The other day a post on SKOOK EATS (not run by this website but most certainly a page you should like if you’re from the Coal Region) generated a number of responses.. the question posed: What restaurant from the past do you miss the most..

Lots of names of yesteryear streamed across the socials in quick response! Places that closed down, burned down, or knocked down..

It’s interesting to reflect on the past but not live in it.. In this matter, however, so many people would give anything to go back to yesterday and have just one more meal at some of their favorite places..

Here now is a collection, inspired by the SKOOK EATS page, of some of the top ten places that have ceased to exist in the county….

10: THE BONANZA STEAKHOUSE at the Schuylkill Mall

Both are gone! And yes, this may be a weird choice.. but it is picked in the context of the time it was popular.. The 80s and 90s were the heyday for the Schuylkill Mall.. and the Bonanza Steakhouse, with its obvious lackluster cuts of meat and salad bar, was the most prominent restaurant within the shopping center. The long cafeteria style entrance made you just salivate at the thought of eating some tough meat and chicken with Catalina dressing.. but it was all good. It was all right. Bonanza closed and it became a Chinese restaurant. That later closed .. as did the mall.

9: The Breakfast Nook in Ashland

There are few places to grab a bite to eat AFTER 2am these days.. the Breakfast Nook accomplished that goal. The food may not have been overly memorable, but hey.. it was Ashland it it comforted people late into the night before sunrise.. It also was the home of a giant icicle in the winter of 1994.. Sadly it was damaged by fire that killed 2 children in 2008 and became a memory .. Those children were beautiful miracles.. may they rest in peace.

8: Marrones in Girardville

In later years, Marrones was known for its Monday Half Price Pasta.. but through the years, the Girardville restaurant was an experience to be had.. Countless school celebrations were had there… their haddock was amazing. In 2008 Bill Clinton also ate food from there.. And what restaurant (besides Tony’s in GVille) can boast that!?

7: The Lazy Dog Cafe

This brilliant location in Minersville had some of the best food I have ever eaten in my entire life.. It also was the home of countless live bands and shows, and was well-known for its culture and class. Sadly it closed. ONE OF THE BEST PLACES not only in the county, but the state… And when it did close so went one of the best ever dishes: The Lazy Dog Cavier. Haven’t had anything that good since it closed in 2011…

6: AMIGOS in Minersville

My first and best experience at Amigos consisted of some amazing Mexican food, and the band Sapphire in 2008 on the day before Thanksgiving. It was magical .. but all that glitters is not gold. The stop was a party location for so many–drinks were always cold.. too cold. That may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.. Subsequent legal issues kept it, and Cactus with its Jack, closed.

5: CASA DE TELLEZ

You expected to wait for some authentic food..
You expected to wait for the best steak you’d ever eat..
This is one of the most sorely missed restaurants in the area.. It was housed in Minersville, and when it closed along went with it the secret ingredients to make the perfect steak. Thanks to people who know people who know people, we will never forget. No salt. Brown steak, add bouquet and little butter. Place in oven. Done 🙂

4: DEVITOS ASHLAND

There were good nights.. there were bad nights. Times when the sauce and cheese mixture was perfect, and other times you insisted you’d never go back! But you did.. And each time you did, you had the 50/50 shot of getting the best Sicilian pizza you ever had in your entire life. It was always worth the gamble… Devitos, we miss you..

3: HENRY’S FINE FAMILY DINING

This is NOT just my favorite place because I worked there for 7 years, but because it had some of the greatest people and greatest food to ever exist.. Henry’s was a way of life.. Henry’s opened as Henry’s Fine Dining, but loosened the standards for the coal region and renamed itself Henry’s Family Dining. Henry Murray died in 1999.. The restaurant closed soon after.. Ted and Kathy tried. It went down into a Mineshaft from there.. and now the Old Thyme is expected to open soon to try again this century.

2: SHEARNS in Lavelle

No, not Shearn’s II, which predated Henry’s in Ashland.. but the original. The first.. Shearn’s in Lavelle! The restaurant no amazing that it gave away free complimentary peel and eat shrimp before dinner!
There were lines on Thanksgiving and New Years almost a mile long..

1: SNYDERS IN ASHLAND

This was one of the most prominent diners in the Eastern part of the state.. It was a location that was hit multiple times by trucks… it made homemade ice cream.. and it had some of the most famous breakfast foods in the entire area…
In January 2009, it burned to the ground..
With temperatures hovering around 20 degrees and light snow falling, firefighters from Ashland and surrounding communities in three counties battled a blaze that destroyed a landmark restaurant at the top of town that began shortly before midnight on January 13, 2009..
Snyder’s Family Restaurant, 2114 Centre St., and the adjoining property at 2110 Centre St., were ravaged by the fire that apparently started to the rear of the restaurant.
Despite hopes, it was never rebuilt. Now a doctor’s office is set to open on the property…