Dakota Steakhouse: Abandoned, Demolished, But Not Forgotten! Avon, Connecticut.
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- Join me as I explore the abandoned remains of the once great Dakota Steakhouse (aka Dakota's and Dakota's Restaurant) in Avon, Connecticut.
This was filmed between June 2023 and May 2024.
If you like this video, please give me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel if you haven't already done so. Thanks in advance!
Sources of information and historical photo credits:
www.gayot.com/...
www.yelp.com/b...
blog.timesunio...
patch.com/conn...
patch.com/conn...
eventective-me...
#abandoned #abandonedplaces #abandonedbuildings #urbanexploration #urbex #urbanexplorer #restaurant #restaurants #connecticut #avon #nostalgia #fleabittenadventures
It amazes me that Avon allowed this eyesore to sit on Main Street for as long as they did. Generally they're on top of things.
Yeah, it lasted 12 years. However, it wasn't really an eyesore, at least in my opinion, until the last few years when it started to fall apart.
Eyesore? It was the nicest building on Rt 44 in Avon.
As a child I loved going to Dakotas. At 9:53 if you look towards the center you can see a ramp, on the wall are these alcoves and there used to be a lot of Native American memorabilia it kind of resembled a museum with how they had these exhibit looking things. I remember there used to be this very large black bear and I think it was an actual taxidermy bear but I don't know for sure. In the early 2000s when I used to go there Dakotas was what I thought of as a real special occasion type of restaurant compared to Chili's where we'd go more frequently, I loved loading up at the salad bar before the meal and they had really good steaks
I was a manager at this location for 2 years. Part of the Perry restaurant group, out of Vermont. Tony Perry owned the Sirloin Saloon group of Restaurants and I believe his wife owned the Wobbly Barn at Killington . It was much better than longhorn. He sold it to his management group and they could not sustain it.
I agree it was quite a step above Longhorn's. I remember when this place was built. It was so popular.
Great video. I grew up right near there. It opened when I was in high school. I have nothing to add, you covered everything I remember about it.
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
It is nice reading all the comments of people remembering this place. It was fantastic. You know you're old when you remember a place being built, having its time in the sun, and then watching it get torn down.
Went to the Dakota in Rocky Hill. Still have seasoning from there, and kept a bottle from their rootbeer. The salad bar and the food was great,along with the service. It felt like someone took a 1960s steakhouse and kept it preserved. I miss places like Dakota and Hu Ke Lau
Tom, this is a great video of watching the demolition of Dakota. You kept the commentary thoughtful but light. That building was beautiful and could easily have been someone's home. It's unfortunate that it could not be repurposed. Dakota was also also a favorite restaurant of mine-the Sunday brunch was outstanding and the decor was special. I'm sorry I missed their bar. Well done-especially to get former staffers to comment here! Thanks for sharing!
There was a Dakota on route 7 in Pittsfield, Mass. that is also abandoned. During it's heyday it was a great place to eat and always crowded. It was one of the few upscale restaurants in the area and when it closed it was a sad day.
I've been to the one in Pittsfield, MA, Latham NY and Manchester VT. I lived in Pittsfield for many years and it was one of the most popular restaurants. I had my Junior prom dinner there and the Sunday brunch was spectacular. I was bummed out to learn that they all closed. Dinner at The Dakota was always a special event. The Pittsfield location was a beautiful building, log cabin type interior, with many fireplaces and Native American artifacts. I loved the multigrain bread and the Mud Pie was awesome. I wish I had a time machine.
I worked for GE briefly in the Hudson Valley and ate at the Latham and Pittsfield locations with some regularity. Mostly business dinners. IMHO the food/steak quality was superior to any.curtent steakhouse chain, although I like the decor of Longhorns better.
Cool. Thanks for the info! I didn't know about the one in VT! It's weird how there's not much info on this restaurant online.
Yeah, I remember everything being pretty high quality there. Too bad it's gone.
Jeff: Excellent description of the Pittsfield Dakota. Everybody loved the place and the food was always great! A restaurant that will always be missed by everyone!
The one in Rocky Hill CT is gone too.
I live here and would drive by this building everyday. Always wondered why the property was not sold after closure of the restaurant. Thanks for this video.
Hey Tom. Great video. I lived in Simsbury from 1972-2007, then Avon for two years and back to Simsbury from 2010 - 2019. I’m in the NW corner of CT now. We used to go to this place way back when it was J Copperfields. And then we continued to go when it was Dakota. We loved the Sunday brunches and sit at the bar and have a steak once in a while. Sad that this place and Chucks Steak House went out. There was another Dakota in Lenox or Pittsfield Mass we used to visit also when up at my mother in laws and that went out as well and the building was torn down. I wish someone had pictures of the old Farmington Valley Mall. That is an awesome memory for me as well!
Glad you liked the video! Thanks for watching! Yes, the Sunday brunch buffet was the BEST here! That's what I miss the most! Also, I've been looking for pics or videos of Farmington Valley Mall and they don't seem to exist, other than one pic someone found of the entrance near Bob's. I'd love to do a video showing what remains of Farmington Valley Mall, but there are no historical photos to compare it to...
@@fleabittenadventuresYes. The only thing that is left that reminds me of Farmington Valley Mall is the little building that houses the bank on the South side of the complex near RT 44. The old brown and white building was the same design as the old mall. The door on the right side (facing south) of the now closed Bed Bath and Beyond, is the exact same as it was when it entered into the men’s department at D and L years ago. If I ever come across pics I’ll share. And will hope one day you or someone post some! Thanks for the videos!
Enjoyed the one in Rocky Hill. Great Sunday Brunch. Was surprised when it closed.
I like abandoned building vids. IRL I get the weirdest feeling when I'm even near them, tingling all over so I avoid them myself.
I get that feeling too, but that's what draws me to them. I would have loved to go inside, but I didn't want to get arrested for trespassing.
The Dakota Steakhouse in my area was in Western Mass located on the border of Pittsfield & Lenox Massachusetts. The steaks and chicken were amazing as well as their hearty bison bread which came warm with delicious butter. The buffet on Sundays was the best of all good breakfast and lunch and their Maple Pepper Seasoning was so awesome on burgers, steaks, and chickens. Thanks for showing this location I wasn’t aware there was one down in Connecticut. I wish someone had the recipe to that amazing bread they made at the restaurants. It was unbelievably delicious.
Cool evolution of the property, thanks for putting that together.
Glad you liked it. Thanks!
This is a change of pace for you..........good to shake up your style once in a while...i follow a few that explore inside abandoned homes and businesses....always interesting to see what is left behind.........good job.....
Thanks! My channel started with abandoned type videos, but then the flea market and mall videos became way more popular. Glad you liked it.
We had a Dakota in Milford CT. I loved the place the prices were very reasonable too.
It was a shame That the Milford location Building was also Torn Down it was a previous establishment before it and the building itself was Unique, a Landmark I would I say
@@JIMMJR Before Dakota steakhouse it was built for the New Deal Steakhouse in the late 70's or early 80's it was a great place for steak dinners too. The theme was post depression era USA, The "New Deal" came from FDR's 1930's recession recovery plan for the country. Great prices there too.
Ponderosa Steakhouse (mostly defunct restaurant chain) also has breakfast/lunch/dinner buffet. Ponderosa used to have a larger presence but they have only a few locations left in the Midwest. They used to have locations in the northeast.
I remember the ads for Ponderosa back in the 80's, but I never went to one. Looked like a place I would have enjoyed though!
We had a Bonanza up in Torrington. Pretty sure they were owned by the same parent company.
I remember going to the Frank Davis resort in Connecticut when I was a kid great memories there 😊
I believe there was Rocky Hill, Milford, Avon, Windham, Ct, then Pittsfield Ma, Greenfield, Ma, Rutland and Burlington Vt, I’ve also been to 2 in New York, but I forget where. The group that owned and founded Dakota, I think was the Davis Group in Rutland Vt, I’m in Vt still. I believe they had 18 Dakotas
Such a shame. I worked there from 1994-1997. It was a beautiful building back then.
Sure was! It still blows my mind that it went out of business! Great food, great location. I don't get it.
I was a Mgr there for a time. It was a great place to work. Pooled the tips to create community effort.
@@robertkelly1070 I think you were one of the managers when I worked there, along with the two Mikes.
Thank you @MIchelleK5708 for serving us when we came! And thank you @RobertKelly1070 for running the show!
Been there multiple times. Good steak. Great salad bar. Loved the mud pie they had as a dessert. If I remember correctly they had a large stuffed grizzly bear against the wall as you came in the front door.
This Place Was Very Good 👍 Was Sad To See It Go
Dakota Restaurants were part of Sirloin Saloon chain based in Vermont. Their downfall began with the 2008 economic recession and they couldn’t recover. They filed for bankruptcy and closed all locations in Vermont, Mass. and CT.
Such a waste, so much of that building could have been reclaimed or recycled. The sign alone would have sold at a local flea market for good money; now it is all in a landfill. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I like abandoned buildings videos.
I hope someone saved the sign and some of the other decor, but I have no idea if they actually did. Thanks for watching!
It was so bizarre to see a thumbnail on UA-cam of something I instantly recognized! My daughters LOVED this place.
Fun fact, once they left people used to car live and such in the back of their parking lot all the time.
my favorite restaurant as a kid - been to this exact location with my family multiple times. It was great, awesome salad bar.. good ribs and steak.
Dakotas was great, I miss it! The vandalism started earlier, like during the pandemic. The lot also was a dumping ground for at least that long or longer. I remember going there a bunch as a kid, even celebrated a birthday there. It’s a shame they couldn’t stay in business.
I came for the flea markets now it’s bando exploring 😂
Next is haunted graveyards 💀
I try to mix it up. I'll see how this video does with view. If there's a decent number, I may do more, but in the past these videos have done poorly. Thanks for watching!
I've considered it....
As a middle aged guy, I took my best friend, an older gentleman, there for his birthday. I was surprised to see rainbow trout on the menu, which is what my friend ordered. Don't recall what I had, but I really loved the ambiance, good food and staff there.
I liked Dakota steakhouse
Avon is my hometown. I had been to this place a number of times as a kid. I remember the hanging canoe and the taxidermy animals. I remember there being some vandalism already in the 2010s.
There is another abandoned building right down the road, two lots over, other side of the Walmart. Used to be a BBQ restaurant, then a jewelry store (I think) Currently decaying away. been abandoned maybe 8-10 years now...
its at 279 W Main St, Avon, CT
Yes, I know the building you're talking about. It was a jewelry store and a Little Mark's BBQ at one point. I think it's getting torn down too. I may take a look next weekend! Thanks for the reminder.
I grew up in nearby Bristol, CT, spent a lot of time in Avon including shopping, back then in the 1980's to 2005 you'd be hard pressed to find anything of an abandoned nature.
Yes, it was unusual. There's another abandoned restaurant just down the road too.
Good to see you!
You too! Thanks for watching!
Very surprised to see the copper and other metal hasn’t been stolen yet.
I would love you to do more of these types of videos. Don't worry about views just do what gives you joy.
Worked in Avon Park South for decades. Never went in this place, but "Wow", considering it's "Avon".
I remember eating here! I went to University of Hartford 2001-2006 love the channel
Hah! I recognized it!
Thanks for watching!
It reminds me a restaurant called Quincys in the little town I lived in SC back in the late 80s. Looking on Google Street Biew it seems to have long gone sadly
The one in Pittsfield, MA is gone is slated to become a carwash It had the 3 door garage and the canoe as shown it this vid too.
Are you going to check out the abandoned Ames in Seabrook, NH? I believe its still up after all these years! I pass it every time i go to Hampton Beach.
I would love to, but I generally don't go inside abandoned buildings due to the fear of getting arrested. Thanks for the suggestion though.
Hello Tom, enjoyed this video. I'm in Ca, and I have never heard of Dakota Steakhouse prior to watching this video. I think mixing it up on occasion, featuring an abandoned property, isn't a bad idea, as long as there's something interesting or unique about the property. I mean, there's UA-cam explorers out there doing lengthy videos on abandoned Jack in the Box, or Wendys... Why?? Anyway, one vote from me for an occasion abandoned video 👌👍
Thanks! Glad you liked it! I would do more abandoned type videos if there were more abandoned places around that I could legally explore, and if more people watched the videos. My abandoned videos get maybe 10% the views of my other videos, but I really wanted to post this one.
Why didn’t they save the carved bears out front?
They may have. I honestly don't know.
Look up Perry restaurant group, they owned Dakota. Dakota was great !
In early January of 2023 my car was getting washed next to Walmart and I had to walk to the sports store for ski equipment. Nothing was boarded up and the place was in good condition. Doors were even open and I was tempted to talk walk in. I had a hunch people were inside though.
Reminds me of Charlie Brown's Steakhouse. Only 2 still currently open in the world
Never heard of that one. What state are they in?
@@fleabittenadventures New Jersey!
The only other location in CT I know of was in Rocky Hill which is now a Longhorn Steakhouse. I don't know if there were any other locations besides these 2. I never have been to either location. I don't know if it was knocked down to build Longhorn or if it was just remolded. i been to that longhorn location a few months ago and I wouldn't know if it was just remolded or anything because I never been to a Dakotas. I always have wanted to go to one.
From what I could find, there was the one in Rocky Hill that you're talking about and one in Pittsfield, MA. There may have been others, but I'm not 100% sure.
I remember going there for brunch over 25 years ago. Hated the food. But than again I don't like breakfast foods. At 11 o'clock I want a cheeseburger not eggs and waffles.
Wow, we had that same couch and chair in my childhood home in the 70s and 80s back in RI.
I know you said the building was build for Dakotas, but this looks like it used to be an old Ground Round. Also, I think your exploring videos don't get as many views because most of us know you won't go into the interior of an abandoned structure. Which is fair enough.
I drive by that plot ever day. I know we ate there at least once.
It was good!
There was one in Rocky Hill CT until covid did them in.
They had the best sauteed mushrooms
It's a shame it couldn't of been reusable ? It was quite a nice building, tho probably in another setting the middle of some big forest would of been awesome.
Horrible color
Yes, it was a nice building until the vandals got to it. By the end it wasn't really salvageable. Also, I guess the new owners, Firestone, had no use for it.
very sad!
322 is Skull & Bones at Yale ☠️
Hidden meaning maybe????
pretty sure the one in Wethersfield is still open
Could this be a new series?
If I had more places like this to explore legally and the videos get views, maybe...
So sad.
I agree. Thanks for watching!
0:23: glitch
I don't see it.
@@fleabittenadventures, hmmmmm I must have worded it poorly.
These were comparable to American Steakhouse and Outback, or any other chain steakhouse. Meh.