R · I · P
Chi-Chi's
1975–2004
“Fried ice cream and a sombrero on your birthday.”
Restaurants
The festive Mexican chain where a birthday meant a paper sombrero, a chorus from the staff, and a scoop of fried ice cream to finish. Baskets of chips, frozen margaritas for the grown-ups, and a party-every-night feel. A deadly 2003 hepatitis A outbreak tied to one location, on top of bankruptcy, shut the U.S. restaurants by 2004.
▸ The soundtrack of its lifetime
Did you go to Chi-Chi's? What do you remember?
The drive, the dance, the heartbreak, the summer. Add a memory of Chi-Chi's.
Community Memories
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⚰️ Also gone
R · I · P
Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour
1963–1990
“The birthday sundae with the siren.”
Restaurants
R · I · P
Bennigan's
1976–2008
“Potato skins in the Irish-pub booth.”
Restaurants
R · I · P
Steak and Ale
1966–2008
“The salad bar and the dim wood booths.”
Restaurants
R · I · P
The Ground Round
1969–2004
“Peanuts on the floor, cartoons on the screen.”
Restaurants