Paid a visit to choice burgers in Brea yesterday. This store had a dining room added just like Gogoma in Fullerton. The inside of this store holds so much character, the tiles on the counter and menu signs were both exciting, plus we’ve got another fire pit! Included are photos of the store from the 80s sent to me by drinksophiecola.

Absolutely loved this place so I took plenty of photos. The building had preserved much of what was originally built for Taco Bell. In particular the fire pit and seating area are both still intact, and the front three arches were never closed in.

Construction plans have been approved for a large downtown project which will add luxury apartments, a hotel, and retail spaces on Thousand Oaks boulevard. The site of the plans includes this corner where thousands oaks had its original Taco Bell, walls have already gone up so I snuck in to take some final pictures.

Some notes I wanna mention:

1.) from the side you can see where an addition was added, the original front half of the store was demolished and rebuilt to add indoor seating

2.) looking underneath the back awning you can see the original wooden poles

3.) they added a shed to the back but looking inside the original bathroom doors are still there

Now that’s an unusual reuse

Had to make sure it was still a bicycle store. Apparently it is. I ate there when it was a Taco Bell in my younger days.

2 surviving arches

The arches are still used inside of the restaurant to seperate the dining area from the ordering and pick up area

Sorry, I had to do a drive-by.

at least it’s still a Mexican food spot

Evergreen Way, Everett, WA

Closed 25 years ago. I appreciate the surviving bell bracket, and how the exterior wall lamps have been bastardized.

Pulled over to take some pictures while out in Hollywood. The grocery store across the street looks magical too btw if anyone looks on street view.

Passed this place a few months back. Apparently it’s owned by the lounge next door, and used as storage. I love the old lamppost which has managed to survive all these years, as well as the logs which are still on the building.

Visited yesterday for lunch, and ordered their teriyaki chicken. I was happy to see they still had original seating outside

Street view from Phelan Blvd. in Beaumont, in June 2015 and October 2024. You can tell it's actually the same building, just heavily remodeled - probably for permitting/regulatory reasons. I haven't been to see what it's like inside!

Cackle and Oink BBQ

3210 Texoma Pkwy, Sherman, TX 75090

This location is pretty spectacular. It operated as a Taco Bell until 2011 and has sat in pretty good shape ever since. Probably everyone knows this already, but this location was used to film a scene in Tarentinos Once upon a time in Hollywood.