These are the Merced restaurants you said you’d like to come to town or come back
Two weeks ago we asked which now-shuttered restaurants Merced residents missed the most. We also asked for the names or types of eateries residents would like to see open up in the county.
There was plenty of love for many of the restaurants currently feeding us in Merced County, with numerous mentions of the likes of Paul’s, Toni’s, Noah’s, Bella Luna, Wool Growers, and Wolfen’s, among others.
Sun-Star readers really miss the Ranch, Wig-Wam, Red Lobster and the Rice Bowl, among many others. (See the longer but still incomplete list below.)
But most wanted more to focus on what we hope might be the future of Merced’s dining scene.
The responses were clear: Merced is hungry for more places to eat. Hundreds of social-media comments and dozens of phone calls poured in with suggestions ranging from fast-food chain spots like Wienerschnitzel and Chick-fil-A to family-style “sit-down restaurants” chains like Golden Corral and Olive Garden.
But the real winner on our fast-food wish list seemed to be Arby’s. We got more than a few questions about how Merced can support at least five McDonald’s, but not even a single Arby’s.
We also had comments and at least two phone calls pushing for a second Denny’s, preferably, one caller suggested, somewhere in North Merced.
Many also wouldn’t mind a Cheesecake Factory or a Claim Jumpers or any place serving Filipino (Again, Jollibees, anyone?) or Greek or Cuban dishes.
Here are just a few of the places that we noticed received more than a few mentions. What do you think? What’s not on these lists that should be?
A Few of the Spots We Miss:
Reineros
The Ranch
Rose’s Hot Dogs
Happy Steak
Sweet River
The Wine Cellar
Red Lobster
The Rice Bowl
Hunan
A Few Spots We Hope Will Come to Town
Marie Calendars
Dave and Busters
Red Robin
Texas Roadhouse
Chevy’s
Chuck E. Cheese
Outback Steakhouse
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
This story was originally published September 15, 2017 at 2:14 PM with the headline "These are the Merced restaurants you said you’d like to come to town or come back."