The following pictures were taken on a whirlwind tour of the San Fernando Valley in Feb. 2001. Thus, many apologies for the poor quality of the pictures since they were taken rather hastefully.
This is Chris & Pits, a BarBQ restaurant on Victory Blvd. that my parents used to eat at a lot in the late sixties. It is still in the same location and appears the same with the exception that it no longer has sawdust scattered on the floor.
This is another pic of the Chris & Pits from the side. I was just informed from a guest on my website that this Chris & Pitts had just closed down and it is now a defunct restaurant chain. Thus, this may be one of the last pictures ever taken of it while it was still in operation. But now...like the Pink Lady of Malibu, it is only a memory.
I considered Sirloin Burger one of the best places that we ever ate. Located on Lankersheim Blvd, it's been around for 40 years and they still smother the burgers with a special onion sauce. And you can't beat the Miles of Spahgetti. The caricature of the guy in the server's hat with a pencil line mustache flipping burgers is still on the sign post. Things I remember about this site: (1) 30 years ago, they used to have a humongous sign on tall stilts in the back advertising a barber shop, (2) There used to be a tavern across the street. I don't remember the name, but it had a neon sign of a rocking horse.
Here is a pic of Sirloin Burger in the back so that you get a full scope of all the painting on the building.
This pic features the indoor patio that you can take your food to eat in as well as the painted menu. My folks ate Miles of Spahgetti many many times in here. Sadly, I was also informed that this place closed down recently. Thus, like the Palomino club, Trapper's Lodge (with it's eerie statues) and the Cornell Theater in North Hollywood, they become memories now.
This is another angle of the inside part of Sirloin Burger. This eating establishment had a unique way of taking orders. You would go up to window, make your order, and they would put colored ceramic square pieces (about the size of a Scrabble playing piece) onto a table that had colored squares on them.
Of course, you are wondering what's so special about a McDonalds. Well, this one has been around for 35 years at the corner of Webb and Straitharn. My folks used to sit outside on the benches and throw burger bun pieces to the birds.
I would appreciate anything that my website visitors can remember about these places. More pics will be added in the future.
