Houlihan’s joins long list of chain restaurants Long Islanders have lost

Sizzler

what the fuck is this 90s sizzler commercial? pic.twitter.com/AYrex7OL6U

— Erik Gas (@eeerriiikk) January 13, 2025

Sizzler was a familiar sight on Long Island during the height of salad bars and value-driven steak dinners. While the chain still operates primarily on the West Coast, Long Island hasn’t seen a Sizzler in years. The last to leave Long Island was in Smithtown in 2010, though another one remained in Forest Hills at the time, according to this report.

Bob’s Big Boy

Yes, Bob’s Big Boy once served burgers and breakfast on Long Island, although we can only remember the one in Valley Stream. Today, the brand survives mostly in California and parts of the Midwest.

Howard Johnson’s

Howard Johnson’s was synonymous with roadside dining and family meals across the U.S. and Long Island, especially during the era of orange roofs and 28 flavors of ice cream. The restaurant chain has largely disappeared, though the name lives on in hotels and deep nostalgia. New York had actually housed the last remaining Howard Johnson’s up in Lake George until it closed in 2022.

Chi-Chi’s

Chi-Chi’s once dotted Long Island with colorful, family-friendly Mexican restaurants before the chain collapsed in the mid 2000s. While the restaurants are long gone, the brand lives on in supermarkets, where Chi-Chi’s salsa and chips are still widely sold. But of all the Chi-Chi’s in the Tri-State, the Valley Stream restaurant seems to be the one most locals remember most.