Jane Kenney

Eating out at restaurants was very different compared to how it is today. Every restaurant has their own niche that makes it stand out from others. Or, if we're lucky, we get to experience vintage, old-fashioned diners that give us just a glimpse into what restaurants were like way back when. From the food being much cheaper back then to the table checks being written by hand, there was a lot of differences in restaurants back in the day. Do you remember any of these experiences when you went to a restaurant 50 years ago? We bet you do! 1. It was a big deal if you had a telephone at the table State Library of New / Flickr While dining out with your cell phone right next to you nowadays is considered rude, back in the day, it was pretty awesome if you had telephone access at your table. It was usually a thing at high-end restaurants or VIP diners. 2. Checks for the table were hand-written TripAdvisor Back in the day, everything was written onto a pad of paper along with the price right next to it and the total below. There are some diners out there that still go by hand-written checks, but they are very few and far between with the rise of the digital age. 3. Drive-ins were becoming increasingly popular Loomis Dean Drive-ins were becoming popular, which started featuring the first car-side services by "carhop" waiters and waitresses. 4. McDonald's was on the rise Throwbacks The fast-food chain was really on the rise by incorporating some of the newest fads on the market, which included drive-in services. This was also when they began implementing the Big Mac on their menus! 5. Takeout was brand new eBay It was not until 1966 that places like KFC began popularizing their takeaway services. Their advertisements for takeaway began saying, "We fix Sunday dinner seven days a week." 6. Menus were a lot shorter back then Amazon Nowadays, we absolutely love the novel-length menu at The Cheesecake Factory. Menus back in the day were a lot shorter and asking for substitutes earned you quite the dirty look. 7. The food was much cheaper than it is today EclectEcon Back then, a roast turkey dinner with sides came out to 70 cents in 1963. Nowadays, all of that at your finest establish would easily spike up close to $100. 8. There was no sparkling water available Wikimedia Commons Sometimes when dining out you like to get a bit fancy with your water options. Back then, there were no options for sparkling water. Water, soda, and beer were the main beverages back then, but sparkling water began to dominate the restaurant industry in 1977. 9. Teenagers could order alcohol Peter Hall’s Eel Pie Island Ah, weren't those just the days? Many states had lowered the drinking age from 21 to 18, so many teens were able to order drinks at dinner. 10. Smoking was also allowed eBay Nowadays, even the very common vape pen or e-cigarette is not allowed indoors. Most restaurants had non-smoking sections, but it was very common to witness a veil of smoke throughout the bar area. 11. Department stores had actual dining rooms Vancouver As It Was There are stores like Nordstrom that have their own full-service restaurant, but back then they had actual, full dining rooms in department stores. Bloomingdale's and Macy's were among the many that sold sandwiches, salads, and desserts onsite for their shoppers. 12. Literally everyone had a Diner's Club card How I See Life / Flickr Travel and entertainment charge cards were the next best thing and everyone had them unless you were paying with cash (which everyone carried on their person). 13. Restaurants with air conditioning were not common and a big deal Richmond's Air Being able to come by a restaurant with air conditioning was very few and far between, so it was a very large selling point to have air conditioning in your restaurant, especially in the summertime! 14. Customers controlled the music Easy Reader News Those jukeboxes you see in the movies are all very much real! Customers controlled what music the restaurant played via jukeboxes. 15. 24-hour restaurants were very few and far between Hotcake House Today, we see 24-hour McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts locations. Back then, they were extremely scarce. You could certainly find a 24-hour diner, but your traditional restaurants would be closed. Do you remember any of these facts about dining out 50 years ago? Be sure to SHARE this article if you do! How Kids Used to Eat in the 1950s... RELATED: 15 Weird Foods That You Won’t Believe People Actually Ate In The 1950s