This 1970s Fast Food Chain Was Famous For Its Fresh Roast Beef And Giant Buckaroo Cheeseburger

If you grew up in the 1970s in America, you likely have a deep sense of nostalgia for the culinary arena that developed during that decade. There was a fast-food boom that suggested exciting change but also represented a simpler time where menus were small and prices were low enough for a family to grab food out at least once a week without breaking the bank. Now defunct big fast-food chains of the 1970s like Burger Chef, Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips, and A&W dotted the suburbs. Menu staples in many of these restaurants boasted burgers, shakes, and roast beef sandwiches. The Cleveland-based, fast-food joint Beef Corral was one such beloved eatery that still has Boomers and Gen-Xers feeling wistful.

Beef Corral was founded in 1966 by brothers Ed and Dick Modzelewski, both footballers for the Cleveland Browns. The cowboy-themed Beef Corral was a go-to stop for inexpensive roast beef sandwiches, offering competition for 1960s sandwiches from Arby's. The Ohio restaurants were housed in iconic A-framed buildings that displayed a distinct cowboy vibe. Thick fences acted as partitions between lines for cashiers, and heavy rustic candelabra-style chandeliers illuminated the long, family-style, wood tables in the dining area. One of the earliest Beef Corral locations was on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland Heights, and the chain had, at its height, nearly a dozen locations throughout the Northeastern part of the state. A purported draw for patrons was a chance to catch one or both of the football-stars-turned-owners inside the restaurant greeting customers.

Beef Corral's history seems to exist mostly in the hearts of Clevelanders who experienced it during the '70s. By the early 1980s, the chain was no longer operating, but its short fast-food reign holds steadfast in the memories of those who frequented it. A Western-style roast beef sandwich was offered at under a buck, and the Kosher-style corned beef sandwich was served on a rye bun with a juicy dill pickle. The Facebook page Ohio Memories has commenters recalling other menu items, with one mentioning that Beef Corral would name their burgers, a favorite being the Buckaroo beefburger, as well as the Buckaroo "served with a slice of cheese". "Best burgers, imo, mom used to take us downtown for a treat," recalls another commenter.

The chain offered sides like cole slaw and crispy fries. Before fast-food combos were a staple order, the Beef Corral offered a giant Buckaroo cheeseburger, fries, and a 15-cent Coke for 75 cents. Facebook's "You know you are from Willowick Ohio if you remember..." page has users fondly remembering the classic milkshakes. One user says, "Beef Corral had the best chocolate shakes ever."

While it's not completely clear why Beef Corral went out of business, we can assume that the popularity of enduring, competing fast-food joints like McDonald's and Arby's took a firmer hold in the marketplace. But there are plenty of people with happy memories of the chain, with one commenter happily recalling the words of the Beef Corral's theme song: "The Beef Corral, the Beef Corral, the chuckwagon taste you savor, head on down to the Beef Corral for beef ... with the Western flavor!"