Rangeline Road: Joplin, MO. It has everything anyone could possibly want - great food, places to shop, things to do, and lodging galore! But y'know, it used to be....different. Rangeline has always been host to great places to eat, but have you ever wondered where we used to go to grab a bite when the hunger pangs struck? Yes, you say? Well wonder no longer, because I am here to fill you in on Rangeline’s amazing foodie past!
The 1960’s and 70’s gave rise to the Rangeline we know today- the Joplin mainstay and place to go to find about anything. Who knew such a rich history also started on this same strip of road? Everything from fire breathing dragons, to a controversial restaurant to come under fire for racism, to one of the longest standing eating establishments in Joplin. Yep, the 60’s and 70’s were charged times, but wow...great eating
Henry’s
The best place to start is at the South end of Rangeline- what was then considered the “newer” part. Rangeline road was still just a two-lane road, and really not terribly busy. At the far end was a restaurant known as Henry’s. A humble name for an anything-but-humble eating place!
Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the spectacle to be found, but I personally still remember first entering the city and seeing the flames- REAL ones- shooting several feet in front of the glowing dragon. As a kid, I can’t remember if I was horrified or fascinated, but I always begged to eat there! To my recollection we only visited Henry’s a couple of times because it was one of those “upper end” restaurants to which you didn’t necessarily want to take your kids.
Henry’s Fine Foods--3535 S. Rangeline
Now: Empty. Former location of a gas station, and next to Drury Inn
Howard Johnson’s
Next is the famous orange roof of Howard Johnson’s, which also featured a full hotel. On Rangeline though, this is where you went for a great ice cream sundae!
I am having serious price envy here! This restaurant was one of the early mainstays of the vacationer. You knew you could come here to get a good meal and bring the family along. This HJ closed sometime in the early 80’s, but had a good long run starting in the 60’s.
Location: 3500 S. Rangeline
Now: nothing on that exact location, nearby is Days Inn
Colonel’s pancake house
One of my favorites!! I truly hope you had the opportunity to eat at the Colonel’s at least once during its long run on Rangeline. It had its start in 1960, one of the few restaurants in existence at the time on that road, and about the only place to get breakfast. I used to go there all of the time as a child, and the owner would always give me a BB Bat lollipop. The food? Totally can’t remember--but I always looked forward to the sucker! It underwent many changes over the years, but one thing always remained--pancakes. A very small establishment, it would always be packed on Saturday morning.
It closed a few short years ago--one of the last “old Rangeline” landmarks. It is now Ensenada Mexican Restaurant, and they have kept the original building.
Location: 842 S. Rangeline
Now: Ensenada Mexican Restaurant
Beefmasters
Back in the 60’s and 70’s, the “ritzier” places to eat were often in the hotels, and Beefmaster’s was one of these famous steakhouses. They almost always had a dance floor and the atmosphere at the time was smokey and dark. (To enhance the uh…. romance?) It was relatively well known in the area though, for great food and a fancy place to take a date. Complete with flip top steins!
It operated out of the Best Western motel, the Hallmark Inn.
Location: 3600 S. Rangeline Road
Now: This exact area is unoccupied, but the restaurant and motel was nestled in between where the Kum & Go and McDonald’s is currently.
Western Sizzlin’
This was in the early days of salad bars--before they were really that popular, and the salads consisted mainly of things covered in mayonnaise or made from some form of pasta. Yum! The motto of this restaurant was “Flamekist” steak, which sounds really good, but I kind of remember everything just tasting kind of charred.
Location: 2705 Rangeline Road
Now: Gold and Silver of Joplin
Shotgun Sam’s Pizza Palace
Pizzzzza! Who doesn’t love pizza? Back before all of the chain pizza stores were plentiful on the strip, there were just a few choices--but they were good ones!
The most pumped with personality was Shotgun Sam’s Pizza Palace (1971). Playin’ up the western craze at the time, the pizza parlor had a wild west theme, and pretty darn good pizza too! According to their ad: “ 22 kinds of the most larrupin’ pizza you ever lapped a lip over.” Now if THAT doesn’t make your mouth water, then...well…
Location: 2600 Rangeline
Now: Lowe’s
Casa montez
This next place holds the honor of being one of Joplin’s longest running restaurants, and still family owned--Casa Montez! Opened in 1965 by Alex Montez, it was one of the few restaurants in Joplin that have stood the test of time--and tornado. It originally was in a different location, around 1717 S. Rangeline--near where Pizza Hut and Academy Sports is now. A year after Alex opened, his brother was persuaded to come to Joplin to take over, and in 1966, George Montez took over the restaurant.
Amayo purchased the family restaurant, and that was when it acquired its current location in 1982.
David Amayo and his wife Cindy are now retired, but the business lives on. When they first opened, there was only one other Mexican restaurant in Joplin, so this type of food was a new thing for diners. Here’s to 54 years!
Casa Montez--2324 S. Rangeline Road
shoneys
THIS guy--you know who this is?
Not so many people do, or that this was once the mascot for Shoney’s. Shoney’s Big Boy was much like IHOP, and Joplin felt the absence deeply when it closed down in the 80’s. (The pancaaaaaakes!!) Until 1976, the chain featured this little guy (and a giant plastic one as well!) prominently in the restaurant. There was a showcase up front by the cash register (convenient, yes?), that had all manner of Big Boy goodies. Pencils, coloring books, plastic banks, badges, iron ons, and on and on.
The name officially was changed to just “Shoney’s”, and it continued on under this name, and Big Boy disappeared….to be replaced by a bear.
Shoney’s seemed to be a bit fraught with conflict, and even allegations of racial discrimination. To read more on their rocky road--check this out: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoney%27s
Location: 2127 Rangeline Road
Now: Chick Fil A
hickory barn
And yet another I can’t quite recall restaurant--Hickory Barn. Again, cashing in on the “down home” feel that was popular, this ad is from 1978. I don’t know how the food was, but the pricing was amazing, even for that time!
Location: 2040 Rangeline
Now: Discount Tire
captain D’s seafood
The next eating place was started, interestingly enough, by the same man that had acquired the Shoney’s restaurant AND Kentucky Fried Chicken- Captain D’s Seafood. Arriving in Joplin around 1977, it was much like Long John Silver’s.
Like the Shoney’s restaurant, Captain D’s also had a gimmick for the kids, along with a series of comic books. Looking back, I thought the seafood restaurant I used to go to as a kid was Long John Silver’s, but it was Captain D’s- and I remember the comics! I don’t know the date of it’s closing, but it was pretty tasty fish.
Location: 2020 Rangeline
Now: Enterprise Rent A Car
pizza by stout
Next we have more pizza--but not just any pizza--Pizza by Stout! A totally locally owned and operated pizza place, it opened in 1978, and Rangeline pizza was never the same. The most memorable item on the menu that I remember were the cinnamon rolls. Joy Stout used a recipe belonging to her great-grandmother, which was perfected before the Civil War.
And the pizza…..oh wow, the gooey cheesy goodness! Pizza by Stout was enjoyed by decades of pizza (and cinnamon roll) lovers, and had a durn good beer selection too! It was a victim of the Joplin tornado and was completely destroyed.
The owners decided it was time to retire from pizza making and decided not to rebuild. I will always remember this amazing piece of pizza heaven.
Location: 2101 Rangeline Road
Now: Empty
taco hut
Next is one of the few Mexican food places that Joplin had to offer in the 70’s - Taco Hut. Started by John P. Gray and his wife Gloria. They knew a great thing when they saw it, and in 1972, combined their knowledge of Mexican food to start the chain. He was from California, and she was from Texas. Together, they came up with a great Tex-Mex food that turned into seven locations across Southwest Missouri. This location was their first, and in Joplin, only about the third restaurant to offer Mexican food. I don’t know when it closed, but I vaguely remember the little guy in the sombrero and good taco salads.
Location: 2014 Rangeline
Now: Empty- between Big Nickel and Enterprise car rental
Rafters
Going out for a business lunch? In the event you needed to impress the boss or schmooze a new business partner, Rafter’s was the place to go. It was another one of the “upper class” places to go, and offered a myriad of then-hard-to-find foods. This was the very restaurant I had my first Monte Cristo sandwich- done right, and truly unforgettable. It featured tables with crisp white tablecloths, and a co*cktail menu- swanky stuff, I tell ya!
It was opened in 1964 by Jim Stone, and remained open until 1983. It was a purely local restaurant, and offered Rangeline some class and a place to take your prom date to dinner. For reference, here’s the groooooooovy sort of attire you’d wear to such a date…
Location: 20th and Rangeline
Now: Empty
bonanza
Steak? Yes! Famous steak--better yet! I am sure you have heard of the old TV show “Bonanza”--if not, let me refresh your memory here:
Now, what does the TV show have to do with steak? Turns out, the restaurant was started in 1963 by actor Dan Blocker, who played “Hoss” on the show. ( He owned the chain for 3 years, before selling the franchise.
The restaurant became very popular and by 1989 there were 600!
It featured a buffet style salad bar (with salad bars still consisting predominantly of pasta-and-mayonnaise type fare), and of course numerous steak offerings. I don’t remember when exactly it closed, but I do remember the smell and sound of sizzling steak when you walked in.
Location: 1401 Rangeline
Now: driveway leading into Hobby Lobby
sambos
Last, but certainly not least, is a real oldie but goodie. If I hadn’t eaten there myself, it would be hard to believe it had ever existed--Sambo’s. Yep, you read that right. In 1975, Joplin had it’s very own Sambo’s location.
Now I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the old (and I do mean OLD) children’s story about Sambo, which was written in 1899 by Helen Bannerman. A short rundown on the story:
“Sambo is a South Indian boy who lives with his father and mother, named Black Jumbo and Black Mumbo, respectively. While out walking, Sambo encounters four hungry tigers, and surrenders his colorful new clothes, shoes, and umbrella so they will not eat him. The tigers are vain and each thinks Sambo's clothes are the best. They chase each other around a tree until they are reduced to a pool of ghee (clarified butter). Sambo then recovers his clothes and collects the ghee, which his mother uses to make
pancakes.[3]”
As if the story weren’t odd enough, to base a restaurant on the story seemed like a basically bad idea. Even more odd however, was that the name for the restaurant didn’t even come from the story. The owner’s names were Sam Battistone and Newell F. Bohnett, and they decided to name the eating establishment after themselves. For a lot of people, this might have worked. But for these two guys, the name combination was quite unfortunate. Founded in 1957, by 1976 there were 712 restaurants in the chain and more being built!
To go along with the “clever” naming, they adorned the walls of the restaurant with paintings and murals depicting the story of “Little Black Sambo”.
The original murals held with Bannerman’s original story showing a darker skinned child. Somewhere along the line the Sambo character was changed to depict a genie type looking character, with a much more cartoonish look.
Trouble was brewing in America however, and folks began to object to the murals adorning the walls, and the racism associated with them,
in addition to the racial slur the name itself held. There were lawsuits filed, protests started, and the demise of the restaurant was only a matter of time. By 1982, most of the restaurants were closed and the company had to file for bankruptcy. (For more on this story, check out this article: https://www.thedailybeast.com/pancakes-and-pickaninnies-the-saga-of-sambos-the-racist-restaurant-chain-america-once-loved)
I do remember eating there, and at the time the decor struck me as odd, even as a child. Great food though!
This is a good cautionary tale. If you are going to combine your names to start a business--think about what it spells, first.
Location: 511 N. Rangeline
Now: Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse
