Visiting a
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- Опубліковано 19 вер 2021
- Went to visit the #Rax #restaurant location in Joliet, Illinois. It is one of five remaining Rax locations left in the United States. The once thriving chain saw its peak in the 1980s. I enjoyed my visit to the Rax restaurant and hope others can experience it as well. #FastFood
Per Wikipedia:
Rax Roast Beef is a regional U.S. fast food restaurant chain specializing in roast beef sandwiches. The company is based in Ironton, Ohio. Once a major player in the fast food industry, Rax has extensively scaled down its operations since its peak in the 1980s.
For entertainment purposes only. - Спорт
Ohh, I _KNOW_ "Mr. Delicious" would work today! He'd be the perfect fit! _Everyone's_ got that kind of attitude now, and has the scrape marks and/or war wounds to prove it! It's just that back in 1992, society wasn't ready for all that "excess baggage" yet... Mr. D was definitely before his time! As for locale? I had no idea there was one in Joliet, and I used to reside in the Chicago Area about 15 years ago....
Nope. Some snowflake these days would get offended.
@@Looking-great so true.
@@Looking-great Any publicity for a company is good publicity, no matter the context.
Rax in the late 80s and early 90s here in east TN were great. The sandwiches were like a semi small sub sandwich. Very tasty. Much better than Arbys.
So.. I live in Canada, and I have no idea why "Mr. Delicious" recently popped up in my recommended list a few days ago, but ever since it did, I can't stop binge-watching anything and everything to do with Rax lol
Kinda makes me want to go find one of the remaining 5 locations and give them a try. I do like Arby's, so I imagine I'd enjoy Rax too.
Mr. Delicious needs a 2022 revival lol he's hilarious in his own way. Thanks for posting this.
I remember going to Rax as a child in the 80s. It was popular back then.
We had one in my hometown. New Castle Pennsylvania
The building still exists; it is a credit union now
My first job was at a Rax Restaurant in Oregon in the 80's. I remember back then they were going overboard with the salad bar. We tried to serve too many different kinds of foods in the salad bar at the same time. We had Mexican food, Chinese food, Pizza, American food. The problem was that by having the salad bar with so many different kinds of food, the workers didn't have time to make any of the salad bar foods GOOD. Everything was "instant" when it came to it's creation and as a result, the food wasn't any better than the food you ate in the lunchroom in high school. It was pretty bland stuff. I was never surprised when things went down hill for the restaurant. They needed to thin the menu down and try to make a few items really well instead of trying to be everything to everybody.
This being said, if I'm ever in that part of the country where the last few Rax Restaurants are, and I happen to drive by a Rax, I will definitely stop in to try it again--just for old times sake!
Thanks for sharing! Always interesting to hear stories from people directly involved with Rax.
I love the history you are sharing. I was an Arby's manager and my childhood best friend was a Rax manager. I was certain Arby's was superior in quality and vision and marketing and pretty much everything. He and I were in a funny sort of competition. He has since passed away. But I remember those days quite fondly.
Worked there also in the 80's, and this is spot on. Rax was way better than Arby's.
Omg was it the Portland, OR one?
I still miss it to this day even though I was just a kid then.
Oddly enough I found a Rax in a VRChat world sadly you could not go into it it was just the front but could not help but ball my eyeballs out.
I also was crying as I went to the world as it was an Arcade World that did not mention that you could also go into a Blockbuster and even had some of the ads running on the TV's like they would always have.
So yeah nostalgia slapped me across the face but it was a good slap and I still go into that world I made it a point to favorite that world.
I worked at Rax in Lawrence KS while in college in the mid '80s and absolutely LOVED it! The menu still had just the right amount of variety of good food with all the sandwiches, loaded baked potatoes, fresh salad bar and Sunday am breakfast bar. Our fast food was more like dine-in quality at budget prices. The fantastic crew had such great camaraderie that made it worth getting up at/staying up till 3am to work the Sunday breakfast shift after closing Saturday pm😀 Was so sad to see Rax Restaurants close down. Although I really do like Arby's roast beef, it's still not quite as good as we had at Rax back in the day.
I've eaten at a Rax only once, and that was back in 1988/1989 in Gainesville, Florida. I guess I enjoyed it enough that the name stuck in my head.
Thanks for the trip back in time! That was great, I am definitely going to find that restaurant, I liked RAX back in the 80s!
I have no idea why Rax came into my mind today. I grew up next door to one in Youngstown, OH back in the day. Nice vid man :)
Thanks!
Youngstown Ohio? I work in Boardman
I loved Rax. Even more than Arby's
We had a Rax that only did roast beef. No pizza or anything like that. At the time this store was far superior to Arby's and it did very good business. The franchise owner seemed to be a perfectionist. Then one day it was a Tim Hortons...
Taken out by Canadian Dunkin Donuts. Rest in peace, Rax.
When you said that most modern fast food restaurants look like boring, bland buildings.
I agee with you 110%!
I agree so much! McDonald's look actually depressing now. It was bright and happy with the white buildings with yellow trim and red roof. Now they are brick with almost black concrete top half and dark roof. They are so ugly and sad.
Wow, had no idea Rax was still around. Used to love Rax back in the 80s-90’s.
Hi Alex, Enjoyed your posting. I worked as a manager for Rax in Western PA for 10 years. The building your visited (other than the solarium) may have been something else (like a Bonanza?) before becoming a Rax. The building of the 80's were much like the old style Wendy's buildings considering they considered Wendy's their main competitor (both based in Columbus, Ohio.) In my honest opinion, Rax was a innovator before their time. Tried many things (that others copied) but couldn;t get it together with ever changing executive management and ownership and service issues. I feel they over expanded into markets where they were the 4th or 5th fast food chain in the block and suffered. If they would have stayed in their core markets (Ohio, WVA, Western PA and maybe a little west of Ohio they could have made it (longer than they did.)
Thanks for watching! And thanks for your insight.
@@chifanpatt Raxman, how many are there left?
6, according to Wikipedia, down from a peak of 504.
Thanks for that very thorough, comprehensive post. That helps me understand the rise and fall of the chain a lot better. I remember their commercials were regularly on Louisville, Kentucky TV in the early 80s, but they quickly disappeared.
Curious to know what Rax in Western PA you worked at. I lived in Butler PA in 70s, and 80s. I remember Rax very well, just don't remember where it was.
Your "poppy seed" bun seems to have transformed to a sesame seed bun.
I wish I was close enough to "try to try" Rax mature dining experience
Mr. Delicious had all of this planned for melancholy is just as important to life as condiments are to a delicious meal at Rax.
Yep and back in the 80's , the Rax roast beef sandwich was deeeelicious! Wish I had one now !
Used to go there as a kid. I remember being excited to go, but then again I was like 7.
Man we had a Rax in my hometown of Anoka, MN and as a kid it was hands down my favorite place to go. I'd always want to sit under the windows and get the kids meal which if I remember correctly was a dinosaur character on the bag. And yes that place looks very 90s ish complete with ficas tree for decor!
I vaguely remember eating at this place back in the late 80s and early 90s. Seems like the only location in my region closed down by the late 90s. It was OK. Made for a decent alternative to Arby's. Had the management focused on the roast beef and other sandwiches instead of the endless buffet they might have been a bit more successful.
Growing up in Chillicothe, Ohio in the 70’s, Rax Roast Beef on North Bridge Street had the best hot dog on a hot toasted lobster roll bun. I have not had a hot dog that good since moving to coastal Georgia in 1979!
I work at the only rax in Kentucky it’s located in harlan county it has been here and is still going strong at 41 years now. I’ve been an employee there since 2009. Business has gotten much better since the beginning of Covid for some reason 🤷🏼♂️.
There is one still open in Harlan, Ky. i eat there every couple of week when I work in that area.
They had a ginormous salad bar. IIRC, taco bar too. It was fantastic
They had the best tasting food especially the chocolate shakes!
I bet Juliet Jake and Elwood blues would’ve loved this place as long as they give Elwood his dry white toast 🤣
Huh?
I grew up in the 80s and don’t recall ever seeing a Rax restaurant. But I found out about them on other UA-cam clips including the documentary about Mr. delicious which is a bizarre concept - Mad Men 30 years and 40 pounds later? I was going to try the Joliet location but thanks for saving me the trip. 👍😁
Rax is making a comeback they just built one in my town two months back
I used to work at one back in the mid '80's..maybe about 1985 to 1987 in Latrobe,Pa. Made a good number of friends while working there. Great memories...
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I have no memory of a Rax from childhood but have seen UA-cam videos of the Awful commercials. As someone who likes Arby’s also this seems like it would be worth a visit!
You’re welcome! I definitely recommend if you are close to one.
Big Arby's fan myself but they seem to be going the same way as other restaurants and thinning down their menu choices and removing some favorites ,would love to see the return of Rax just for the competition and another option.Thanks for the video
Thanks for watching!
I've never had s full meal at Arby's just ordered cheese sticks or chicken tenders what is your favorite sandwich there?
Arbys is not what it once was. They have no competition. They dont pile the meat on they just take it out of the wrapper and slap it on folded over once. Its usually dry too as if its sat under a heat lamp too long. And they are WAY overpriced.
RAX was head and shoulders above Arby's at it's best. The beef was a much better quality, and sliced thinner, the bread was better and their BBQ and Horseradish sauce was so good. The last time I went to the last remaining RAX in Indiana it was a pale shadow of it's former self.
Wow. Interesting replies here. Arby's was my favorite and I helped manage a small franchise of 13 stores. They don't use real roast beef, but once cooked, what they offer seems far superior to other brands. Getting rid of potato cakes was a mistake and I think Arby's corporate now knows this. Can anyone with experience talk about Rax roast beef? Surely it was the same goo as Arby's before being cooked.
I will never forget the early 80s commercial I think 1983 for the “Philly beef and cheese please”
If arby's and late 80s wendy's had a child
Essentially
You haven't experienced all that is RAX until you've tried the Beef Bacon Cheddar roast beef sandwich from RAX! It has to have their patented cheese sauce and has to be on the deli style sub bun or it's just not an original BBC sandwich. If memory serves me correctly it was sold and bought either by a Wendy's restaurant corporation or some other company and they tried to model Rax after Wendy's and that was the biggest mistake they could have made. I believe it was bought back by one of the original founders of Rax and as you have said barely if at all survived. If they would have stuck to the original plan they would have over took Arby's in that style of fast food. The Beef Bacon Cheddar sandwich was as addictive as cocaine...lol you would crave them with out any warning signs😁
Thanks for posting. Rax was my first job when I was 16 in Huntsville, Alabama. The one I worked at had a salad and hot potato bar. It did great businesses considering it was flanked by McDonald's and Ryan steakhouse! Thanks for the memories!😊
thanks for watching! And thanks for sharing the memories!
I've been wanting to check out this Rax in Joliet for sometime. I have never eaten at one and would like to get to one before they all close!
I loved this place growing up! It was much better than Arby’s.
I’m glad you tried to give it a try 🤣
Haven't heard that name in decades
We never had a taco bar or pizzas, we had a salad bar. Pretty good one, too.
After seeing the design of a Rax, I’m pretty sure the Chinese buffet in my town was a Rax, I just can’t confirm.
My mom liked to go there when I was little.
I remember going here in the 1980s as a young child . My parents were very strict and religious . Wonder if the mr D ads were why we stopped eating there?
thanks Alex!
The newer Wendy's looks like Starbucks. The older ones still exist. Same with McDonald's. I noticed Burger King allowed the old ones to remain. Something about the classic places that make them comforting.
I miss Rax roast beef sandwiches.
this is amazing that a place like that would still be in business.
I like the vintage look that restaurant has. The burger and salad look nice too, although I don't know how they taste
They had a couple really good sandwiches and baked potatoes.
there's a Rax opening out here in CA with a new version of Mr D
I remember one rax restuarant in Northern Kentucky near Cincinnati Ohio. Rax teamed up with WEBN who produced a cassette tape you got while eating at Rax. Outrage followed after several songs had overly sexually explicit and deranged lyrics. I think the restaurant closed soon after, or that was around the time I moved south. Does anybody have a copy of that cassette
I live in Central Ohio and there are 6 in this state (as well as 1 in KY and the Joliet, IL location on this vlog), but I have not been to one since the locations in Columbus closed. There are two a little over an hour away traveling south (one in Circleville and another in Lancaster) and should go try them.
On a side-note, Ohio still has an Arthur Treachers up in Cuyahoga Falls which is a suburb of Cleveland (actually closer to Akron if you know where that is). We also have a York Steakhouse and a few other "treats" from the past in Ohio.
As a kindergarten age child in the mid 1980s rax was my favorite place to eat out.
That’s what she said!
@@SeptemberChild1835 ua-cam.com/video/gpaOy8b8X6A/v-deo.html
As of December of 2022, the local Rangers Rost Beasts became a RAX. New Carlisle, OH
We had these in Pittsburgh i miss this restaurant
Also roy rogers and Kenny rogers
I remember there used to be a lot of tax In Florida, when they had the Hornes on the sign
In the 80s Rax was great. They gave Arby's a lot of competition. In St. Louis, Missouri we had Rax, Arby's, and a really high-end roast beef chain called Lion's Choice (they actually used quality beef roasts, unlike Arby's which used something I call pink goo; I have no idea what Rax used but I never liked them as much as Arby's). And we had Zantigo in competition with Taco Bell.
Rax was my shit when I was a kid! 😝
I was thinking the same thing about Mr. D... he’s be better received these days - right up the Family Guy alley.
Use to work at Rax in the Late 80's, it was way better than Arby's. He just got a basic bland roast beef Sandwich, there were way better eats. It was only a couple dollars more to add their macdaddy sandbar/buffet to a sandwich.
When you go to Rax, you have to get the BBC. Nothing compares and Arby's has nothing like it!
There was a Rax in Portland, OR I remember the kids meal and the cool dinosaur cup you could keep. I remember as a kid being sad when Rax closed here. Maybe there is hope they might come back? Well that is just wishful thinking. Funny enough there is a Rax at VRChat world that has a Rax but cannot go into it has a Closed Sign on it and dark windows. Just an arcade and a Blockbuster you can go into. I told my stream omg this is my childhood here in one VR world.
I hear they are trying to open some new locations
@@chifanpatt That is awesome. I would love to try Rax out as an adult.
It is also good to see that they are still around even if not in the big capacity they once were.
I honestly thought they were all gone.
Oh yeah I used to go to Rax in their heyday . I always thought of Rax as tasting like Arby's except juicier
Went there often in the 80s early 90s
Had a buttload of random animal shaped plastic kids cups from there that would take over my parents cupboards.
I thought I saw in a video there was some Alligator mascot or something?
Check out one of the last open Clancy's when you get the opportunity...
I'm gonna have my girls call me Mr. Delicious from now on.
My family and I drove past that exact Rax so many times back when Osco was down in that area. I don't think we ever ate there, but I might be mistaken. Might have to go give it a try.
The one from my home state Kentucky it’s the only one in HARLAN COUNTY KENTUCKY and the state
Maybe their identity should be playing up on the whole 80s and 90s style thing.
miss the days when you could hit a Kmart then Radio Shack and a Blockbuster on the way home for movie night.
Why doesn't America bring their business to Australia. They are popular here and I would love more choices. Mac Donald's and Kentucky Fried chicken here is popular, the we got coffee shops and they took off, recently we got Costco and I would love to see more of those warehouse stores. We also got Taco bell and Carl's Jr. A BBQ house in Australia would fly.
RAX's BEEF, BACON & CHEDDAR SANDWICH WAS THE BEST !!!!
There's a few locations on southern Ohio
I loved rax. Thought their roast beef was a little better than Arby's. Juicier mainly.
Rax trying to get into the buffet business is what killed them. They only had a small foot print for fast food. They put too much into the buffet and the business went down. The people eating there at the time didn’t care about the commercials. They would always go back but not for the buffet. Golden Corral had that locked down with way more options. So Mr. D. Didn’t hurt them that much no matter how bad he was and how awkward it was to watch, but he definitely did not help either.
I stay around the corner from this location
You should have tried the Beef Bacon and Cheddar (BBC). Best fast food sandwich ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What about Arbie’s?
I’ll have to try it next time
Why do I want a Rax sandwich now?
🤔
One in my hometown in Harlan Ky. It’s way better than Arby’s
Wendy's? Really? The building looks as if it was remodeled into a Rax Hut from an old Pizza Hut building.
Pizza Hut claims a trademark on the building design so they have to be changed to use as a different brand.
Extend the centre of the roof to run the complete length of the building, square up the sides of the window openings, add a solarium to the front, &c.
Its basically a love child of Arby's and Wendy's.
I’m actually here now as I’m watching this lol
What did you have to eat?
@@chifanpatt I had the mushroom melt with some curly fries. Foods decent enough. With the right advertising campaign, they could expand.
@@MidwestToku oh sounds great!
Mr. D. would shun the idea of expensive renovations, as his ex-wife undoubtedly spent his last dollar converting the spare bedroom into a luxurious walk-in shoe closet and powder room before running off with the general contractor. Yes, it was over 30 years ago, but just before retirement his pension plan was canceled and he now survives on minimum wage as a Wal-Mart greeter, so it's still a bit of a sore subject for him.
You should’ve ordered more stuff to show us.
Never heard of them
not still exist, is still alive
Never heard of em
You can eat there.
Mr. Delicious was a great and prescient ad campaign but he certainly wasn't going to appeal to conservative, working class midwesterners in the early '90s.
Mr delicious would have definitely worked back then if he had a wife called Mrs delicious and she had a big rack lol
Dickety-Dee!
BBC, never forget.
Those are sesame seeds, not poppy seeds.
Yeah I realized I accidentally said poppyseeds
@@chifanpatt It's that darn McDonalds commercial stuck in my head from all these years. "Two all beef patties..."
A salad?
looks better than arbys........
The regular sandwich is definitely bigger than the regular Arby’s.
Back in the day when they where popular for there roast beef the restaurants always smelled like ass cake mixed with dirty bleach water.
its sesame not poppyseed
Looks like sesame seed bun not poppy seed bun. poppy seeds are black
Yeah I meant to say Sesame
Rax Beef & Cheddar is way better than Arby's.
Roy Rogers >Rax > Arby's
McDonald’s bottom lounge
McDonald's smell like ass cake and dirty bleach water.
The name sucks!
The food doesn't