Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (chicagostyledog)

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:24:46 GMT

carolina bob

In the 1970s and early '80s, there were a number of Ground Rounds throughout the Chicago suburbs. I ate at the Calumet City location a number of times and I really miss this chain. Throwing peanut shells on the floor was part of the experience, but the main reason to go was the hamburgers; char-broiled half-pounders ( medium rare in my case ) on dark bread that were similar to the ones still served up at the six Hackney's restaurants in Chicagoland. Good memories.

I agree 100% with your review. In the 70's, the Ground Round was considered a premier burger in the Chicago burbs, although I preferred a Hackney burger on dark rye. Today, burgers have soared to higher levels, while our pallets have changed. After enjoying a Niman Ranch cheeseburger at Dr. Dawg's or a bacon cheeseburger at Pearl's Phat Burger in Mill Valley and San Francisco, the Ground Round must always remain a memory.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (Sundancer7)

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:18:16 GMT

It has been years since I visited them but I recall they had good burgers, peanuts, beer and pinball.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (carolina bob)

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:15:29 GMT

I just looked at their website, and, based on what I saw, their new slogan should be "We're Nothing At All Like You Remember".

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (carlton pierre)

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:32:28 GMT

Seems that I used to take a customer to lunch at The Ground Round in Hampton, VA at least until 1 - 2 years ago and I think it is now closed.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (CCinNJ)

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 01:37:38 GMT

I know there were a few fires and lawsuits....back in the day.

The Ground Round. Better than you remembered...when it reminded you of The Regal Beagle!

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (Foodbme)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 17:37:36 GMT

There's a group of them stretching across the Snow/Rust Belt from ND to ME.
You can buy a franchise if you like.
http://www.groundround.com/Locations/Map/
It sounds like someone either took over the company or bought the name.
Looking at their web site, it appears that they've opened a bunch of them recently.
The Bradley Beach NJ location is one of their new sports bar concept stores.
Their new slogan is:
We're Even Better Than You Remember!
The menu's updated trying to appeal to new customers.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (WarToad)

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 08:56:37 GMT

We still have one here in town, end up eating there a 2-3 times a year it seems.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (MetroplexJim)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:46:59 GMT

Yes! I especially remember a Ground Round on Sudley Rd. in Manassas, VA which was conveniently located across the road from one of my businesses. And I especially remember their lovely barkeep, Kristine.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (carolina bob)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:01:57 GMT

There was also a Barnaby's in Calumet City in the early '70s, and I do remember those fake stained glass windows. The pizza was pretty good but not what I'd call memorable.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (BuddyRoadhouse)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:27:31 GMT

Barnaby's tried to put forth kind of a 19th century English pub vibe. They had these fake stained glass windows portraying a serving wench in a lowish cut blouse, balancing a tray of drinks while trying to avoid the inappropriate attentions of the male patrons. Hilarious, right?

Buddy

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (kland01s)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:17:29 GMT

Buddy, now that you mention it, I think I am remembering Barnaby's. I used to spend a lot of time in the NW suburbs in the early 1970's and we would go to Barnaby's or Hackney's. The only Ground Round I remember is the one in Rockford.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (collinf)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:44:09 GMT

There was one in Overland Park, KS (suburb of Kansas City) not far from where my family lived in the late 70's/early 80's at about 77th and Metcalf Avenue but it has long since gone. The last Ground Round I ate at was connected to a motel in Rapid City, SD in late October 2004.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (BuddyRoadhouse)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:37:48 GMT

kland01s
...Buddy, wasn't there one Des Plaines?

We've lived in Des Plaines since 1985, and I can't remember there ever being a Ground Round here. We do have one of the few remaining Barnaby's Pizza outposts left in the area. ScreamingChicken vows to eat there after our next Contingent outing on February 23rd. I say he'll be too stuffed to even make it in the door.

The first Ground Round I ever visited was in Morton Grove where I grew up. It is long gone, replaced by a succession of independent and chain restaurants. The latest and longest lasting is a KFC.

BTW, the Ground Round location in St. Jo is brightly lit and nicely carpeted--not the sort of place that fosters peanut shell tossing at all.

Buddy

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (CCinNJ)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:10:14 GMT

A Ground Round Sports Grille recently opened in Bradley Beach NJ.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (billyboy)

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:07:57 GMT

My parents used to bring my sister and I to the Ground Round on Seneca Turnpike in New Hartford, NY across from Sangertown Mall. I loved the popcorn, peanuts in the shell and I think I liked the food too. My favorite part, though, was getting to watch cartoons at dinner and every so often they would screen old Harold Lloyd silent films. What a treat!

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (carolina bob)

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:42:34 GMT

In the 1970s and early '80s, there were a number of Ground Rounds throughout the Chicago suburbs. I ate at the Calumet City location a number of times and I really miss this chain. Throwing peanut shells on the floor was part of the experience, but the main reason to go was the hamburgers; char-broiled half-pounders ( medium rare in my case ) on dark bread that were similar to the ones still served up at the six Hackney's restaurants in Chicagoland. Good memories.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (kland01s)

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:22:59 GMT

I had been to the Ground Round in Rockford a number of times back in the late 1960's. Buddy, wasn't there one Des Plaines?

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (BuddyRoadhouse)

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:01:56 GMT

We ate at the Ground Round in St. Joseph, MO this past Christmas. It wasn't my pick, but that's where the in-laws wanted to do our annual day-after-Christmas gathering. Frankly, it was way better than I expected it to be. Given the limited choices for good restaurants in St. Jo, I wouldn't hesitate going back.

Buddy

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (Lindalou21)

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:46:09 GMT

Ackman

The first and only time I've ever eaten there, was in 1994 in Waltham. I believe it was on either South Street or Moody Street. They had a big screen in the middle of the restaurant, and popcorn was brought to your table. I still remember what I ate: Chicken Fingers.

The second part of the question is this: I've been to STL many times(my mother lives out there.) There was a BBQ chain in St. Charles and Troy, that I believe was called Texas Willy's. I remember there was a location on Hwy 94 at Jungermann Road, and the other was in Troy on Main Street. Were there any other locations?

I grew up in Missouri about 3.5 hrs away from STL and I believe that those are the only locations that were there! It was good barbecue though! There is a great place called Hwy.61 Roadhouse in Grove which isn't that far from STL you should definitely try it out if you get the chance!

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (ScreamingChicken)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:39:50 GMT

I can't remember for sure but we might've eaten at the Janesville, WI location many years ago. I couldn't say when it actually opened but it seems like it's been there for just about forever.

Hmmm...I'll actually be in the area around dinnertime tonight but being as it's Ash Wednesday menu pickings are pretty slim.

Peanut shells on the floor must've been a popular '70s thing. There was a place in Rockford, IL on Alpine Road across from Colonial Village - I think it might've been The Branding Iron back then - that encouraged the same practice. Personally I've always been more of a straw wrapper shooter than a peanut shell tosser...

Brad

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (fattybomatty)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:10:30 GMT

Apparently The Ground Round is still in business in about a dozen states

http://www.groundround.co..me/mobile/locations.asp

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (Sundancer7)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:27:05 GMT

At one time in the 70's and 80's the Ground Round was my favorite place to go especially in the Minneapolis/St. Paul region. I not only enjoyed their peanuts but their burgers and pinball machines. At that time they had the Captain Fantastic machine which was my favorite and I would play some games with friends with some beers and peanuts and then have a burger.

Where did they go?? They were fun at that time.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (ann peeples)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:40:37 GMT

At our Ground Round, they served peanuts in the shell and we were "encouraged" to throw the shells on the floor.That was is the late seventies.The food was okay-but throwing stuff on the floor , without cleaning it up, was every teenagers dream!

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (jaylhorner)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:13:26 GMT

When my kids were young, I took them to the Ground Round because they had cartoons. The sound was turned off. I asked to have it turned on and was told it "disturbed the customers". I wasn't eating my burger and the waitperson asked if it was all right. I asked if it was supposed to be like shoe leather. Adios Ground Round!

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (joerogo)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:59:12 GMT

1bbqboy

St.L is "out there"? You easterners....:)

Maybe his Mother lives at the airport.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (1bbqboy)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:58:26 GMT

St.L is "out there"? You easterners....:)

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (fattybomatty)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:51:13 GMT

Popcorn on the tables, classic cartoons with no sound, and penny a pound night for kids. I still miss the ground round :-(

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (SeamusD)

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:12:43 GMT

We had one in my hometown for years, two blocks from my apartment. One of my roommates and a girlfriend worked there, so I was in there a lot. I can still remember how my girlfriend smelled when she'd get off work. We called it the "Round Ground" instead, not really sure why. I don't ever remember having a bad meal there, and a lot of people were upset when it closed. It's an OTB now.

Re:Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (MetroplexJim)

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:02:29 GMT

In the 1980's a lot of the Howard Johnson's painted their orange roofs brown and became "Ground Rounds". Later, many of those became Applebee's.

Anyone remember The Ground Round? Plus a St. Louis chain question (Ackman)

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:54:02 GMT

The first and only time I've ever eaten there, was in 1994 in Waltham. I believe it was on either South Street or Moody Street. They had a big screen in the middle of the restaurant, and popcorn was brought to your table. I still remember what I ate: Chicken Fingers.

The second part of the question is this: I've been to STL many times(my mother lives out there.) There was a BBQ chain in St. Charles and Troy, that I believe was called Texas Willy's. I remember there was a location on Hwy 94 at Jungermann Road, and the other was in Troy on Main Street. Were there any other locations?