at least a $5 tip. That was back about the time Sambos did the ethnic morphing, and then disappeared. Google can provide the history.

We had a Sambo's in Anderson Indiana. We ate there a few times in the 70's. Nothing that I can remember stands out as great food.

Butch

We had a Sambos in Grand Rapids, MI. (College Ave at I-96). But it was either the late 70's or very early 80's when it met its demise and became an office building..

We used to go to Sambo's in Apple Valley, RI in the early 80s. Because the name was so non-PC (even then!) it was turned into a Denny's by the time I left there in '85. Even though I am a northerner I always appreciate someplace that serves grits and I remember being able to get them there.

There was one on the Alameda in San Jose, California, and was a hangout for the students at the local boys' prep school a couple of blocks away. The name has changed, but the building was still there the last time I drove by. I left that school in 1966 (yes, I'm that old) and it was going strong at that point.

One of the tie-ins with the "Little Black Sambo" story was the "Tiger Butter", a whipped butter (with maybe a bit of honey in it) served with every stack of pancakes or waffles.

I guess that Political Correctness has made our world a little more reticent.

gb

I remember Sambo's!
Wow, blast from the past. I guess they didn't make it.

I use to drive past their warehouse on I-75 south of Cincinatti. I ate at their location in Indianapolis. I think they went down the tube due to their name???

Food was marginal. Last time i ate there was in 1979.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Common sense said the name had to go. Now Chad may want to try Chadbo or Chadsams or even Chadbatts but I can't imagine any banker funding startup money if he wants to use the old name. I wasn't a diehard chainavoider back in those days but even with Sambo's being the closest restaurant to where I was living back then, I never found much that appealed to me. For a treat, I took my wife and son to IHOP for pancakes.

quote:

Originally posted by MilwFoodlovers

Common sense said the name had to go. Now Chad may want to try Chadbo or Chadsams or even Chadbatts but I can't imagine any banker funding startup money if he wants to use the old name. I wasn't a diehard chainavoider back in those days but even with Sambo's being the closest restaurant to where I was living back then, I never found much that appealed to me. For a treat, I took my wife and son to IHOP for pancakes.

Have you been the Original Pancake House in Brookfield? FYI: One of the best national breakfast chains serving excellent pancakes.

No but I can recommend Traditional Pancake House on S. 76th across from Southridge with the added bonus of it's not part of a chain. They have some incredible breakfasts.

Whats that noise??----is that a chain rattleing????

I remember the Sambo's in Champaign, IL. Great place to go when attending U of Illinois. Garbage up for cheap. I had a roommate that used to have pancakes with his syrup there.

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

Whats that noise??----is that a chain rattleing????

Maybe, this will solve the chain rattling: http://www.devce.demon.co.uk/falcone/chain.htm

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

Whats that noise??----is that a chain rattleing????

Et tu, tiki?

quote:

Originally posted by chicagostyledog

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

Whats that noise??----is that a chain rattleing????

Maybe, this will solve the chain rattling: http://www.devce.demon.co.uk/falcone/chain.htm

quote:

Originally posted by Lexi

We used to go to Sambo's in Apple Valley, RI in the early 80s. Because the name was so non-PC (even then!) it was turned into a Denny's by the time I left there in '85. Even though I am a northerner I always appreciate someplace that serves grits and I remember being able to get them there.

Hear hear!
It sure is hard to find grits up here.. I just moved to maine from florida and I made sure that I took some with me just in case!--But the Dennys in portland has them!
Yippeee!
Tara

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

quote:

Originally posted by chicagostyledog

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

Whats that noise??----is that a chain rattleing????

Maybe, this will solve the chain rattling: http://www.devce.demon.co.uk/falcone/chain.htm

Ha Ha.. the jokesters....
Now dont rattle my chain.....
LAMO

Here in Plattsburgh (NY) we once had a Sambo's. IIRC there were some complaints made somewhere in the USA (not here) that the name Sambo's was bad becasue it had racial undertone.

I always thought that idea was absurd, but I'm just a simple country guy with a 4 year college degree, so who am I to know?

Anyhow, seems to me the name was changed to "Family Sam's" which lasted for a little while.

Finally the location became, and remains today, a Friendly's. It usually a very busy location. It is directly across the street from the Plattsburgh Lum's. Both being just off Exit 37 of I-87.

Wally

Lums?
Lums like in Lums that cooked their hot dogs in beer Lums?

Right, that Lum's. Some just asked on another thread if the Plattsburgh Lum's still steamed their hot dogs in beer. If I have a chance tomorrow, I'll stop there and ask to look at their menu and find out for sure. Stay tuned.

Wally

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

Whats that noise??----is that a chain rattleing????

Et tu, tiki?

just pulling your "Chain", Mr Hoffman!

There is still an original Sambo's in Santa Barbara, CA-----right across from the beach. I think it's the only one left. The name did more harm then anything-------Sambo's food was pretty good.

quote:

Originally posted by wallhd

Right, that Lum's. Some just asked on another thread if the Plattsburgh Lum's still steamed their hot dogs in beer. If I have a chance tomorrow, I'll stop there and ask to look at their menu and find out for sure. Stay tuned.

Wally

AND...

And.....

Sorry something came up and I wasn't able to get there.

Don't think they are open tomorrow for Thanksgiving, but don't give up the ship just yet!!!

And....

Happy Thanksgiving to all who might read this!

Wally

1970's........Pine Bluff, Arkansas. I was in high School. I had a friend
that worked at Sambo's. He helped me get hired on as a Bus Boy/Janitor.
I am proud to say that before I left Sambo's, I was promoted to Head DMO!

DMO.........Dish Machine Operator!

I left Sambo's to go to work at Pizza Hut. We could get at the Beer there.
Manager caught us and locked the Tap. He never knew after that we would
swap out the keg connections in the back with the Draft Root Beer.
Had all the root "Beer" we could drink!

Not long after that I Graduated High School and went into the Air Force.
Pizza Hut was a good job!