Community Chat

[haddon9]

I can remember going on several road trips with my parents to either the Midwest or south and we usually stopped at a Howard Johnson's for both dinner and an overnight stay.

I don't remember the food but to me the ice cream was the highlight!

[LizzieInSRQ]

@Leelee1123 I weirdly lovecreading old menus. Thanks for posting the kids menu! I cant read tgevother that @Desertdi posted but im going to find a magnifirr to see if that helps.  

We never went to HoJos, not sure why other than when I was really little there were 8 of us and mom was a great cook.

[amyb]

My favorite memory with HoJo's was going there after dance classes, with some of my dance pals, and getting Indian Pudding! I'd never had it before someone turned me onto it there...it's so yummy, I wish I had some now!

Both then, and especially now...I don't know one other place to get this anymore. I guess I could/should learn how to make it maybe, but I doubt I could replicate it.

I guess It's one of those "old timey" desserts that's fallen out of fashion....but sooooo good. And HoJo's was the best. I haven't read this whole thread before commenting...I'm wondering if HoJo's is completely out of business now..There's none around me that I know of, but the ones I used to go to were in other towns and I haven't checked if they still exist.

[chrystaltree]

We went often when I was a kid.  They were everywhere back then.  Sometimes we went for dinner or lunch on Saturday.  In the summer we'd go for long rides and stop at HOJO for icecream.  Good memories indeed.  

[PepperMintTea]

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@Mi47 wrote:

We used to stop for Friday night dinner in Flint Mi going to our cottage in northern Mi.   Fried claims and for dessert,  peppermint ice cream.    Great memories. 

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My brother worked at that exact Howard Johnson's  when he was in high school.     He worked the ice cream counter.  

[beach-mom]

We never lived near our extended families when I was growing up, so we took a lot of trips to visit relatives up north.

We always stopped at Howard Johnson's for dinner. As a child any time I was allowed to have a Coke was a treat. Coke was all over the south, but Howard Johnson's had "HoJo Cola," which I detested! I drank it anyway because I didn't realize the deliciousness of water with lemon back then!  

[Enufstuff]

@Desertdi  When I looked at your menu picture, the first thing that stood out, were some of the prices.   $1.35 for a clam plate, $1.65 for a steak sandwich, $.60 for a strawberry ice cream short cake, can you imagine?

  Howard Johnson's restaurants seemed to be on just about every highway, in the northeast. You could always spot that orange roof. There were even two of them, not far from where I live, that also had their hotels.

    Remember the 28 flavors of ice cream?

 When I was little there were Howard Johnson's ice cream trucks that came to my neighborhood. Their products cost a little more than the regular ice cream trucks' offerings, but they were SO much better.

 While others had chocolate covered vanilla ice cream on a stick, Howard Johnson's had different flavors of ice cream inside theirs.

I remember getting them with banana or pistachio ice cream inside.  So good!

  There were still Howard Johnson's restaurants around here when my children were little and we took them there. It was sad to see them all close.

[LyndaGee]

My godmother would take me to the one on Boston Avenue in Bridgeport, CT., usually on my birthday.  Such a treat.

[Desertdi]

@Enufstuff    I am originally from Chicago.  We had Fred Harvey restaurants on the Interstate, and the Howard Johnson's were usually near the access roads.     I don't remember the ice cream trucks (but I lived within the city limits).     

Yeah, can't believe the prices!    They would be 10X (or more) now!!!!

[Enufstuff]

@Desertdi  

We never traveled west, but I have heard of Fred Harvey Restaurants and gift shops.

  As a collector of southwest jewelry, I am familiar with the silver and turquoise Fred Harvey jewelry, that was popular with tourists, travelling west.

 I have a couple of Fred Harvey bracelets.

 You are right about the prices of things back then. But every thing is relative. Back in the 60's my father worked for the city

fire department and his pay was $86.00 a week, and that was enough to support a family.