10 Chains To Visit If You're Nostalgic For Howard Johnson's

Comebacks and reboots may be all the rage in entertainment, but for the time being, Howard Johnson's chain of restaurants has gone the way of the dodo. Just because you can't spot the iconic orange, A-frame roof from the highway — or order up the chain's famous clam strips or Frankforts (grilled-in-butter hot dogs) — anymore doesn't mean your longing for the past will go unaddressed. No, those who are nostalgic for HoJo's have a considerable number of lasting restaurant chains to choose from when seeking a slice — or scoop — of an old familiar favorite.

Since the last Howard Johnson's location closed in 2022, no other chain has quite matched it. However, elements are certainly present in many. Consideration of ambience, hospitality, menu options, and of course, HoJo's 28 flavors of ice cream, were all weighed when discerning recommendations. While chains from the same era (like Friendly's and Steak 'n Shake) and beyond — such as IHOP and Sizzler — will touch on these in varying degrees, you'll find wholly different avenues of nostalgia in a chain like Wahlburgers.

If we started talking about a restaurant that began as an ice cream shop in Massachusetts in the early half of the 20th century before becoming a beloved chain, many would suspect we're referring to Howard Johnson's. It's true that HoJo's, which went on to become one of the largest U.S. restaurant chains by the '70s, began at the counter in a Quincy pharmacy in 1925. However, a similar origin took place a decade later in Springfield, when the Blake brothers founded Friendly's. 

Sharing the better part of the next 100 years together, each of these restaurant chains have been steeped in Americana to represent quintessential family-friendly dining. But similar roots aren't the only commonalities between Howard Johnson's and Friendly's. In addition to menus covering all-day service, each have hosted countless simple family celebrations, encouraging as much with their respective birthday clubs. 

While any restaurant might be able to claim the same, rare indeed is the national chain that's ticking off all these boxes while also offering clam strips — once a favorite item of HoJo's. Friendly's further boasts nearly two dozen of its own flavors of ice cream, which vary by location, as well as orange sherbet and hot dogs (just like at Howard Johnson's).

On the other side of the country, a similarly dessert-focused business developed into a restaurant chain geared toward all the comfort classics. What started as Marie Callender's home bakery in the '40s eventually became a pie and coffee shop in the '60s, before operating as full-service restaurants but the end of that decade. It was a progression that rivaled the speed of President John F. Kennedy's moonshot declaration. And Marie Callender's combination of restaurant and bakery helps satiate nostalgia for Howard Johnson's with pies on display as you're shown to your table for a hearty meal of homestyle favorites.

An assortment of hamburgers and Marie Callender's renowned pot pies are only part of the eclectic menu. In fact, the same restaurant that's serving up fish tacos and a Thai chicken salad offers up meatloaf, pot roast, and — just like Howard Johnson's — a roasted turkey dinner with cranberry sauce, potato, and giblet gravy. As for dessert, Marie Callender's has about as many variations of pie as HoJo's had of ice cream, including apple, coconut cream, German chocolate cream, Key Lime, and Razzleberry, which is a mix of blackberries, raspberries, and a touch of apple.

Be it for cost-cutting, time-saving, or some other such number-crunched reason, many a restaurant chain has done away with scratch cooking in favor of utilizing ingredients prepared off-site. That trend makes it all the more surprising that The Cheesecake Factory's tome of a menu features more than 250 items made from scratch (but not the cheesecake). Still, the chain's massive volume of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts — along with Skinnylicious versions of the same — makes it easy to find overlap with Howard Johnson's, satisfying some of that nostalgic longing.

Those looking for favorites of days gone by will come fairly close to Howard Johnson's options. Instead of the Italian spaghetti, which came with garlic toast, The Cheesecake Factory has its spaghetti and meatballs, blending beef and Italian sausage with a tomato sauce. Likewise, while a full-size hot dog with Boston baked beans isn't available at The Cheesecake Factory, you can get cocktail-size dogs with pigs in a blanket. Either way, you'll be able to close out the meal with a cool treat or hot fudge sundae from the dessert menu.

Even if you never had the chance to visit a Howard Johnson's, you can get a sense for the feel of it in a Season 5 episode of the AMC series "Mad Men." While the Jon Hamm-led cast offers viewers a slice of the sixties, those craving some HoJo's nostalgia have a couple of ways to be similarly entertained by seeking their own in-person experience at a Big Boy. Another chain predating World War II, Big Boy began in Glendale, California, as Bob's Pantry. A name change, decades of expansion, and the introduction of its iconic mascot (pictured above) ultimately resulted in appearances in films like "Heat" and "Austin Powers." Of course, pop culture is only part of the nostalgia.

Setting foot inside a Big Boy typically means options for a booth or counter service, along with a robust menu. Burgers are certainly a focal point, but you can also get pot roast, spaghetti, a turkey dinner, and even veal Parmesan. The programming each of these restaurant chains have appeared in may not be family-friendly, but just like Howard Johnson's once was, Big Boy remains a restaurant chain for all.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the concept of communal access to food has been cast in a new light. Outside of buffet-style chains, past amenities like buckets of peanuts have vanished from certain chains. But there is at least one notable chain that, despite its own ups and downs, has held fast to tradition, carrying on with a salad bar into its eighth decade of operation: Sizzler. Known for being an affordable steakhouse, the heydays for Sizzler were in the '70s and '80s, before a bankruptcy in the '90s led to many closures. Following another bankruptcy filing in 2020, the chain has since been working on a nostalgia-based comeback, making it ideal for those craving a meal with the character of yesteryear.

The salad bar offers a key way that those longing for Howard Johnson's will be satisfied with Sizzler, especially since leafy greens are just part of the offerings. Italian spaghetti lovers will find pasta near the chicken wings and tacos, while those with a sweet tooth can have their fill of soft-serve ice cream. Likewise, the main menu has steaks, seafood, burgers, chicken, and ribs from which to choose.

The lack of full service and the operation of a food truck don't exactly make Wahlburgers a standout comparison to Howard Johnson's, we'll admit. Sure, the chain also started in Massachusetts, but sandwiches, starters, sides, and a bar — complete with boozy shakes — smack more of happy hours than family road trips. That said, the ties to Howard Johnson's run deeper at the chain started by celebrity family, the Wahlbergs.

Throughout his culinary career, Jacques Pépin has done books, television, and work in some of the top restaurants. It's been said that he even turned down an offer to work for the Kennedy White House in 1960, instead going on to start a decade with Howard Johnson's as director of research and development. "I started with Howard Johnson purely because of their commitment to spend money on the best possible quality ingredients," Pépin later told Luxeat. "This is where it all starts."

As for the Wahlburgers connection, Pépin also happens to be an idol of the chain's co-founder and chef, Paul Wahlberg. During the first season of the A&E reality series "Wahlburgers" — which follows the business and the lives of Paul's family, including his brothers and fellow restaurant co-founders, Donnie and Mark Wahlburg — a 50th birthday surprise afforded Paul the opportunity to meet Pépin. Paul's own philosophy on the restaurant business similarly emphasizes food quality and freshness, as well as community and making people happy. So, when you eat at a Wahlburgers, you know there is a touch of influence in the food that also endeared Howard Johnson's to families for years.

Though the designs have changed over the years, a look back at the original architecture of an IHOP shows an undeniable likeness to Howard Johnson's. While the predecessor opted for orange as its primary color complemented by blue, making its roofs easy to recognize at a distance, the International House of Pancakes did the reverse. Both, of course, have had unique A-frame designs. These days, guests remember HoJo's as a step above the usual experience at an IHOP, though the latter is essentially the same sort of American diner. 

Comparing menus from the '70s, you can see both chains had diverse selections, as IHOP included a veal cordon bleu dish and German knockwurst on its menu right after its own Italian spaghetti. Most often thought of for breakfast or brunch, IHOP remains a chain serving fried seafood platters, T-bone steaks, and burgers for those not interested in omelettes, French toast, or one of the various kinds of pancakes.

The nostalgia-hungry need not always feed those feelings with matching menus or contemporary decor. Sometimes, purposeful intent can deliver the same. Much newer than most of the other restaurants on the list, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opened in 2002 with a deliberate focus on the kinds of "timeless traditions," according to its website, that happen to harken back to Howard Johnson's peak.

In an interview with the National Center for the Middle Market, co-founder Scott Redler spoke to the philosophy of the business. While treating associates as family and diners as guests, he expressed in part, "Many of our guests mention that they appreciate the culture of hospitality in our restaurants."

Of course, food remains the focal point of any restaurant chain. On that subject, Freddy's offers burgers, sandwiches, chicken, and a couple hot dog options, similarly to Howard Johnson's, along with its dessert menu. Working with base custards of vanilla and chocolate, the chain rivals HoJo's 28 ice cream flavors, as it contends there are over a million different combinations to attain your preferred frozen treat. This includes incorporating ingredients like brownies, cookie dough, marshmallow, peanut butter, and even seasonal options like eggnog, peppermint stick, and pumpkin.

Where Howard Johnson's started as an ice cream counter, Braum's roots go all the way back to the farm. Before this chain of restaurants began cropping up in 1968, the father of one of the co-founders, Henry H. Braum, began a butter processing operation in 1933. Expansion to milk led to ice cream processing and ultimately a chain of stores. These days, Braum's has quite a credential over its competitors: It stands alone as a major domestic ice cream maker by milking its own cows.

From that milk, Braum's produces its ice cream, which is available from the counter, from the store's freezers, or as a shake in place of a beverage with any combo meal. Though a few flavors like gingerbread and pumpkin are holiday exclusives, Braum's exceeds the 28 flavors of HoJo's with 45 of its own. Matching options like butter pecan and fudge ripple are lined up along with more unique selections like amaretto peach charlotte, black walnut, and butter brickle. What's more, the dessert options include 16 frozen yogurt varieties and nine different sherbets — and yes, orange is among them.

Some 90 years after this chain's 1934 founding, the American consumers' longing for yesteryear has seen Steak 'n Shake bridging the gap between the past and future. At the same time that it's allowed for Bitcoin as accepted tender, this Illinois-founded business — which wasn't always a burger chain — has reverted back to using beef tallow in preparing its fries and tots. The business has also committed to cooking food the traditional way, doing away with all microwaves, which were once used as a shortcut.

In turning back the clock and fully embracing Americana, there are aspects of Steak 'n Shake that remain unchanged, affirming it as an ideal spot for those who are nostalgic for Howard Johnson's. Along with burgers and milkshakes, the chain offers its Steak Frank — akin to HoJo's Frankforts — as well as an Italian spaghetti comp with its chili mac. For those unfamiliar, Steak 'n Shake handles its chili dish in the unique Cincinnati style, on a bed of noodles. You can even order it 5-way, which includes shredded cheese, onions, and red kidney beans.