Extinct Orlando Complete List

Here is a list of all the places discussed in the now famous yelp Thread on Weird/Fun places in Orlando Florida that are now extinct.

I will be organizing this much better as time goes on.

Amira's Jewish Deli - on 436. So good, so long.
Big C - liquor lounge was torn down on University to build the Target. They moved just the liquor store across the street.
Cairo - on Sunday night. Chablis and Brad were the BEST bartenders.
Crescent Moon - Downtown on a side street was a hippy/pagan shop called Crescent Moon
Der WIENER SNITZEL (I think that's how you spell it)...A hotdog place on OBT that is shaped like a big triangle
I-DRIVE CRUISING (late 80's)
Jabberwalky shoe store next to Waxtree on Aloma
Java Jabbers and the UC6 theatre at University and Alafaya
Jordan Marsh in Altamonte Mall and their restaurant. Usually spent Saturday's with Gram there.
KEN and LINDA's...The corner of OBT and HOLDEN
Drew Garabo's Notes From The Underground, too. That's been gone a loooong time.
MAJIK MARKET
MR. STEREO
Ronnie's - My Grandma was a waitress @ Ronnie's and always had a lot of good stories to tell about it.
JJ WHISPERS -RESURRECTION night at JJ WHISPERS on SUNDAY"S and WEDNESDAY'S
SUPER SKATING CENTER...Post SKATE WORLD II- on Oak Ridge Rd. ("DO IT ON EIGHT WHEELS" T-shirt)
SWAMP GHOST... Behind SEA WORLD
TAM TAM diner...Just south of Colonial Drive on OBT
Denny's near the malls and downtown is now gone. That was THE Denny's.
THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE...The store before LEED'S and SERVICE MERCHANDISE.
The Grind coffee shop. There was one on 50 at Alafaya, in the same shopping center was The Dunes surf shop and Tien Garden restaurant.
Plitt theatre - on University and Goldenrod, and there was an arcade next to it. The K Mart there is now gone too.
THE PURPLE PORPOiSE - on Mills Ave. (I Think)
Winter Park Mall - loved Ivey's (acquired by Dillards)
WORL STUDIO 13  - WOKB STUDIO 16 TIGER RADIO- Y106 - BJ105
16, 000 Movies (multiple locations). I think they actually stocked that many! This video rental store was HUGE as f*ck! They had free popcorn and tons of movies, including all kinds of B movies and weird cult films you can't find anywhere. They also had the tempting 'Adult" section behind the curtains in the back. As a kid, you could easily wander in there and learn about getting your jollies while mommy was busy in the romantic comedy section.
1967 AM Radio station WLOF with Johnny Sutton @ 6:00pm.- the first ROCK  station in Orlando- played Vanilla Fudge, Box Tops, Elec. Prunes, and Tom Jones...
1968-Boys with the noise
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Closed and replaced by I don't know what, if anything.
3 Sons laundromat on Edgewater -- it was next to Publix before they expanded. The owners were from Afghanistan and were so kind and ran such a good business.  Their three little sons were adorable and such good kids. I never forgave Publix for running them out, although I believe they found another location, it was just too far to go to do laundry.
"49th Fighter Squadron nightclub. I forgot all about that! I never went, but I remember when they tried to make it hip. Ended up being a frat bar. Haha! Restaurant\bar\nightclub - It was right by the Orlando Executive
Airport, behind the library kinda.  I remember they had beer cheese soup
 on the menu, and then later tried to do the nightclub thing when Roxy's
 first opened.  Didn't work out, long gone now."
4th fighter group was a good remember, shane had his wedding reception there.
7,The gas station on the corner of Pershing and goldenrod . Before 7-11
Unknown
Unknown
A&W Drive-In - W Colonial in Pine Hills
A&W on Fairbanks, remember when it was "raided" by Tanner
Aaron's Furniture
abc bars with rotating floors
Abneys Music Store - Need some Peavey gear? This music store at Mill's and Canton only stocked a few brands of music gear. They had a very limited of gear, but I did buy my used 1979 Fender Delxue Reverb amp from them for around $400. A steal by today's standards. One of the owner's/employees Ronnie Abney drove a kit car that tried to be a Porsche! He dressed and looked like Eddie Van Halen too! Haha. Another guy Robert Holtum taught lessons there, as well as at Valencia CC. He was a funny old coot.
Absolute Sound/Audio Garage - Cool place to hang out and look at all of the new sound equipment we wanted.
Add Orlando Jai Alai to the list. The Fern Park institution will close soon, according to the Sentinel.
Adolph's Aardvark - competition for the Infinite Mushroom
Adolph's Aardvark in College Park-little hippie store, got my first black light. Must have been in 7th grade.
Adventure Club upstairs at Townsends
Aha - I just caught my mistake. In an earlier post I was correcting Mark "Jagbone" C. about the location of a Ranch House on the S. Orange Blossom Trail and Lancaster. But he was right! I thought he said S. Orange Ave & Lancaster. But I remembered a restaurant in that vicinity where you could get a good little steak as well.  So I'm thinking it was the Barney's Bar-B-Q. (And there used to be ABC Liquor store. there too, around there somewhere.
Ahh! I went to Xanadu, met Vanilla Ice at Peaches and had a bday party at Mystery Fun House. What about the iconic church street arcade? And when Cheyenne's saloon was open? Memories!
Ahh... the never ending thread.  Since it's the holidays, I remember there was this one house in Winter Park, it was off Palmer Ave, that had a huge tree in the yard.  They put lights up on every single branch and a lighted Santa or two.  It was spectacular! 
AKA lounge Pine St. downtown
Albertsons Supermarkets is closing another store, the one at Orange and Michigan.
Alhambra Golf Course
All American Roller Rink - West 436 in Altamonte Springs.  By the way, they are having a reunion on 2/22/09.  You can go to http://www.allamericanro… for info on the reunion.
All of these were in Fashion Square which was the better mall until Fla and Millenia were built.
All the places you all have listed bring back so many memories.
All those names are correct, Tom.  Thanks for jogging my memory!
Allied Discount Tires commercials with Sam Behr "Allied Discount Tiahs!"
Also a group called Dr. T and the Undertakers?
also don't think I saw Townsends Fish House and Tavern mentioned.  That was a HUGE early 80's hang out.  I used to go there every Friday night after eating a delicious cuban dinner around the corner at a place on Orange Avenue.  Can't remember the name.  Townsends was a big meet market back then. 
also saw on wikipedia that WCIX in Miami was a superstation in Florida.  It went as far as cable systems in Tampa and Orlando.  Anybody get it throughout the 1970s-1980s?
Also used to shop at Byron's a lot as a child.
Also what about the old Wekiva Marina restaurant?  That place was the bomb.  Had a great porch to eat on with a tin roof and they'd pump cool water out of the springs onto the roof to help keep it cool.  Raccoons would come up and beg for food.  Loved that place.
also world of orchids.
Also, a lot of the 'favorite' places listed here were small independent businesses. I don't think Murmur closed up because it went bust, I think Don was just tired and wanted to do something else.  He did so a bit before the Napster, then iTunes, revolutions made record/CD stores less lucrative.  A lot of the store mentioned, with fondness, earlier in the thread were music stores. And clubs. Clubs always come and go, as tastes change.
Also, didn't we used to have a Shoney's in town?
Also, I'm pretty devastated to just recently learn that Room 39 (my favorite dtown Orlando bar) apparently is deceased?
also, Orlando Sports Stadium-some amazing headliners there back in the day
Also, Patio Grill in Longwood did it become Bonefish Grill?
Also, since one dinner theatre was mentioned, we should also remember Sebastian's, which went kaput in '74 and reopened as The Phoenix, which also shortly went kaput.
am a first-time poster and as a resident of Central Fl since 1977 this is a great thread! I read this all the way through and so many wonderful memories were revived and I learned a great deal about the background of places I hadn't been to but knew of and always wondered what they were!!
am heartbroken. And cheeseless.
am too nostalgia now too Tom!
Amc theatre near fashion square mall-now summit church
Ame's - Either took over from Zayre's or ?? I barely remember even the name of this place, let alone what they had.
Americana Racket Club: quite the place to go in late 70's. Had my first (under age) drink there, a Singapore Sling.
Amway Arena - TBA
An Tobar in Maitland
And a few from Orlando:
And anyone remember when Maitland celebrated their 100 year anniversary? it was 1985 and they brought in all of these fair rides and vendors... and it was the biggest thing! It felt so boring to live in Maitland, with nothing much to do than chase the ducks and watch out for the supposed gators and water moccasins around Lake Lily, so that Saturday afternoon spent on the fair rides were the best!  But sadly i would take any one of those days back, if given the chance.
And at Kit Kat Club you'd get a free beer glass on your birthday, sniff, sniff....
And before Burger Chef, there was Royal Castle.....the burgers were small, so you ordered several, along with an order of root beer.  I recall three from the old days - one at the northeast corner Curry Ford Road and Conway Road, another at the southeast corner Michigan and Delaney, and the other one we went to was in Winter Park - don't recall the location.  Royal Castle was the first "burger joint" in Orlando prior to Burger Chef, Steak & Shake,  and McDonald's.  I recall the first Burger Chef in our community was built on the south side of Curry Ford Road, close to where Krystal's is now located; it was the summer after 8th grade, and I went there with a guy I was seeing who lived in my neighborhood.  One of the last times I remember going to Royal Castle on Curry Ford was in October of 1969 - went there with a bunch of people with the munchies.  The things we remember.
and Boston Lobster House on Aloma had THE best fish and chips. The fillets were sort of lightly breaded with, not battered.
and coming soon Blockbuster
and does anybody have an E Ticket.....I want to ride Space Mountain, haha
And don't get me started on the missing Backyard Burgers.....
And don't recall the name of the place  way out on East 50   for concerts- where Canned Heat   (my first unchaperoned concert)  played in 1967-8 + - , Iron Butterfly, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Rod Stuart, etc, etc..
and duh. The Amway Arena.
And going wayyyyyy back I remember when the Gabriel family used to sell their subs from their home off Edgewater drive (before opening up the restaurant). Their house was up by where the QP later opened up.
and Harold and Maud's (coffee shop where I had my first chai - now it's the Globe)
And I also miss Mulvaney's Downtown.  KInda strange that UCFs homecoming parade is not downtown anymore.
And i know theres more! But one place is really in my mind and I hope you or any other "yelpers" can help me. Back in about '87 there was this book/toy store i THINK it was on I-Drive. It had learning toys and games, and what I remember the MOST was right at the entrance of this store was a HUGE chess board on the ground accompanied with these HUGE chess pieces! I used to climb on them everytime! My parents cant remember the name (old age!) and I guess i never really payed too much attention to the name. That is how I found this site.....trying to figure out how to find out the name of that book/toy store. It was a big learning and interaction place. So hopefully someone knows & remembers what i'm talking about! Thank for the stroll down memory lane! I have a 4 yr old now myself & i wish he couldve enjoyed these places like I did!
And I miss Splendid China. I used to do Martial Arts demos their growing up.
and Kilroy's Restaurant,
And last (for now) how about the Inferno on the South Trail? Two night clubs inside - don't remember the names but one was an oldies club that the group "Clutch" would perform and the other a strip club.
And let us not forget the lunch counter pharmacies! Two on Park Avenue, Winter Park in particular. The Rexall had the best carrot cake I've ever had (mother's recipe) and the son also ran concessions for concerts that I worked a number of. And up the street there was Taylor's (I believe) where she had daily specials and these tiny beaten biscuits that were Divine. She was always very careful with her portions, but the food was great and truely homemade. I also bought a lot of my comics there.
And now for my list of places I didn't see mentioned:
And now,  as of this week, the rope swing on Gatlin just east of Summerlin where the kids used to swing into the lake.  The county, I believe, cut the branch off so there's no place to hang another rope.  This is right down to the bottom of the hill I live on, and has been there for at least 36 years that I know of.  R.I.P. to good clean fun.
and Pirates Cove.... Fairvilla when there was a movie theater and a bowling alley
And remember the Parkwood Plaza?  What about JM Fields in Pine Hills on Colonial.  There used to be a sign directly across the hwy from Fields, it was a lighted sign of a cowboy with a lasso and the lasso moved around, I was in grade school and it seemed so cool.  We didn't have anything like that in Clermont back in the late 60's.  And remember the Art Grindle car commercial where Mr. Grindle himself jump up and down inside a convertable saying "I WANT TO SELL YOU A CAR"!!!  LOL, what a commercial.
And speaking of Conroy Road... I used to work for the engineering firm that designed the overpass at I-4 by the new mall and I did most of the drawning for that bridge. So if you were to look at the set of plans for that job, you'll find my name on those drawings. I also did worked on the new interchage where I-4 and the East-West come together.
and The Harem (the strip club) which made darn sure you weren't underage by every measure possible.
And the Spacecraft store in Winter Park that used to sell military and weird surplus type items?
And then there was the Vernor's Ginger Ale stand east of Winter Park in the mid-seventies.
And there was a weird dollar theater in Sanford that served the worst Mexican food ever.
And there was also a real cool Irish bar around there I used to frequent. near the Pebbles I think.  Name escaping me...
And there was the 7-11 convenience store near the intersection of Lake Ave and 17-92 by the railroad tracks. I remember bringing in my mom's glass bottles for deposit and using the change for the penny candy and TV 3D glasses for the 3D craze, you know, the FIRST time around. I think King Kong 3D came on TV? Anybody remember? But i missed it cause i was too busy playing my Colecovision.
and what ever happend to Water Mania.
Angel's Diner - There was one on Aloma and 436 if I remember correctly.  There was also one downtown.
Angel's Diner. (multiple locations). 50's style diner with mirror tiles outside.
Angel's-a 50s style diner with a lt of locations around the Orlando area.  My dad and I would eat there lot before or after church at Northland.  at the one in Casselberry.
angelbilt hotel
Another Arthur Treachers was on W. Colonial across the street from the Western Way Shopping Center.
Another beered up story to share- YiKEs!
Another mentioned Herb's restaurant on the NE corner of 50 & 441... back when they closed it down, my dad was able to get one the picnic tables that sat around the resturant - we got the one with the letter "O" on it. 
Another one somebody mentioned for a while I think it was barbarellas was "the Beach Club"
Another pre-taco bell now defunct chain - Del Taco.  It was in the original Winter Park Mall... which in itself is a long gone landmark.  My old best friend met her now husband there.  We were eating chips and nacho cheese (which was served in a nacho chip bowl.. totally awesome).
Another resutarant I recall was the Sundown Resturant on the south OBT next's to Red's Market... that's back before Red's was still a fruit & vegetable stand and a hurge corporation that i't's turned into.
Another thing I remember as a kid was the marquee banner that hung across Colonial Drive pointing south on to Orange Avenue that said "Downtown."
Anybody remember a video store Prime Time Video which became Video News?  Didn't it become Video News or am I wrong?  Man, I do miss video stores.  Netflix really isn't the same.  I like the homey feel to the old fashioned video stores and I am a sucker for nostalgia.
anyone could remember the name, that would be spectacular.
Anyone got some spare time? Haha!
Anyone mention Rader's Relics?  We used to go after hours and drool over the cool collection of cars, I mean about the cool cars. We didn't drool on them.
Anyone recall a private property with a good bit of acreage that had a giraffe and other types of exotic animals in the front yard? People would stop there all the time to pet the giraffe. (I'm pretty sure it was a giraffe - it was in the 80s)
Anyone remember Bombz Threads...Adam Bomb was a great friend. It was so sad when he died.
Anyone remember Hot and Now....they used to be everywhere. It was a burger place owned by Taco Bell....Man it was friggin cheap...5 cheese burges with fries and a large coke for $5.00. We used to pig out after a long day of surfin.
Anyone remember Maison Blanche?
anyone remember Nickel's Alley?
Anyone remember seeing "Where The Action Is" teen national tv show at the old downtown auditorium around 1966?  Paul Revere and the Raiders played, and it was Orlando's second true rock concert (the first being the Beach Boys, I think, a year or so earlier?  After that the next rock show was Canned Heat at the Sports Staduim (now gone) in East Orange County (north Econlockhatchee Traill.  After that, Pacific Gas and Electric played there, and many great bands like Led Zepplin and Hendrix, followed.  The most expensive concert was Zepplin, at $5.00 per person!
Anyone remember Skate City in Longwood?  Which later became the old Northland church?  How about, The old Seminole Greyhound Park which Northland had moved to in 2007.
Anyone remember Taqueria Quetzlcoatl? I probably spelled that incorrectly, but you'd know the place by that jumble of letters... It was a somewhat trendy Mexican burrito chain that had locations at Winter Park Village, and... one or two other locations. My memory is a bit fuzzy on where exactly.
Anyone remember that place off Lee Rd. and on the trail that had the All-u-can-eat Crab Legs and Prime Rib..good stuff!
Anyone remember The Frat House? The name changed to Headlights a few years later. I have no idea what it is now.
Anyone remember the Glenn Turner Mansion/ Castle? It was off Bear Gully Road near Aloma and Howell Branch. There was a big guard house, a HUGE main house and a perfectly round boat house with a castle turret on the lake. The boat house is STILL THERE, and now for sale! It's now surrounded by a yuppie gated community.
Anyone remember the Hardee's in the parking lot of the 8 story building there on Oak Ridge and Lake Ellenor Drive (over by Orlando Central Park)? I used to work in that building from about 1986 to 1995 on the 6th floor for an engineering firm before the Darden Restaurant's offices took over the building.
Anyone remember the name of the place that sold Zeta burgers? This would be in the early seventies.
Anyway, I'm not that much help in this category.....unless someone mentioned Boardwalk and baseball...
Anyway, it used to be my FAVORITE bar downtown.  The interior had red lighting everywhere, statues of the holy mary on the walls, a wooden swing above the bar.  The bar itself was in the middle of the place and was surrounded by couches, high tops, etc.  They would play movies on a TV in the corner. It was never packed full of people.  The place had this mystique about it that was eerily cool and hip.. but no one didnt really know about it.  They eventually turned all the red lighting into blue lighting for a few months and then shut down for good.  I used to take all my friends there and they always loved it.  One of the truly chill, dark, low key placed you could go and actually hold conversations with people.
Apologies if these were mentioned already:
Apparently gambling was more important than the sport, and since other venues offered poker, slot machines, etc, another institution has been forced to fold 'em.
apparently I spent a lot of time on 17-92
Apparently the lack of a true focus confused patrons.
Arcade at main entrance of New Smyrna Beach.  Can't remember the name, but I think the ultimate downfall was the hurricane season of 2004.
arcade in fashion square mall
arcade there was 2 one at 436 and red bug and another location I can't remember I think it was called Starbucks????
Are there any Calico Jacks left?  good seafood, cheap beer, lots of fun.
Aren't all mall's days numbered? I rarely go, but last time I stepped inside of one (in Sanford) it was eerily vacant.
Arnold Paint and wallpaper...across from rockingchair on bumby
Art Grindle's car dealership - downtown at Colonial and Orange, later on W Colonial;  the huge moving figure of Art in the green plaid jacket and his pointing finger "I WANT TO SELL YOU A CAR!"
Art Grindles kids went to Trinity Prep with an old roommate of mine. He was on the board of trustees for many years.
Arthur Treachers (fish & chips)- there was one where the Pancho's is now on 436 near 17-92.  Also, does anyone remember the name of the ice cream shop that was in the Seminole Plaza at 436 and 17-92? My mom worked there for a couple of months in the early 80's and neither of us can remember the name of it.
Artie Grindle - Yep & Ughhh!
Artie Grindle's Tropic Traveler Vans
Artie Grindle's Tropic Traveler. Conversion van impresario Artie Grindle "wants to sell you a van!"
asked a friend of mine about this they said:
Audio Spectrum: The first "High End" audio store in the Fashion Square Mall.
Audio Spectrum: The first "High End" audio store in the Fashion Square Mall. I first saw, heard, and fell in love with Klipsch La Scalas (speakers). I remember they were $1500.00 dollars a pair in 1978 ($6000.00 today). Did not get any until 1992 and still have them.
Augie's Enchanted Mirror - beauty salon near Orange and Princeton
Author Treachers Fish & Chips on 436 near Curryford- where I made myself famous with my now very tolerant & understanding wife!
B's BBQ - Barbeque restaurant on Primrose near Colonial. Had a cool wooden, plank-like sign hanging above the parking lot.
B's BBQ was damn good.
B's BBQ, just off Mills on Nebraska
Baby dolls
back in FLA since '03 and there are some places that have come to an end since i've been back in the sunshine state like:
back in the 70's on the NE corner... (of SOBT & Oak Ridge Road) there was the Holiday House, ABC Liquor Store, Quincey's Steak House (or it might have been Ryan's) then after that it's all a blur...
Back in the mid-70's I worlked at Orlando Frame & Art Supply at 948 N, Mills... right next store to the New Tokyo Restaurant.  And less than a block south across the street was Mack Meiners. (When I worked there, one day a week, we'd go the diner at Sears at Fashion Square. There used to be a good sandwich shop on the corner of Marks Street and Orange ave.
Back when I was a child, there were no "toy stores".  Toys were bought at retailers such as Sears, located Downtown before there were any malls.  There were cool toys at the Liggett Rexall Drug Stores too; many of my Barbie doll outfits and accessories I received for Christmas and birthday came from the drugstore!
Badlands skate park,  the old Wills Pub, old backbooth by UCF
Baer's Shoe Store, downtown. Can't picture the location, but the giant wall had all the crazy size shoes they carried.
Baer's Shoes.  (When I was a kid my Dad took me in there to get some shoes.  Upon entering, Sam Baer was sitting with his foot propped up on the counter while clipping his toenails).
Baer's Shoes' slogan was great... WE CAN FIT ANY HUMAN!
Baers T.V. on Mills had several 9-foot stuffed bears in the store. Nearby on Colonial, Stride-Rite Shoes had a small merry-go-round right inside the store. Eric Adams Furniture Warehouse on 436 and Aloma had the stupid song that was constantly being played on T.V. commercials. And I don't think anyone mentioned Spits Bar on Lake Fairview, off John Young. It was an indoor/outdoor bar that featured new wave music, with boat docks so you could moor your boat right there. And who can forget J.J.Whispers, off of Lee Road? Or the giant concrete citrus fruits in front of the Howard Johnson on Lee Road?
Baggetts Groceries17-92 near Winter Park
Baha beach club
Baja Beach Club- Sort of divey beach bar in LBV.
Bakers shoes
Bakerstreet on Lee Road
Barbarella (currently Independent Bar) - This club was AWESOME for dancing to a range of club music on a given night or seeing live local and some regional bands. At first they'd have live shows inside, approximately where the stairway is located now in I-Bar. After a while, they opened up the patio out back and put the stage out there (even then the stage moved locations a few times...). Bands like Gargamel, Bughead, Kow, Precious, The Hatebombs, etc got their start here.
Barbarellas still around. They had great old wave nights. ANd there used to be a tiny bar around there somewehre that was all russion themed and spun great house music. It was a tiny tiny little place.
Barefoot Mailman - Novelty store with really cool trashcans that looked like Coke and 7-UP cans, fake vomit, joy buzzers,etc.
Barefoot Mailman, already mentioned, sooo cheesy and scandalous at that age! Up there w/Infinite & Spencer's
Barney's Bar-B-Que building is still there on Orange ave. but not sure what business is there now. You may have known my sister at Oak Ridge- if you grade ave was 4.1+. (She graduated earlier than her class in 71? or so)
Barnie's Coffee being on every street corner instead of Starbucks.  Sure, there are still a few of them around, but not nearly enough!
Baseball and boardwalk had the wooden HURRICANE  roller coaster!
Bavarian Schnitzel house in Longwood
Baxter and Mark FOREVER!
BBQ Bar still open? Use to see the Jackass boys there all the time.
Beaumont Middle School.
Becky's Barber shop on Oak Ridge road is gone the hurricanes took care of that I believe.
Beechum Theatre- Was thee place for punk shows. Saw 7 Seconds there.
Beefy King - next to the Tom's at Colonial Plaza
Beefy King is on Bumby, and it's still there.
BeeLine Diner, mexican food on hoffner, made by the whitest pride of conway.
Beeline Restaurant and Park 11 Theaters are also good additions.
Beeline Restaurant.
Before then, I  liked the place too.
behrs shoes we can fit any human
believe Amigo's was the Mexican place you are talking about Mark.  They are still going strong with two locations.  The one in Altamonte and the other in Waterford Lakes.  I haven't been to Orlando since my dad remarried and moved to VA when I was nineteen but I keep up via the net!  Also, My mom managed Amigo's in Altamonte.  My dad also worked there too.  Also my dad and I went to Mystery Fun House and got stuck in the Mirror Maze.  Also Mark, There was a Chi-Chi's between 17-92 and 436 as well as a Casa Gillardo.
believe that Mystery Fun House was mentioned also I would like to say that Gayfer's was bought out by Dillard's.  Also, Montgomery Ward shut down.  There was also one in Altamonte.
believe there was a White Castle on Michigan near the Sun Bank also-  that then became a Gabriel's Subs and is now an oil change place?
Belk Lindsey - department store
BELZ outlet mall- Yes I love the new mall, but i grew up with the BELZ mall. The old part was so tacky and rundown.
Ben White Race Raceway - Lee Road and Forest City
Bennigan's I-Drive,
Best B-B-Q: S/W corner Holder Av and SOBT next to Ibry Stutchman Vacuum Store
Best B-B-Q: S/W corner Holder Av and SOBT next to Ibry Stutchman Vacuum Store
bet a lot of people remember the "Worlds Largest Board" in front of the Mills and Nebraska lumber store. And maybe a few who remember the full size statue of a boxer dog on top of a veteranians office across the street.
Big Bamboo Lounge.
big bang
Big Daddy's - East 436, past 17-92 from I-4.  They closed it down and eventually it became Rachel's North.
Big daddy's in Fern Park
Bill Baer TV stores
Bill Vermillion died just a couple of years ago in Orlando.
Bingo! It's G.D. Ritzy's all right! That's the sign I remember! Thanks a bunch for the link!
Black-eyed Pea-restaurant with several locations I the Orlando area.  The one I remember most is on University.  I never ate there when it wa in Orlando but it lasted longer in Atlanta and they had a good chicken sandwich.
Blake!  I remember The Fun Machine in Casselberry!  My dad and I played arcade games there when I was little!  There and starbucks!
Blazin piano's
Blazin' Piano's - Church Street.  Closed and relocated on Disney property.
blondie's (in the ramada inn, colonial near alafaya).:
blue moon next to parliament House
Boardwalk & Baseball
Boardwalk and Baseball - Who doesn't remember this...
Boardwalk and Baseball, out there in Polk county. Been gone for years
Boardwalk Fries???  Perhaps at the Florida Mall.
Bodega Steakhouse by Court of Flags/ Worst Bar
Bodhisattva - Best bar after Go Lounge closed.  So sad its gone.  Was on Magnolia I think?  Bar downstairs where the bartenders would load up the credits when we came in because they liked our taste in music.  Upstairs was a dance floor and a stage for some local and indie bands.
Bodhisattva is a great one. It was on Court St actually, and it acquired some of the items (jukebox) and employees of Go Lounge. Played an improv jazz jam there for literally 1 person, who left during the set.
Bomaby Bicycle club
Bombay Bicycle Club - East 436.  First time I was ever served alcohol!  I went on a first date with a guy who was 25 when I was only 17.   I swear to God, only asked for a tea and the waiter brought me a Long Island Iced Tea.  Imagine my surprise after taking the first sip!!!
Bonanza
Bonkers! - Comedy club, which now resides in the Why Not lounge, in an Altmonte Springs hotel. I think it may have had an original location?
Bonkerz Comedy Club.  Saw Ron and Fez from the Ron and Ron show perform...awesome!
Booby Trap - You couldn't miss this place.
Bookstop was in Altamonte and I think Starbucks was in Longwood.  Where exactly was Break Time?  Also, WOFL when it was good and their jingle.  (da-da-da-da-da-da!)  As well as Class 105.9 with a mix of 60s-80s music.
both of the locations I mentioned opened approximately, 1988.  Summer 1988, were there any more locations besides those two?
bought a used car from Artie Grindle (Art's Shits-ter son) and regretted it- but did eventually get my  trade in back!
bought my very first brand new car at Norman Brothers Datsun in 1980.  Most people don't even know what a "Datsun" is anymore.
Bourbon street
Bowties Altamonte
Branch Ranch - This is a restaurant off of I-4 before you get to Tampa.  We would drive over there after Church.  County eating family style.  I think they are still in business.
Bravo to Jeff for getting a mention in the Sentinel. I'll have to ask my cousin, as there was a place he used to take us that he said was the devils neighborhood, and he pointed out things, not sure if it was an overactive imagination or not. but I believed it.
break time was in longwood in the plaza where starbucks was I think
BriarPatch, SkyCraft and Ron Jon are all still open. I remember Waxtree.
brother and I  (and most everybody at the drive in) saw a UFO at the drive in on Orange ave  near Michigan that use to be a ZARES. Movie was Andromeda Strain! How fun was that?
Brothers 3 , got the Levi cords, OP and Lightning Bolt apparel there
btw Central Florida radio legend Rick Shaw is now at Sunny 105.9.  Also, there was Class 105.9, Star 101, CK 101, I could go on and on
BTW, Sam Behr did commercials for Sobik's Subs as well as the Holler family of dealerships.  I would love to see some of those commercials on youtube.  He came back to do those.  When Dad came back in the 2000s.  Speaking of Sobik's Subs.  I miss a good Sobik's Sub!  In the one-horse town in South Alabama that I live in, the only sub shop we have is Subway.  Sobik's puts subway to shame!
BTW: You have to scroll to page 23. It says it was in the Hotel Plaza at Lake Eola (and that the announcement re: Disney World being build was made there)
Bubble Room- Loved that place. My parents took me for my 16th birthday.
Buffalo Cafe at Hoffner and Conway.
Builders Square - Something like home depot.  My mom got her purse stolen by one of the employees there!  Cops came and arrested the guy.
Burdine's
Burger Chef - Edgewater & Lee Rd.  Burger chef and Jeff advertising, used to stop on the way home from BM HS
Burger Chef where Burger King now sits on S. Orange ave and Michigan where you could concoct your own behemoth burger with all the fixin's.
But I may be wrong.
But there was a playworld over by fashion square that opened in the 60's or 70's, that's the only one I remember.
Buzz Moz BBQ in Apopka across from Trinity
C Hill's world of wheels
Calico Jacks
came across this site by accident yesterday when I was looking up some references to Steve's Southern Music Store in downtown on Orange Ave. I used to have a collection of 4000+ 45's, LP's and the like that I got most from that little store. I know he closed his store... then sometime later, that building burnt down.
Can anyone confirm my memories of a Jack In The Box restaurant?
can remember as a kid catching the yellow and gree city buses for a dime (or a quarter I don't recall at the moment( and going downtown to do to Sears, J.C. Penney's, Iveys, all the 5 & 10 cent stores, (like Mccroy's... Kresses...) There used to be a newspaper/magazine shop I'd go to buy my wrestling magazines from. (There was also a Morrison's Cafeteria downtown as well.
can remember when Kirkman Road was a narrow 4-lane road (or it might have been 2 lane). Also, when Apopka Vineland was only 2 lane...as well as Conroy Road. That Christian Church on the corner of Hiawassee & Conroy Rd, used to be Baptist church when it was established back in 1963 - my family were charter members - Mrs. Conroy went there too!
Can we start a fund to save Gabriel's?
Can't believe I just found YELP - and oh! the memories brings of my Rollins/ Disney/ Orlando days - 1969-73!  The Ronne's Deli reference reminded me of the "Mogambo Extravaganza" 14-scoop ice cream sundae they had!  Hadn't seen Beefy King fast food near Rollins or the night club attached to it on the thread.  Beef & Bottle Restaurant on Park Ave.  Howzabout Waffle House in WP - best fried chicken & waffles ever!  Thanks, y'all, for  refreshing some of the best memories I have in my almost 60 yrs!  Hofbrau House Restaurant, Phi Delta Theta frat hangout - and the grove keg parties - I'm getting zits again just thinking about it all, ROFLMAO!
can't believe its not yogurt
can't believe no one's mentioned the Schlotzsky's restaurant where SeaThai is now. The Schlotzky's Original sandwich was so addicting.  My heart broke when they closed up shop ;[
can't remember the name of the coliseum I saw Blue Cheer. Small venue - especially for this MEGA Db  band! Maybe Winter Park Coliseum?
Cantina
Caruso's Palace before Race Rock it was a very beautiful restaurant
Casa Gallardo.
Casa Lupita - A mexican place in Lk Howell Sq that was designed like an aztec temple on the inside, and had tile on the tables. So everytime you put your glass down, it sounded like you were slamming it.  Had my first sopapilla here. 
Caution -it would probably get you a ride to the 33rd st. B&B if it were today.
Cellular One - Everywhere.  Cell Company.
century 21 theater on bennett, i believe, near the old naval training center. - one of the very first "cinema pubs".
Chappy's after hours bar on 436 Casselberry
Charles Stump - Channel 2 weather man
Charlie's Bar - on the corner of Lake Howell and Howell Branch.  I did actually get to go in before it closed for good.  They always had funny sayings on their sign out front.
Chastain's restaurant - also on OBT.
Chastain's Restaurant on 441 with the tower out front that was a WHOO radio studio for a while
Cheek to Cheek was the nightclub in the Villa Nova Restaurant at 17/92 and Lee Road.  Saw Phoebe Snow, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Rankin, Dr. John, Livingston Taylor.  Genius Dr. was the place that someone mentioned that had the peacocks off Fairbanks in Winter Park.  Chubbies on Colonial Dr., Rachels on the roof of the Interior Design Center in Altamonte Springs was an offshoot of Two Flights Up in Winter Park (loved Crooner, a local band, there!)
Cherokee Station, a line dancing place on 436 just past 434 intersection, across from the now Kohl's plaza. (early-mid 1990's)
Cherokee, a line dancing place near 434/436
Cherry Plaza is mentioned here, in an excerpt from Remembering Orlando: tales from Elvis to Disney
Chez Jose'!
Chi-Chi's My mom worked at the one briefly between 17-92 and 436 before managing the Amigo's in Altamonte.  Also, she worked at the Village Inn on 17-92 in Casselberry.
Chi-Chi's! Mexican restaurant at the corner of Colonial and Maguire. A bit of an institution, before the wave of Mexican restaurants like Chevy's, Don Pablo's and Amigo's began springing up. After it closed in the late 80's or early 90's, the building sat there forever until it was finally mowed down for some crappy 'free phones' mini-mall.
Chi-chi's.
Chili Bordello on Edgewater Drive - anything more than a mouthful was wasted. GREAT waitstaff and always something to catch your eye.
China Coast ( Darden, very PF Changs)
China Coast on I drive Excellent buffet
Chris's House of Beef.....can't remember where it was though. Ok, here's one that's very obscure. On I Drive 1 or 2 blocks down from Bennigan's, a little bar behind the row of tourist shops and underneath, like a basement space. Nothing but a few dart games and bar, the kick ass  Mai Tai's/ LI tea's weren't bad:) I was dating a bartender from the Radisson Aquatic Center that had recently opened and this little place was a bar employee's hang out Day or night.
Christ's House of Beef was about a block north of the NE corner of  John Young Parkway and Colonial Drive (W, Hwy 50) A member of my family had their wedding reception there 22 years ago - that building is still there.
Church Street Station!
Circus circus
Circus World / Boardwalk and Baseball - CW from 1973-1986, B&B from 1987-1990. Huge theme park with rollercoasters and a "midway" not unlike one you'd find a a big county fair! As B&B, they added a baseball field and some other crap no one cared about. I can't remember what else they had. Anyone?
Circus World toy store (Fashion Square Mall)
Citrus Tower - Still there I think...
City Jazz - Universal City Walk - Great house band there!  Wish they hadn't closed it to put in a sucker's version of American Idol!
City of Cars dealership - may still be on W Colonial.  TV commercials with owner Ross Golder with the tag line, "Aw, come on, Ross!"
Class Breaks - A pool hall in the shopping center at Alafaya and University.  Had a great juke box, and would serve the underage girls (which worked out nicely for me at the time).
Cloth World (Corner of Holden & OBT)
Club Cairo, in the early-mid 90's.
Club Juana - 17-92 and 436.  Closed and purchased by FDOT  to build planned overpass.  However, this has stalled and all now believe it was just a way for the county and state to "get ride of" the adult entertainment industry in that area.
Club Juana & Circus Circus in Maitland. Strip clubs used to actually have nudity in Orlando & drinks didn't cost a fortune.
Club Nowhere. Cruddy little bar on Bennett Rd, near the Roxy. More or less a punk bar. Green Day played here in 1993 or so, right before they got big.
Club R Winter Park
club spacefish
Club Spacefish used to be on West Church Street, but I think it was where Independent bar is now before that. GG Allin played there once I heard, I went to see a band once, I remember some weird wrought iron central piece of art that formed their logo.
Club Z - little hole in the wall gothy club in the strip where Club Phoenix is on Aloma, they used to be next door to each other - connected, I believe?
Colonial Plaza Rocking Chair Theater ??? Not sure if they are still open or not.
Colonial Plaza was great right before it met its doom -- so underpopulated that you could run several errands in one lunch hour, no problem. I used to call it the Ghost Mall. 
Colony Theater - downtown Winter Park
Congrats to Jeff for creating the most prolific thread in Orlando Yelp history... this one's been going strong for months now !
Conway Twin Theaters - Right off of Curry Ford, near Gabriels! I saw Star Wars 1 here. Now it's a damn Dollar Store/Beef O'Brady's. Boo!
Cool World, downtown hippie shop near Washington and Orange.
Copper Penny on SOBT near Lancaster
Cops would have to direct traffic through this narrow neighborhood street because of all the people wanting to see it.   ...Which is probably why they stopped doing it.
Cordon Blue/Harper's tavern in WP
Cork and Cleaver
Cork and Cleaver Kirkman Road
Cork and Cleaver. I haven't heard that name in moons.
Correction please....WORJ was at 107.7 on FM.  96.5 FM was originally WHOO FM.   I worked there after the call letters had changed to WHTQ.  WDIZ  was on 100.3 FM & I was their afternoon competition over at Q-96.  You guys also overlooked Orlando's 1st radio station - WDBO which began life as an engineering project at Rollins College.  PS.....channel 9 was originally WLOF TV.
Cosmic Concerts at John Young Planetarium
Cosmic Concerts at the John Young Planetarium
Costa Del Sol... A Spanish restaurant in South Orlando. I miss it!
Costanza's Italian and Subs
couple came shots (at very bottom  of site)  but ZERO  history on him tho - sadly.
Court of Flags, my Dad managed that place back in the 70's
court of flags! and theya had a huge map of the usa
Croc Club both Winter Park
Crocodile Club ( In back of Bailey's on Fairbanks in WP )
Crooked Bayou is now closed. I could also mention India 4 U, but no one really knew of that place.
Crown lounge Altamonte
Cruizin' I-Drive and Park Avenue - Need I say more???
Crusty's Pizza - 434 $ 436 real hand tossed pizza, brick oven style.
Cumberland Farms convenience stores
Custard's Last Stand.  I just can't pinpoint where this icecream parlor was located.
Cyberzone. BYOB bar on Lee Rd. Raver club.
Cypress Gardens
Cypress Gardens- I wanted to be one of the girls in those huge dresses! LOL
Da Hook - Crappy little hip-hop mixtape store on 436 near Colonial High School. This weird Puerto Rican guy with a high-pitched voice worked there slinging tapes. You'd ask him if he had something and he'd shoot some loud, overzealous response back at you, like "YEAH KID WE GOT DAT, SHIT'S OFF DA HOOK!!"
dad was a firefighter in Goldenrod and had keys to the gatehouse to access the property in case of fire, which there were several lit by vandals. I had many private tours as a child.  All the buildings were made of solid marble blocks and huge timbers, and the entire roof was copper. The house was never totally completed or lived in. You remember things as being bigger when you are a child, but the main house was between 10,000 to 15,000 sq feet, as it dwarfed the boathouse...which in itself is 2-3 times as big as any of the new homes built around it.  Glenn Turner was arrested for running illegal pyramid schemes during its construction. Interestingly enough, the main road in the new gated community is called "Old Castle Dr." People who live there probably don't even know why its called that.
Dale, the link to that what-a-burger article is now defunct, do you remember why they said they were closing?  The What-a-burger on University Blvd near Goldenrod was always jam packed in the middle of the night. Hard to imagine they weren't doing good business.
Dam Parties behind Sea World
Dam Parties behind Sea World for the employees ( near Swamp Ghost )
Dancing waters! Great find I haven't heard of that one
Darryl's I-Drive,
Daytona and New Smyrna Beach - Remember when we had FREE access to this 24-7?
Daytona Beach Board Walk - Most, if not all, shops/eateries closed in early 2000's.
Dean's Go Cart Track in south Orlando
Dean's Little Wheels Go-cart Track on Lancaster
Decades on Park Ave Winter Park
Del Taco is back!  There are two in closed Fazoli's locations, in Oviedo in from of Lowe's on Red Bug Lake Road, and the other is on University Ave near UCF.
Denmarks Sporting Goods (Colonial Plaza Mall)
Denmarks' Sporting Goods -downtown store
Dialing for Dollars Movie: it aired every afternoon on WFTV channel 9. A red haired guy they called Uncle Russ hosted the show. Every commercial break they would spin a wheel to get the count and they would start with $9 on the board. A guest would reach into a hopper and pull out a piece of the phone book. Using the "count" he would go to that name and try and call the number. If you answered and gave him the "count and the amount" you won the cash prize.
Did anyone ever mention Knights Out Pub? I think it died as well.
Did anyone mention East\West Records and Tapes?  There was one on the East and West side of town, East side: 1792 next to the power grid, near WP Village.  It's Static now and haven't been there.  West side was on Orange Ave... never went to that one. 
Did anyone mention Freddie's Steakhouse?
did anyone mention kids at play and leaps and bounds? they were sorta like chuckie cheese I loved those places as a kid.  There was also a place where starbucks used to be in casselberry called break time, it was a place for young people to hang and play games, shoot pool listen to music ect..I never went there or knew about it til I saw an article at my house. There was also another toy store other than lionel playworld, they had a big screen set up in the front where they let kids watch movies. They also let kids ride on toys, if anyone remembers the name let me know. It's not wierd but there used to be a bookm store where they would do crafts and story time. I loved it as a kid it was called book stop. There was also a place that I think closed recently in winter park where you could go play video games, I don't remember the name.
Did anyone mention Splendid China or that Laser Tag place that used to be downtown? The laser tag place was cool, but Splended China was just lame.
Did anyone mention Steak and Ale?  They had several locations throughout Central Florida.  One thing that sticks out in my mind is the pewter colored salad plates being ice cold.
Did anyone mention the Bowliseum or Coliseum, now the antique row off Orlando Ave south of Princeton street?
Did anyone mention the following...
did anyone mention The Junkyard? a great jazz/blues bar in Casselberry. a mixed crowd, live music & some damn good hot boiled peanuts.
Did anyone say Jungle Jim's?! It's been stomped out by the huge un-finished condos on Church Street ... I liked the drinks with plastic monkeys in them
Did anyone say Negril Cove yet on W. Church Street?! I used to go there in the late 80's, if you were tall enough to see over the counter the Jamacan ladies would serve you an ice cold Red Stripe. They had the best reggae bands in a smoke filled, dank, dark dancehall/room. They got shut down numerous times for underage serving and the bums outside would run a scam and charge parking when there was no charge.
Did Jeff mention Ole Ole?  A recent extinction.
Did Sambo's change its name to Denny's or did Denny's buy them out? I never was sure.
Did Walt Disney "River Country" ever get mentioned? Read in the Slantinel this week that it's walled off and overgrown with weeds. What a shame, took my kids there multiple times, simple yet best park on Disney property 20+ years ago.
Did we previously talk about the coliseum?
did you go see Sabbath? I bet that was Epic
Didn't there used to be a Barney's Bar-B-Que in the Pine Castle area on the east side of S. Orange Avenue between Lancaster and Sand Lake?
Didn't they take down that big tree at big tree park?
Dino's Pizza
Dino's Pizza at Hoffner and Conway.
Dino's pizza was awesome. My Dad would take the family to the one on Oakridge Road.
Dino's Pizza. (Multiple locations) Cool pizza joint to hang out with the gang, eat some damn good hand-tossed pizza, suck down Coca-Cola with your buds, and play some video games. The location on Curry Ford also had a autographed, framed photo of Molly Hatchet.
dinos! hahhaa, god conway twin, talk about draggin' some out of the ditch.
Dipper Dan Ice Cream in the Orange Blossom Center
Dipper Dan Ice Cream Parlor
Dipper Dan's Ice Cream Shop- always got the bubblegum flavor
Discovery Zone
Discovery Zone (Colonial & Powers)
Discovery Zone and Leaps and Bounds were what Monkey Joes wishes it could be.
Disney Preview Center - Anyone remember this place on Lake Buena Vista before Disney was built.  You could go in and see a model of the Magic Kingdom.
Disney the Destroyer
DIY Records. Cool punk/harcore music store that was on Mill's near Will's Pub for a while, then it moved over off of University Blvd. They would book local bands from time to time, and whenever I drove by during those shows I'd see MEGA kids outside hanging around. Looked like a nightmare situation.
Dmv at curryford and bumby.....took driving test there...
Does any one remember right off of I4 at 436  coming from downtown there use to be a bar with a pool. I always thought it was cool as a kid. All I remember is girls in neon color tiny bikins and my mom telling me I can't go to the pool because it was for adults.
Does anybody remeber a bar in Casselberry on 17-92 that had a microphone so you could sing along with the juke box?
Does anybody remember the greatest roast beef sandwich restaurant ever in Orlando called Beefy King on Colonial Ave?  This place had real roast beef sandwiches not that crap they serve at Arbies today.  They where amazing!  The old Steak N Shake was cool too.  Another cool place was the Cinema Pub on O.B.T. my Brother worked there all through High School.
Does anyone else find this thread slightly depressing?
Does anyone have the link to the Sentinel article where this was mentioned?
Does anyone remember Cafe Americana?  It was kind of in that same vicinity on Americana Boulevard.  Used to go there to dance alot when I was first in Orlando.
Does anyone remember Duff's restaurants?
Does anyone remember Nichol's Alley?  It was off Orange Ave on Amelia. Nickel beer on Wednesdays.  It was turned into a country bar complete with an electronic bull ride and I believe it was one other type club before it closed for good.  Man I miss club dancing!  What about Park Avenue Disco on NOBT, male revues though I can't remember what night.
Does anyone remember Spur gas station? It was on Princeton near I-4, where Chevron is now?
Does anyone remember the Cinema Pub on SOBT (in the 80s)?  It was one of the first places of that type, but I remember it being really disgusting.  Saw "Mad Max" there, and the cheap beer and cockroaches added to the atmosphere.
Does anyone remember The Erotic Donut on E. 50 right next to Union Park Middle School?
Does anyone remember the name of the downtown bar that is now Suite B?  The entrance was in that little indoor walkway/alley shared by Whiskey Dick's, Smokehouse BBQ, Vain, etc.
Does anyone remember the only rock station that Orlando had in the 70's;  WLOF with Johnny Sutton in the evenings?? Playing Vanllia Fudge, Box Tops, Tom Jones, Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts/Juice Newton Words & Music by Chip Taylor & There'll be no strings to bind your hands...
Does anyone remember the SHOE LODGE in the fashion square mall? It was located in the front of the mall where ruby Tuesday used to be...You walk inside the mall and it was on the right next to chic fil et when they were in the mall. I worked there at the shoe lodge....1991 and 92 ....What a great time I had....
Does anyone remember the tree house rooms at the Polynesian Disney, I think they are gone, was really jealous as a kid because my cousin got to stay in one when he was visiting us.
Does anyone remember The Worst Bar?  Off Kirkman and Major Blvd. in the now defunct Delta Court of Flags hotel?  That was a great local spot back in the early to mid 80's.
Does anyone remember when Kmart had their logo on almost everything they sold? I think I still have a pair of fold-able "Kmart" binoculars and camera film also, This was before everything was made in China I presume.
Does anyone remember when the East-West expressway used to end in Pine Hills between Hastings and Powers Drive? I used to work for the engineering company that designed the East-west and I recall seeing a final report on the design of the east west - in 1970 they were envisioning the western beltway to be located in the Hiawassee Road area. Progress and growth pushed it where it is today Ocoee/Winter Garden area where S.R.429 is today.
Does anyone remember when there was a Sonny's Restaurant on Oak Ridge Road just west of SOBT? Now the building is a veterinary clinic. And there used to be a Hardee's Restaurant on the corner of Lake Ellenor Drive and Oak Ridge Rd. sorta in the parking lot of that 8-story building that used to be the main offices of Darden Restaurants. I used to work in that building before we were forced to move out (to the airport area) because they were using that floor for the now defunct China Coast restaurants. And when (I want to say Art Grindle) opened a car lot on the corner of Oak Ridge Rd and S. Rio Grande Ave. that is now a strip mall. That was back in the early '80's. After the dealership went away, I think George Stuart office supplies had am outlet type store there. And they added other types of stores there that included a used book store,.a video store, and Dan's Family Restaurant. (The original Dan's Restaurant used to be downtown on S. Orange Avenue right next to Steve's Southern Music.) There were at least two more Dan's one on the east side of town and the other on West Colonial just west of   
Does anyone what the name of a nightclub that was in Altamonte in San Sebastion square that was for middle school kids? Used to be open in the 90's?
Does nobody else remember the adult theater at the Lee Road Howard Johnson at I-4, where Home Depot now stands?  I still don't recall whether they were adult because they ran independent/foreign films or soft-core porn.
Does Rennigers have old stuff? I'll check it out, thanks.
Dog-gone it, and I was looking forward to 2008!
Doing a history segment for a TV show - does anyone know or have family that knows where the drive in theaters were in the area?  I know where the Starlight was, trying to find Prairie Lake location (Altamonte Spr?) Ri-Mar, Winter Park, & Orlando Avenue drive -in...thank you!
Don Mealey Cheverolet - West Colonial Drive.  Maybe not your weird/fun place, but you weren't there in 1979.
Don Pablo's & Chevy's mexican restaurants.
Don't forget Mr. Dunderbak's Deli in the Fashion Square Mall, sadly missed for the finest in German, Swiss, Italian wines and cheeses of  all kinds.
don't have a lot to contribute as I never lived any closer than the Lakeland/ Tampa area. One memory I have is from the late 60's or very early 70's. I was sent to Orlando for a short 3-4 day business course. It seems there was a lot of action in several bowling alley's with lounges. Drinking, dancing, music. I remember it seeming weird that the bowling alleys had such lively goings on.
don't know that the restaurant/retail turnover rate is that much higher here than in other parts of the States.  Compared to the UK, though, it's probably the high rate of expansion and also Orlando is vastly more sprawling and suburban and built around cars and highways than, say, York. Malls, mini-malls, etc. were built to the modes of the times. Built and torn down. You see less of that elsewhere. Ever notice that whole stretch of East Colonial from Herndon to Semoran is dying. Even the Denny's closed up!  And all the closed movie theaters, especially the dollar ones of yore.
Don't remember seeing the 7-11 type place at Oak Ridge and OBT but I did work at the Oak Ridge cleaners in a strip center on the corner just across the street maybe? This was 1981-82 so might have been gone by then.
Don't remember Sweeney's, Farrells maybe? I do remember Orange Julius. There was also a place that served huge banana splits behind Colonial Mall, Ronnies I think. Colonial Mall seemed so boring compared to Fashion Square and Altamonte.  Does anyone remember what year Fashion Square opened? I used to love the Karmel Korn shop at Altamonte Mall, that place seemed so huge when I was a kid.
don't remember there being any Roy Rogers in Orlando.  Gosh!  I missed out!
don't think anybody has mentioned these two, having to do with restuarants:
don't think he's extinct, but he was weird --Glenn Turner, the notorious and disgraced "Dare to Be Great" motivational speaker and owner of Koscot Cosmetics. He built a castle somewhere around Orlando.
don't think I saw anyone mention the Orlando Drive In on the corner of Gore and the OB Trail. Up the road from there was The Big Apple - a two story department store. (Later became the Big Bee.) Building is still there. The East-West wiped out the Wig-Wam hotel. Another landmark hotel was the Tour-a-tell motel just south of 441 and 50 - with the neon sign of a guy jumping off a diving board in neon.  There was a Park 'n Shop grocery store on Gore, just west of 441.
don't think so, think that was something else.
don't think these have been said:
Donato's Pizza
Donna, your question about the Cherry Plaza is going to make me crazy.  I remember the name so well, but can't remember anything else about it.
Dots on Dot - Ice cream  parlor at OBT  across from MILLERS Dept. Store (before the K marts)
Doughnut Shop's Topless Waitresses Upset Parents
dove hunts at T,G,Lee Dairy now Lee Vista Center on Semoran Blvd
Downies - The name of that store on fern creek and kaley was downies.... I went to Boone high school ad went there every morning before school... How about Sunstate skating rink off of primrose... All night skates were the best! Lionel play world on 50 and maquire.... Golden triangle right next door to Lionel.... JM fields across the street.... Pantry Pride next to JM.... I could go on for days!!
Downies on kaley and ferncreek....Great place to have a milkshake after school (boone high)
Drive-in Movie theater on the corner of OBT and Clarcona Ocoee
Drive-in movies - Rimar in Lockhart
Drive-ins
driving  thru Colonial Dr. & Orange Ave- I looked at the northeast corner building and recalled the Discount Music Center- that later was leased to - I believe it was Merrill Norman Cosmetics?
drove by the Beeline Mexican restaurant many, many times as I  used to go to a church on Hoffner Ave back in the 70's - Trinity Baptist Church which is no longer there. The building is still there - but no longer a Baptist church. I never ate at that restaurant though. I do remember that there was also a decent wing place in that strip mall on the NW corner of Hoffner and Conway but I can't remember the name of it. I believe it was a small chain restaurant as there were a couple more in the central Fla. area. Use to go there a lot when I worked on T.G. Lee Blvd down by the airport.
Drove by what use to be the Sheraton Twin Towers last night - long since  renovated into The Rosen Plaza Hotel - Just  given 2 stars by Oak R. 
Duff's Smorgasbord? I think I remember going to a location at Curry Ford and Conway. There was also a Cinema Drafthouse over there, where I saw the movie Beastmaster 2.
Duke, was Joint in the Woods also known as "The Barn"?  It was litterally a barn with interior conversion into a bar where bands played back in the 1970's, maybe early 80's.  It was in the woods......
Dukes Fried Chicken 17-92 near Colonial Drive
E Gator's I cant remember where it is maybe out at International Drive? Not sure because I was really little but I remember I liked it.
E Gators was located in a complex called 'Florida Festival', it looked like large white tents. Inside was a shopping/eating and entertainment complex. Al E Gators was the most famous of the eateries inside although it was predominantly a bar.
Eagle Army/Navy Store on Curry Ford Road - good stuff cheap, though it wasn't really an army/navy store
earler posts, some were referring the Sambo's - one was located on the South Trail just south of Holden & the another one on West Colonial in Pine Hills just west of Kirkman.
earlier posts, some have mentioned the two orignal McDonalds - on E. Colonaial and on W. Colonial. My cousin was the manager of both of these.
Early 80s the Giraffe Lounge at the Buena Vista Palace was where the Disney employees partied.  That was also about the time the cinema pubs started.  There was a disgustingly dirty one on SOBT where I saw "Mad Max".  The one on Kirkman was nicer (and there was a fondue restaurant next door), but the one next to Jordan's Grove was the best:  foreign and indy films, tea, wine, etc.   Jordan's Grove was a nice restaurant back in the mid 80s too.  There was a "Peoples (Peebles?) Food Bar on International Dr that was a glorified salad bar, with the best marinated mushrooms.   Nearby was one of the first Bennigans. 
East India Ice Cream Company on Park Ave!!!
East India ice cream on Park Ave in Winter Park
East of town was the Sportatorium.
East West records on Orange Ave across from Ron Jon's Auto
East West Records still exists on South Orange Ave., so I didn't mention it. But I do remember the WP location. Way back!
East West Records: E side of Orange Av in Edgewood
Eckerd
Eckerd's. Drug store before Walgreens and CVS fucked everything up.
Eddie Graham sports arena - off econ north of 50 they tore it down years ago to build a neighborhood. I think they had an indoor soccer field, and low rent wrestling matches, I saw a couple concerts there, Suicidal Tendencies, Janes Addiction and Living Colour
eddie grahms sports arena
Eddy Js Fashions for Men: Second of two men's stores at Orange Blossom Center
Edgewater and Par bar
El Pollo Loco - The Crazy Chicken place!   I think they renamed\reinvented themselves as Pollo Tropical
El Pollo Loco was classic! I don't think I ever ate there, but I remember the name and dumb commercials for it, circa 1985.
Electric Ave. was on OBT I think and punk and hardcore bands used to play there, I first heard of it in 7th grade, don't know much more about it, I bet curtis does. It's a great name for a venue.
Electric Circus - Awesome arcade at Lake Howell Sq.  The UA theater was there too, as well as The ORIGINAL Broadway Pizza, which later turned into Johnny's Rockin' Bistro!   Oh... so many hours of wasted youth spent there.
elementary school way back, our teacher read us the story of Sambo. Times have changed, much for the better.
Ellis Drug Store (Holden & OBT)
Empress Lili: River Boat themed restaurant and lounge at Disney Village
Enterprize 1701... the Corrine drive location. Liked that place. Sci-fi city had a totally different feel to it.
Enzo's Restaurant Casselberry
Eric D on Real Radio, (Sunday Night Vinyl) spinning classic alternative and indie stuff, Sunday nights.
Eric L, this thread has gone to the dogs.
Every couple of weeks somebody from around here that moved out of town seems to come across it (Googling places from memories) and starts it back.
expect with this economy even more places from recent closures can be added to the now defunct list.
Explorations (Colonial & Good Holmes)
Fairbanks Inn, aka "FBI" - local bar/music venue at Fairbanks and Clay St. They catered more to metal bands and a grungy crowd. First place (and last) that I ever drank a Tom Collins! I saw a few shows here, and I was sad to see it go.
Fairway Markets 436/lk underhill, pine hills
FAO Schwarz opened in pointe orlando in '97. im bringin it waaaay back to like '87! LOL
Farrells - awesome ice-cream parlor in altamonte mall
Fashion Square Cinema...Was the best movie theater of its time....I worked there when Pretty in Pink was released....Good times.
Fashion Square? Oh, just saw this, sorry.
Fat Tuesdays on Park Ave. Another great Rollins hang out. Probably one of the cooler drink spots to ever come on to the Ave. It was frozen mixed drinks machines galore if I remember correctly.
Fat Tuesdays on Park Avenue in winter park, great for so many reasons.
FBI' became a doctor's office or something. McRaney's is actually up the road from there. It's not a bad bar, but VERY smoky.
Feature a full line of nationally advertised brands
Fern Park Station also rocked back in the day.  It was the only place that would serve me when I was underage.
fern park station rock and roll 80's style in a bunch of old rail cars  saw foreigner there
Ferrels ice cream shop in the mall
few I didn't already read:
few more that have come to mind:
few of the places I have built a webpage just so soem things wouldnt die forever. Court of Flags, Mystery Fun House, even Scotty's
few old time places that still exist ( as of last year)
few talked about Church Street Station... my uncle who was friends with Bob Snow did all the brass work for that place. (Once I was sitting in Sullivan's Trailway Lounge and someone asked me if I was Bod Snow as I did favor him.)
FIELDS.....Before Kmart
Firestone and OZ...always loved dressing up and dancing with the girls
First a question - where was The Cherry Plaza?  I remember my parents taking me there as a child
first job W4 came from the Burger King couple doors down -before they moved a little further down the trail.
first Mcdonald in Orlando corner of 50 and where the Best Buy is now near Old Cheney road
Flash dancer
Flash Dancer - Orange Blossom Trail and Holden.  Strip-club.
Flea market on east Colonial - Super trashy, awesome place. "Booths" sold stuff like profanity-laden t-shirts, porn mags & vids, garage-sale trinkets, and general useless crap. My friends and I had a little lowrider bike club and we'd find vintage parts for the bikes here. It shut down in the mid 90s and sat abandoned for years, eventually reaching a sort of mad-max level of neglect. A bum drank himself to death there around 97. I think it's a car lot now or something.
Florida Championship Wrestling: held at the Eddy Graham Sports Complex. Hosted by Gordon Solie, he ended every telecast with the line "this is Gordon Solie saying, so long from the sunshine state."
Florida Festival, don't know if any one mentioned it
Folks- Try and use the search  engine at top left of page before you ask: "anyone mention..."  unless you have a personal antidote to add?
Food Fair -  Edgewater Plaza, now were talking pre dating extinct Pantry Pride even
Food Lion
Food World - Edgewater Drive, Publix owned this brand but closed it, preferring their higher end logo.
Food World (College Park where Once Upon a Stage was) 60's
food world supermarket -- colonial and 436. home depot now stands there.
Foot Locker-Park Ave, Oh ya Footlocker on Park Avenue, who would believe it right? Well it was there!!
for almost every fancy family celebration.  My first Shirley Temple was from there. 
For an earlier poster...I used to work at "The Worst Bar" in the Delta Court of Flags" resort...DeeJay'd, did the lights for the band "Thriller"...
for food
For kids we have
For old forgotten chains
For the after work Disney crowd:(besides Giraffe already listed)
For those of you interested in the history of winter park, there is an awesome exhibit at the WP  museum right no, next UKto the farmer market, they list a a lot of store and restaurants from the 60s &70s
forget the dinner theater across from Sound Advice
Forgot Coyotee Grill in Winter Park.....cheap beer and comfort food
Forgot something SAMBOS still around
Forgot to mention the property was somewhere off of Colonial.
Found it!  It was called, Knock Knock!!
Fox hole
Foxhole - East Colonial Drive.  Closed and then re-opened as Dancer's Royale
Frat House- Divey bar near UCF !  I always drank underage there !
Freddie's Steak House - Fern Park
Freddie's Steakhouse -in Fern Park
friend sent me a link to this and the memories just rushed back. I did take the time to read through the posts, so if I repeat something it must have some significance.  I was born in Orlando, and lived in the Conway/Dover Shores area, then Central Florida all my life.
friends parent used to take us to Casa Gallardo, it was big deal and it wasn't cheap, great mexican food. Does anyone remember the Mrs. Roger Holler commercials on BJ105?
Frisch's Big Boy! (multiple locations). Family eatery. Some towns in the US still have them.
From the Heart!  A girly girl store on Park Ave and Altamonte Mall.  They specialized in filly pens, pencils, erasers and note pads, and these little red hot heart shaped candies.
Frontage Road - Pre 9/11, it was THE spot to watch planes land, and other stuff!
Fruitstand on bumby and curryford....parents got our pumpkin there for Halloween!
FTU - Florida Technological University ....  which is now UCF.
Fun & Wheels
Fun and wheels on Idrive..
Fun Machine in Casselberry
Fun n' Wheels - spent many lazy Saturday afternoons there. I seem to recall a lot of arcade games out under a tarp or canopy. It was always good for a couple hours, but even as a kid I thought it was a little dumpy. Also remember Mystery Fun House - very 70's/80's decor. I still remember walking in the front of the rather large (from what I recall) arcade and hearing the loud noises/music/coins, etc from all the arcade machines. I remember the trippy wizard mural in the enclosed part of the mini golf course that was a little creepy. The fun house section was fun and cheesy, especially around Halloween when they had people in costumes follow you around. Gotta admit - if you grew up in Orlando, you were pretty spoiled as a kid when it came to attractions/amusements.
Fun n' Wheels. Another race cart and video game place to waste your coin-operated life away.
Fun read here.
Funny Ryan! Off Da Hook sounds like a great place to get lit.
G.D. Ritzy's - hot dog/hamburger joint, don't remember where it was, but I remember it was good!
Gail, great stories! I had no idea Hendrix played Eddie Graham Sports Stadium. I saw Janes Addiction, Suicidal Tendencies, Kings X, Living colour play there, it was a cool place.
Gail, I found this link
Gary's duck in- Seafood joint
Gary's Duck Inn - SOBT
Gary's Duck Inn (the inspiration for the Red Lobster) was on the corner of the South Orange Blossom Trail and 39th Street. There has been an empty lot in that space since it's demolition.
Gary's Duck Inn a seafood restaurant on OBT.
Gary's Duck Inn was really good.  It was on SOBT.
Gary's Duck Inn was the inspiration for Red Lobster.
Gary's Duck Inn, (basis of first red lobster)
Gary's Duck Inn! Mark Fore and Strike, preppy clothes in Winter Park.
Gayfer's - department store?
GD Ritzy's. - A hamburger place on Orange Ave, near Kaley. I'll be really surprised if anyone remembers this one! Food was similar to Steak n Shake, but the place was a bit fancier. I loved their hamburgers and fries. Yummo!
Geez Jeff, I just noticed you started this in March of 2008!  Should we contact Guinness Book of World Records?
Genghis Khan Mongolian bbq
Genius Drive in Winter Park used to be a spooky drive at night with crying peacocks, very eerie sounding. And the legend was that you risked your life driving through there at night, because an old man would come running out of his house with a rifle.  I think it's closed to thru traffic now.
Get your rocks off with rockin' ronnie burns @ headlightz KARAOKE! now torn down near the corner of 50 and alafaya.
Gibbs Louie department store which used to be in Longwood, Winter Park mall, Colonial Plaza, and downtown on Orange Ave.
glenn turner's haunted castle (by the orlando jaycees)
Go Lounge - Fav bar of all time (so far). Small, dank, jazzy, chock full of interesting beers. The garage area out back lent itself to many a clandestine encounter. Lot's of local bands played here, as did a few small regional and national bands. Became the Globe.
Go Lounge was such a hole, but I loved it,
Godfather's Pizza - I think this was on Lee Rd, but I could be wrong. It was on a corner, and they had video games, and decent pizza
Gold Key Inn and the Picadilly
Gold Key Inn, what was that? A restaurant or hotel? I remember passing that in the car when I was a kid. Did anyone here go to Wilson's Shoes in Orlando? They a had a merry go round you could peddle.
Golden Point restaurant - A chain drive-in back in the 60's and 70's serving hamburgers. It had a red roof that started at ground level and went up about 30 feet like an A-frame. At the top was (you guessed it) a golden point. There was one in Winter Park on Fairbanks just past where it intersects with Orange. That spot is now an office building. Another was on OBT south of Central. I believe the building is still intact but has seen some modifications.
Golden Triangle.....Was like a small Target
Good job Annette. The Naval Base and Manatee's needed to be on here.
Good work Ann, but please don't repeat places we said above.
Gooding's grocery store in Casselberry.
Goodings in Maitland
Goodlife's ( on Park Avenue )
Goodlifes' north end of Park Ave.
Goodys Ice Cream at Winter Park Mall (chocolate soft serve in a dish swirled high)
Grady's american grill on semoran, best brocoli cheese soup in the city
grandmother dragged us to Six Gun Territory when it was in its last throes -- half  the rides were disassembled and everything in the gift shop was marked down. The little vaudeville show was so pathetic. At the time, we were wretchedly disappointed, but it became a treasured family joke (never shared with Grandma) and 30-odd years later we still talk about that place.
Grants (like TG&Y and McCrorys) it was at Colonial Plaza facing Colonial Drive with bright orange lettering as a sign
Graze & Sanctuary Restarants, Graze was hopping the 7 or 8 times we went there and the transformation from FiFi's to Sanctuary was a great idea that looked like it was working the 5 times we went.
Greasy chili served in a half cantaloupe (no dishes to wash!).
Great recall !- that is the stereo place I was asking about ; couple of feet above the post!
Great thread.  Enjoyed reading all the posts.  What would be interesting is to hear how people came across this discussion.  I can't even remember what I was 'googling' when I stumbled upon it.
Ground Round, great food and drink deals!!....was on Colonial/50 ??? I think heading to the fairgrounds....a restaurant/bar on the backside of the Altamonte Mall, was 2 levels I think, wall was glass and looked out on Crane's Roost condos, great food......the old Big Daddy's on south OBT with liquor store in front, across from the old Holiday Inn, somee history there:).....the night club in the former ?? I Drive Marriott, definitely history there!...There was a bar/restaurant with a great happy hour (1983) on 436 near Red Bug rd??? I think, had free buffets 5 nghts week, the mexican one rocked....great little Greek breakfast/lunch spot across from the Winter Park City Hall, breakfast was like a buck and change and the lamb was already roasting on the counter at 7am...could never decide between a morning gyro or eggs and such. I believe it was bulldozed for the ugly mall there now.....
Gulf and Unical are other gas stations we used to had.
Guy's and dolls was a really good rememberance. It was Behr's Shoes, Sam Behr was his name and he is the guy who did the allied tires commercials.
Guys and Dolls - never actually went there, but it was a little shack of a bar that was next to the executive airport, on the curve where Robinson turns into Crystal Lake.  Apparently, way way way back, it had a small motel attached where the pilots could stay when they flew in.  One of my elderly neighbors met her husband there.
Habitat Apartments the Adult Apartments with the "super pool" I couldn't wait to grow up and party there(and did too!)
Had my very last Taco Salad there. (25+ -  years ago.) I will never forget that night of pure anguish! Just can't bring myself to EVER eat another one - that bad - both ends worked over time...
Halloumi cheese on the grill and some asian-style ribs
Hamburger Crazy Orlando, there is only ONE Hardees/ Carls, and it's in Pine Hills.
hands down the best topic ever!
Hard to believe that Church Street Station/Rosie O'Grady's went under.  That was such a huge tourist attraction back in the day!!  Also (from my vacations in Orlando in the late 70s):  Florida Festival across from SeaWorld.  Strange shaped building with shops and restaurants.  Also, there were deer that you could feed (buying food for a quarter) at SeaWorld back then.
Harold and Maude's. Only went once for coffee or something. If I remember correctly, it just to the left of the Go Lounge which is where Slingapour's is.
Harold and Maudes
Harpers, and le cordon bleu, rebuilt as harpers, then coytes, and now O'Boys.
Has anyone ever mentioned Village Inn?  There was one on 17-92 in Casselberry that my mom managed as well as one in Winter Park.  Also, the Patio Grill on 434 in Longwood.
Has anyone mentioned King Henry's Feast? I remember getting up and dancing with the "king".
Has anyone mentioned Pizza Den?
Hauling ass from downtown at 150am to make it to Wally's Liquor on Mills before 2!!
Have a nice day cafe- LOVED this place. It was so cheesy it was fun. And the fishbowls where great.
Have a Nice Day Cafe...what a trip that place was...my soriety used to have socials there.
Have we mentioned previously the Dancing Waters Restaurant on West Colonial Drive?  It was unique because in addition to it being a fine dining restaurant, there was entertainment in the form of "dancing waters".  There were water fountains in a stage area in front of the open eating area.  Geysers would shoot and spurt up to the sound of musical selections, and there were lighted backdrops that would also change like the waters in time to the music.  I went there around 1970 or so, and there was nothing else like it in Central Florida.  I was located on the south side of West Colonial drive, just east of the old Pontiac car dealership at the corner of N. Orange Blossom Trail and Colonial.
having to go to lakeland to watch concerts for big name acts
Headlightz! Now you're cookin'. Bar in the middle of nowhere on 50. I celebrated a birthday there, and did karaoke in the style of Tony Clifton! (Andy Kaufman's altered beast persona)
Heavens  no!  WORJ occupied FM 96.5 radio waveband.  Later, it changed to WDIZ, and it is now it is, of course, WHTQ, which plans Classic Rock (or at least top 10 classic rock, for the most part).  WORJ was the first "head" station, and they played not only those songs by the Great RNR artists of the time, but also their songs from the rest of the album sides that never were "top 10 material".  WORJ used to play entire album sides and was at one time commercial-free.  How about that!
Helluva good list, Mark B!  I'm approaching 60 and have lived here off and on, mostly on, since 1962.  Good memories.
Herb"s Drive-In - corner of 441 and 50.  Had a sign with a mechanical monkey riding a dog.  Monkey would be dressed in costumes to reflect the season.
Here are a few places in Kissimmee that I can think of:
Here are some others that might not have been mentioned:
Here are some that I think weren't mentioned?
Here are two more:
here is a weird one for you, out at i drive I think it was the early to mid 90s some guy named crazy jorge stood on top of a very tall pole for like 3 months. anyone remember that? it was basically where pirates is now
here is what you might find at magic mall: http://www.wftv.com/news…
Here's a couple that I didn't se on the board.
Here's a few I didn't see mentioned: Sir Pizza in WP on 17-92 (they had a beef boat sandwich that melted in your mouth), and how about Fairway Markets..did you ever try their deli fried chicken?! How about downtown, the Robert Meyer hotel, or the Angebilt? Orlando is a city that has never stopped morphing.
Here's a great article about "Weird Beard" Bill Vermillion, with a tribute from Pat Thompson (Pat O'Day).  Weird Beard died in 2008.
Here's an interesting article about the Stars hall of fame which became HBJ world of learning. http://www.lostparks.com…
Here's one for you:  Anyone remember the "Bithlo Rock Festival", summer of  either 1969 or 1970?  The location it was held is now known as Orange County Raceway (dragstrip, oval racetrack, and dirtbike racing, etc.).
Here's one I don't think anyone has mentioned, although I'm still trying to read through this fantastic posting in full..........The Swedish Smorgasbord............(thanks spellcheck:). It was on Colonial/Hwy 50 somewhere near the airport. It had a huge wooden horse painted with Scandinavian designs close to the height of the building out front. They sold carved replicas of the horse and Scandinavian crafts in a gift area.  We lived in Melbourne then and would stop every time coming and going from Disney for years or when relatives came to town. I still have 2 of the carved horses somewhere. I moved to Orlando in 1982 and I think it was gone by then but never got out that way to check until years later.
Hogie Dave's - College Park, short lived but tasty hot oven grinders, had a hot ham & turkey, hmm
Holiday House - is that place still there?
Holiday House (?) - Great upscale buffet on SOBT and Oak Ridge Rd.
Hospitality House - Seaworld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa.  Closed to be re-opened sometime in 2009 or 2010 as a restaurant.
Hot n' Now - Notice there's no mention of 'fresh' or 'healthy'? Short lived fast food chain that had burgers and fries, DIRT CHEAP! You could literally get a combo meal for like $3 here.
Hotline after hours bar on 436 Altamonte
How about ...... Al  E.  Gators restaurant by Sea World . Do they still have the revolving bars at the ABC loundges ??? I could never locate where I was sitting after a leak.
How about Po' Folks, it was on 436 just south of lake underhill, near where the denny's is now. They served down home style food and your drinks in mason jars. The chain is still around. http://www.pofolks.com/
How about Skeeter's Big Biscuits was where the Ranch House was on Lee Rd. for a little white.
How about Skeeter's Big Biscuits, off Lee Road.  Great spot for breakfast after closing down the original JJ Whispers.  Skeeter's usually had someone playing the banjo and singing, complete with overalls and straw hat.  Great late night munchies and also good for watching all the drunks (including me!)
How about Snow White Campground and Lake Vista Village with the MKCP's...never had another Rum&Coke again 8p
How about the alternative/house music club Aahz in downtown.  I can't tell you how many of my nights in the early 90's were spent dancing till 3, 4 or 5 am there.
How about the Bombay Bicycle Club? Skeeter's? Spit Night? The Beach Club(before it was Barbarella), East India?
How about the General Cinema's movie theatre behind fashion square mall...I believe it's a tech school now.
How about The Great Southern Music Hall?   1980-1981, Henry Paul Band
How about the Morrisons in WP on 17-92 in the Winter Park mall parking lot, which used to be a Monte's, now it's Ruth's Chris or Barnes and Noble
How about the old steak house on East Colonial, Kilroys...steakhouse then strip club and then "alternative" club I believe
How about the Orlando Youth Center, Just on the other side on Loch Haven park? - Friday and Saturday night dances in the 70's.
How about the world class radio?  Like BJ105, Joy 108, WORJ, Star 101, Class 105.9 etc. I am listening to an aircheck right now from http://www.cflradio.net
How about Townsends Plantation? Reggae shows all summer long in the early '90's.
How about Two Flights Up (Three Flights???) on Park Avenue, or the  Croc Club??
How bout SST plane in St Cloud gone gone
How funny! I found this trying to prove to someone the Polar Bear Cup existed!!  I love Pizza Inn with my family as a little girl.  So does anyone remember Light up Orlando?  It was held in late fall downtown Orlando and it was a big music festival.  I think the last year they did it was 1992.  What about BoardWalk Fries @ The Florida Mall?  They had the best cheese fries.  Also Contempo Casual clothing store...I think they bacame Wet SEAL
Howard Johnson Restaurants...next to FL Hospital on Rollins street. I was a HoJo kid and got a free birthday meal and free ice cream w/a HJ shortbread cookie.
Howl at the Moon at Church St
Howl at the Moon closed in Orlando? We have one here in San Antonio now too. That sucks to think another Orlando club is gone.
Howl at the moon is open at Idrive now
http://www.barneyssteakh…
http://www.orlandosentin…
http://www.scottjosephor…
I also used to be the resident DJ at CLUB H2O and The BlueRoom
I also worked at Merry Go Round...in the mall. They also owned Cignal and Chess King...which also closed.
I am sure with time, I could come up with a zillion more.  I've been here in Orlando since 1969 and am going to be 40 this year.  I think my husband and I filled in a lot of blanks though!
I bought a Pillsbury dough boy cookie jar there, as a wedding gift for a friend of my brother.  Hahahahahaha... oh, I think that's also where I got the neon phone like from GnRs Patience video. 
I bought my first Ramones cd EVER at Steve's!  There was a crazy wig store on that same block. 
I can think of two places that I didn't see on this list - Baha Beach Club, and Off the Wall. I never went to OTW, but I remember the plane sticking out of the side of it like it crashed into the building.
I can't believe no one's mentioned "Have A Nice Day Cafe" !!
I can't believe no one's mentioned East India Ice Cream on Park Ave in WP.
I can't believe they're closing down Whattaburger - I mean, I never ate there but didn't they just open a few years ago? What a waste
I DJ'ed a few times at Splash..what a great club
I do remember Mystery Fun House, Skeeter's, Circus World and Boardwalk and Baseball too.  The Factory Outlet Mall was a big deal back then and you could get great smoothies and pita's from a kiosk in that mall.
I dont think Howl at the Moon Church Street was mentioned.
I found this page by doing a search for what happened to Mur-Mur Records and Tapes.  I loved that store.  I lived in Orlando from '77 to '98 then moved back in Dec '09 with my kids.  I remember back in the 80's going to a park named Sulpher Springs.  The park was really cool except it smelled like rotten eggs until you got used to the smell.  There was also a store (can't remember the name) on Ferncreek and Kaley across from Ferncreek Elem.  It was a sundries store.  But they made some of the best cinnamon toothpicks.  Those picks were super hot but they told me how to make them..don't put your hands anywhere near your eyes!!  This thread is totally awesome, brought back so many memories of places that I use to hang out at.  There was a mention of Manatee's.  I met my husband there :(.  One of those I should have known better but was stupid moments.  The only mention of Florida Festival is the street name that separates SeaWorld's HR building and the Renaissance Hotel. Does anyone remember what movie was filmed here that included Ferncreek Elem, the East-West Expressway, Lake Eola and I think Martin Marietta?
I get the feeling a lot more people on here were born in the 1970's and 1980's.
I got nothing new but these were some of my favs:
I got the book that Amy J. mentioned, but haven't looked at it yet.  Maybe this weekend.
I grew up going to Dino's on Conway and Hoffner! I remember Sears Surplus too, and that bar that was tucked away in the corner of the plaza. Forgot the name.
I grew up in Pine Castle/Edgewood and they built a Ranch House Restaurant at the end of my street - Mary Jess Road and S.Orange Ave. 
I guess the new thing is posting multiple one-liners?
I had and went to sooo many bday parties at Farrell's (Altamonte) glad someone remembered them...siren's and massive jawbreakers!!!
I had no idea Lil 500 was still there!  I didn't see it last time I drove by, so thought it'd closed. 
I had no idea there was a White Castle in Orlando!  You mean as in a Burger Place?
I have read from the top of the page to the bottom of the page.  Yes, there have been a lot of re-mentioning of places but it's ok.  I saw there is new blog about places that have withstood the sands of times and are NOT extinct.
I have read through every single entry and did not find a reference to Toms Point After on 50 near UCF. It was called that in 1983 when I was stationed here (moved here to, go figure). i saw the Ozark Mountain Daredevils there. Payed $3.  My sister saw the Beatles in Shay stadium in 1965 for $3.  Won't get you much today. Sad....
I have really enjoyed the lists from everyone!
I have scanned the whole list and am taken back to really fun times as newlyweds in Orlando.  .. nerdy newlyweds.
I have so many fond memories of growing up down here... I never realized until I read this thread and it made me smile. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane !
I haven't heard anything of Father Natures in years... I think they folded in the face of indie/emo rock trends. HA!
I haven't seen anyone mention Enchanted Books & Botanicals. Interesting little shop in Casselberry/Fern Park, they sold books of course, little ceremonial daggers, crystals, candles, jewelry. incense, tarot cards, you get the picture. Sad to see them go.
I hope i don't repeat. 
I just read the entire list....sorry if I repeated ones that were already said....it's been a while since I lived in Orlando so I was so excited I just started typing....
I just saw the sign in front of Barnies Steakhouse on E. Colonial today.
I know ABC, Rossi's and at least the steak house blding are still there, Anyone remember the White Castle maybe on 436 near Winter Park? There was a strip club just across the street a ways that was covered with neon I believe.
I know Circus World was already mentioned but i have the distinct honor of meeting Michael Jackson there (right as he was rising to Thriller fame and before plastic surgery job #99)!
I know Farrell's was mentioned.  I have a lot of photos in my possession from birthday parties held there.  One dish of ice cream was called "the Zoo" and it must have had two dozen scoops of ice cream!  That was in the Altamonte Mall.  Speaking of ice cream and the Altamonte Mall, my wife and I still talk about the little ice cream store that sold ice cream bars.  They were vanilla (maybe choc. too) and they dipped them in chocolate syrup.  They also sold fresh-squeezed lemonade.  I mean they actually squeezed the lemons using some metal contraptions.
I know I know... am I cool or what?!
I know it's gone, but where was it?
I know people mentioned The Beechum Theatre....which is now Tabu...anyone remember when it was Zuma Beach? Man I loved those red swin suits and the bull horn out front...
I liked the B's BBQ on Mills and Nebraska better than Primrose.  It was Awesome.
I lived in Orlando through the 80s and this has been a trip back in time for me!
I love Adam the woo!!!!
I love this list, kudo's Jeff for a tribute to the past. Thanks to all the contributors as well, this list brings back many long lost memories.
I loved Club Nowhere--say many local bands there (Lake Mary H.S.), plus Jawbox.
I loved der wunderbar in fashion square mall they had a tasty honey beer that went great with their german sandwiches and honey mustard. I went there a bunch of times. I think there might still be one in the altamonte mall
I LOVED Yab Yum and then Harold and Maudes, which led to the Kit Kat, etc. on Wallstreet. Funky, cool vibe!! I had just moved to O'town and loved it in this cool nook.
I may have missed it somewhere above but did anyone mention Skinny's and the super cheap big beers??
I mentioned it above as a burger/fries place but I now remember that it had ice cream and the sign has an Irish looking chap. Hard to see, but it's there:
I mentioned Off the Wall on 3/22/2008 (see above if you please!)
I miss CoolWorld most of all, Have a nice day cafe & anyone else remember Boardwalk & Baseball?? Were talkin 80's & was way south of Orlando
I missed Joel's comment from last month. We weren't supposed to go to the Infinite Mushroom because it was a 'head shop' - or so my parents said. So, we would get dropped off at the mall, wait for the car to leave, then run across the street and wander around Infinite Mushroom, feeling like we were oh so cool. I remember buying a few t-shirts and posters from there. The 'rents could always tell we had gone there, though - the place reeked of incense, and so did you after you spent 5 minutes in there.  :)   Ahh memories.
I need some help here guys! I'm new to this site, and I joined JUST to get an answer to my question. I remember waaay back when there used to be a restaurant that would specialize in Ice Cream that used to have an Irish dude's face on the sign. There was one located on Orange Ave. Near the Orlando Regional Hospital, but the one I remember the most was on the corner of Powers Drive and Hwy 50 (the specific address is 6250 W Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32808). There used to be a Hardees there and before that there was the restaurant that I'm thinking about. Again, I distinctly remember the cartoon Irish face as the mascot and eating mint chocolate chip ice cream there. If anybody remembers this place -THAT WOULD BE AWESOME! It would be MORE awesome if someone could find the logo to this place.
I never had a great old school place to mention, but WA behind universal was a short lived restaurant behind universal. It was a sushi fusion place with some amazing sushi and a chef's choice menu that included pork belly, quail, and an amazing green tea creme brulee. They would give you a choice of fancy chopsticks(glass ones, swirly cut bamboo) and a hot towel before you ate. And they would have an amuse bouche that was always awesome. Such a gem, never had a chance in an empty office complex.  Wish someone could bring it back to life.
I never made it to Splendid China -I wish I had.
I never made it to Splendid China, but I understand that it was another failed attraction.
I never went to the store where you could get nickel cigarettes - but it had to be a little further north of that intersection because for many years there was a 7-11... McDonald's... a motel... (and after that I don't recall.)
I produce a history show about Orlando - does anybody have any interesting stories or pictures to support this program on I Drive?  Watch the first part...parts 2 and 3 are in production.
I purchased a stereo receiver from them and the guy picked some really high end (big  dollar)  amplifier in error - that wasn't discovered until I got it home to set  it up.  One of my first memorable "honesty tests" - - - - that I did pass.
I put Nancy's Guys and Doll's on the Myspace bulletin, but forgot to add it here.
I read this whole thing and no one mentioned;
I read through this whole thing and did not notice a reference to a bar in Butler plaza (436 and Howell branch) that featured national touring acts.  I saw John Mayall and New Riders of the Purple Sage there in the 90's.
I REALLY want to go back in time to visit GD Ritzy's. Now it looks like there are only 3 in operation, in West Virginia, Indiana and some other godforsaken state... I loved the one on Orange near the hospital back in the day.
I recall the (very noisy) Kapok Tree Restaurant. Yes, it is now a music store.
I recall Winter Park "Steak", but since us Boone/Colonial/Oakridge highschoolers were on the south part of town, we went to Steak on East Colonial Drive across from Fashion Square Mall.  I recall going to WP Steak a few times when I met people at the Youth Center (the one in Orlando near Lake Ivanhoe, not Winter Park); if my friends and I lucked out to meet someone there who had a car, we would "get away" for a while and go to WP Steak since it was closer than E. Colonial Steak.
I referred to the one in Orlando.
I remeber going to the National Shirt Shop in downtown Orlando to buy all my french cuff shirts back in the 70's.
I remember 3Ds, I went to a few comedy shows there.  Before that it was a coffee bar\lounge called G Spot.... good times!
I remember Artie Grindle's commercials: "I want to sell you a van!"
I remember every time we would drive by the Booby Trap as a kid my brother and I would just giggle nonstop. Yes, I know someone already mentioned it. :P
I remember going to the Barber College as a kid and paying 50 cents for a haircut.
I remember going to Video News.  I remember Dad and I renting movies at the one in Winter Park when he lived in Casselberry as well as when he lived there during the 2000s and he and I went to the one in Longwood on 17-92 as well as the one in Sanford.  They were the bomb with old movie selection and they had them in the original packaging too!
I remember many of these things.
I remember Skate City well.  But I preferred the wood floors of the Coliseum.  Still I had a lot of fun at Skate City.
I remember sonic boom. Anything in the vicinity of the Alafaya and University intersection I was at daily from 93 to 97 due to it being a convenient place for me to to go while ducking out of school at UHS. Buncha friends worked in all those places back then too -- Fazoli's (breadsticks!), Miami Subs, University Surf & Sport, the Arcade, etc.
I remember Starbucks the arcade. They served pizza too. But I went to the location on Semoran and Curry Ford.
I remember Tanner raiding quite a few places.  He often made the news in his office's efforts to "clean-up" the Trail (SOBT )and other businesses believed to be violating certain local laws.  A number of businesses got caught up in that....remember that going down during the 1980's.  I don't specifically remember A&W, but if drug traffic and/or other illegal vices were occurring there, then I wouldn't doubt it.
I remember Taqueria Quetzlcoatl in Winter Park, in a small shopping plaza across from what is now KeKe's, used to be Bakeley's.  There was a pretty popular restaurant in that same plaze -- The Mill?
I remember that Skeeter's place!  Well, I remember the sign anyway, I'm not sure I actually went there.  Probably, but not sure.  I do remember those bars on Park Ave as well, but they were long closed by the time I was old enough to go.
I remember that SPUR!
I remember that store well.   You could fill this thread with cool Park Avenue, Winter Park places that have closed.  Many because the leases got too $$$$ over the years.
I remember the castle on Bear Gully in Goldenrod. Went to my first haunted house there as a kid. We lived nearby in Winter Springs and I would always bug my mom to drive to the back of some subdivision adjacent to the property where the top of the castle could be seen. Also remember Dino's Pizza - it was AWESOME!!! It had the old Pac-Man machine you could pull up a chair to and play while waiting for your pizza. Anyone remember Downtown Disney back when it was called simply Lake Buena Vista? Saw some great Christmas shows there as a kid.
I remember the Cinema Pub. I saw Heaven Can Wait with Warren Beatty and Julie Chrisite there.
I remember the first movie I ever saw at the Starlite was "the Ode to Billie Joe" in 1976.  I probably went there about 3 times from 1994 until it closed down.
I remember there was a Chi-Chi's in Fern Park on 436 right near 17/92.  My mom would actually take me there for happy hour lol.  I was only 5 at the time.  It closed in the early 90s because when I came back to visit my grandma after I moved away from Orlando it was gone.  I also remember terror on church street as a kid.  I also remember a place called Godfather's Pizza which was on 436 in casselberry right next to semoran skateway and the hooters.  I think it's now Rocky's Replay.  17/92 in fern park has changed very little in the past 2 decades.
I remember when I was a kid, the skywriters used to fly over our neighborhood and write ROSIE O'GRADY'S and CHURCH STREET STATION in the air almost every afternoon. Definitely piqued a lot of people's curiosity and got them headed downtown :)  Good memories, good places. Sigh.
I remember when Oak Ridge Road... Sand Lake Road... Kirkman Road... Conroy Road... Goldenrod Road... (just to name a few) were all 2 lane roads.
I saw a bunch of bands at the station.
I saw in an earlier blog where someone mentioned the juice plant on the corner of Orange & Michigan - Well, that was Southern Fruit (correct location was Orange & Pineloch). My dad worked there many years until the brothers sold the plant to Donald Duck orange juice.
I saw Shiek's mentioned with little fanfare and need to add that it was a great super club that had superb live entertainment line "The Executives". I used to live across the street from the Publix Plaza on Conway & Curry Ford Rd at Mauna Loa Apartments and could walk to Shiek's were we spent most many a Friday night!
I saw the Jefferson Airplane there in the '70s.
I see someone mentioned Calico Jack's.  That place (the one in East Orlando) has a special place in our hearts. 2 reasons:
I shopped for clothes exclusively at chess king.
I should remember... since I did go to Pine Castle Elementary... Judson Walker Jr. High... and graduated from Oak Ride in 1972.
I skimmed through much of this site and I did not see my favorite restaurant of the 60's - The Painted Horse (all you could for 99 cents). That was located on E. Colonial around the Hernond airport.
I still wish the Barber College was still around for the unemployed - those that can't afford paying $10 for a hair cut.
I think Al E Gator's was located in a shopping and dining complex at Sea World.  The complex loosely resembled the Cirque du Soleil building at Downtown Disney.
I think all of these have been mentioned:
i think cafe americana was on OBT just south of holden a little on the east side of the road, does anyone remember that it used to be a Sambos? kind of offensive themed Denny's type restaurant
I think Chi Chi's was across from Fashion Square.  Casa Gallardo was a few blocks east on Colonial, and later became Rio Bravo, and later Chevy's.
I think Decor was an existing home decor store. Maybe the owner was a "flower child" and wanted to try a new venture.
I think I got some.
I think I've mentioned previously that the Starlite in Winter Garden had a beautiful entrance marquee.  I assume it fell to the wrecking ball.  Two others with great marquees were Ronnie's restaurant at Colonial Plaza, and still standing, the Parliament House, a family motel long before it became a gay complex.  The Tour-o-Tel Motel was eye-catching too as a kid.  It's still there, but it now attracts a number of people sadly down on their luck.  Just south of there was a popular eatery, Chastain's restaurant.
I think it got absorbed into Dillard's.
I think it was Behr's Shoes downtown -- " We can fit any human."
I think that Arthur Treachers was on W. Colonial turned into a taco joint.
I think that the wing place on Hoffner and Conway that you referred to was the Buffalo Cafe.  Fantastic wings!  Also, the Beeline Mexican restaurant offered authentic Mexican food...very tasty!
I think the arcade at Fashion Sq was Aladdin's Castle.  Or maybe that was the arcade out at the old Seminole Mall (again, near 17-92 & 436 intersection).  There was an ice skating rink there too.
I think the most unusual thing about Piggly Wiggly is their name . The last one I was in a couple of years ago was somewhere in South Carolina. This one was very modern and just about like a Publix.
I think the music place was Recycled Sounds.  It stayed in the new mall for a while, then moved across Colonial.. not sure if it's still there.  Hm... but maybe that was the name of the resale cd shop in my college town...
I think the name was Classy's or Classie's - something like that?  I had a great night there in the 80's - 6 of us left a boring Christmas party and ended up there.  We were dressed to the 9's and it was a bit of a dive, but we had a great time - I danced the feet out of my stockings!  Good memories....
I think there were several, one on S Oak Ridge.  The health dept closed them statewide for numerous health violations
I think there's still a Miami Subs in Longwood. Most of the others burned down.
I think we need to congratulate Jeff O for creating the loggest running Talk thread on Orlando Yelp! A year and a half and still going!!
I thought of a few more
i thought of a few more. anyone remember "river country" at disney's ft. wilderness. even weirder, the park is STILL there. it's just closed off. i went for a breakfast buffet at "trail's end" restaurant in the campground. we walked down to the old river country. it's just been closed up and left to rot. really creepy. i recorded some on my phone. it's on youtube, search darylallenmiles river country and there are some very good ones from a few years back posted by adamthewoo you tube.
I thought of one!
I took my now wife of 30 yrs  to the Barney's BBQ on our first date on Orange Ave, then off to see Animal House at Colonial Plaza Theater. Plan was we both have to eat messy food to take the  edge off first date...but she orders Brunswick Stew! So I ended up as the sole "ravenous pig"  at the table. (still to this day!) Never even knew what the hell that Brunswick stew  was - much less that they served it!
I used to drag my kids to this bag your own grocery place on John Young.
I used to go there often and buy specialty beer, back when all that stuff was just getting popular. Awesome store, and the young guy working there was super cool!
I used to love this joint because they where the only location to play my favorite genres of music.  Ambient, down tempo and trip-hop music.  A PERFECT backdrop to have conversation and get to know your friends more, or strangers for that matter.  I still can't get over how the interior of the bar had a deep red glow to it.  It was downright sexy.  Sigh, I wish there was a place even remotely like that around.
I used to love Visage.
I used to work at Steve's Southern Music on Orange Ave...used to frequent Aahz, Edge, Barbarella, Visage, Firestone, Yab Yum, Infinite Mushroom, ah the memories...so much fun and SO many good shows caught during those days.
I used to work at the Plaza rocking chair theater on Bumbyin the colonial mall. Some great memories there.  It is still around, just has offbeat shows now, but glad to see it is still going.  Used to go across the street to Beefy King to get food while working.
I want to keep Jeff's post going, so I'll add a bit of history:
I wanted to reply to Mark.  I believe the Mexican restaurant you were thinking of was El Torito.  I loved that place and in my mind can still see the layout inside.  Let me know if I guessed right.
I was able to get a piece of Mr. Toads Wild Ride, when they tore it down. I was thinking about framing it. :P
I was born and raised in the 70's and 80's in Orlando and had a blast. Orlando does not have the same charm and charisma it once had.
I was born at Orange Memorial Hospital in 1954 and have lived here my whole life (except from 68-72) in Jax. FL. I attended Rock Lake Elementary (on Tampa Ave.) (not too far from the Western Way Shopping Center) then we moved to the Pine Castle area where I attended Pine Caslte Elementary 3rd thru the 6th grade... went to Judson Walker (when it was brand new - a portion of the first year we had to meet at  Oak Ridge until the school was finished) I was there 7th and 8th... that's when we went to Jax. We came back my senior year - and I spent my last semester at Oak Ridge High School and graduated in 1972.
I was just listening to an old Orlando garage band called "Plant Life" from the 1960's on YouTube. Did anyone on here ever see them perform?
I was raised in Orlando throughout my childhood.  I lived there from the time I was two until the time my parents divorced and again from 1996 when I was nine to 1999 when I was thirteen and I moved to Atlanta.  My dad moved back to Orlando in 2001 and my first trip back there was March of '02.  After dad, remarried in 2005, he moved to Virginia.But I have a lot of fond memories of Orlando
I was reminded of this when I was in BBQ Bar.  Remember when you could get a car pass and drive up to a 3 mile mark to watch the space shuttle launch?  My family and I went a few times before the Challenger tragedy.  Since then they haven't allowed that kind of public access.
I went in one day with a friend and you wouldn't believe the sight we saw of him behind the counter- will stay with me FOREVER. Won't publicly  print here, but will share if you message me for it.
I went to Memorial  Jr High, and they would give out free tickest for hair cuts at the Barber College - where only one style was it!  The BUZZ
I wonder if it's a record?
I worked at Fairway Markets too, visited the Infinite Mushroom, ate at Kilroys (once), attended Sea Cadets at the NTC, flew on an Eastern DC9 out of old MCCoy AFB, watched the Eola Jazz concerts from the pool deck of the old Robert Meyer / Kahler Plaza Motel, wondered how many times that Sky writer could etch Rosies in the clear blue, and the JA is in the old youth center space, and there was another golden arches on the other end of SR50 across from the Montgomery Ward which is now the Orange County sheriffs operations center, and I ate at that Morrison's too. Good job Theo.
I worked at the Infinite Mushroom
I worked at YabYum and Kit Kat until they closed.
I wouldn't call it a fun place, but the weird Hardees that was stuck in the back of a convenience store @ Lake Underhill and Dean in Orlando is gone. http://www.yelp.com/biz/…
I'd agree Cristina just look at Festival Bay
I'd have to say Kanpai.  It was a habachi restaurant off of Kirkman and International in the Books-A-Million plaza.  What I loved was that you could do a habachi meal for $7 and it tasted good too.  RIP Kanpai!
I'll try not to duplicate....but the stories i could tell about so many of the places already mentioned.....
I'm beginning to run outta steam on these folks. Hep me out. Hep meh!
I'm excited about BLUE opening up! Never went to Theo's Kitchen much... I hope the new place focuses more on authentic Greek food instead of fried chicken.
I'm just bumping this up -- it's too good a thread to go away.  It was even mentioned in the Sentinel about a year ago.  I've tried to find it to no avail.
I'm not sure about Richway.....
I'm not talking about the coffee, but the arcade that used to be on 434. I used to love going there with my cousin when we were younger but they closed down :(
I'm sure some one has mentioned this one, Ronnies the deil at the colonial mall
I'm surprised there's no mention of Wally's which I think was off of 17-92 near colonial. It was that old tiny little bar that serves VERY STRONG drinks. Cool place. Had lots of good times there in my rock radio days working at WDIZ back in the day.
I'm very surprised nobody has mentioned Winter Park's Le Cordon Bleu which burned down during the 90's and they promised to bring it back and never did. Also there was a lesbian bar/retreat on 441 and 436 that looked like a barnyard, all wood, which also burned to the ground. Someone in this thread asked why the high turnover of businesses in this area compared to other places in the U.S and Britain. Orlando/Central Fl is a very unique area. You can find people from almost every state and every big city and also you'll find every race and citizenship from all over the world. This is the best testing ground for everything and anything business people could come up with. Also, the different trends go through here faster before they go to the rest of the country. So, if a business doesn't evolve fast, it dies fast and sadly many business people cannot see that and have to fold. Thanks for the memories to all of the participants here! You've been great!
I've also heard rumors over the last few years that the West Oaks Mall's days are numberd.
I've been going to Gabriel's for damn near 20 yrs! Kathy is trying to sell the place. If no one buys, it may be another addition to this list. :(
I've been reading it non-stop for four hours now.........i just looked up and the time was gone!!!
I've heard the FBI is now McCraney's Tavern, or something like that.  They still do shows and supposedly have an impressive beer list.  Haven't been though.
I've never been there, but it looks like a rundown flea market strip mall. You don't wanna go there.
I've read most of the posts on here & don't think I have seen anyone mention the Beeline Mexican restaurant off Hoffner & conway, anyone else remember this? Best Mexican food, ever! They still have the big sign out front, but it is long gone :(
Ice Skating Palace (I believe it was next door to the Fun Machine)
If You Had Wings - Disney.  Closed and replaced by what I can't remember.
Illusions in the old Marriott (I-drive/Sand Lake) I remember when Motley Crew stayed there and Tommy or Vince put their fist through the decorative wall/windows. Bloody mess!
In Apopka there was a place where you could play games and earn tickets...it was called Starbucks!
in Sanford we had Tsunami Beach Club where they used to have the twin theater-saw Type O and Sevendust
In the 70s there was a go cart track on old Cheney rd
Infinite Mushroom
Infinite Mushroom - Buy a pipe or some blacklight posters here. They stocked mega posters and had a sex toy room. Also they sold concert tickets for big shows. I camped out here once for Guns and Roses tickets. 1991 I believe.
Infinite Mushroom- HOW DARE they turn it into a Jason's Deli. I loved that store.
Infinite Mushroom!!!
Infinite Mushroom... Cool, funky shop on 50 between Primrose and Maguire (I believe it was where Chipotle is now). Originally inside the old Colonial Plaza Mall. Had incense, novelties and cool t-shirts. Also a great selection of naughty greeting cards. Really miss that place.
Intergalatic Comics and Collectibles - Was around in the late 80's early 90s.  Near Rachel's
Ireland's Restaurant on Maguire across from Fashion Square Mall (biscuit burgers with skerry fries...i miss them so)
Ironically, I live in Alabama and in Montgomery, Alabama there is a Hardee's that replaced a backyard burgers.  I would have rather had Backyard Burgers and I agree there are idiots running the hardee's company.  There was a hardee's in the town I live in in Alabama for 25 years and it shut down in 2006.  It was a happening place for breakfast but they got to where they couldn't keep good management.
is father natures pumpernickel popsicle still around?
is Tom!  Let's keep this going!  It's too good of a thread for it to stop!
is true that a restaurant called 'Blue' is opening where the old Theo's Kitchen used to be. It is because the owner of the property at the original location of 'Theo's Kitchen' refused to renew the lease, even after 20 years of succesful business! So the proprietor of "Theo's Kitchen", is re-opening as 'Theo's Kitchen" in a different location on 2952 Curry Ford Road. It will be completely the same only in a new location.
it wasnt FAO Schwartz. This place didnt have a piano inside. It was more of a learning store. And the chess pieces outside were like, gosh 6ft tall! its gonna drive me crazy!!! but thank you for responding!! im still searching google! LOL
It would also be cool to reminisce about the old attractions that closed down at Universal and/or Disney.  Like in Universal I remember KONGfrontation, Ghostbuster's, Back to the Future Ride, and The Funtastic World of Hanna Barbara to name a few.
It's amazing to find so many people still living here that remember the "good old days" in Orlando.  I skimmed thru the message (may have missed something)".  Does anybody remember the Stone Konundrum?  It was a nightclub in east Orlando (Union Park area) on the north side East Colonial Drive.  It was age-based.  Upon entry, you showed your i.d. (had to be at least 17 years old).  If under the age of 21 (drinking age), you wore a color-coded wrist band different from those 21 and older, who wore a different color.  Lots of local bands played there, and we always had a good time, until some much older people started coming and created problems; parents complained, and it closed.  At that time it was 1969-1970.  It closed and later reopened under the name "Konundrum" (no "Stone").  I believe the building is gone now.
It's gotta be 15-20 years gone, now
it's near boone/wadeview but I dunno if it's an abandoned something or what? anybody know the story?
It's not weird or fun, but these places are extinct.  Publix used to have a sister store called Food World, and Winn Dixie had one, Kwik Chek.  And then there was Piggly Wiggly.
It's still open with the same name. I've never been there and would like to keep it that way.
It's the thread that keeps on giving.
Ivey's - department store
J. Whispers nightclub on Lee Rd.  Bowties nightclub in Altamonte.  Calico Jack's Altamonte.... (why do I remember the bars???)  Denmark's sporting good, Winter Park Sport shop (the only place you could get soccer stuff back in the 70s early 80s).  Sgt. Pepper's teen nightclub.
Jack D. you know the Conway area well!
Jack in the box on 436 and 50 zayre parking lot.
Jacobsons and Burdines - the local department stores.  Burdines is where you went to buy a Swatch watch.  Jacobsons, only ever went there when my mom wanted to window shop.
James J Man and Mike C- Sometime between Sambos and Village Inn, it was also a place called 'Seasons' - very much like Perkins or Denny's. It had a green sign and was a great favorite of my granparents.
James,
James, really? I never went to Prime Time Video, but I hated Blockbuster.  I used to try to make it a game to get into the place without being hit with that fake greeting.
James, this thread is more than 3 1/2 years old. Jeff O done good!  It was once even mentioned by Commander Coconut in the Sentinel.
Jamie, you think you are old, I'm wondering if anyone here remembers back this far like I do!!
Jani Lane's Sunset Strip - Remember this pad? It was a rock n roll bar part-owned by Jani Lane of the rock group Warrant ("Cherry Pie"). Another rockin' bar that focused on the metal crowd. I saw Yngwie Malmsteen play here. During that whole "swing" craze in the mid 90's, they would have swing night. It didn't last long as the 'Strip', but then it became Bar Orlando. A few years went by. It is now City Arts Factory.
Jani Lane's Sunset Strip...RIP Jani
Jarman's Grand Tradition Restaurant (which was in Ireland's old space)  I worked there as a hostess/cashier
JByrons
Jbyrons.....I worked in the Shoe department
JD Penguins - 17-92 and 436.  Went there for my Bachelorette Party in the 90's.
JD Penguins. - A bar attached to the ABC liquors store. The one on 436 and Michigan St had a bar that rotated in a giant circle. Not sure if they all had that feature.
Jeans west in colonial plaza.....bought school clothes there
Jeff O; expanding further - I lived in the East so West Colonial was always kind of a trek. But still super good. I never went into the Montgomery Ward over there but was a vet of such establishments as: Golden Pagoda, the Abandoned movie theater place that was there up until 95ish (another lost and forgotten Orlando skate-hangout type place; demolished around the time Seminole Plaza fell) and Magic Mall. I'm assuming Magic Mall is still there? For the world to make sense, it has to be.
Jeff, I LOVE the sunnyland reference. Haven't thought of that place since high school when we would dare each other to go there at night.
Jeff, thank you for starting this link.  The memories brought back by it are amazing!!!
Jeff, you just reminded me - peaches was across the street from the colonial plaza mall. I used to love that store. And the infinite mushroom - but I think that might still be there.
Jelly World on the way to Kissimmee
Jerry's fast food Restaurant it was somewhere on Kirkman road. When I was a kid my grandmother would stay with us. She loved going out to eat.  On her last day before she boarded the Grey Hound  Bus We would take her out. It was my treat and I choose Jerry's. I seem to remember the sign was similar to the Burger Chef? that I saw. But it's a kids memory.
Jill, the space that was Theo's Kitchen is indeed being renovated into a new Greek restaurant, to be called Mediterranean Blue, which has a Facebook page if you want to follow up on when they'll be opening. I look forward to trying it.
Jim and Kims' Steakhouse on south Orange Ave. " Best steaks or your money back."
Jim Chumbley Volkswagen Chrysler-Plymoth in Sanford and Showboat Sam the savings man
jimmy bryan toyota. lol
Jimmy, I have no idea - hopefully some can answer your question sooner, in the meantime, I contacted a friend at the Orlando Regional History Center to see if we might find someone who knows. I'll keep you posted!
Jimmy! I think it is GD Ritzy's.
JJ Whispers and Cloud 9.
jj whispers on lee rd
JJ Whispers, Ahz, and Ultraviolet were part of raver days....
Joanne's Chili Bordello.
joe k. calico jacks in kissimmee
Johnny Sutton (front) & Tom Haley
Johnny Sutton,
Johnny's
Johnny's Pizza
Joint in the Woods - bar off off 17-92 by big tree park
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh - department store; first one in area was at Colonial Plaza, then one  in Altamonte Mall
Jordan Marsh (where Dilliards is now)in the Altamonte Mall...used to go to their restaurant with my Gram all the time...
Jordan Marsh is an awesome flashback. Thanks! Ivey's too. And, there was Maison Blanche (sp?), did we mention Robinson's and Jacobson's? I bought my Swatches at Burdines.
Joy 108-A precursor to Magic 107.7.  I saw a commercial for Joy 108 on youtube during a break for WESH news. 
Joy Wallace Dickinson   http://books.google.com/…
Jungle Falls...video games/go-cart track.
Jungle Jim's
Jungle Jim's - Church Street.  Now in Crossroads Plaza on 535 (Apopka Vineland Road)
Jungle Jim's.. Safari themed restaurant in Church St. Station!
Junior Achievement Center at Loch Haven Park
Just a mention about Disney. They destroyed my childhood memories when they took out Mr. Toads Wild Ride and the pipe tobacco shop beside it. The smell of pipe tobacco reminds me of Fantasy Land as a kid.
Just for Feet-Shoe store
Just for Feet. - A recent loss, at Colonial and Primrose. Huge shoe store with a lot of hooey. Became Total Wine. I think that's a good trade off!
Just found out about this site today.  Pardon me if I repeat previously mentioned items, but here goes:
Just found this site today and trippin' down memory lane. Raised In Winter Park, went to Killarney Elem and Robert E Lee Jr High. So many memories..we moved away in 1973 before the mouse took over. Places that bring back a smile for me:
Just thought of a couple more!  Sir Gooney Golf in Maitland right by the train overpass had the giant orange dinosaur upfront.  And what about Johnny Bolton Ford.
Just thought of another one....  Henry's Subs (it was on Virginia near Lake Ivanhoe).  Cuban subs and boy were they good.  A cuban couple owned it but i remember he had heart issues and sold it.  It was never the same.
Just to name a few other movies that were filmed in the area without going into any detail are the following:
Kapok Tree - speaking of Tampa, does anyone remember this restaurant.  They had a huge Kapok Tree inside the restaurant.  I believe it is a music store now.
Kate O'Brian's (downtown on Central)
Kelsey's Pizza, by UCF
Kemp's Colosem(sp?) - a huge arched-roof building on N Orange Ave just south of Princeton.  Used to have roller skating
Kenny Rogers Roasters-There was one on International and one in Winter Park.  But they are gone.  They still exist.  The only one in the country is in Ontario, CA.
Kevin is that were the band shell is with the war memorial stuff. I think there is a military helicopter there.
Kevin,  the bar near the Jai Alai fronton you are probably thinking of was Hub's Pub.  It was in the strip center south of the fronton.  They were a big NTN trivia bar at one time.
Kirkman Road (formerly a Sambo's Restaurant. Flyers (the wing place) is housed in a former Pizza Inn restaurant which is next door to Dan's.
Kissimmee ghost tours is a great tour that tells you all the hauntigs!
Kit Kat Club - the third bar in the strip of places in Wall St where you would go to play pool.  Where Sleazypours... er Slingapours stands today.
Kit Kat Club and the Go Lounge
Knock Knock - Never liked this bar much. It was too dark and too loud. And too tunnel-like. Apparently a lot of hanky panky went down in this place.
Knock Knock was like a second home for me. The Long Islands would put you on your ass!
Knolla's Pizza - A NY stype pizza place in the Winn Dixie shopping center on Lk Howell and Howell Branch.  It turned into Boardwalk, and retained some of the greatness for a while... but alas, not anymore.
KOSCOT (Glenn Turner)  on Sandlake Road. - Tom, Did you ever go in?? I did! Lets talk sometime!
Koscot!! Dare to be Great!
Koscott - Someone mentioned Glen Turner...this was his business on Sand Lake Rd (it is now GES Expo).  I saw Santa arrive in a helicopter at Koscott.  Haven't thought of that memory in years.
Kreskies in Downtown Orlando (the precursor to K-Mart....they were better as a 5 & dime)
kumquat sashay
LaBelle Furs -downtown (still there?)
LaCopa anyone? Small Spanish store on southstreet and bumby next to Aarons antique furniture....bought all my candy and smokebombs there. Loved that store!
Ladies and Gentleman, the Cheese Shop of Winterpark closed down.  They have curdled their last curd.
Lake Apopka was a destination fishing place before it became so polluted by runoff from the much farms around the area.  There were fish camp motels surrounding the lake and people would come from many miles away to fish there.
Lake Buena Vista was a fun place to go.  I made a trip there in the early 80's to get an autograph from Jeremy Bulloch.  He played Boba Fett in the Empire Strikes Back movie.
Lake Buena Vista- loved the play ground!
Lake Eola Jazz concerts
Lake Prairie Drive-in
Lake Whipperorwill RC Speedway
Lakeland Civic Center - Lakeland, outside of Orlando.  However, it used to be the only place around who hosted big name concerts before the Orange County Convention Center was built.
lamar hotel
Lancaster Go Kart - Landcaster and Orange Blossom Trail.
Larry's Cedar River Seafood
Larrys' Cedar River Seafood
Laura - WAGS in the Altamonte Mall near Sears was Perrys in the late 80's (I think?)
laura j. The restaurant next to SEARS in the Altamonte MAll was called Wag's, owned by Walgreens Drugstores, I believe. It was a standalone restaurant concept born of their soda fountains and lunch counters back in the old days. There is a free standing Wag's at Michigan and Orange, in front of the now abandoned Albertson's Supermarket. The building has been converted into a bank.
Laura J. There was a place in Fashion Square that was kinda like that near Sears, it was called Orange Bowl or Orange Cup and had little Sherbert Ice Creams and Hot dogs and stuff like that
lead singer "Buttercup" passed away in 2008...I found out tonite when surfin the web) it was a fab 50s club
Lee and Ricks oyster bar on 17-92 Winter Park
Lee's Famous fried Chicken - College Park may still be around, good chicken.
Leed's (pre-dated Lurias, and Service Merchandise) in Casselberry and Mercy Dr and Colonial.
Leeds - sort of like Service Merchandise mentioned above, was on Mercy Drive in Pine Hills
Lerner's
Lerners
Let me tell you that It's fun reading this thread.  Despite the fact, I am too young to remember most of those places.  But I do remember the Artie Grindle commercials as well as the Allied Discount Tire commercials and 16,000 movies and all.  I miss living in Orlando and I wish I was living there now.
Level 3 lounge
Liggetts Drug store-they would deliver in an orange V-dub
Liggetts Drugs! There was one at Michigan and Delaney. It had a small diner in the back.
Liggetts(I think) used to eat in the restaurant w/grandparents and buy my cinnamon toothpick oil at the store, ha ha!
Light Up Orlando
Light Up Orlando
Lil 500 Go Kart is still there.
Lil' 500 Go Kart Racing, on 17-92 and Maitland Blvd.  It was tucked behind a mini strip mall and a warehouse.  Had a pretty small set up, but a great place to go let off some steam and not spend major cash.
Lili Marlene's is now Ceviche.
Linda's La Cantina is still going strong as ever.
Lindas lacantina & wallys are still alive!
Line Mexican Diner
link here, but...
Lionel Playworld
Lionel Playworld (Maguire & Colonial Dr.)
Lionel playworld......Great toy store....was in Target shopping center on east colonial
Listening to WJRR
Little 500 Go Carts-spent many an allowance dollar there
Little Big Horn - a fruit market that was behind the gas station on the corner of Temple and Howell Branch.   I'd walk down there and spend the coins I meant to spend on the cheap candy at 7-11.
Little Darlin's at Old Town.
Lived in Orlando from '84 - '94.
LMPC (The Last Moving Picture Company) a disco where lots of Disney employees went
loch haven motel
London Nites 17-92 Winter Park
long as I'm here, I'll copy and paste from a current thread:
Long before Enzian there was an art-house cinema at the I4 intersection on Lee Road. I was too young to go there -they might have showing soft-core porn for all I know,
Looking for a name of a restaurant in the Altamonte mall near Sears. It was there in the 80's. It had booths and stools and the best burgers and shakes? It was a kid/family friendly place. It was open in the front so you could watch the shoppers walking past. What was the name?
looks like Roosters has crowed it last.
Lord & Taylor - Florida Mall
Lord Chumley's Pub - not 100% on the spelling of this restaurant, but I remember they had knights on the outside of the building.
Lorenzo's Italian Restaurant - Michigan and Kaley. Became Dante's, and is now Pulse.
Lori, I'd say Renninger's on Hwy 441 in Mt. Dora is pretty good.
Lost & Found!!!! A great little bar that mostly catered to rock show, and had National acts pop in monthly. Great place! This thread is amazing... I've spent about 45 minutes trying to come up with something you guys haven't already said. Oooh, there was also a great bar right by the FL Mall called Seaport Pub! Anybody remember that? It then got moved over behind the Carrabba's on Sand Lake. R.I.P. Also, Smokey Bones by FL Mall went under. Not sure if any are left... *sigh* This has been both depressing and inspiring :)
lot of new people are coming in, ignoring everyone else and naming places that have been named a few times already (I think 'Circus World' has been repeated 3x). As well, a lot of people are listing places that aren't weird, fun or interesting. Naming ANY place that closes, whether it's a fast food chain or a major grocery store wasn't the point of the thread. But as long as everyone's having fun, who cares I guess...
Lot of rememberable  names  there!
lot of the newbie people are repeating entries. :/
Lou's Lounge on Bumby
Love this post!  I was looking to jog my memory about Waxtree--
Loved Bodhisattva
Loved the Church Street arcade in my younger years.
Lum's - sort of a Denny's-ish place on 17-92 at Lee Road in Winter Park
Lum's on 17-92
M & M Tackle on SOBT north of Oak Ridge
M.C, was a cool place to need to go for this (still very) amateur guitar player  for strings, cords  and pics. A store with so much cramped in such a small place really gives it a special rememberable character IMO.
Ma & Pa Kettles Kandy Kitchen - on Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando (home of penny candy in the 70s)
MacWizards a place that penalized in mc computers
Magic Fanatic - Across from the O-rena (I refuse to call it the Amway Arena)
Magic Fanatic is a good one. Remember the original location? Much smaller.
Magic Mall
maharaja indian food by UCF
Maison Blanche - department store
Maison D'Crepe restaurant in the garden in Winter Park just off Park. We celebrated our anniversary there every year Willy, the Chef & owner died, it was never the same after that.
Maison Jardain Restaurant
Maitland car bump - In Maitland, directly behind Kappy's sandwiches at 17-92 and Sybelia. Where the railroad tracks cross Sybelia, the street raised up at a weird angle and made a perfect launch-ramp for a car. I had this crazy friend who used to gun it from Maitland Ave and catch like 4 feet of air off this, bottoming-out hard every time.
Malcolm's Hungry Bear on 50.
Malibu Grand Prix - Racing go-carts, video games, snack food and things to occupy the kids' minds. Off of Kirkman.
Malibu Grand Prix- another arcade and video game place on I-Drive
Malibu Raceway - I remember going down I-4 and seeing this place and always wanting to go there. Was just off of I-Drive.
Mall music stores: Musicland, Camelot, Sam Goody, etc. They were all over priced. But as a kid you didn't have much option.
man it's been a while since I have thought about lots of these places, being gone from Orlando for 10 years now.
Man, someone needs to collect all the places, alphabetize them and repost them so I can keep up.
Man, walk a trip back in time. Thanks for starting this thread!
Manatee's - A pool hall across from Scatz where you could play with the sailors.
many great contributions from you fellow Yelpers. I feel like this is a snapshot of my childhood/early adult life!
Many of those other places I barely remember, but it's hard to place them.
Marco Polo Park - An Asian-themed amusement park north of Daytona on I-95. It was opened about the same time as Disney but only lasted five or six years. I recall the sky ride collapsed one day killing four people.
Mario's arcade and go-karts on 436 in Casselbery
Mark C, Are you talking about Artie Grindle of "I want to sell you a van!" fame?
Mark, I listened to WLOF in the 60s.  The DJs I remember were Johnny Gee, Pat O'Day and Bill Vermillion.  I don't remember Sutton.
Mark, I must have been away at college during Sutton's days, as neither the name nor the consolation prize sound familiar.
Mark, you're an old dude, just like me!  I never went to Koscot, but I remember it.  It was Glen Turner's cosmetic line, wasn't it?
Mark,Fore and Strike - Apparel store in downtown Winter Park,  had really preppy clothes, pants with little whales on them, very Preppy Handbook.
Maxie's Fish Camp on East Lake
Maybe I'll add more later.  Don't want to repeat and didn't make a list as I was reading through the posts.  Happy memories, everyone!
maybe one instance of a business trying to hang on in the transient Orlando area!!!
maybe, like the giant hot dog that used to be in the Chevron on E Colonial, it has moved to a new location.
Mccoy air force base the old airport champs restaurant
McCrory's Five and Dime Store
McInerney Ford - Colonial and 436
McRae's Department Stores came and went before anyone knew they were in town.
MEC
Media Play-A store with movies, music, and CDs.  As well as computer games.
Medieval Times on church street
Melody Lanes Bowling: on Delany Av between Orange and Pineloch. It's now a huge Doctors office.
mentioned before,
Mercado - International Drive.  Shops and dining.
Mercado Village the way it used to be.
Mercado- When i came back to orlando in late 2010, I was shocked this place was gone.
Merita Bakery on i4 and kaley
Mexican restaurant where Pottery Barn is now on park avve
Miami Subs
Miami Subs - A sub shop where the sammys were big, baked and sloppy.  There was one on 436 near Aloma, Alfaya and University, and many other locations as well. 
Michael Tobias Guitars on Orange Avenue downtown.
Michael's Italian restaurant on E. Colonial past Alafaya dr.
Midget House by the train tracks off Michigan Ave ( replaced by a Mini
midnight movie express....fashion square cinema....All the navy guys showed up for that
Midtown Tavern in Winter Park was decent, too. Wasn't open long.
Mike C!  Impressive list!  However some were already mentioned.  so the Village Inn in Casselberry used to be Sambos?  So it was Sambos, Village Inn, Angels, and now it's a 7-11.
Mike, I recall that BBQ place. Do you recall the lady (owner perhaps?) that would make the sandwiches? She was ALWAYS chewing   gum!? Damn good  BBQ - back then!
Miller's Department Store (Corner of Holden & OBT)
Millers - Clothing store across the street from Panty Pride
Mills & Nebraska Lumber, at Mills and Nebraska
Miner's Bar b Q- folks took us there all the time. had western scenes painted all over the walls
Mission to Mars - Disney.  Closed and replaced by Alien the Experience and then Lilo and Stitch.
Mister Donut - An independent donut shop where I would buy my underage smokes and then have coffee and donuts with the cops.  On 17-92, near where Park Ave intersects.  I think its a print shop now.
Molly Malones whch is now Odin's Den.  Also An Tobar at the sheraton in Maitland.
Montgomery Ward - 436 and I-4.  I think ended up as Ward's then I think faded.
Montgomery Ward on W. Colonial Dr. It was stuck in the 70's. I went inside sometime around 1994 and it hadn't changed a bit. Looked STRAIGHT out of the 1970's, off da hook!
Montgomery Wards - on Colonial near the central Fl fairgrounds
More 80s: SPIT at Park Ave,, Monday and Wednesday nights, Visage, Beach Club --- same type of alt/goth/industrial music.   I  remember the Worst Bar, and also a big outdoor concert at the Court of Flags.  There was a great little health food store & smoothy shop near Rollin's College in Winter Park. ...
More places from my past in Altamonte Springs:
More trivia... The original name for Lake Ellenor was Rattlesnake Lake.
Morrisans Cafetera
Morrison;s cafeteria neal colonial plaza
Morrison's Cafeteria - Family homestyle restaurant, buffet line. You'd grab a tray and walk through the line telling the women what to put on your plate. Green beans, potatoes, chopped steak, mac n cheese, etc. Kid's hated going here, as their parent's would drag them. A location on Colonial, near Ferncreek. also, a location in the Florida Mall.
Morrison's was the worst, my mother would always drag us there when we picked up my grandmother from the bus station, I would only eat the Jello.  Another awful looking place that thankfully no one ever took me was Sweden House and I'll also add Holiday House.
Most of the time when you saw a T G & Y store, there was an Eckerd and a Winn-Dixie close by.  This was the case in the strip mall in Pine Castle between Orange Ave. and Hansel Ave on Hoffner.  (Remember what T G & Y stood for?)
Mouse Trap - Orange Blossom Trail and Kaley - Closed
movie called Honky Tonk Freeway was filmed mostly in Mount Dora and released in 1981.  Almost all of downtown Mount Dora was painted pink for this movie.
Movie Emporium
Movie theater on 434 kind of like Aloma Cinema in Grill. They had awesome chicken fingers
Movieland - 17-92 in Sanford.  Went dark in the late 90's.
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - Disney.  Closed and replaced by some Pooh Ride.
Mrs. Magnus Candy Store on Mills Avenue (fabulous anise hard candy squares)
Much of the time, that skywriting was done by Joe Kittinger, who's had an interesting life in aviation.
Muck farms, not much farms.
Murmur - the go-to place for indie music before indie music existed! Excellent place to find tapes, records and cd's from early alternative to new wave to industrial (if it existed back then), to college bands, and more. Way old school music shop where Taste is currently located off of Edgewater Dr and Smith St..
Murmur Records in College Park. 
MurMur Records- Was a great place for music
Murmurs
Music Land (Fashion Square Mall)
Music Shack (Orange Blossom Shopping Center)
Music stores - Streep's about two blocks off Colonial on Orange Avenue.  I used to buy sheet music there. And Bil Baird's (maybe Baer's) music store on Mills with the three giant bears in the window each with a conductor's baton.
My all time club cult classic...The breakfast club, Infinity, Dazzles, Cyberzone...it had so many names!
My apologies if someone already mentioned this gone and best forgotten place on Edgewater Drive:
My dad took me to Starbucks when I was younger.  We usually frequented the one in Longwood a lot. 
My first concert was at The Edge..Cypress Hill and House of Pain 1994 I think.
my god, that IS the song I remember from my youth.  Now that's in my head all night.
My grandfather liked going there I think. It is a weird name to pronounce. My dad and I used to call it Lorelei's, which isn't much easier to say, but we had fun with it.
my top
Mystery fun house
Mystery Fun House
Mystery Fun House  --my first W2 was from the Howard Johnson's behind it. Showed my friends my  mother's Alfa  would do 125 mph on Kirkman with the greatest of ease. YiKES!
Mystery Fun House off of Kirkman Rd. talking about over 15 years ago. And Jungle Jim's Restaurant off of 535 close to Downtown Disney... Ahhhh memories.
Mystery Fun House was awesome,  I think I went to the grand opening back in the 70's. They used to have magic shows and a really cool gift shop. I-Drive has really hit the skids of late, was there a few weeks ago, the economy has hit it pretty hard as it has a lot of Orlando.
Mystery Fun House- Remember going there from middle school on.....got drunk and went through. The "walk like an Egyptian room"
Mystery Fun House: old small mystery house attraction near I drive.
Mystery Fun House. Also near Kirkman, this place was a haven for cheap thrills. Funny mirror room, chincy spaceship explorations, and a spiraling tunnel that you try to run through (while buzzed?)!
National Sub Shop on E 50
Negril Cove- best reggae club ever, especially if you were under age
Nellie Belles restaurant on Orange Ave.
Never went to Dot's on the Dot but drove by there many times. Do you recall Goff's Ice Cream and the Golden Point heading farther north on the Trail?
new additions
New owners? reinvention? I dunno.
Niagra
nice work John S!
Nickel Beer at church street
Nickels alley
Nickels Alley? - downtown, I think its the bus terminal now or condos. One of the original Disco venues. oopps dated myself there didn't I. Good times!
Night Moves
No way man. Infinite Mushroom is long gone! Now it's Jason's Deli.
No, Amigos wasn't it. It was near Altamonte mall though. I'd remember it if I heard the name.
Noble Roman's Pizza at (I believe) Semoran and Curry Ford.
Noble Roman's Pizza. I remember the name, but not the food.
Norman Bros. family of dealerships
Not even "mom and pop" toy stores? I do remember buying toys at Sears, the Sears Wishbook was popular at our house and would look pretty warn out by xmas.
Not sure about that address, though there have been a few Hardee's in that general area for a while. What time frame are walking about here? 80s? 90s?
Now it's all that's left of the memory of summer co-ed fun at the deepest lake on Earth.
Now its funny to think you can also add bennigans and steak and ale.
NTC Naval Training Center Bowling Alley and Cinema
O shit, Luria's!!!
Oak ridge High School is still there but not the same. it has been rebuilt and now is on Oak Ridge facing the street.
OBT Hookers - Do they still come out and lurk hard on all the corners? In the Mid-90s on the strip between the citrus bowl and 50 you'd see them out in full force.
Off THe Wall
Off the Wall - on SOBT, just down from from "Flashdancer"
Off the Wall. Another night hot (warm) spot! Airplane sticking out of a building!
Oh my, Sunnyland! forgot about that place! How about the Oviedo Lights or the Swamp Angel? Cassadega? I know those weren't  IN Orlando, but as a kid, that's where we went!
Oh well, good luck to the employees & owners.
oh, and the barefoot mailman. It was like Spencers lite. I know they had one in the florida mall, but I think they had one in the fashion square mall too.
Oh, I just found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/…
Oh...also the chili bordello on Lee Rd. Odd place.
Ohhhhhh memories!
OK I feel old!
ok, I know it's been years but if the people who talked about jj whispers and cloud 9 are still here, do you have any ideas where to find some clubs like that?
Ok, I think that's it.
Ok, my buddy Mathias just came up with 2 more.... Rock On Ice on I-Drive! Also, the Republic Theaters on I-Drive! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee for memories! Also, foam parties @ Firestone!!!! :( Damn those were fun! Yeah, Firestone is still there, but not the amazing foam parties, where ANYTHING could happen. I witnessed many acts there that would make a lot of you blush ;)
ok, this list really hurts, born and raised here, I went to some of these places and only remembered them upon seeing their names... GD Ritzy's, wow! East Indies, it's been a long  time I suppose. Thanks for the good idea, I need a pill.
Ok, Very early 70's, Pine Hills shopping center/plaza .. does anyone remember the name of the music store that was there in that plaza, I think there was a McCrory's in there also with a soda fountain inside.  My parents took me there and they had balloons on the wall at the soda fountain, you popped one and got whatever was inside, got my very first real banana split there but, back on topic, anyone know anything about that little music/record store?  I bought a b'zillion 45's in there and my first real baton.
Okay I have read this entire thread and man the memories. But I have a place not mentioned before. mid 80's to early 90's . The Plus 3 Lounge in casselberry. Was similar to the station in terms of crowd and shows. Many national acts played there.  O and I used to work at that Wags/Perrys in the Altamonte Mall. Man those were the days!
Okay- here is obscurity in plain view- 1968 - NW corner OBT and Oak Ridge road, there was a small market (7-11 style no gas pumps) called (somthing) George's.  I can't recall the other part of the store's name. Like Honest George's or something like that.  I recall he would sell you a cigarettes for $.05 ea regardless of your age.
Okay, I read the post and did not see the places I going to list. If so, it's because I'm getting old and blind!
Okay....how about....BAILEYS in winter park....corner of park ave and fairbanks....upscale bar and reasturant owned by Jim veigle...owner of rachels....He also owned THE PIZZA PUB....where pita pit is now on fairbanks and park ave...I was good friends with home son and used to make our own pizzas there at night on the weekends and play the video games in the back room....what a great time that was
Old gas stations - Fina, Tenneco, 76, etc...
Old Orlando HIgh School which later served as Orlando Police headquarters, at the current City Hall site
Old Wall Street - Wall Street downtown, but before it turned into the douchefest party plaza that it is now. All the crustpunks and homeless guys and generally shady characters congregated there. Someone was always trying to bum cigarettes or rides or change from you when you walked by. Before it went to the douches metal spikes had been installed on the ledges to discourage crusties from lurking. Consistent stench of urine and/or vomit. RIP.
Ole Dad sure had a gimmick! Jumping on car hoods.
Ole Ole wasn't worth mentioning. We have to draw the line somewhere...
OMG- a trip down memory lane.. .  these posts are awesome!
Once Upon a Stage: Dinner Theater on Edgewater at Par. As a kid I saw The Sound of Music there.
One of those places I was going to visit "one of these days" and then it closed, drat it.
One question came to mind as I was reading this, " Do you have any idea why things are so transient in Orlando/Central Fla?' So many of us can remember SO MANY things that are no longer there!! A friend of mine who is a British Ex-Pat asked me why so many businesses come and go, he has been here since 1997 and just from that point it is a staggering amount of turnover. Some could be attributed to the economy, but what do you think?
oooh and,  Aahz (the former Beacham Theatre which is now tabu).
Oops, forgot some...
Opened in 1967.  They wanted to start a national chain, but got no bigger than 6 locations in Orlando.  Now only the Bumby location remains in business.
Orange Blossom Twin Theater: N/W corner Holden and SOBT. Saw Towering Inferno there (three times) spent 27 years at Orange County Fire Dept. Go figure!
Orange Julius
Orange Julius - Any mall.  Miss those terribly treats terribly!
original dexters on park ave then on fairbanks
Orlando Jewelers - East Colonial Drive.  This place made A LOT of Orlando women happy, including me.  Funny how Danny Tranor sold me my wedding band before they sold out to a private party who kept the name until it went under and became a cell phone company.  God knows we need more of them!
Orlando Miracle - Relocated to another city  ???
Orlando Predators - Cancelled for 2009
Orlando Rage XFL - Folded early turn of our century.  Always wanted to say that!
Orlando Renegades USFL - Folded in mid 80's.
Orlando SEALS - Folded ??? - Before the Solar Bears
Orlando Sports Stadium  wrestling and  orlando's first concert venue
Orlando Wax Museum - Located in between SeaWorld and I-4.  You could
Orlando Youth Center - where the Science Center parking garage is now
Other things people mentioned that I remember:
Others have already mentioned it, but Visage was awesome back in the day. Saw EMF there in like . . . 1991? 1992?
OUC on lake ivanhoe christmas sign
Oyster bay/ Callico Jacks...Real Rock did a lot of events there.
P chuck's subs ,Service Merchandise,Head east,Joann's Chili Bordello,Silver dome,Sweden house ,Roy Rogers loved those Double R burgers,Burger Chef,Par Bar,  Gunsmoke on Edgewater dr.and the Revolving ABC bar 436&17-92
Panchos on Michigan  street is empty.
Pandamonium - Skating rink in Pine Hills.  Became The Paladium.
Pantry Pride - my brother was a bagger at the one on SOBT and Holden.
Pantry Pride.....Loved going there as a kid and shopped with mom for groceries
Pants USA (Colonial Plaza Mall)
Papa B's
Papa B's
Papa B's pretty good wings etc.
Papa B's wings on Curry Ford by the old Entenman's outlet and Gabriels before they tore down the building (right by the classic Conway Twin)
parents worked at Fairway Markets
Park 11 Theaters in WP.  OMG!  11 Theaters?  That's crrrrrAZY!  When this reopened as a dollar theater, it was on my list of weekly hangouts.
Park Ave CDs- A CD shop on park ave.  I remember walking to it from the 9th grade center after school.
Park Avenue Disco - I can't believe no one's mentioned "Park Avenue Disco" NOBT just south of Lee Rd.  (It was Splash and then Empire) Two floors and they used to have male strippers and wouldn't let men in until after the strip show.  (Talk about discrimination)  Actually it was a very fun place and one of my first regular hangouts when I moved here in 1984.  Am I one of the oldest people on here?
Park Avenue Wine and cheese on Park Avenue, and its scruffy cousin the Park Avenue Wine and Cheese BISTRO on Curry Ford Rd @ Conway. RIP. Fittingly, there is a funeral home there now, next door to a pretty good Irish Pub.
Parking on frontage rd to watch the airplanes land
Parkwood Plaza and Seminole Plaza were built at the same time, and looked almost identical. Both featured twin-screen cinemas.  The last time I went to a movie at the Seminole Cinema, a large curtain above the screen crashed to the floor during the movie. I guess that was a signal that the final curtain was about to fall on the place.
Part two... as a kid we used to go to Aunt Martha's Home made ice cream on Orange Ave, just north of Michigan.
Paul B. El Torito's is very popular in California.  Where are you living now?  I really enjoy this thread.  I missed out on a lot growing up and I am 25!
Paul, it's nice that you live in Carolina now.  And it's a good thing you have family in Altamonte but anyway,  Steak and Ale went out of business three years ago.  Not just Orlando but the whole franchise.
Peaches - Can you smell that incense just thinking about it? Big music (tapes/cd's) store where the Chipotle is now, at Colonial near Primrose. They would hang paintings of current artists from the roof. I thought that was neat actually.
Pebbles on Aloma. A great place to get a good bite to eat.
Pebbles!  The "casual gourmet" restaurant with their dreamy nutty cheesy salad, Palermo salad dressing and pasta piedmontese.  Oh, how I miss that place.  They were in Longwood,  off Aloma in Winter Park, downtown and at Lk Buena Vista.  The one that is still open is not like the original, bought and sold to other owners, but kept the name.
Pebbles. (sniff)
Peoples rest.
Peps restaurant on Conroy and Kirkman is gone, now a mexican place.
Pete Porter, Bill Vermillion, 
Pete's Bubble Room. Don't remember it too well, but it was located across the street from the Enzian. I think it was fancy-ish food, and it may have had a dress code or membership of some kind. I think Buca DiBeppo's is in it's place now.
Pharmor - Discount drug store, in the Colonial Promenade plaza. "Phar-mor, for less!"
pharmor#27 colonial dr. Best times first job.(double coupons)
Philip the only middle school club I remember in Seminole county was Night Moves but I'm pretty sure it was in Longwood.
Phineas Fogg's was a disco, now Ember.  The Cheyenne Saloon featured country performers, and they had a show on the defunct Nashville Network.
Phone disconnected.
photo courtesy of Dick Camnitz
Picadilly at Fashion Square Mall. Loved the colored Jello!!!
Piccadilly
Piccadilly - Similar to Morrison's. There was a location in the Fashion Sq. Mall.
Pickerel's Sporting Goods - on Edgewater in College Park
Pig N Whistle:  This was Orlando's first drive-in restaurant.....that is, you parked you car in a line of spaces, and an attendant came out to the car, took your order, and placed a tray hooked onto your window to hold your food, and you ate in your car.  Cars were not air conditioned back then.  This place was located on West Colonial Drive, east of what is known now as the Pine Hills area.  Pig and Whistle had a cool sign:  a big electric neon pig carrying a tray whose legs moved back and forth; I liked going there as a kid just to see that sign!  Pig N Whistle was the predecessor to Steak and Shake, same setup, and where all the teens hung out at during the 1960's (Colonial Drive location).  In 1969, some teens went down the street to hang out at Fricshe's Big Boy - same setup - located on south side Colonial, just past Bumby.  Our first "fast food" chain was Royal Castle, famous for mini hamburgers and birch beer (root beer).  If you know the name of a place, you also know a little history about it.  Just ask me, I was born and raised in Orlando.
Piggly Wiggly - Corner of Pine Hills & Silver Star
Piggly Wiggly was a national chain I used to see them in Lousiana too but the one that I know of here was on Lake Underhill just east of 436 near where Latin Hooters is now
Pine Hills Music Center
pinkie lees, downtown where Sak is.
Pirates Cove Skating Rink: the first place I ever skated. I remember a school mate of mine named Mark who's parents worked at or managed the place.
Pirates World
Pizza Inn
Pizza Inn - remember this old pizza chain?! I barely do. I think they had thin crust, similar to Pizza Hut's thin crust. I remember liking the decor though, if I remember right (it's been 20 yrs ago or so!) they had a semi-Euro theme going on, almost German style.
Pizzeria UNO-my dad and I would go there and play nth trivia
place  way out on East 50   for concerts- where Canned Heat   (my first unchaperoned concert)  played in 1967-8 + - , Iron Butterfly, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Rod Stuart, etc, etc.. "- That was Pete Ashlock's Orlando Sportatorium. (later renamed the Eddie Graham's Sport Stadium)
Place 436 Apartments: Can't remember exactly where on 436 it was but I remember the incredible pool that snaked all through the complex.
Places of Learning
Play World - Colonial Drive.  Huge toy store.  Closed in the early 80s.
Please pay tribute to Dexter's in thornton park.. the original publix
Pleasure Island
PLEASURE ISLAND - Downtown Disney
Pleasure Island- I remember drinking jello shots out of a fake syringe there.
Po' Folks - southern restaurant with great fried okra.
Polar Cup is a great one! Yes, there was one @ Curry Ford and Conway. There was another one @ Ferncreek and Michigan (Johnny's Fillin' Station).
Poll Parrot Shoes   Colonial Drive and 17-92
Pollo Loco.
Ponderosa - was that a chain?  Used to be one in Apopka
Pool hall in azalea  park 80s
Power Play Arcade (a notorious zeta hang-out).
Prairie Lake - West 436.  Went dart in the early to mid 90's.
prairie lake drive in
Pretty funny stuff.
Pretty soon they'll all be gone.
Price mark every item (those days are long gone)
Prime Time Video-Sorry if I mentioned this before
Primeco - Everywhere.  Cell Company.
Prince of wales, and mulvaneys which are now fiddlers.
Provide checkout stands
Publix being closed on Sunday.
Publix subs on the weekend
Publix used to have Food World.  Publix gave S&H green stamps, Food World didn't, because the perception was that the green stamps equalled higher prices.
Pure platinum
Pure Platinum - Orange Blossom Trail.  Strip-club.
Purple porpoise
Put employees in clean matching uniforms
putt putt golf on colonial next to Scotty
Q Zar - Downtown laser tag anyone?
Q Zar Laser Tag
Question, is there still a tattoo place in the old JJ Whispers building??  Anyone know?
Quincey's - Douglas Avenue and 434.  Remember the big fat yeast roll?  I certainly do.  They had a great salad bar!
Quincy's! - Family style restaurant, and one of the first buffet's I remember ever seeing. Big fat yeast roLL!
Quincys
Quite an impressive list!
Radars Relics
Ralph Kazarian commercials.
Ranch House Restaurant (South OBT between Oak Ridge Road & Lancaster Road)
Rated G (by Colonial Plaza Mall) 70's
Rated G, Primrose across from Colonial Plaza. Shakey's Pizza on Mills by Nebraska. Hal Watts Dive Shops, one on Mills other on 50 by Bumby. Fairbanks Inn. Orlando Connection. The Youth Center on Lake Formosa. Gimme Shelter at the corner of Mills and Colonial. Tick Tock Lounge at Michigan and Orange. Townsends at same corner. Big Daddy's Level Three. one in Altamonte the other off South 441 at Sand Lake. Tropicana Bottle Club. Hot Line Bottle Club, Night Line Bottle Club. And then there was the red neck one at Egdewater and Lee Rd called Tips Evil People and The Other Door. Off the Wall. Images. Impulse. Tiffinny Inn. Hofner Lounge. Nancy's Guys and Dolls. The Pool place that was at the corner of Colonial and Orange where Mamma B's is at now. JTs Game Room. Hot Foots Foosball. Past Time game room on Corrine. Time Out game room Colonial Plaza. Game Time Pizza. Jimbo's Pizza. Cosmo's Subs. Satelite Subs on Edgewater Drive. Northgate Plaza. Brass Rail Saloon in Winter Garden. Nickle's Alley. Member's nights at Church Street Station. Phineas Phoggs. Spit nights at Park Ave. Park Avenue Pub. Decades. Harrigan's. Villa Nova. Baby Nova. Freddie's Steak House. Joint in the Woods. Fern Park Station. Flash Dancer. Flash Back. Shucker's. MJP's. Lee and Rick's. Lums Hot Dogs. Arthur Treachers. Bonanza. Black Angus. Duffs. Stacey's Buffet. Village Cinema and Draft House. Midnight Movies at the Rocking Chair (Rocky Horror and Dawn of the Dead). Midnight Movies at the Interstate Six. Winter Park Drive In across from Steak and Shake on Orlando Avenue. Webster Adult Education. Small Change Saloon. Vickie's Place downtown Winter Garden. Cadillac Barn. Anthony's.
Rax - an Arby's knock off, but much better IMO.
Rax Roast Beef on West Colonial.
Razzles in the Altamonte mall
Recall The Clothes Horse?
Recently departed is Cup O Soul - I miss the Llamas! So sad to see a local coffee shop go out of business.
Record Mart - One location was in the old Colonial Plaza. Like East West, a great place to shop during vinyl's heyday with a knowledgeable staff and lots of cool limited edition stuff.
Record Mart (Colonial Plaza Mall)
Referencing one of the remarks earlier about "Theo's Kitchen", and due to the fact that the company I work for is buiIding them a sign know that a 'Theo's Kitchen' is being opened or at least renovated on 2952 Curry Ford Road. I am not sure if it the same as the original, but just thought I would pass that along.
Remember good tomatoes?!  They came in season at the same time as strawberries and I would buy a flat of them at the Clemmon's on Howell Branch which is now an empty lot.
Remember Sandroni's by the NTC? Cheap beer, Great Subs! Watching "True Grit" at Colonial Plaza Theater, The Infinite Mushroom at Colonial Plaza, Belk's & Jordan Marsh, the bowling alley - The Colonial Plaza Mall Rocked! RxAll Drugs, feeding pigeons and throwing pennies in the swan fountain @ Lake Eola, Orlando Air Force Base, McCoy Air Force Base, Guys and Dolls (by Herndon Airport) , Lake Underhill BEFORE the East- West, The McBride lion (now at Lake Como) and Mr. McBride with his famous birdhouse with the "smoking" owl.  Oh my, So many memories!
Remember Sonic Boom?  It was a cd/record store by UCF? They had a daily question, like "How did Blink 182 get their band name?"
Remember the Briar Patch--downtown Winter Park
Remember this place?! One location was at Colonial, where the Office Max/Target plaza is now. If I remember correctly (IIRC), you would walk around and pick a number of an item, then take that number to some guy and he'd go fetch it for you in the back warehouse. I don't remember them having anything interesting. Just jewelry, lamps, tv's, some toys and other household crap.
Remember when MTV did their spring break special / concerts at Daytona Beach??
Remember when Taboo used to be Zuma Beach? I never went but I remember hearing those dumb radio commercials all the time.
Responding to Lori:  Ronny's was in fact a Jewish deli and diner, located as an anchor tenant at the Colonial Plaza Mall, southwest corner of Bumby and Colonial.  In those years, this was the first "mall" in Orlando, being an indoor mall and Jordan Marsh also being an anchor tenant.  Decor's Infinite Mushroom, Orlando's first head shop was also located at this mall.  Ronny's was the "place to go" for spectacular dinners and deserts. They had the best dinner rolls, and cole slaw, kosher pickles, and sarkraut , where staples on the table ready to serve.  Our family went there at least once a week....and so did others.  They had three lines to stand in while waiting....spearated by roped areas dividing parties of one, two, and three or more.  It was a high class place for it's time, and they had huge deserts on display that were "to die" for!
response to Justin "Woot"
Ri-mar - Claracona and 441. Burned down and is now a condo, office space or something
Rickie Lee's - a happenin' little bar out near the Orlando Int'l Airport.
rimar drive in
Rimar Drive-in - Drive-In Movie theater off of Edgewater Dr. One of the few drive-in's we had in town. Never made it to a show there.
rio bravo before chevys took over. Chevy's had the best corn mush.
Ritzy on south Semoran.
Rivership Romance
road trips with the family as a kid, my mom would always advise my dad to look for a gas station that gave green stamps.  Then once in a while we'd gather them up and lick and paste the stamps into the booklets, and eventually take them in to the Redemption Center.  Seems kinda funny now.
Robert, that was called the Junkyard!
Robinson's
Robinson's - department store
Rocco's Tacos in Kissimmee.  Southeastern Academy, also in Kissimmee
Rock concerts at the Citrus Bowl
Rock festivals were a going-thing at the time.  If you recall, it all started with the Monterey Rock Festival in California, Woodstock of course, the Atlanta Pop Festival, and the Miami Pop Festival. All these occured during those time frames - late 1960's-1970. The dairy famer who owned the abundant amount of land in Bithlo obtained all the proper permits from the County; it was on a weekend starting Friday evening, ending Sunday. I went Saturday from morning until midnight (back then I still was on a curfew).  Somewhere at home I have a list of all the bands that played there, both local, and nationally renowned artists.  Yes, it was a success, considering the fact Orlando was just a small hub of town at the time ("before Disney"), and the "biggies" were in major metropolitan areas.
Rockhaven - A monthly dance in Lockhaven park for middle and high schoolers.  Rockhaven was awesome.  They had pool tables, a dance floor, a stage where you could rock it out in front of everyone, and meet people that didn't go to your school.  No idea if it's still happening or not.
Rockin Chair Theater on Bumby.....I saw the original Superman there
Ron Jon Surf Shop
Ron Patrizio Of The Sentinel Staff | June 1, 1990
Ron you got  your bearings back in line. My sister worked at that Ranch house  and I  have quite a fun family picture (all long haired and  hippie-fied stuff)  in that parking lot.
Ronnie's Restaurant at the old Colonial Mall - Orlando's premiere NY style deli/old folks hangout! My grandparents would drag us to this Too-Jays predecessor and boy was it old school! Chopped liver, reubens, the works! They would charge you 25 cents for pats of butter! There was a weird phone booth in the back, by the restrooms. Each table had a metal buckets of beets, pickles and something else (I forget). The bakery next door was one damn fine purveyor of sweets! I don't think any other place in town has had such tasty cookies.
Ronnie's Restaurant is where my mom took me to breakfast every Tuesday. We saw Mick Jager eating there once.
Ronnie's was a great place.  I wonder if the big sign was salvaged.  It should be in the county museum.
Ronnies at Colonial Plaza Mall
Ronnies- jewish deli
Ronnies, best pickles ever.
Ronny's - In colonial plaza mall. My grandparents would take me there - and I HATED it.
Roses's Discount, JM Fields, TG&Y, Lionel Play World, and Circuit City all gone now.
Rosie O Grady's / The Exchange on Church St. - A bunch of shops, a few restaurants: Lily Marlane's! Phineas Phoggs (for nickel beer night), on the second floor was a food court type thing going on, and on the 3rd floor there was a huge arcade. A biplane would skywrite 'Rosie's' up in the air all the time.
Rosie O-grady's- NICKEL BEER on WED. Nuff said.
Rosie's was a kind of cabaret with the "Red Hot Mama," Ruthie Cruise, and some dancing twins.  Mojo is now in that spot.  They had nickel beer night on Wednesdays and it was packed. 
Rossi's Pizza ..already listed and btw still there last I knew..1st place I heard of or had stuffed pizza..yum!
Roxy still open? Hated that place. I'm sure if it is open it under a different name now.
Roy Roger's was where Arby's is on Lee road ,try these Malcom's hungry Bear 50 just east of 441,Cork room Orange Ave & Formosa,Carvelle Ice Cream across from Edgewater High,packed every day after school, Penland's Grocery Forest City road,Grand Jewel Northgate plaza,
Royal Castle -  Par & Edgewater Dr., great ice cold Birch beer in a cold mug!
Royal Castle - E Colonial at Magnolia?  (Huge 7-11 there now)
royal castle restaurants
Ruby Tuesday's - Altamonte Mall.  What a shame this closed sometime around 2000.  It was great to go there to shop, grab a bite to eat, have a cocktail or two, then continue shoping.
Runestone Toy Store on Park Ave. I totally remember that place. The owner used to let me be the stock boy in exchange for free playmobil waaaaay back in the day. Runestone was a real treasure and I am so sad to see it gone. It had the most well crafted unique toys that you could ever imagine. It is a damn shame that all of the retail on Park Ave is largely dieing or dead.
Rutland's
Rutland's Men's Store - downtown
Ryan's is still going strong in Alabama.
Ryans Steakhouse
S&H green stamps store on colonial
S&S Cafeterias - pre dates Duff's, and competed with Morrison's, the first placed my parents declared "my eyes were bigger than my stomach" a tray full of food for under $2-3
Sadie's Tavern/Midtown Tavern - Bar on Mills and Fairbanks (where Chipotle is). It was kind of a lesbian bar, but also a biker bar. Not a bad place to swing in for a beer or 3.
Sadly, Cheap Charlies is no more.
Saints and Sinners ,Burger Chef,and Maryland Fried Chicken thats still there on Edgerwater Drive,Great French Fries and Chicken livers
Sambo's  was also on OBT at Holden. Use to eat there EARLY (2:00 am) all the time. The originator of a GRAND SLAM. Nothing offensive about their name or signage-  had a "little black Sambo" running around a maypole with a tiger chasing him. It was harmless non-stereotyping icon. -Get over it. -
sambo's for late night after bar
Sambos - I have no idea where this place was, but it was similar to Denny's. I had a Sambo stuffed animal when I was a kid. Think it was closed down due to the racial connotations in the name.
Sambos (memtioned in another post) - There was one on Kirkman Road in the mid to late 70s.  It was closed due to the name and people's perception of that name.  It was a shame though.  It was right at the beginning of my neighborhood and my parents and I used to eat there.
Sambos:  It was on the east side of SOBT and was a great little restaurant to eat for family-style meals - they had the best pancakes. 
Sampain (sp) Chinese - College Park in its day the best Chinese food in O'do
San Juan Hotel
sandwich shop - College Park  I think its Christo's now, back in the day the owner made it fast and friendly & good!
Sanlando Springs - great swimming spot, now developed as The Springs residential subdivision
Saphire Supper Club- Now the Social
Sapphire Supper Club ( I know it's "the social" now ... but I liked the sapphire moniker better)
Sassy merlots somewhat topless wine bar on 17-92 un maitland
Saw 11 Red Apples play at Have a Nice Day Cafe. Never cared for that place.
Saw Prong and the Jesus Lizard at Barbarella.  And Fugazi and Primus at the Edge.
Sawdust - down off south Semoran Blvd
Sbarros and Olive Garden on Park Ave. Better believe it. Panullos is where Sbarros used to be.
Scary times, indeed.
Scatz. A nightclub for teenagers, over where the Roxy is now. Wacky!
Science Center (old one) It was the best, so much better than the fancy one. My kids still remember the water room with the vinyl aprons and rubber floors.
Scotty's - did anyone ever go there?
Scotty's - Home improvement store chain. Could never find anything in this damn place.
Scruffy Murphy's downtown
Scruffy Murphy's- A great irish bar.
Seargeant Peppers
Sears has sold their property to W.Oaks Mall and will be out in a year or so.
seconds!
Seminole Plaza - Super old-school shopping center on the corner of 436 and 17-92. Closed and abandoned in the late 80s/early 90s at some point, and was totally torn down around 94. By the time they demo'd it the place had turned into a grimy punk/skater hangout kinda spot. My little skate crew made it a home base of sorts. I have lots of old video footage of us skating around in there and raising all kinds of destructive hell.
Semoran Twin Plitt Theater - The first dollar theater I went to, I think it's Friendly Confindes now.  Even though it was a buck to get in, I got in free because my brother worked there! HA!
Service Merchandise!
Service Merchandise.....Took over space when Lionel playworld left
Shakey's Pizza
Shakey's Pizza -
Shakey's Pizza (I think it was on OBT) - I used to love going there and watching the old Our Gang movies!
Shakey's Pizza on Ferncreek near Colonial
Shaky's Pizza?  Anyone?  What about the Ice Cream place that was in the Altamonte Mall in the Mid 70's?  Can't remember the name, but boy was that a great place for a birthday & the best banana split in the world!
Sharon, The Skate City Roller rink later became the old Northland: A Church distributed.  Northland has moved to the old Seminole Greyhound Park.
Sheik's Lounge, too young to go there...all of these were in the Publix Plaza on Curry Ford/Conway
Shell's seafood restaurants....exclusively for their giant chocolate cake with jack daniels... I think thats what it was, anyway, it had some sort of alcohol and it tasted glorious....
sheraton twin towers
Shoe lodge fashion square mall....I sold.shoes there in 1987....great shoe store
Shogun Japanese Steakhouse on Colonial Drive.
Shooters - a small local chain of restaurants. It was a burger & wings kind of place.
Shop & Go convenience stores
Showbiz Pizza
Showbiz Pizza. - Awesome pizza place for birthdays, similar to Chuck E. Cheese. I think Chuck E. used to be in the Showbiz, then he branched off. There was some crossover with characters if I'm not mistaken.
Shucker's Oyster Bar never went, but knew many who "lived" there (obt/oakridge area)
Silver Spurs Rodeo Arena (aka The Cow Palace) - 192 between Kissimmee and St. Cloud.  Osceola HS Cowboys played football there.
Sir Pizza on 17-92 near Fairbanks... it was my fav back in high school.
Six Gun Territory - This was an Old West style amusement park up near Ocala.  They had live action gunfights in the streets.  I climbed up my dad's leg and wound up wrapped around his head and shoulders because of all the gunfire.  I loved that place.
Sizzler - only know of the one on I-drive, but there were many before
Skate City (out by Dog Track Road) 60's
Skate World I - Off Colonial Drive near Fashion Square (Now Central FL Safety Council)
Skate World II - Oakridge Road
Skeeter's (on Lee Road) 70's
Skipper Bob - Channel 9's cartoon show
Skull Kingdom - a magic\mystery type inspired tourist trap on I-drive that was recently torn down.  The best part about it was that the building was a giant skull and crossbones.
Skyline Restaurant at McCoy Airport
skywriting by Church st station over I4 every rush hour
small burrito joint right in Thornton Park circa 1997? It didn't last too long, but it was memorable. I think it was where Wildside is now. Delicious and borderline gourmet burritos and salsas. This place was around before the wave of mundane burrito joints become showing up on the scene...
Sneakers Sports bar, which is now JB's on Kirkman, which was a cinema pub before Sneakers.  My brother was the fry guy at Sneakers and his g/f was a server.  Our softball team would go there after a game, order multiple pitchers, 10 wings and fries.  My bro would send out 100 wings with baskets of fries, and our tab would be like $10.  Ah, life before computers.
Snuck  into Bithlo "pop festival" in the trunk of a car only to find out that everyone got in free...great time but muddy!
so you wanna go back in time to old grocery stores, how about the Food Fair at Edgewater and Par, I think they gave out Top Value stamps (the yellow ones). Do you remember the S&H Green stamp store, where you redeemed those stamps for gifts, Had one on 17-92 in WP I think. Most of the youthful souls on YELP are saying now that qualifies for weird places that no longer exist, I mean who would save loads of stamps that they got from the retailers, lick and stick into little booklets, then turn them into some little store for things like toasters or lamps? Back in the day...
Solar Bears
Solarium on Lake Estelle   17-92 by Florida Hospital
Someone already mentioned this, but The Big Bamboo Lounge on 192 near 535 was the best place to drink after work at Disney. It was a classic 70's tiki-bar theme turned townie bar with its walls covered with the tacky tales of Disney's takeover. Literally thousands of Cast Member nametags, opening team/day park and resort shirts and a couple bras on the walls.
Someone asked about a burger place in Altamonte, I think it was Fuddruckers.
Someone asked way up near the top what the name of the great pizza place on OBT was that burned down.  I didn't see an answer.  Rossi's Pizza.  BEST thin crust pizza I think I've ever had.  Used to go there all the time.
someone had mentioned the old wswb, tv 35. the first independent tv station here. do you remember "uncle huey" and the uncle huey show weekday afternoons on that channel?
Someone mentioned Electric Avenue- awesome place to hang out as a teen! They continuously looped the song so that is all you heard when you were in line waiting to get in!
Someone mentioned nickel beer night. Do you remember the weird old lady in the ballgown that used to dance there? She was a regular.
Someone said two flights up on park ave.  It was also the border cantina.  (now the second floor of pottery barn) saw seven mary three, tabithas secret, the crowd, derek and the slammers, and gumwrapper curb there.  They had great deals on pitchers of margaritas, and i have a few of the hubcaps from the stairwell.
Someplace Else lounge in Winter Park. Can't remember if it was on Orange AVe. or Fairbanks just East of Mill.
Sonic Boom records over near UCF I think is closed. Seems like all the small record stores are closed now (except for Park Ave. CD's).
Sorrento's
Sorry for all the one liners and glad to hear that Sam Behr is still around
Sorry if anyone has already posted this, this thread is LONG!
Sorry if this has already been mentioned...anyone remember Casa Gallardo? By fashion square I think~
Sorry if this is a repost, but I didn't see it.
Sorry Susan, I just realized this was under the subject of "extinct!"
Sorry, I'm into nostalgia now.
South Seas Seafood on Curry Ford...really hoped it would succeed
Southern College near 436/Lk.Underhill
southern nights
Speaking of "Infinite Mushroom", does anybody know that when it first opened up in, as I recall, 1966 or 67, it was originally named "Decor's Infinite Mushroom" (pronounced "day-cores".  - accent on the first syllable).  As I also recall, there was a contest to name the store, and a teenage guy came up with the name and won.  I think "Decor" might have been the name of or had something to do with the original owner or licensee.  Anyone want to collaborate?
Speaking of downtown... the center of the city is Orange Avenue and Central Blvd. That's where the North/South & East/West designations begin.
Speaking of go-go joints there were way too many of them to mention. (There was on in The Inferno as well.) Don't remember the one you mentioned.
Speaking of pizza restaurants......when I was in junior high school (today - middle school).......there were only two pizza restaurants in town, that we were aware of, anyway.  The one was Johnny's Pizza, located on Lake Underhill Drive in the Conway area.  It was one size only, and cheese only.  It was the best, especially for the munchies.  It closed many years ago.  The next one that came onto the scene was Tom's Pizza, which was located on Bumby Avenue, across from the old Rocking Chair movie theatre.  Tom's pizza was sold in squares, not in typical triangular form.  Tom's was also limited initially to cheese or pepperoni.  Tom's had great crust, so I always grabbed the corner pieces to get "double crust"!  Another restaurant now occupies the building that was once Tom's.  Johnny's and Tom's were in business during the 1960's long before Rossi's (another good Italian restaurant that's been around since the 70's) and the chain type pizza restaurants came to town.  Yes...even before Pizza Hut!!
Speaking of radio stations..........Renee in earlier thread had mentioned several FM radio stations (like WDIZ).  Before Orlando had access to FM airwaves, we only had AM rock and roll stations.  There were two well known as WLOF, Channel 95, and also WHOO, which was Channel 99,  There was also one "soul" station called  "Tiger Radio", but I don't remember the call letters.
Speaking of the Naval Training Center, anyone remember that place nearby called Kilroy's???
Speaking of wrestling, before they moved to Pete Ashlock's Sportatorium in November 1967 - the main event was Eddie Graham and Johhny Valentine... they used to wrestle at the American Legon Hall on Lake Ivahoe. I went all the time as a kid with my grandparents. My grandpa would have to go early to put the wrestling ring together for Milo Steinborn who was the promoter who also owned a gym on Orange Ave, just south of Princeton Ave.
SPIT Night at Park Ave OBT
Splash
Splash?
Splendid China was one of my favorite places in Orlando.  I installed the glass and glazing there. Had interesting interactions with some of the -well I'd call them "artisans" that were brought over. BTW, The mini-wall of China was laid one  little  tile at a time. No pre-glued sheets of tiles either.
Splendid China was that the name of theme park where...oh yeah boardwalk and baseball, was sad to see that go
Splish-Splash Car Wash.
Sports Unlimited
Spotted Zebra. Cool vintage-y clothing store.
Spring Break Daytona - 1985-1991.  They still have college students in town during that time, but nothing like what it used to be!
Standardize product location in every store
Starbucks the arcade! Does anyone remember this place?
Stardust Cafe
Stars Hall of Fame - the best wax museum ever! Loved Flip Wilson turning into Geraldine :)
Stars Hall of Fame.  Remember that one???  It was located near Sea World in which I believe is now the Westwood Business Center.
Started in UCF in 92.  Been in Orlando since.  Where to start?   The Wild Pizza at UCF.  Rojo's pizza (still the best stromboli I have ever had).  For a UCF student in mid to early 90's it was CJ's on Tuesday, Frat House wed, 4th Fighter Thursday.  Sunday could be either Rodeo, Edge or JJ Whispers.  Damm good times.   I remember the Black Eyed Pea.   I used to work at Ruby Tuesday Fashion Square mall.  L&N Seafood had still the best rolls and Shrimp Scampi I have ever had.   Fat Tuesday's on Park Ave.  The Mill in Winter Park, Angels Diner in WInter Park.   Does anybody remember the Pub by UCF?  Awesome burgers.
stated, The Station, also a line dancing place, saw that mentioned.
Steak N Shake-watched the guys cruise thru in the GTO's and Olds 442's
Steak on SR436 (mmmmm good!)
Sterling's Pancake House - 17-92 and Fairbanks in Winter Park
Steve's Southern Music
Steve's Southern Music. - Music store downtown. I was pretty young, but I remember it being on Orange Ave. Just when I was getting into music, it closed.
Still going and growing the list I noticed a few more scrolling from top to bottom, old retailers:
Storage , go figure! )
Strongarm47 / Bad Mood - small time music store, accessories shop and tattoo parlour/piercing place on Magnolia and Jefferson.
Structure (similar to Chess King)  I think absorbed by Express or Limited or something
Studebakers (sp?) was a fabulous '50's style dance club!
studio 46 Video no longer exist
Such a cool thread. I just thought of a few more:
Sunnyland - A mental ward/hospital with urban legends abound! After it closed down for good, adventurous youths would break in and do drugs to experience the lost soul spirits and eerie-ness of it all.
Sunnyland- mental ward
Sunstate Skating Rink (among others already mentioned) over near what was Colonial Plaza Mall
Surprised nobody mentioned Lees Lakeside in the old Cherry Plaza Hotel.
SushiMan, Dr. Phillips.
Swamp Angel? Sounds crazy.
Swamp Ghost by Sea World
Sweden House was her favorite one though. I'm sure she would have rather went there. But an allowance didn't go far.
Swizzles - 192 & Turnpike
Taco Don
Taco Don across from Rossis' Pizza
Taco Tico - Is that still there?
Taco Tico -casselberry
Taco Tico / Taco Viva - old taco chains, pre Taco Bell(?) Mexican fast food. Might have been my first exposure to Meximelts.
Taco Tico on Colonial drive.
take the flea market discussion over here: http://www.yelp.com/topi…
Tam Tam House  (OBT) got a lot of my  youth business .
Tam Tam's wow. My friend Daniel would take us there after the evening of drinking out of Kirkman (33rd), motel hell, or swamp ghost. There was always something special having a greasy burger with some friends right next to a few strippers or maybe hookers, couldnt tell. hahaha.
Tamboras in Winter Garden and Emilianoz in Apopka or is it Altamonte.
Tangerine Bowl is now the Citrus Bowl
Taqueria Quetzocatl was really good!  Forgot about that one.
Taqueria Quetzocoatl -  a small chain that maybe didn't franchise well.  I first sawthem in Tallahassee, but there was one in Winter Park Village
Terror on Church Street many a fun night there
Terror on Church Street was kinda cool. I only went through it once. And I bet a lot of other locals would say the same thing. Maybe it wasn't enough of a tourist trap for vacationers to keep it alive? 
TG&Y - Also on the corner of Pine Hills Rd & Silver Star
TG&Y - old school drugstore/toy store/panty hose depot. There was one at Curry Ford and Conway.
TG&Y stood for Toys, Games, and Yo-yos.
TG&Y was also in the Conway/Curry Ford plaza. Along with a surf shop. Forgot the name of that too. It wasn't Dunes (a different surf shop located in the Michigan/Conway plaza about 1/2 mile South).
Thank goodness for wikipedia and people with time.
Thanks doll! I hope to see you out sometime. :)
Thanks Ron  for the names and corrections. I know I had Zayre's spelled wrong! ; )
Thanks to all who have contributed to such fond memories and even some memories that sparked brain cells that haven't fired in years.
Thanks Tom B., I'll try to find the song.
Thanks, Chris.  All the great bands of the era played at the Sports Stadium, sponsered associates with WORJ FM Radio Station, mentioned in earlier thread. We hitchhiked to every single one of them!  And yes, our starting point to hitch was on Colonial Drive near the Steak and Shake!  Back then, it was safe to hitchhike (I was with my future husband at the time)  and we always got a ride, often times it was with someone already going to the Sports Stadium for the show.  I saved all my ticket stubs.  The Tangerine Bowl (now downtown stadium) was the first outdoor concert venue; I don't remember who we first saw play there, but I recall seeing Pink Floyd there.  It was in the late spring or summer on a hot afternoon, and boy was it hot!!  I'll check out the website you offered.....thanks.  Gail
That airplane is still crashed into the place.
That goes for everyone else too. I think many of you aren't even reading what other people said, and you're just flying off at the mouth. :)
That Laurel Oaks photo looks intriguing.
That old movie theater off Edgewater heading towards Lee Rd. in that old shopping plaza behind the Racetrac Gas Station
That sucks about Barney's. We live close by and that place has been on our 'go-to' list for a while. I always imagined it would have reminded me of the 'made' restaurants on the Main Line outside of Philly that a certain side of my family 'ran'.
That was  F.A.O. Schwartz. I think they closed all of their stores but later reopened the flagship store in New York.  The piano-dancing scene in the movie Big was filmed at the NYC store (or at least a mock-up of it.
That's a knee-slapper.
That's just wrong.  It always looked like the kids were having a blast there.
That's possible.  There was a website for Infinite Mushrom before it closed.  Not sure if it's still there, but if it is, the history may reveal the answer.
That's right, Chi Chi's was next to fashion square, wish I could remember the name of that awesome Mexican place near Altamonte, I can taste it now!
That's right, there was a bar right next to Dino's.....Tropical something?  I seem to remember palm trees on their logo and they had a package store.  Too bad I was a bit underage before I got the chance to check it out.
That's the place that served me underage the MOST ... no wonder it's gone ...
That's what I always thought it stood for. 
the 70's there was a popular place in a couple of malls, Fashion Square for one.  They served ice cream or pizza, I can't remember.  What was the name -- something like Sweeney's?
The A-Train Restaurant - was a small train car on 192 in Kissimmee. I just remember they sold train whistles made of wood.
the Allied Discount Tires guy still on tv?
The Apache Go-Go  (oops - my really single days... so long gone by)
The Ball Motel on West Colonial Drive on the west side of Winter Garden.
The bar next to the enzian for a long time was Jordans Grove, then later it was Nicole St. Pierre.
The Bar.. I use to go there to try to mack on some college chicks
The Barefoot Mailman - Novelty gift store in the mall. It was kind of like Spencer's, but bigger. They had a bunch of perv-related stuff.
The Barn - a C-W joint on 441 at Rose Ave in Lockhart  (burned down sometime in the 70's)
The Bee Line - Changed name to the Beach Line in 2006?
THE best burgers!
The Big Bamboo in Kissimmee
The Big Bamboo, a bar  that was generally full of Disney Cast Members. It was reminiscent of Rosies, the local bar in M*A*S*H.
The Bithlo festival I vaguely recall. Was it in 1969 as an attempt at another Woodstock? Do you remember whether it was a success at all? That's a good one!
The Black Eyed Pea -  A diner that specialized in Southern food.  On University, close to 436.
The Blue Marlin - East 434 and I-4. Overprice food where all the "rich" people ate after shopping at Jacobson's.  Place finally closed because the County had to hire a full-time Health Inspector just to keep the flies, roaches and rats away.  I remember going with my Mom there a couple of times, at least until they shut it down for the second time.
The Booby Trap.  Not that I've been inside, but it was a landmark in the sense that the building was uniquely shaped like two breasts pointing into the air, painted pink.  It is still there, but painted and renamed Club harem, near I-4 and Lee Road.
The bubble room had all kinds of Chatzkis decorating the walls, and a model train that ran around the whole place. There is still one in Captiva Island next to Sanibel.
The Bubble Room is a good one!  That place was awesome, the cakes were bigger than a small child.  There was the Pope table where a paper mache bust of Pope John Paul 3 doubled as a lazy susan.  I think Bucca kept it, but not sure.  There was no membership required, but it was expensive.
The burger joints that y'all are talking about were called Royal Castle.  White Castle's were in the Mid-South / Mid-West States - our equivalent to the Krystal burgers.
The Buster Brown Shoe Store had a machine with a chicken that would give you a plastic egg, or something like that. Can't remember the details.
The car dealerships that used to line Orange Ave downtown - Orange Buick, Heintzelman's Ford, A.P. Clark, Simpson Motors, Reed Motors (which was one block west on Garland)
The Carolina Hotel just off 192 & I-4 whose slogan used to be "Have your next affair here".
The Castle of Golf and Games - Off I-Drive next to what used to be Malibu RaceWay.  Closed and is now the location of a couple of hotel buildings.
The Central Florida Fair - held downtown where the Amway Arena is now.  Used to get out of school at noon on "Fair "Day"when kids got in free
The Chatterbox Lounge on Fairbanks Avenue was the bar with the telephones...so lame!
The Cherry Plaza Hotel
The Cheyenne Saloon on Church Street will close after Saturday night.
The Cooker, which is now Wing House in Altamonte and Houlahan's on Colonial. They had the best friend green tomato app.
The Copper Penny restaurant
The croc club is now an urgent care.  It was Baileys, Bonefish Billys, and Logans Sportsbar, and I forget what its last name was. 
The Crocodile club near Rollins, the Langford hotel,
The drive in near the corner of Michigan and Orange - geez the stories I could tell!
the duplexes at big lake Barton
The Edge - Nightclub, awesome venue for bands! Lots and lots and lots of touring alternative rock national bands played here. I saw Fugazi, Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, Bad Brains, Helmet, Rollins Band, Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill and like 30 other bands from that era.
The Edge - saw NOFX, Type O negative, Pantera, god I miss that place...
The Edge was called 8 seconds for a long time, now I think it's the HQ for The Weekly paper.
The Edge- I miss this place. Saw beasties, Porno for Pyro's and many other in concert here. was a great place to party.
The elementary school at 441 and 50 with the pedestrain tunnels that ran under the highways
The Embassy off of Lee Rd. had a cheap drink / 80's video night on Mondays. Think they closed after a girl got raped on the dance floor. Turned into a skate park for awhile.
The first channel 35 WSWB was the first independent station in Orlando. That is where I got to know My favorite Martian Star Trek Lost in Space  the Time Tunnel and the British  My Partner the Ghost (Randall and Hopkirk deceased in the UK)
The Flamingo hotel on 17-92- hotel/whore house
The Fresher Cooker - a place where you could get fresh steamed vegetables, meat and noodles.
The Fun Factory - Casselberry, Pine Hills and Kissimmee
The Fun Machine (The on off Colonial & John Young)
The G Spot - Awesome coffee place downtown where we'd go when yab yum was full.  Drinks were cheaper there too.  It was renovated into 3D's and Bonkers, and then Have A Nice Day Cafe.  Not sure what it is now.. offices? condos? Nothing!
The Game Machine - I spent many weekends in this arcade. Was on Colonial Dr, near Mercy Dr.
The Giraffe lounge, and the Cantina next door?  We used to leave other bars in Orlando and phone in our last call cocktails at the Cantina.  They would have them ready, 2 - 3 drinks each, and they were the only bar back then to stay open til 3am.
The Golden Rock (home of the Clutch showband {most recently of The Breakers in Panama City Beach} whose
The Greek Place in the Church Street Exchange ( great food )
The Grotto and Eli's Crib, Apha Bar...best little dive bars in town.
The Haunted Forest in Kissimmee, was around in the late 80s. Precursor to Halloween Horror Nights..
The haunted mansion you spoke of Rick was Glenn Turner's haunted mansion- funny thing is I was just discussing it with my husband and telling him all about how scary it was! There are a few pictures of it online but none I could find of it as the haunted house! I remember the year I went Glenn was out of jail (for the moment) and was at the front door with his family! Extremely spooky castle :)
The His Store for Men: Orange Blossom Center
The Hospitality House in Sea World
The Imperial House on 17-92 where Houston's is now. Loved the red velvet table cloths when I was a little kid.
The Indian Trading Post which was located near Shell World.
The Inferno (SOBT Bar) consisted of two distinct sides:
The Inferno / Golden Rock / Off the Wall was located on the east side of the South Orange Blossom Trail between Holden Avenue and Americana Blvd.  I drove by there a few weeks ago and I think I still saw the plane there. There was originally two clubs inside there... ad oldies bar and a topless bar. The first time I ever went there was in 1976.
The Inferno on SOBT fun spot for drinkin and dancing.
The Jack and the Box was on the corner of Oak Ridge rd and Texas Ave. Right  across the street from that one dark brown residential house, that looked like stuff grew up around it. The house is gone but the lot is still empty.
the junk yard. Big purple wall on colonial R.I.P Charlie
The Junkyard was amazing, saw a whole host of great acts there, including Jimmy Thackery, Noble "Thin Man" Watts, Iguanas, NRBQ, Subdudes, Chris Gaffney, Bo Diddley and Lucinda Williams/Joe Ely (great double bill, funny pairing -- Lucinda had a meltdown before the show because she couldn't find a place to plug in her curling iron in the restroom, while Joe Ely saw there was a pool table, went out to his van and got his personal cue and was a happy camper)
The Junkyard:  This was one of my favorite hangouts during the 1980's, located in the Howell Branch shopping center.  They hosted quite a few nationally-known musicians, such as Buddy Miles and The Sauce Boss.  They had very good dinners.  This was when "buffalo wings" started to be a popular menu item.  They had the best jerk wings!  Before the Junkyard was the Junkyard, it was a restaurant that served oysters.....I forget the name of the restaurant, but that was in the 1970's, and we used to go there and order dozens of oysters - the 13th oyster of each dozen was free!
The kennel pub, friends and paddy mcgees on aloma in the publix shopping center.  always the best place before and after a movie at the drafthouse.
The kids tied a NEW yellow rope to an alternate branch. But it looks unusable.
The Langford Hotel in Winter Park. Near Interlochen. Legendary! Mega old fashioned hotel where it was fun to have a party! This place was straight out of the 70's (60's?). Very time warpy. They'd book cool bands and have pool parties at night. Got replaced by an old folks condo I think. :(
The Laser Tag place was called Q-Zar. Check the original post on this thread. :)
The last drive-in to close down in this area was the Starlite Drive-in in Winter Garden. The mayor of Ocoee was trying to do everything he could to keep it open but to no avail. I met the lady recently who told me her husband was the manager there fore many years.
The laughing kookaburra lounge was in the lobby of the Crystal Palace hotel in Lk Buena Vista.  I heard on the radio that if it was your birthday you got free drinks, and it happened that day was my 22nd birthday.  We went.  We saw.  We were very very afraid.  Business men and hookers dancing to bad disco and 80s music no one ever plays.  I'll never get that birthday back!!
The Laughing Kookaburra! I think it was a comedy club/night club? No idea where.
The link
The Liquid Cellar
The long empty Pizza Hut building in the same plaza (Kirkman Oaks) is now Bloodhound Brew.
The Magic Pan, Fashion Square?
The mall video arcade - (most mall locations) - Thanks for the internet and super enhanced home video gaming systems, these arcades are becoming a thing of the past. A damn shame too. Where else can you find floors that sticky and a non-existent staff? Does anyone work there, or are the machines in charge?
The Mark-Chris Marionettes - a marionette (puppet) show put on annually at Colonial Plaza
the memories......great time and place to be young :)
The Mill-Winter Park, old Rollins hang out/restaurant on fairbanks
The Naval Training Center was my home away from home during the  late 80's...reading all of these posts have brought back some great memories of me and my fellow sailors hitting the town on our down time.  Thank you so much for the wonderful stroll down memory lane.
The Nightcrawlers from Daytona Beach, a garage band, had a hit tune, "The Little Black Egg," which hit number 85 on the national charts, but it was a gigantic hit in Central Florida in 1966.  I think a punk rock band covered it some twenty or more years later.
The Off the Wall/ Inferno building was still there as of March 2010. I was in Orlando for a few days then and drove by it in a rainstorm and missed it but a friend in car with me saw it. He assumed it was a 94th Aero squadron, remember those??? but forgot to ask me until he was checking out this post today. I think there was a 94th Aero at the dntn Exectutive airport, the name changed at some point I think, don't know if it's still there. Inferno jogged my mind, I remember ads for it many years ago. I was there in the mid 80's when it was playing New Wave and Techno, very dark and loud, the lighting was mostly blue, don't think there was more than one club at that point.
The old fashion square mall and inside was Orange Bowl or Orange Cup. They had these delicious little orange and white ice cream things, more like a sherbet.
The Old History center with the giant Bear from Baer's appliance and a crocodile pelt along with weird displays of old stuff.
The old Wig Wam on OBT was pretty iconic.  I believe that somewhere in California there still exists an almost identical motel. 
The only other AM radio stations that I recall are WDBO, WHOO, and WKIS, (I found another web site a while back that talks about all the radio stations in the Central Florida area - their history, DJ's (where they are now) etc. Pretty cool.
The Orange Ave. Drive-In originally was were ZAYRE's Department Store sat, before they moved it down farther on Grant Street.
the orange juice plant near Orange Ave and Michigan
the Original Airport with Delta and Eastern Airlines
The original Melting Pot also just closed after forever.
The original Olive Garden on Park Ave - so not anything like what the chain ended up being.
The original Tom and Jerrys, was the perfect place to go when you didnt want anyone to find you. 
The original Will's on Mills Pub. Legendary bar on Mill's. Cool place for pool, darts, a huge menu of beers and live music! All kinds of bands played here, including some small time national acts such as Of Montreal, Enon, Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum, etc.
The original Woolworth's downtown - A 5 and dime store that looked straight out of the roaring 50's. Q-zar took it's place.
The Orlando Naval Base - complete with a huge replica of some kind of ship.  Now it is Baldwin Park.
The orlando Solar Bears Hockey team
the palace club (bottle club) i-4 and obt
The Park - Wilshire Plaza.  Remember the club (if you could call it that) with all of the rooms with individual hot tubs for rent?  Come on, admit it, if you never went there you thought about it!  Luckily I learned of STDs before hearing about that place and steered clear.
The place I miss the most is the Kit Kat Club, a bar near the end of Wall Street. I'd go every Wednesday night with a group of girlfriends - ladies drank free so I'd buy one to get the glass & let them bring me free vodka all night. The back room had cheetah print on the walls & couches, they had red velvet pool tables & one glow-in-the-dark one & a bunch of Rubenesque paintings on the wall. Cool place. :(
The Pleasure Island Roller Skating Thing
The Polar Cup truck - I would sit in my yard and try to will him to come down my street.  Only happened in a great while.  What is polar cup?  An icey lemon treat, sweet and sour, yum!
The Queen Kumquat Shashay
The radio station I didn't see...and the butt of many jokes BJ105  (I wondered if someone would finally remember Zeta7)
The Ranch House restaurant on SOBT @ Lancaster -Super Blueberry pies!
The Ranch House that you mentioned was actually located in the "island" between Orange Ave (going south) and Hansel Ave. (going north) in Edgewood just  north of Mary Jess Road (where I lived from 1962 to 1980) My parents are still there. (BTW, I was there from 92-94 as well before I got remarried.) But you weren't wrong either because there was a steak house at that location but I can't for the life of me recall the name of that place. Not only was the pie good - but they also had a great steak as I recall.
The Royal Castles were all over... Bumby Ave. and Curry Ford Road (or somewhere along there) and one on W. Colonial and Kirkman Road. And I want to say that there used to be one on Aloma Ave, & Lakemont - but someone from that area would have to verify that.
The Royal School of Dance - every location where Edith Royal and Bill Royal taught ballet, tap, gymnastics, and more
The Runestone toy store on Park ave. Duke, the owner, would let you come in and shoot airsoft guns and handle all kinds of cool guns and stuff. Full of guy stuff, tanks, historical tin soldier tupe stuff as well as rare european toy aitrplane toys and a lot of strange and interesting artifacts.
The Runestone toy store on Park ave. Duke, the owner, would let you come in and shoot airsoft guns and handle all kinds of cool guns and stuff. Full of guy stuff, tanks, historical tin soldier tupe stuff as well as rare european toy aitrplane toys and a lot of strange and interesting artifacts.
The Schnapps & Spirits Bar or Schnapps & Stuff Bar was near the Sears Outlet on Hoeffner (spent plenty of nights there!)
The school bell rang and a small band of students bolted to the corner doughnut shop.But the youngsters weren't allowed inside what once was an after-school hangout. Doughnuts are still sold at the east Orange County shop, but now the waitresses are topless - except for pasties.Robby McCray, 14, opened the door to Erotic Doughnuts and yelled: ''Sell us some doughnuts. I want to buy some doughnuts.''Behind the mirrored windows, owner Kevin Welch bumped into a waitress as he ran around the counter and headed for the door."
The Shoe Lodge.....was in the fashion square mall....I worked there in 1987....Great job.
The Skyline restaurant - at Herndon Airport (now Orlando Executive)
The so called "Midget Houses" at Michigan and the railroad tracks.
The Station - A old train car in the KMart parking lot, in stripper-land (17-92 & 436) where hair metal bands played into the early 90s.  Good times!
The Station - another bar/nightclub that was located in Fern Park. Didnt go here but twice I think. It was mostly a classic rock/metal bar. Went to a Genitorturer's concert here.
the SW corner of Oak Ridge and the Trail was a Mobil Gas Station - now a Payless Shoe store (or some sort of a shoe store) and a Krystal's Hamburger joint just south of there.
The Tangerine Bowl - when there was only one level of seating; Edgewater, Boone, and Jones played there as the had no home fields then
The Thirsty Whale
The thread that never stops. It goes quiet for a week or month then sprouts replies again...so cool!
The Time Machine! Video arcade mecca situated in lovely Pine Hills. This place had the most video games I ever seen. It was far, but I went there a few times as a young bloke.
The two Royal Castle's that I recall... on the corner of W. Colonial and Kirkman... (building is there - a Mr. Quick family style restaurant.... and one over on Curry Ford/Bumdy area.
The UC6 Mcdonald's had this all-you-can eat thing back then. Myself and a squad of kids used to roll in there and tear things up. They had some policy where you couldn't leave with any food, but drinks were ok. So we'd get empty cups and fill them full of cheeseburgers and fries and leave with heaps of shitty Mcdonald's grub. Barf.
the university drive in near colonial and alafaya. (forgive me if that was previously mentioned)
The Villa Nova - 17-92 in Winter Park.  This was THE pick-up spot for desprate women in the 70's and early 80's.  If you wanted sex and were a woman, you had a lot of competition.  If you were a man and dresses well, it was a smorgasbord!  I remember hearing my Mom talk about the place and the people who went there.
The village bistro, Sbarros, giannis, beef and bottle, breuggers bagels, park ave grill, La venezia, and about fifteen other places that i can't remember the name of at the moment all on park ave in winter park.
The Villanova Restraunt - Never went there, but my dad was always mistaken as the manager of the place because they had the same name.
The wait staff was semi, (or less) good looking women in skimpy 'underwear' type uniforms, The decor was flocked wallpaper and vintage burlesque posters.
the water fountains in fashion square mall
the way, the Cherry Hill Plaza was on Central on Lake Eola, where the Post Apartments are now located, across from the farmer's market.
The West End. Specialized shoe and accessory shop on Edgewater. It was one of the few places in town that sold Dr. Martin's shoes and boots back in the day. The owner lady was a bona fide witch! Kinda creepy, but cool enough.
The Whimsey Shoppe on a side street off Park Avenue in Winter Park (my hair yarns for ballet class came from here!)
the wig wam motel near lockhart on north orange blossom trail. looked like little "tee pees".
The wink place was Buffalo's Cafe.
The Winter Park Mall - I saw someone steal something from a jewlery store.  The employee and several other people chased after the guy.  Didn't catch him.
The Xanadu House in Kissimmee
The Xanadu houses.
Their last day was April 18, 2009.
then later:"TIRES AIN'T PERTTY! BUT YOU NEED EM"
Then there was that Bill Vermillion guy who was on before him,  that was so like the Good Morning Vietnam  DJ's  playing the polka type stuff??
Theo's Kitchen, serving Greek food, wings and sandwiches on Michigan avenue for many years, has closed.
There are pieces of the Splendid China exhibit (a few of the models of the temples and other buildings) at Art Deco in Apopka, You can also purchase the miniature  solider guards  that were displayed at the Splendid China exhibit there also  for your zen garden in need of protection- oh, sorry spears and other killing tools / stuff not included.
There is also a surviving Holiday House in Deland to add to the other one mentioned above. 
There is one by Sea World and there is one in Sarasota as well as in Tallahassee (I think) and there are several in Missouri, Texas, etc.
There is still a holiday house on Aloma near lakemont in WP, and there are 2 (!) Ponderosa's on I-drive.  I saw them a few weeks ago and though, odd... there are none anywhere else in Orlando, but 2 here.
There must be idiots running this company.
There used to be a bakery on Park Ave that made incredible cinnamon monkey bread
There used to be a house in College Park which hosted a Halloween Haunted House in their mansion every year.  Can't remember whose house it was, but it was back in the 70's.  It was someone who was either famous or just a very wealthy philanthropist.
There was a baked potato restaurant downtown that served toppings on potatoes. Business got bad and it burned down.
There was a bar near the Jai Alai in Fern Park that had a huge beer selection. They did the thing where you got a prize if you drank all 100 or so beers on the menu. Forget the name.
There was a cleaner maybe Orchard Cleaners?? on the corner of OBT and Oak ridge that is now gone. Right across the street from that was a restraurant was it called Hostess House, it was a buffet
There was a cool cow store in Church st called Udderly Country ( I think). 
There was a Food World on Holden and OBT.  After publix closed them it was a few cheap thing like flea markets and such and stood empty decaying for years. Finally the Auto Zone built there.
There was a funky natural food restaraunt downtown that had great whole wheat pita, cream cheese, date, and walnut sandwiches. Can't remember the name. There was also an avocado, monterey jack, and sprout pita.
There was a great Mexican import store on Orange near Princeton in the 90s that sold things at near-wholesale prices, maybe called Kokopeli? I still get compliments on the necklaces I got there (brass chains with little papier mache red peppers).
There was a head shop that was next door, kind of like the Drop Shop, but now I can't recall the name.  Too much drinking last night I guess.
There was a mens clothing store that had a cool name, now I can't remember the name of it.
There was a Morrison's Cafeteria in the WP Mall too.  The only thing I liked about that place was the blue jello.
there was a rock club up 17-92, i think in sanford in a strip mall/shopping center.  I saw a bunch of shows there, it must have been a theater at one time because of the rake in the floor.  I can;t remember its name. 
There was also a Barney's BBQ on 436 in Altamonte.
There was also a BYOB after hours club directly across from that back in the 80's and early 90's, but oddly enough I can't remember the name.  Go figure!!!  It may have been called "Puzzles."
There was also a country style club called "Rodeo", located on the SouthChase Plaza on OBT, that I often frequented.   I went there one Wednesday night and came back the next day to check out the dance lessons, but the club was EMPTY!!  I heard rumors about tax problems,  but.......
There was also a great local haunt which we used to stop at in the same location.  They typically had a band on Saturdays and Sundays.  They had great quesadillas and margaritas.  It was claimed by either hurricane Jean and/or Ivan in 2004.
There was also a wood-floor skating rink called the Coliseum. I think it was in the Ivanhoe antique district. Adjacent to it were the Bowliseum and the Aquaseum.
There was also Lionel Playworld.  The chain of toy stores.  There was one on OBT as well as one in Casselberry I think I remember going the one in Casselberry alot when I was younger.  But Toys R' us ran them off.
There was also Y106 before XL kicked in
There was an all you can eat pizza restaurant on 436 in Altamonte near where chipolte now is, can't remember the name
There was an ice skating rink on West Colonial Drive past ... called ... I went to it with my best friend every Friday night after we got bored with roller skating.
There was Inland Ocean surf shop by Albertson's on Curry Ford and 436 - I think there's a new one out in Waterford Lakes.
There was something called Pockets in that center behind Bill's Car was too.
There were peacocks and peahens that would make these eerie sounds at night, and it was said that that if you drove through Genius Drive, some old man would come out and bring his gun and shoot at your car.  Is anyone old enough to remember that?
There's a local Urban Explorer, Adam the Woo, that visits a lot of extinct places in Orlando (Jungle Land, Xanadu, Splendid China). It's amazing how fast the Florida swamp reclaims abandoned places.
These have probably been mentioned, but does anyone remember the Vogue Theater at Mills and 50? CVS is now at that corner. Other than the Beacham, the Colony, the Vogue and drive-ins, there were few movie choices in the early 60s.
These places bring back the best memories....
They had the BEST import beers and all KINDS of fried goodies (even gizzards).
They just never could decide what they wanted to be, so they tried several directions at once.
They still have a website: http://bigbamboolounge.c…
they tore down the Bubble Room to put up that Bucca de Beppo-when i could finally go, they were closed :(
They used to have a great, FREE, dinner buffet on Friday nights. We'd always hit it one our way to the Predator's games which is now kaput also.
They were the first to:
Things I did not see listed, most of these are from the late 80s to mid 90s:
This facility had balconies  when it was the  Twin Towers. I  recall i was PPG  (back then located on Division St )  did the exterior renovation + -30 yrs. ago.
This has been a fun - Memory Lane to go down. (sorry fo any repeats- I did try to read them all. Been a challenge  to see if anyone  mentions  the ones I was recalling while reading this incredible list!
This is the second time for us living in Orlando and since moving back, we noticed this place that was awful but no one could help paying attention to it.  I can't remember its name, but I think it was called 'Lynn' or something.  Oh well, good times. Admit it, you all miss her a little.
this Sunnyland you reference actually in Orlando or in Tallahassee?
this was next to sears and it was in the 80's, but Ruby Tuesday does have good burgers. This had a "soda fountain" with bar stools and looked like a diner. Really would love to remember the name!!!!!!!
Thomas Sweets - Ice cream and candy shop on Park Ave, great place to go and get phat.
Tiffany's Bakery..just to walk by...kind of like the Merita drive by =)
Tigers sub shop
Tiki Isle Aquarium pet shop on S.O.B.T.
Tim's Tackle Box and M & M Tackle
Tim's Tackle Box on Michigan Ave
Todies, CIV, and Brutal Juice at The Edge (and Sunday nights!!!)
Tokyo House on Mills
Tom and Monys' corner of Gatlin and Orange Ave.
Tom, J. Sutton would always refer to his consolation prize of "Hot Buttered Mang-rangs".
Tom's Pizza - across from Colonial Plaza and on West Colonial.  Pizza served in little squares
Tom's Pizza - Edgewater Plaza, pizza by the slice so good!
Too bad, because there were some very good things about the place.
Tootsie's - 436 South of Colonial Drive.  Strip-club bought and renamed Diamond Club.
Top Drawer Lounge on Curry Ford Road (where i attempted to entertain as a singer in a rock n roll band)
Top of the World - Disney's Contemporary Hotel.  Closed and then reopened and reopened and reopened.  This is now a fancy. smancy place which has good food, but is way overpriced.  They used to have a supper club up there like you would see in the movies.  Small tables for from 2-4 people who could eat dinner and then watch a show or a band while dancing on their formal dance floor.
Top Value and S&H were stamps that grocery stores and gas stations would give out depending on how much you spent.  There were "redemption centers" where you could go to redeem the stamps for merchandise.  You had to paste the stamps into a book and once filled, present them at the redemption centers.
Toritos!, I've been trying to remember that restaurant name for ages, thanks Paul B. My friends parents used to take us there and I think it was on the pricey side, when my parents took me they complained about it being to expensive. My friend was from California so maybe they went out there and that's why they new about it, we lived in Kissimmee so it was a long way. I live in Brooklyn now where I can get authentic tacos in "Little Mexico" for two dollars but El Toritos was as close to authentic as you could get in 1980's Orlando. Thanks again.
totally forgot about Happy Hocker, they had the greatest commercials. Are they still around? I remember watching their commercials while watching SCTV and they seemed more like one of the skits, it got confusing if you'd had a few beers. LOL. Live in NYC now so not familar with whats in Orlando and what's long gone, thanks everybody for the memories.
Totally forgot about Jungle Jims!  Thanks for that flashback!
Townsends Plantation 436 and OBT Apopka
Toy King (Orange Blossom Shopping Center)
Toy KIng....Was in original colonial plaza mall
Toy Parade  (College Park) 60's and 70's
Train restaurant in a railcar was mentioned in Kissimmee but there was also one on Bumby Ave. around Robinson in the 70's.
try these anyone Gimme Shelter 50 and 17-92,Hot foots,The Wreck room ,Northgate plaza,Tom's point after,and The Saloon way out in Bithlo and of course Sambo's ,ranch house,Fillerup and Woolco on Lee rd
turkey shoots at any given fire station or VFW
Twin Dragons - Japanese restaurant on SOBT.
Two Flights Up
UC6 arcade - Small arcade next to the movie theater in the plaza at University and Alafaya. High school hangout, crappy little pool table in the back, skeevey manager dude that hit on underage girls. A friend of mine once figured out how to tilt a machine and drain out tokens, so we'd sneak in and fill our pockets, then sell the tokens by the door at 5 for a dollar instead of the arcade's 4. Pretty sure we helped fold that particular establishment.
UCF  rope swing tree.
UCF ghetto mini-ramp - Sketchy, dangerous, poorly built skateboarding ramp in the back of one of the student neighborhoods off Alafaya near UCF. Huge parties used to go down here and spill out into the street. Lots of rowdy fights, underage drinking, general mayhem.
Ultraviolet. I remember that name, but never went there. Same with Ahhz. What a weerd name!
uncle john's pancake house -- on colonial, i think near where the old colonial plaza mall used to be.
Uncle Jones Barbeque on 436 , best ribs and collards
Uncle Jones BBQ in Altamonte. best until 4 Rivers opened.
Uncle Waldo's in Winter Park off of the parking lot behind Peterbrooke chocolates, tiny joint with live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
Uncle Walt - Channel 6 cartoon show in afternoon w/ kid audience
Unity (Old one on Colonial with the Mural)
Unknown
Unknown
Uptown Bill's - Mens clothing store in Fashion Square Mall that I remember seeing as kid, lots of chrome and they had a large round table with a glass top, the base of the table had fish swimming in it.  I could have the name wrong.
Use refrigerated cases to keep produce fresher
UV
Valentines in downtown Orlando, opened in mid 1980's in push to bring  more dntn......Gary's Duck Inn, can't remember anything about location but never forgot name.....a night club off Lee rd that had 5-6 different bars/clubs in one, I remember that one of them had phones around the room so you could spot the hottie a few tables over and call her.... The parking lot across the street was just sand and potholes, I remember tow trucks cruising by looking for the unlucky one stuck....OTW with the plane that was stuck in building, wondered what happened to it.?????...Croc's in dntn Winter Park with the funky backroom bar and bouncer...a roommate of mine at the time, Ernie, worked at the original Olive Garden in dntnWinter Park...many night's hung out at the small bar 4-6 seat marbletop bar off to the side of the room...we had autographed captains chairs even!!! Carlos , bartender from the rocking I Drive Bennigan's hung out with us.....still thinking here......
Venus and Mars @ Colonial and Mills
Villa Nova & Cheek to Cheek 17-92/Lee Rd
Village Inn? How about what it was BEFORE: Sambo's. Or Skeeter's Big Bisquits.
Visage - goth nightclub with all you can drink
Visage - Premiere gothy/new wave club off of Clarcona/Ocoee and Edgewater(?). I cut my teeth on getting drunk and dancing to new wave hits at this place. As did like 899 other people I know. It was THE happening spot in the early-mid 90's if you wanted cheap/free beer, a good dance floor and sound system, and lungs full of smoke and fog. People would dress up and shake down! Sundays and Wednesdays were the best nights for partying. They'd have a $6 cover, then free bottles til midnight. Something crazy like that! We'd stock pile so many goddamn beers on our table and get plastered. They also had national bands come through. I saw Radiohead on their first tour here. I also saw Ice-T and Body Count, Fishbone and a few other random bands that were popular in the 90's. Lot's of stories about this place...
visage- very first nightclub I ever went to
Visage, Club Cairo
Vogue Theater - at corner of Mills and E Colonial
Wags was at the S.E. corner of Michigan and Orange Ave.
WAGS!!! Thanks Zombie and Laura, totally remember that place. Also someone mentioned McCrory's, I think there was one in the Winter Park Mall, I guess they were all over back then. Also remember my grandmother taking me to a really old Kmart, maybe one of the first ones but can't remember the locale.
Wally's is still there on Mills, just north of Colonial Drive!  I drive by it all the time and presume it stills beverages on-site, I may stop in.  Thanks for the reminder.....I could use a stiff one (drink, that is).
Wandering thru my mind field, reviewing this list and seeing the magnitude of changes in O'do during my lifetime, it's amazing. Does anybody remember the Schwinn bicycle shop off Mills by 17-92? It was "the" place to get a Schwinn bike. Got my first new bike there with my own money, then proceeded to trek all over Orlando on that 15 speed. Spent Saturdays touring from Longwood to Moss Park and everywhere in between. Late at night used to ride it up to the WP drive-in, park be the fence and watch the second showing.
was 1970 at A&W drive in on Aloma-I had the wrong location
was 1982/'83 and my older sister was desperate for Guess Jeans- they had just started marketing them towards teenagers. She got them at the Jail House, a denim store on 436 across from the Altamonte Mall, next to the old Morrison's, I think. There, I fell in love with the Jordache jean vest and matching two tone jeans with the pockets at the thigh. As we pulled into the parking lot, I distinctly remember listening to Huey Lewis and the News on Y106 as we pulled into the parking lot. Sigh :-/ Never got that jean vest or pants ...
was a car lot with antique cars on Fairbanks at I-4
Was Casa Gallardo the place in Altamonte?
Was Casa the mexican place, I remember there was a really good mexican restaurant near Altamonte that my friend's parents would take us. Forgot the name but it was really authentic.
was during the time that I was in Jax, when Sears was the first to leave the downtown area and they moved to the corner of Magure and E. Colonial. Then they built the Fashion Sqaure Mall around the Sears store.
was on the south side of the Butler Plaza next to the Clicks Billards. God, I loved that place. It was the first place i ever saw that did Mongolian BBQ. When I was younger my mom took a trip to england and stayed home and ate there 3 nights out of the four that she was gone.  Loved it.
Was Ronnie's a jewish deli? Diner? Diner's are usually greek so wasn't sure.
Was Shoe Lodge weird or fun?
Was there a Toddle House in Orlando? Also my Aunt was asking if there are any more Piccadilly restaurants left.
Was there a Wag's Restaurant in Orlando? I swear I remember seeing it but can't remember where it was.
Wasn't Chris's House of Beef on corner of JY Parkway and Hwy 50?
Wasn't there a Jack in the Box restaurant in Orlando at one time, I also have faint memories of a Burger Chef?
wasn't there a polar cup on curry ford and conway where the papa johns is now, some kind of weird slurpee place that had a chubby big bellied baby huey mascot out front.
Water Mania
Waxtree was a good one! Music store specializing in alt music, goth, industrial and uppity-ness! The long blonde haired guy in there who wore all black used to drum for Christian Death part time. And he was, *ahem too cool for school. The other skinny twerp who worked there was too cool, too. He would snicker at your purchases! So what if I like Milli Vanilli?! Haha
Waxtree was a record, tape and CD store on the corner of Aloma and 436 behind where amigos is now. This was pre mp3. The guy that worked there was too cool for his own good, but they had a good selection of obscure stuff.
Way before the Enzian there was an "art house" cinema in the HoJo at Lee Road and I4. I was too young to go, so I don't know if they ran foreign films, "indie" films, or soft-core.
wdiz radio station
WDIZ, BJ105,B94
we can add Steak and Ale and Bennigan's to the list now!
We had a Starbucks at 436 and Curry Ford Rd. I used to go there, eat pizza and spend a pocketful of quarters.
We used to take our out of town guests to see the famous Winter Park sink hole that swallowed 5 Porsches and half of a swimming pool.
We're also a market that relies heavily on tourism. Terror on Church Street went away before Church Street Station officially went under to Pleasure Island and CityWalk.  But we've seen downtown Orlando have a few renaissances.  I also think that's true of a lot of downtown American cities.
well as Champion's commercials.  "Champion makes it easy to own!  Champion!"
Well, this was fun and I'm sure I'll remember more...I can't believe the length of this subject. Native O-towners...things sure have changed....Oh yes, the original Carousel of Progress..Tomorrowland.
went to Splendid China quite a bit!
Western Auto (where my Radio Flyer wagon came from)
Western Way Shopping Center, -west Colonial, had the neon sigh of a cowboy roping a steer
What about Golden Triangle it was a hardwear store on Colonial next to Fashion Sq Mall (now a Target).
What about Jax downtown? I never went there but I'm sure some of you did
What about Looney Birds?
What about McCrory's?  Main one downtown and another by the Publix on Conway / Curry Ford.
What about mystery fun house on major blvd that was a classic!!!
what about the mansion out by doctor phillips, it was down some dirt road, we used to try and go find it but never made it all the way down the road
What about the place in WP with the Peacocks? Near downtown WP, on a dirt road that looped back onto Fairbanks. It was just like someone's yard that they had fenced in on both sides and you could see a ton of peacocks. We used to drive thru every Sunday after church (along with other cars all in line). Had to look it up on a map, might have been on Henkel Circle. Anyone else know what I'm talking about? Loved it as a kid. But this was late 70's.
What about the restaurants at the department stores Jordan Marsh & Robinson's. We'd go after church on Sunday for brunch.
What about Ultraviolet? Wasn't that a gothish club? I remember always wanting to go...
What are the big grocery stores down there now? I moved away a while ago(1990)
What did TG&Y stand for?
What was the name of that pizza place that burned down on Orange Ave? That place was soo freakin good.
What was the name of the restaurant that was right next to the Enzian, part of that house?  Jacobs or something?
What was the name of the small stereo equipment place behind Colonial Plaza  and TG Lee Dairy?
When I was a kid, on road trips my Mom always insisted on going to gas stations that offered S&H green stamps!
When I was in high school in the 1960s, there was a legend about Genius Drive, just east of Rollins College. 
When The Sound of Music came out, it played at the Beacham Theater downtown for more than a year.  You had to make reservations, and tickets were an outrageous $2.50, as I recall.
where coyote grill used to be there was a french restaurant or something I think it burned down, I think that was there for a long time.
While I'm there Player's sports bar
whispers
Who remembers Bungalo Bills on Orange ave just south of Michigan.   They served beer and wine only.   Had great oysters  and Derek and the slammers playing "I don't wanna be your boyfriend, I just wanna see your..."  They also had the obligatory bungalow out back on the beach sand. 
Who remembers Church Street Station when there was Rosie O'Grady's, Apple Annie's (a little folkie place between Rosie's and Lili's), Lili Marlene's, Phineas Fogg's and later the Cheyenne Saloon?
who remembers dickson ives department store downtown?
Who remembers when Publix used to give away S&H Green Stamps?
wife and I grew up in Altamonte Springs in the 1970's and 80's and still go back to visit family.  We both laugh because when we get back "home" to Central Florida, all the 'old' songs are still playing on the radio and in the stores.
Wig-Wam hotel was just up the road from The Ohio Hotel - our first stay - in Orlando  coming from Guam. They had a POOL!!! How Cool!! ( and window unit air conditioning!! - - -  -okay- early 1967)
WigWam Village - I loved driving by this place as a kid.  I was fascinated that you your motel room was shaped like a Wig Wam.
Wigwam Village on S.O.B.T.
Wild Bill's Dinner Show located in the Fort Liberty plaza.
will re open as BLUE, serving Greek/ Mediterranean food.
Willowby's on E. Colonial just E. of the Fashion Square Mall was a big hang out in the 70's, especially for sales types.
Wilson's Shoes - Kids shoe store with cool merry-go-round that had pedals on it
Wilson's shoes is that the shoe store Sam Behr worked at? " WE CAN FIT ANY HUMAN!" ;
Wings and Things on aloma near the old drug emporium
Winn Dixie had a sister store, Kwik Chek.  Chek is still the name of their store brand of soda.  Both offered Top Value stamps.
Winter Park Drive In-made my mom sit in pouring rain with wipers on to watch A Hard Day's Night
Winter Park Mall (where Winter Park village is now)...Iveys department store-bought a few Swatches in their closing sale)
Wishbone Fried chicken - Lee & Edgewater, originally offered the triangle potato wedge (like McD's hashbrowns)
WLOF Channel 95 - THE rock and roll AM radio station of the 60's (Bill Vermillion, "The Weird Beard" passed away in 2008)
Woogie's Pub was cool too! although I was underage the few times I was there
Woolco Department Store (436 (South Semoran Blvd)
Woolworth's @ the winter park mall(now wp village). My mom used to take me for BLT's and rootbeer floats.
World Bazaar
Wow - this thread is amazing.  I had to join in.  I lived in Orlando from 1983 to 1992 so alot of these places are familiar to me.
Wow great call on Malcolm's Hungry Bear on Colonial Jan! Great place to eat. How about Dancing Waters which was right next door to Malcolm's they had a water fountain show while eating. Also no one has mentioned the Joint In The Woods in Longwood by Big Tree Park had some great acts there mainly southern rock like Molly Hatchett. Nobody's mentioned Ferrell's Ice Cream in the Altamonte Mall remember the pigs trough and they would have a siren going off when they delivered it to your table. Anybody remember Roy Rogers Roast Beef sandwiches on 436 near Aloma was great to escape WPHS at lunch and go there. Also the old Flea Market in Maitland. Also went to see Pat Travers Band at Great Southern Music Hall downtown in the old Beachum theatre. Anyone go to the movies on Park Avenue I don't remember the name of the theatre. How about the Why Not lounge in the Holiday Inn in Altamonte Springs. The Ranch House restaurant on Lee Rd was a great place to go. Also anybody remember the BYOB club at the corner of Lee and Edgewater. And who can forget the Club Rainbow in Eatonville with the Drive Thru liquor store. Wow could go on what a great thread.
Wow I can't believe no one has mentioned boardwalk and baseball..  I remember going all the time and near the end it would be so empty that I could just ride things over and over again with no line..  it was so much fun..  it was circus circus before that..  wings and curls was cool too near oxford and 436..  and there was the plaza with the library and the movie theater and the arcade on 436 and 1792..  I can't remember the names but I remember hanging out there a lot..   oh and the united artist theater that is now the paul mitchell school..  all the lake howell kids used to go there and just walk around..  sometimes they would actually watch a movie..
Wow I forgot about colonial plaza! What about Stormy Normans biker bar in cassleberry. The postlight inn resturaunt both off of 17-92. I never visited either of these places but grew up near them.
Wow thanks for the trip down memory lane of old school orlando.  It was a pleasure.  Orlando has changed alot!!
wow that sounds like a cool time, was the station 107.7? here is more info about it, how interesting! http://www.cflradio.net/…
Wow what a collection of old diners, drive thrus, and dives. This is like a walk through my life as a teen.
wow, Gayfer's is the worst business name ever!
wow, how much fun. glad i found this. i am 49, and lived here in orlando all my life. went to bonneville elementary/late '60's early '70's.
Wow, talk about coincidence.  I just Googled "Norman Brothers Datsun, Orlando, FL" and the first link that came up was the obituary for George Jackson (Jack) Norman who just passed away on Dec. 6, 2012 (which is my birthday!)  How weird is THAT?!  I hadn't thought about my Datsun in years until I saw J-mans post earlier.  Some kinda scary strange  =)
Wow, thanks Amy! I just ordered the book from Amazon.  I wish it were available on Kindle.
wow, this was nice... I have fun memories at a few of these places....but Orlando has so drastically changed.
Wow, waxtree\infinite mushroom\peaches\ chi-chi's those were good!
WOW! I love Orlando history. I was born, raised and still live here. I grew up off Holden Ave and attended Pineloch, Memorial, and Oakridge (1980). Here are a few I don't think I remember seeing. It's only taken me two days to read through all the posts.
Wow! Reading this has been a fun trip. I have seen shows at every club, drank in nearly every bar, eaten in every restaurant and shopped in most of the stores mentioned .I have one that I haven't seen so far... Faith in Physics on OBT near Holden, it used to be a pizza joint and I believe it's an Army/Navy store now. It was a great low-profile Alt/Punk scene in the mid 80's (I tried to pick up a married woman there one night who unbeknownst to me was a good friend's sister, oops.) Thanks to all for some serious reminiscing. Peace
Wow. reading this brought back some memories. Let's see if i can add a least one, but i'm going to mention a few that already have been.
Wow.... this thread takes me back to college and I cant believe some of these places are dead.  Saw Lenny Kravitz and Blind Melon from the 1st row at The Edge. 
Wunderbar had the best sheppards pie...yum yum!
Wunderbar! - A German bar in the mall! I don't remember ever eating there. A damn shame. I think Chris R went a few times. Are there any locations left?
Xanadu, Home of the Future - This place out on 192 in Kissimmee is the equivalent of an oversized igloo-shaped toilet. It was supposed to be all futuristic, but it was ultimately a tacky joke. I think bums live in there now, as the last time I drove by the building was still standing!
Xtra grocery store
Yab Yum - Cool cofffee house on Wall St, pre-Starbucks and pre-Stardust. They had a good menu and they'd book cool jazz bands from time to time. Became Kit Kat Club, then Slingapour's.
Yab Yum, which turned into Harold and Mauds, which is now the Globe on Wall Street.
Yea and Northgate Cinema 5.
Yea, I think I remember a Shoney's somewhere near the theme parks.
yeah - one more Sears Surplus on the corner of Conway and Hoffner (There was a Dino's Pizza in there too)
yeah, and Phillips 66 gas stations.  Awesome potato wedges!
Yeah, If I recall, wasn't that the store that replaced the Robinson's of Florida stores?  I remember that there was one at the Florida Mall back in the 90's... And I think at the Altamonte Mall and the Colonial Mall and maybe the Winter Park Mall.
yeah, it was the Fun Machine. I should have remembered that given the amount of time I spent there.
Yeah, it's sad to what happened to Lake Apopka.
Yeah, Katy, I think youare right about that.  Also remember those Sonny King commercials where Michael T. Kelly imitates Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes?
Yeah, Marysol, Speaking of Jack Daniels chocolate cake, I think they also served it at Wild Jack's which was a restaurant in Longwood, it's now Markham's.
Yeah, thats a good idea. Then we can organize it better and bring back precious memories with photos! Like a virtual scrapbook of local history.
Yeah, the Black Eyed Pea! I remember that location.
Yeah, the Colonial Plaza mall was awesome and terrible at the same time. They had Ronnies, Oshmans Sporting Goods!, Cutlery World, a couple bad pizza places, what was the music store called?? It wasn't Musicland or Camelot. Was it Sam Goody?
Yeah, the wig store. Wasn't it Wig Villa, which relocated to Colonial? There was also an urban store across the street from it that sold pimp, hip hop gear and kangols... all that jive stuff.
Yep- Glen Turner's empire.  What also made Splendid China for me actually was the landscaping too. Such exotic, unusual  and cool  things. Sadly,the only recollection I can share is a Pony Tail Palm that the trunk was at least 7' in diameter. Never realized they could grow so large.
Yep. Unity with squirrely Gary!
Yes Inferno originally started out as topless bar then later changed names.
Yes, Farrell's, I don't know where I came up with Sweeney's.
Yes, I do.  The Vogue was one of the only two indoor movie theatres in Orlando during the 50's and 60's.  The other, the Beacham, was located in the middle of Downtown on Orange Avenue.  The Beacham was the where most of the main movies were shown; in later years, it was converted to a concert hall, and I saw many great fabulour rock legends there, such as, Johnny Winters.  There were two local drive-ins - one on South Orange Blossom Trail and the other on East Colonial.  A third, the Rimar (far north part of Orange County), was considered too far away to go for us teens who went to Colonial, Boone, and Oak Ridge High Schools.  The Beatles movie "A Hard Day's Night" premiered at the Vogue, and the line was a mile line to get in......everyone was screaming through the entire movie!  It was great!
Yes, I remember a TG&Y in Conway. I think that arcade in Pine Hills was called The Fun Machine. I mentioned it above. :)
Yes, Schwinn on Mill's was the place! I got a bike or two from there.
Yes, The Apache Go-Go - famous  for having "Stampers  AND Yellers all in one dancer!"  What a fun place - to almost get your azz kicked  too for mis behavin')
Yes, Tom, I do remember Sir Pizza.  I liked the pizza and the atmosphere.  So I took my son there with his friends for one of his birthday parties when they were in preschool. 
YES! Gary's Duck was great sea food! - OBT. (Tom you have lived here way too long!)
YES! that pool bar place looked awesome, didn't it have a volleyball court too?
York Steak House
You are correct, Tom, about the Coliseum.  I never skated there, but they started having rock concerts there for a short period of time before closing, and I went to those.  Yes, it was locatedin the Ivanhoe "antique district" on the lakeside.
You can't forget Peaches and also
You could to to Gary's Duck Inn on your birthday for a free meal...
you do a Google search, there's also an article from the Sentinel in 2009 about the Bithlo Festival. It was called Winter's End, apparently around Easter of 1970, and it looks as though Edgar Winter, Mountain and the Allman Brothers were the name acts. It's an interesting article.
you drive down Rio Grande near Gore, you can still see the parking area and what I assume was the concession building of the Orlando Drive In.  There were several drive-ins that were paired in the Orlando Sentinel listings, showing the same movies.  I think it was Orlando and Prairie Lake (Altamonte) who showed the same movies.  Others I can recall were the Ri-Mar on NOBT at Edgewater, Orange Avenue, where SODO shopping village is now located, the Winter Park, across from the Steak n Shake (very popular).  There were others, but I don't recall them now.
you know me ... I'm always out and about! We're destined to run into each other!
you remember Sir Pizza in a 2-story building in Winter Park? It was close to the Steak 'n Shake, where the "cool" high-schoolers would cruise.
You remembered Service Merchandise........but what about Luria's!!!!   Boooy!!   Unfortunately the first person that told me of Luria's pronounced it "luwias"  because they had some speech thing. 
Zayre's - Similar to Kmart. There was one at Michigan and Orange. They went under in 1990.
zee's happy hocker in casselton corners
Zellwood Corn Festival - Cancelled for 2009
ZETA7...The radio station in the 70's/80's that no one knew what the hell they were playing! (Had to put this first)
Zuma Beach Club- Lost my bra for a free drink.