Gone but not forgotten: Favorite Siouxland restaurants from years past

The Sioux City Journal asked readers what restaurants they miss that have closed throughout the years. With more than 250 responses naming more than 50 restaurants, here are the top choices.

Green Gables

Green Gables closed on Aug. 23, 2014, after 85 years of operation. Sioux City residents miss the restaurant's matzo ball soup, hot fudge sundae, hot beef sandwiches, and carrot cake.

“We have loved being a part of your lives," a sign on the door said when it closed.

Green Gables Sandwich Shop was opened on Sept. 28, 1929, by Albert Seff and was family-run for three generations. It was known for its one-of-a-kind sandwiches, according to Journal archives.

"Specializing in barbecued meats and fried chicken. Something new for Sioux City - The Dixie Automatic Machine barbecues meats before your eyes," according to a 1929 ad for the opening of the restaurant.

Seff's sister, Rose Krueger, joined the business in 1931, managing Green Gables until 1973, when Seff's son, Bob Seff, assumed ownership.

"Aunt Rose believed in having friendly people cooking great food for a fair price," said Mark Levine, a great-nephew of the restaurant’s original owners. "In the 1950s, a person could get soup, salad, an entree, potatoes, another vegetable side dish, a beverage and dessert, all for $1.”

Over the years, the menu expanded to include breakfast, lunch and dinner fare.

"If you went to Green Gables, you always had to try their matzo ball soup," Marcene Heeren, of Akron, Iowa told The Journal in 2014. "That and the hot fudge sundae, which came with a bowl of vanilla ice cream and a mini pitcher of hot fudge."

Heeren said at least four generations of her family dined at Green Gables.

"It was where we went with our parents and grandparents," she said. "It was also the place where we'd teach our kids how to act inside a nice restaurant."

Located on the corner of 18th and Pierce streets, the restaurant closure was a family decision and was prompted by financial reasons.

Bishop's Cafeteria

Bishop's Cafeteria closed on Dec. 30, 1997, after 72 years of operation.

Many people who responded recalled fond memories of visiting the buffet with their grandparents and great-grandparents. The custard, chocolate silk pie and corn fritters were favorites.

Bishop's originated in 1920 when Benjamin Franklin Bishop opened the first Bishop Cafeteria in Waterloo, Iowa, according to Journal archives. Instead of printed menus, his restaurant offered displayed foods with dining room services.

Bishop Cafeteria first opened in Sioux City on May 9, 1925, at 516 Pierce St.

“Hello Folks of Sioux City!” an ad from the opening of the restaurant posted.

“Every fixture in the dining room and every machine in the kitchen is of the latest design to insure cleanliness and speedy production of tasty foods,” according to a 1925 Journal ad. “One of the interesting innovations is the cork tile flooring, the first to be laid in any business establishment in the state of Iowa.”

The restaurant could seat about 200 people and would employ 35.

By the beginning of 1930, Bishop’s moved to a new location, the Commerce Building.

“The remarkable public acceptance of the Bishop Cafeteria at Sioux City demanded that we seek a larger place – a place big enough for us to serve our patrons as they should be served,” according to a 1930 Journal ad.

After 59 years, Bishop’s Cafeteria closed on Aug. 31, 1984. Patrons stopped in one last time for a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate ambrosia pie, according to Journal archives.

More than 400 people showed up for breakfast the last day, manager Kim Walton said. And the lunch hour brought in 688 people, 200 more than an average Friday noon.

“The facility is worn out,” said Edward C. Bartz, president of Bishop Buffets Inc. “To replace everything in good operating condition, the investment wouldn’t be worth it.”

At the time, the buffet chain had more than 30 restaurants in a seven-state region with new ones scheduled to open in Des Moines and Kansas City.

A new Sioux City location was opened in 1980 in the Southern Hills Mall. It could seat 310 customers and had 135 employees.

By the time it closed in 1997, the restaurant had 43 employees.

Coney Island Weiner House

Coney Island closed on Nov. 30, 2017, after 96 years of operations.

"Where your dollar has the most cents," according to a 1926 ad for the restaurant. It not only served popular New York-style Coney Island hot dogs but preserved the original Ye Old Tavern recipe.

Coney Island was opened on Oct. 15, 1921, at 510 Nebraska St., by Greek immigrant George Margeas. At the time, it was Sioux City's first hot dog restaurant.

It was said that Margeas felt Sioux City needed a "good five-cent hot dog," according to Sioux City Journal archives.

While it is unclear why he decided to name it Coney Island, George Margeas’ grandson said they guessed “when he got off the boat in New York after coming from Greece, probably the first thing he saw was a Coney Island restaurant.”

"While his friends told George they didn't think he could make any money selling hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks and milk as five-cent items, and featuring chili at 15 cents, George went ahead with his plan," according to a 1976 Journal story.

Coney Island had a variety of famous visitors including Elvis Prestley, Guy Lombardo, the Osmond Brothers and more. The restaurant featured a wall of pictures of all of the politicians and celebrities who visited the shop.

George's son, Steve, later took over the operation after he died in 1973.

When Steve died in May 2017 his wife, Virginia, took over the operation located at 510 Nebraska St. After six months of looking for someone to purchase and continue the business, she decided it was time to close the doors.

A second Coney Island location, 3013 Hamilton Blvd., was opened on July 30, 1973, and was operated by the Margeas family until being sold in 2009. It closed in 2020.

The U.S.A. Steak Buffet, also known as the Great American Sirloin Buffet or Bonanza

The U.S.A. Steak Buffet closed on Dec. 1, 2008. It had many names throughout the years but it officially started as a Bonanza.

U.S.A. Steak Buffet offered a daily lunch and evening buffet that featured grilled steak and other entrees, including burgers, chicken, BBQ ribs and fried shrimp, as well as an assortment of side dishes and desserts

Larry Miller, owner of U.S.A. Steak Buffet started working at the restaurant when it was a Bonanza in 1968. He moved his way up the ranks, eventually moving on to buy a different Bonanza in Omaha. In 1978, he and a partner bought the Bonanza area distributor rights for Nebraska, Iowa and part of South Dakota.

Miller eventually individually owned 21 Bonanza restaurants. In June 1996 Miller changed the name of his Bonanzas to the Great American Sirloin Buffet. The Sioux City location changed its name in December 1996 with a new menu, look and expansion.

"The Great American Sirloin Buffet was a great name," Miller told The Journal in 1999. "We tried to trademark it and ran into a problem with that, so we converted to U.S.A. Steak Buffet."

In the summer of 1999 the restaurant undertook a new name change, but this time it was only a name change.

No reason was given in 2008 for its closure.

Honorable mentions

With more than 50 restaurants mentioned by Siouxlanders, some other fan favorites include: The Normandy, Biltmore, First Edition, Black Bear Dinner, Ruth's Cosina, Casa Del Rey, Normandy, Paddock, Theo's, Windy City Pizza, Bread Basket, Coyote Canyon, Garfield's and Little King.