Since I have lived here all my life, every now and then I look back at things we no longer have here in town and one of those things is restaurants where I used to eat.

  1. Gardski's - This was a restaurant that I believe was a national chain that opened in the early 80s in the Courtyard Shopping Center. They had the best combination nachos on the planet and it was the place I hung out frequently once I was old enough to drink (which was 19 at the time) and I did spend my 19th birthday there and got one of their awesome margaritas. There was a restaurant by the same name that opened in Lubbock in the early 2000s but I don't believe it was part of the chain that was in Midland from 1983-1987.
  2. Bennigan's - The best place to go if you are into green beer and great food for St. Patrick's Day. Bennigan's was located where Genghis Grill is now on the mall parking lot. There were many remotes there that I was a part of in the 20+ years that Bennigan's was opened. The only location in the area is now in Monahans.
  3. Golden Corral - When Golden Corral opened in Midland on north Midfkiff, it was by far the best buffet at that time and they had the best rolls you could find anywhere. The chain was eventually bought by a local businessman and he kept the Golden Corral name but once he took over the quality of food went down the tubes and the restaurant eventually closed. The building was eventually torn down and a Kent Kwik is now on the site of the old Golden Corral on Midkiff right across from Market Street. There is a new Golden Corral on the parking lot of the Music City Mall in Odessa.
  4. El Chico - This was the best place to get Tex-Mex in Midland, located where "The Patio" is now on Wadley, El Chico had the best smothered burrito back in the day. The restaurant closed back in the 90s and has been home to many restaurants since then. This was another place to get a great margarita.
  5. Western Sizzlin' - One of the first steak restaurants I ever went to and back when it opened on Andrews Hwy near Louisiana. They had the best steaks and baked potato for a young kid just getting his flavor for a good steak. Later the restaurant was known more for its buffet than its steaks but I miss the old days when it was more of a steak restaurant.

There is a trip down memory lane of some great restaurants that are sorely missed.

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