These 12 Places From Cincinnati's Past Will Have You Longing For The Good Old Days

Ah yes…the good old days in Cincinnati. Some would argue that any day spent in the Queen City is a good one, and we would tend to agree. But as more and more retail moves online and we can order everything from a Big Mac to a four-course meal and have it delivered to our door, there is definitely a longing for a simpler time. Many stores and restaurants have long since disappeared from Cincinnati’s streets, but we’ll always remember the time we spent in them. Take a look back at these 12 places from Cincinnati’s past and see how many you remember from the “good old days” in our city.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

Did you know Pete Rose once had a restaurant on the west side of Cincinnati? It sat across from Western Bowl and served every meal of the day. It's been closed for quite some time, but the legacy of both the eatery - and the hit king - remain.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

Buffets were a big deal back in the day, and David's Buffet on Bridgetown Road was one of the favorites.

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Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

Zayre was a chain of department stores that began in the Northeast and made its way to the Cincinnati area. Once the fifth-largest department store chain in the country, they were completely gone by 1990.

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Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

In an attempt to compete with Kentucky Fried Chicken, Minnie Pearl's opened hundreds of fried chicken restaurants several decades ago. Named after the country comedian Minnie Pearl, all of these chicken joints vanished in the late 1960s.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

Ben Franklin was a classic five and dime shop that was scattered across the country, including in Cincinnati. They had a little bit of everything and a great selection of candy. By the mid-1990s they, too, were gone.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

There were several SuperX drugstores throughout Cincinnati, but many of them are now a CVS. While the concept of a drugstore is still around, they tend to go through several name changes, and SuperX is one that definitely feels nostalgic.

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Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

Albers was a grocery store in Cincinnati that may actually be known as the very first "supermarket." Run by a former Kroger executive, Albers was innovative in many ways and set the standard for grocery shopping.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

Especially with the news that Toys R' Us is on its way out, former toy stores like Children's Palace definitely have us longing for the past. Days of shopping for toys in a large store may be over.

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Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

York Steak House was a steak and potatoes chain that you could find here in Cincinnati. Food was served cafeteria-style, but they all were gone by 1989.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

Eating at Shakey's was a blast and the pizza was great. If this was one of your favorite pizza parlors from the past, good news! There are still a few of these classic pizzerias left throughout the country.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Lackman

Before there was HGTV, there was Builders Square - a big-box DIY paradise. Today, Home Depot and Lowe's are popular in Cincinnati, but Builders Square paved the way for the current home improvement superstores.

Photo Courtesy of Dave Baas

Last, but certainly not least, Caddy's was a popular hangout downtown from the early '80s until it was demolished in 1998 to make room for Paul Brown Stadium. Thank goodness the fun memories and this eye-catching mural remain!

Days are what we make of them, so don’t forget to get out and about in Cincinnati now and enjoy all our city has to offer – you never know if your favorite spots will someday be long gone. While we miss those that have been lost to time, it’s fun to reminisce about the places from our past that will always hold special memories. How many of these spots do you remember? Any there any other favorites you miss? Let us know in the comments!

And to go even further back in Cincinnati’s history, check out some of the oldest photos from our city in our previous article here.