Groceteria.com

I am sorry, I just realized after looking this up that you were looking for locations in California, but you brought back some memories for me as I used to eat at Sambos while growing up in Michigan. Here is a former Sambos, located in Roseville, MI (suburb of Detroit): http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=42.5 ... 5384615384 Sambos closed during the late 80's at this location and the current business moved in (ironically, I think the current business has occupied it longer than Sambos did).

No, go ahead, I think it's okay to list former ones anywhere. Especially Michigan. Know of anymore in Detroitland?

Across from the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup, the former Sambo's (built 1973) operates as Cattin's Family Dining. The exterior hasn't changed much, as the Google Street View shows. The owner, Pat Cattin, had managed a Sambo's in Portland, Ore., as part of their "Fraction of the Action" profit-sharing plan. When Sambo's began buying out their managers' shares in an attempt to make the chain more marketable for a takeover bid, Cattin sued for fraud. In some comments Mr. Cattin has posted elsewhere, he says that Sambo's settled the case by turning over their lease interests in two restaurants. I assume those two were this restaurant in Puyallup and the one in Tacoma, which was located at 7826 South Tacoma Way. The Tacoma restaurant also operated as Cattin's for a number of years before it was demolished a few years back. A used car lot is on the site now.

The Bremerton Sambo's was located at 3333 Kitsap Way and was razed after the chain folded, making way for Burger King, which built their current restaurant in 1984.

I know there was also a Sambo's in Lacey on Sleater-Kinney Road that became a Seasons Restaurant, but I am not familiar with the specific location or if it still stands.

Seven years ago (when I was last there) there was a beautifully preserved one on Aurora Avenue in Seattle operating as the Aurora Restaurant. I heard somewhere it had closed, but I don't know for sure. Its interior seemed pretty much original.

Groceteria wrote:Seven years ago (when I was last there) there was a beautifully preserved one on Aurora Avenue in Seattle operating as the Aurora Restaurant. I heard somewhere it had closed, but I don't know for sure. Its interior seemed pretty much original.

Doing a quick google search, its now Aurora Rents. They preserved the building and sign though:

http://www.aurorarents.com/contact.asp

Check it out.

Jeff wrote: Doing a quick google search, its now Aurora Rents. They preserved the building and sign though:

I found a couple of low-res video captures I did in 2002:







You can see why I'm disappointed that the interior is gone.

Jeff wrote:Doing a quick google search, its now Aurora Rents. They preserved the building and sign though:

http://www.aurorarents.com/contact.asp

Check it out.

Not to get too far afield, but the Shoreline location looks like it has an interesting past as well... was it a supermarket at one time? Apparently it was a Sleep-Aire mattress warehouse not too long ago.

Back to Sambo's, I forgot one other location in the Tacoma area. The Lakewood Sambo's (built 1975) has been an IHOP since the mid-'90s... there had been locally owned family-style restaurants in between. It's been modified a good deal, but I guess that's the original stone wall near the entrance. It seems unusual for a restaurant building to revert back to a chain situation after many years as an independent.

Lascari's Italian Restaurant
16255 East Whittier Boulevard
Whittier CA 90603

Went to this site recently. From the outside...you would never know it had been something else.

Yet, as soon as you enter, you can tell it had been something else.

My immediate guess was SAMBO'S, and I verbalized this! An older lady heard me, and said I was correct!

Check it out...unique tile all around the kitchen area!

I believe the Coco's along the 91 fwy in Corona CA was a Sambo's.

It is right on the border of Yorba Linda CA.

Jeff wrote:

Dean wrote:There was a SAMBOs on Azusa Avenue, below Gale Avenue, in the City of Industry, CA. It is still standing. It had been an Asian site for quite some time...yet, I believ it is now sitting vacant.

Azusa and Railroad. I forgot about that one. It was Eddoko Japanese for almost 15 yers.

Noticed a sign on the building. Finally becoming another restaurant after a longggggg time of being vacant.