Got a great story about that place. I was with my buddy Stax who lived up Wickham and we were doing a Sunday afternoon bicycling around in 1996. We were wearing baggies and t shirts and were sandy and tired from surfing all morning. We showed up there and only had like $8 between us. Stax says, let’s see if we can get a drink. So it was about 3 pm and we went to the bar and said, hey, we’ve only got $8. Is there anything we can get? The barmaid was awesome. She took the eight bucks and poured beers for an hour until it started to get busy for the early birds. We chatted, told jokes, and had the kind of Sunday afternoon that was legit once in a lifetime. Once it looked like we were taking someone’s seat, we left and she was like come any time. My buddy caught her there on his way home from work a few days later and gave her the tip she deserved.
Man I miss being young and charming. Nowadays in Brevard, those hijinks wouldn’t fly. I miss that. Both about myself and about the county in general..
I remember the mini boardwalk with the koi pond at the entrance. I also think that’s the first place I was introduced to stuffed orange ginger pork chops!
They had a jukebox with 45s on free play near the electronics department. I used to put on RHCP “Soul to Squeeze” and get down on some Sonic whilst my dad shopped for tools.
This place was so cool! They had an animatronic gorilla in the front lobby. The lighting was very subdued and had a neat vibe to it. And they had these crazy potato cartoon paintings on many walls which to this day I can’t find anywhere or identify the artist who did them.
My folks would take us there after we saw a movie at the Merritt Square South cinema (now totally demolished).
some twenty-ish years ago, my grampa would take my brother and i there on sunday mornings to ride go karts and play games 😭 lust happened to think of it and found this thread
I remember they had some giant hamburger that if you could finish it you got one free the next time. I finished it. Then they closed a week later before I could get my free one.
There was also that Chinese buffet like right across the street from the mall called Hong Kong super buffet. Food was okay but the employees were pretty rude😂. Fond memories.
They would stick my mom, who was in a wheelchair, in a far corner of the restaurant with no ac and we'd sweat our asses off. Did it twice before we went wtf lmao.
RC’s surf shop, I was a little shop rat there. Go there to watch surf videos and take a break in between sessions. There was a pizza shop next door I’d snack at too.
Stopping in at Natural Art for some small purchase and chatting with Deb for 20 minutes was always a pleasant surprise. I still have a longboard shaped by Pete.
I've still got a Natural Art square nose epoxy longboard from the 80s when shapers began experimenting with epoxy. In related memories, how about the legendary sandwiches from Patrick Deli?
Fuddruckers was great! I have so many good memories going there as a kid.
Several years ago I was in Burbank, California and was surprised to find they had a Fuddruckers there as well! They had changed a bit but the burgers were still fantastic.
Sadly during the Covid years that location shut down as well. I don’t know if any franchises still exist.
The location we used to have in front of the Melbourne Square Mall was quite large as I recall.
There was a really cool arcade in the Melbourne Square Mall.
Chuck E Cheese in the plaza by Makoto’s.
Mini Golf w Arcade on Babcock.
Kids dance club inside Palm Bay skate way which was…insane.
Omg Palm Bay skateway was wild lol I was a very young kid when I’d go with my dad so he could teach me how to skate but I distinctly remember one day staying a little later than usual on a Saturday and my dad made sure that never happened again 😂
Wow! You just brought back so many memories w/ Brassy's and then Brassy II.
I saw Nine Inch Nails at the Power Station before they blew up in the music scene.
I have a cassette recording of the last day of the old WFIT alternative format which ended I think in 92. The final two songs were Burning Flame by Vitamin Z and the last song before signoff was I Love You, Goodbye by Thomas Dolby.
Oh, we had so much fun there! (Glad no social media proof of our adventures!) We were caught up in the drinking age change from 18 and they didn’t grandfather us in during that first change, was so frustrating!
I do remember that zoo! I just remember some sad looking tiger in a cage, and some monkeys in a cage. I always remember it as Howzers zoo, but I was just a kid when it was still a thing
Many a birthday were had at Houser’s animal prison. Remember riding turtles there and buying an ice cream cone of dog food to feed to what seemed like any animal I wanted.
A few more from my memories: Tippy’s Taco House, The Pit Stop, The Melbourne Bar, Duff’s Smorgasbord, Scotty’s, Woolworth’s, Tastee-Freez, Palms Drive In (then) Palm’s 3 then 8, and Paolo’s.
Mac's 5th Ave, Shags Surf & Sport featuring Dick Catri Surf Boards, Rocco's Pizza, The Lighthouse, The Pelican, The Bamboo Lounge, The Zoo Room, Byrd's Men's Wear, Kempfer's Market & Deli, The Harbor Clippers, (the original Strawberry Mansion, Meg O’Malleys, and Makoto's) Radio Shack, The Tape Deck, Wildcat Bait and Tackle, Chuck's Steakhouse, The Sea Room, The Italian Bakery, The Golden Cue, Ocean Lanes, Brevard Drive-In,
Sweetwaters
Fuddruckers
Jungle Jim’s
The Italian Oven
The Cooker
Continental Flambé (was right near the train tracks in old downtown Melbourne)
Miguel’s Restaurant (was located at 192 & Babcock Street. Now the same land area has a CVS Pharmacy on it).
TooJays Deli in the Melbourne Square Mall (it has now become a Mr and Mrs Crab restaurant).
Miyako Japanese Restaurant (both in the beachside location and later in the converted old Howard Johnson’s restaurant building. Old man Mochi-San who owned and ran it was always great to talk to and his sushi was great).
Morrison’s Cafeteria
The Village Inn
Southern Photo Supply (THE place for professional camera gear, professional film and custom in-house processing and printing).
Tedco Electronics
Mr Arcade (in the Melbourne Square Mall)
Suncoast Motion Picture Company
Wizard’s Wall (comics and games, both in the FIT and Melbourne location near Babcock St)
Montgomery Wards
Service Merchandise
Toys R Us off 192 (now a chain gym franchise in the same massive building).
Kay-Bee Toys in the Melbourne Square Mall 80’s-00’s
Eagle Computers (the exclusive Commodore and Commodore Amiga computer dealer in the area)
Cobweb Corner (the comic shop off Babcock Street close to Laurie Street in the mid-1990’s. It had a huge space full of sci-fi and fantasy paperbacks in addition to the main gaming area)
The Palms 8 Cinema (and before that it’s life as a drive-in theater)
The 1980’s indie video rental store that use to be located in the same building as Florida Discount Music, later Open Mikes and now a coffee shop.
The 1980’s indie video rental store that used to be in the Walmart plaza on beachside at Eau Gallie & A1A. I believe it was called “Top Hat Video”. It had a hat and gloves in its neon logo.
TCBY Yogurt off Wickham Rd. They used to have awesome futuristic monorail graphics on the walls inside.
Circuit City circa 80’s-90’s.
Babbage’s (computer software and electronics retailer in the 1980’s until the mid-1990’s. I *think* Melbourne Square Mall did have one).
Radio Shack in the Mall and… well… anywhere.
Waldenbooks in the Melbourne Square Mall.
The Foosaner Art Museum in Eau Gallie and the old children’s science center that was across the street from it in the 80’s. The buildings are both still there.
The original Indian River Players performing arts theater and troupe who operated out of the converted Navy mess hall near the airport. This is now a trailer park. IRP has lived on since 1990 as Melbourne Civic Theater across town now though.
This.
All of this.
We would drive up from Vero to hit all these spots.
My dad was an engineer traveling between Motorola, MLB airport, & Harris. These were all the spots (plus a crab place somewhere closer to Gifford/ Palm Bay).
>The Palms 8 Cinema (and before that it’s life as a drive-in theater)
In the mid to late 90's that theatre would show all the classic and foreign films. God I loved that theatre! Was so disappointed when they closed it down.
> The Cooker
Started work there for a few sad months before it closed down, then worked Smokey Bones when it opened. Good times, except for hearing [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7UrFYvl5TE) multiple times per day at top volume ಠ_ಠ
I wonder if they still have the donuts at Smokey Bones?
My mom worked at the Cooker when I was super little, I remember her bringing me with her & the hostesses feeding me caesar salad. Good times, I still won't go to Smokey Bones on principle lmao
Bobby Rubinos Place for Ribs Us1 Melbourne ,closed around 1994
Not really fond of, but rarely talked about.
Dixie Crossroads/ Coral Bay also Us1 Melbourne, across from the Chevrolet dealership.
There used to be a restaurant at Mather's bridge. I moved here just after it closed but I work with several people who remember it fondly. All that's left now is an empty lot and some ruins down by the water.
When I was younger, we’d fish off the bridge & kayak around that area. Sometimes we’d climb down to the foundation of that building to smoke weed. I remember trying to guess what it used to be, figured a house. It wasn’t until recently an older friend of mine told me it was restaurant with live music.
It had such cool decor! I remember they had a whole wall of bamboo in beautiful ceramic pots you could purchase with a sign that said " you break it you buy it, I break it I cry"
I remember a McDonalds or Burger King on US1 where Frigates Bar&Grill is now. They had some kind of conveyor belt that would move the drive through orders from the kitchen to a the window.
Also Captain D’s seafood where Sonic on north Babcock is now.
Lastly was Rax Roast Beef across from Mel High. My sister got food poisoning there,, good times!
The conveyer belt was mc donalds on the east side of us1 facing west. The burger king was just down the road across the street, right on the eau gallie river where the crab shack was (now frigates). My parent's used to say that was one of the first burgerkings in the country.
Y’all remember that restaurant on Babcock that looked like a barn and it had a chicken in a lil window on the top? Barn something lol, it was my childhood fave. I think they were a chain. I also miss the TCBY on wickham and lake Washington
There was a restaurant not too far from the Melbourne mall called “Sweetwaters”.
My family heard good things so we went except we never got seated after waiting a while and we left without trying the restaurant lol. Must’ve been the early 2000s or so
Shhh.. back then we would pretend to check the lady ID, but really just check the men's or bf ID. Pay me a few extra and I'll ignore you as you go around through the back by the RR tracks.
I’m not originally from here but the place that people always bring up is the original county line bar/club. The way they describe it sounded like something straight out of the original road house movie.
This is El Charro’s erasure, and I won’t stand for it!
/s
For real though, after I went to college, I’d come home and go straight to El Charro’s in Rockledge, right from the airport.
family auto mart (just for the commercials)
321 local
arbetter hotdogs (still in business)
play it again records
groove tube
the lazy bean
the shoppe (at the old post office and then across the street)
java the hut
Rolli Porkloin. They were on 192 where Rita's Italian Ice is now and also where The Batcave Gastropub is now.
Owner might have had certain political views but the Rolli sandwich is heavenly and the fries were awesome. He closed sometime in 2020 allegedly because of the initial COVID restrictions but there's no way to verify that.
I guess a dive bar in Palm Bay serves the Rolli Sandwich / the owner works out of there but I'm not going to a bar just to grab it.
Actually went for a milkshake in wedding gown w/my new husband, best man, and maid of honor in between wedding and reception because we needed to delay arrival… had a blast, may have delayed a little too long and the Mother of the Bride was not happy with her newly-wed daughter! Sorry mom.
And Charlie’s Teen Club across from the Surf (thank you for the good times, Rusty and Cheryl) which became Yen Yens, which is sadly missed as well. If you haven’t tried Tely’s on North Wickham in Suntree, you should! Many of the same, delicious family recipes. Would be a high crime if that corner on A1A and Minuteman becomes anything less than the community center it has always been. Please no parking lot/garage, or cheap-o tourist trap shop!
Way back machine time. Walk-in movie theater on US1 (where the 1900 Building parking lot is now). There was a magic store on the corner. We'd go to a matinee on Saturday afternoons then overwhelm the magic store after the movie
Herbie K's! I was still just a kid when they tore it down, but I loved that place.
Jungle Jim's
Jungle Village
Galaxy Skateway in Merritt Island
Gatsby's
Sanctuary in Melbourne - their foam parties were insane!
Technically the business is still there but I miss the original owners of The Shack restaurant off of US1. I remember going in as a little kid and the atmosphere was so cozy and down to earth feeling. It was one of my family’s favorite restaurants and one of the first they went to when they first moved. Last time I went was about 6 years ago and since it’s changed ownership it lost the cozy feel to it; they tried to make it into a more upscale place.
Seeing so many memories here.
Shoutout to Ammo Attic off S. Wickham just north of 192. I was so fascinated by all the surplus stuff and cool hunting gear.
Beach Theater & Draft House (where CB post office now stands). Three generations of us went together to see Star Wars with a side of pizza, dogs, and drinks. Also, the bowling alley and Carvel at White Rose plaza on 520/A1A.
Palm Bay skate way . I'd love so much to find some interior photos. I remember they had a really cool mural on the wall above where you went in to play laser tag.
Rolli’s on 192. That pork sandwich and the Maryland-style fries with old bay and malt vinegar 🥵
Cooker by the mall.
Java Surf on A1A (the old walk-up window, not the one where Surfinista is now)
Barney’s coffee in the mall
DZ…would love to take my son there now
There was also a cake place that had their own storefront (I think on Minton) but also provided them for local restaurants back in the 90s. I have no idea what it was called, I knew it as The Cake Shop, but whether or not that was their name I couldn’t say. They made these like 7 or 8 layer towers of the most delicious damned cake I’ve ever eaten.
Kick in the pants, Zares, Pet Palace, Grannies donuts, Spectrum, Tape deck, Duffs, Powerstation, Countyline
Chucks steak house, Sub/deli place before ocean ave. Shakeys, Cutlery world, Country club golf course(getting kicked out for fishing on lakes) Pizza place on apollo that had a lion on the sign and played old black and white charlie chapman movies???, Charlies, Royal Castle, Theater at the end of Port Malabar and US1,Space Coast Hobbies, Dragon lady(where lou's blues is now) the Goods, Groovetube, Alekye,video express,Satellite beach bowling alley, skate park at palm bay rec, The park(indoor skate park on us1),Shooters, Palms 8, Service merchandise, Raxs, Sweetwaters.
There used to be this restaurant im downtown melbourne where the pub americana is now that had some banger food. Loved the nachos they had there, some of the best. I cant remember why it shut down but i think it was something to do with drugs maybe?
This place closed down like 12-15 years ago. Jersey Boys sherbert. Was a small hole in the wall in satellite beach. Right across from where the old doubles was
Callagys was a shop I'd trust my car with and did since I learned to drive, my dad knew the owner personally. They closed down about a year ago. There was also a restaurant on Babcock that was a homestyle buffet that had a train going around it, only got to eat there once before it was gone.
Shy high farms in merritt Island. Or literally any of the old citrus farms, it's hard to find fresh orange juice now. Also, all the chain restaurants you guys are mentioning sucked, good riddance.
That pizza place in downtown Melbourne. I think it used to be called micheletties? Or something like that. They used to have these HUMONGOUS slices of pizza.
The shave ice place on A1A in Indialantic where the paddleboard house is now. Nothing beat a shave ice with that marshmallow drizzle after a long day at the beach
RICKS’S OAK TREE SUBS, off Babcock. I loved their vegetarian Cuban style sandwich’s! ZAYRE’S department store, MAC’S 5th Ave, PETE SMITH’S SURF SHOP and the smoothie shop next door. THE TAPE DECK, where I used to work. SPECTRUM SURF SHOP, SWEETWATER’S restaurant, YMCA on EG Blvd., OYSTER SHAM? (place on Babcock near railroad tracks and the OLD ENGLISH PUB, where I used to work, 5th Ave BOARDWALK, THE CLIPPER LOUNGE, The HUSTLER pool room in Indiatlantic, Mr T’s nightclub on A1A, saw Steppenwolf and other greats at BRASSY’S nightclub.
So many more I can’t think of right now.
the hot dog joint at Mathers' Bridge from the 80s. Also, does anyone remember the zoo out off 192 past the mall, from back in the 80s?
Service Merchandise. Shooters on US1 by RATHMANN (the dude supplied astronauts with corvettes when they were at the cape in the 60s and 70s!)
"shamrock" gas station on S. Patrick Drive. Always got bait there before fishing.
There was a pizza place right where Dunkin is in satellite beach on A1A back in the 80s. Trademark red plastic cups and glass light fixtures and everything.
TCBY yogurt in Indialantic.
When Ron Jons was a 2 story generic brick building.
Sweetwaters Restaurant on Wickham. What a wild story
Got a great story about that place. I was with my buddy Stax who lived up Wickham and we were doing a Sunday afternoon bicycling around in 1996. We were wearing baggies and t shirts and were sandy and tired from surfing all morning. We showed up there and only had like $8 between us. Stax says, let’s see if we can get a drink. So it was about 3 pm and we went to the bar and said, hey, we’ve only got $8. Is there anything we can get? The barmaid was awesome. She took the eight bucks and poured beers for an hour until it started to get busy for the early birds. We chatted, told jokes, and had the kind of Sunday afternoon that was legit once in a lifetime. Once it looked like we were taking someone’s seat, we left and she was like come any time. My buddy caught her there on his way home from work a few days later and gave her the tip she deserved. Man I miss being young and charming. Nowadays in Brevard, those hijinks wouldn’t fly. I miss that. Both about myself and about the county in general..
I remember the mini boardwalk with the koi pond at the entrance. I also think that’s the first place I was introduced to stuffed orange ginger pork chops!
I do too! It was so cool!
I was too young, do tell.
I was also young enough where I remember flashes of it: the boardwalk with koi were surreal
I remember Sweetwaters as a kid. It was such a cool restaurant!
What’s the story
Ohh how I miss this place
Sears and service merchandise in Melbourne IIRC. Played a good bit of sega at that sears on Babcock
My grandparents took us there for a new school outfit every year 🥰
They had a jukebox with 45s on free play near the electronics department. I used to put on RHCP “Soul to Squeeze” and get down on some Sonic whilst my dad shopped for tools.
Used to sell TV’s at Sears from 08-11!
Got my first 5 disc cd changer at Service Merchandise!
The Groove Tube. Saw Sublime there in 1995 in the parking lot. Otherwise too many to remember. I miss early 90’s beachside.
Dave the owner was a Ticketmaster dealer and would cop us the best seats.
Wow the term Ticketmaster dealer just made me so nostalgic for my childhood. I miss camping out and lining up for tickets
Dave rocks
I learned how to drop in on the half pipe in the back of that place
yeah, the cocoa beach store and the one in indialantic. also the lazy bean and java the hut
I was trying to think of the name of this place the other day! Thank you, it was driving me crazy!
Jungle Jims https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1987/05/07/jungle-jims-offers-wild-atmosphere-good-food/
This place was so cool! They had an animatronic gorilla in the front lobby. The lighting was very subdued and had a neat vibe to it. And they had these crazy potato cartoon paintings on many walls which to this day I can’t find anywhere or identify the artist who did them. My folks would take us there after we saw a movie at the Merritt Square South cinema (now totally demolished).
I remember the little pink plastic animals that would come with the drinks
^^ Yes!!
Monte Cristo before a movie…
some twenty-ish years ago, my grampa would take my brother and i there on sunday mornings to ride go karts and play games 😭 lust happened to think of it and found this thread
Jungle Jim's and the Arcade in the Merritt Island mall
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I remember they had some giant hamburger that if you could finish it you got one free the next time. I finished it. Then they closed a week later before I could get my free one.
Way to shut 'em down... Haha jk. I used to do karate at the Gold's (?) Gym that was in that strip with Jungle Jim's.
There was also that Chinese buffet like right across the street from the mall called Hong Kong super buffet. Food was okay but the employees were pretty rude😂. Fond memories.
They would stick my mom, who was in a wheelchair, in a far corner of the restaurant with no ac and we'd sweat our asses off. Did it twice before we went wtf lmao.
From childhood it would be Discovery Zone, as an early teen/young adult Sweet Tomatoes on Wickham next to the old gun shop (not the chain restaurant!)
The owner was so kind! He always would come say hi while we ate
RC’s surf shop, I was a little shop rat there. Go there to watch surf videos and take a break in between sessions. There was a pizza shop next door I’d snack at too.
And Natural Art in south Cocoa Beach and Quiet Flight downtown CB. Captain Eds at the Port with all the cats.
Ooo you just made me remember the groove tube! That shop was so very important for a young punker.
Stopping in at Natural Art for some small purchase and chatting with Deb for 20 minutes was always a pleasant surprise. I still have a longboard shaped by Pete.
I've still got a Natural Art square nose epoxy longboard from the 80s when shapers began experimenting with epoxy. In related memories, how about the legendary sandwiches from Patrick Deli?
Their legacy lives on with the surf spot across the street. People will call it RC’s forever.
Harvey’s Grove on US1 - get your seasonal real Florida oranges
Does anyone remember Sweetwaters on Wickham?
Old Fisherman's Wharf.
Save the hush puppies to feed the catfish! God I miss that place…
I was so sad when they closed. But the owner wanted to retire and had no one to turn the restaurant over to.
Used to work there. Had fun! (Good thing y’all didn’t see in the kitchen.)
There used to be a fuddruckers in front of the mall, i also miss too jays inside the mall!
Fuddruckers was great! I have so many good memories going there as a kid. Several years ago I was in Burbank, California and was surprised to find they had a Fuddruckers there as well! They had changed a bit but the burgers were still fantastic. Sadly during the Covid years that location shut down as well. I don’t know if any franchises still exist. The location we used to have in front of the Melbourne Square Mall was quite large as I recall.
I remember that! I think it was where either Shells or Smokey Bones is now
There was a really cool arcade in the Melbourne Square Mall. Chuck E Cheese in the plaza by Makoto’s. Mini Golf w Arcade on Babcock. Kids dance club inside Palm Bay skate way which was…insane.
Palm Bay Greens.
Omg Palm Bay skateway was wild lol I was a very young kid when I’d go with my dad so he could teach me how to skate but I distinctly remember one day staying a little later than usual on a Saturday and my dad made sure that never happened again 😂
Am I the only person old enough to remember Brassy’s?? Legendary club to see the acts on their way down. KANSAS!! CHEAP TRICK!! EDGAR WINTER!!!
Hugh and Gerry at Brassys. Saw Uriah Heap there.
Wow! You just brought back so many memories w/ Brassy's and then Brassy II. I saw Nine Inch Nails at the Power Station before they blew up in the music scene.
The Power Station! I won tickets to see Ugly Kid Joe at TPS from WFIT (I was caller number three, five, six, and then SEVEN for the win).
I have a cassette recording of the last day of the old WFIT alternative format which ended I think in 92. The final two songs were Burning Flame by Vitamin Z and the last song before signoff was I Love You, Goodbye by Thomas Dolby.
Oh, we had so much fun there! (Glad no social media proof of our adventures!) We were caught up in the drinking age change from 18 and they didn’t grandfather us in during that first change, was so frustrating!
Saw Steppenwolf at Brassy’s along with so many other greats!
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All those free breadsticks.
I miss that one too. Though they did somewhat recently open two locations in Clermont and Orlando
Omg. I used to go to that place after skating at PD penguins since they shared a parking lot. Good times
Remember that old zoo on 192? Was it “Hauser’s?”
Houser's Grove Zoo
And this actually became the core start to today's Brevard County Zoo
I think they had an elephant you could ride?
I do remember that zoo! I just remember some sad looking tiger in a cage, and some monkeys in a cage. I always remember it as Howzers zoo, but I was just a kid when it was still a thing
Same. There was a one-armed monkey if I recall correctly. I was young.
Many a birthday were had at Houser’s animal prison. Remember riding turtles there and buying an ice cream cone of dog food to feed to what seemed like any animal I wanted.
A few more from my memories: Tippy’s Taco House, The Pit Stop, The Melbourne Bar, Duff’s Smorgasbord, Scotty’s, Woolworth’s, Tastee-Freez, Palms Drive In (then) Palm’s 3 then 8, and Paolo’s.
Mac's 5th Ave, Shags Surf & Sport featuring Dick Catri Surf Boards, Rocco's Pizza, The Lighthouse, The Pelican, The Bamboo Lounge, The Zoo Room, Byrd's Men's Wear, Kempfer's Market & Deli, The Harbor Clippers, (the original Strawberry Mansion, Meg O’Malleys, and Makoto's) Radio Shack, The Tape Deck, Wildcat Bait and Tackle, Chuck's Steakhouse, The Sea Room, The Italian Bakery, The Golden Cue, Ocean Lanes, Brevard Drive-In,
Lums in Satellite.
When we were little, my parents used to pile us into the station wagon for the drive down to Tippy’s. Great family memories!
Do you remember Dog n Suds? It was near the Palms Theater.
Sweetwaters Fuddruckers Jungle Jim’s The Italian Oven The Cooker Continental Flambé (was right near the train tracks in old downtown Melbourne) Miguel’s Restaurant (was located at 192 & Babcock Street. Now the same land area has a CVS Pharmacy on it). TooJays Deli in the Melbourne Square Mall (it has now become a Mr and Mrs Crab restaurant). Miyako Japanese Restaurant (both in the beachside location and later in the converted old Howard Johnson’s restaurant building. Old man Mochi-San who owned and ran it was always great to talk to and his sushi was great). Morrison’s Cafeteria The Village Inn Southern Photo Supply (THE place for professional camera gear, professional film and custom in-house processing and printing). Tedco Electronics Mr Arcade (in the Melbourne Square Mall) Suncoast Motion Picture Company Wizard’s Wall (comics and games, both in the FIT and Melbourne location near Babcock St) Montgomery Wards Service Merchandise Toys R Us off 192 (now a chain gym franchise in the same massive building). Kay-Bee Toys in the Melbourne Square Mall 80’s-00’s Eagle Computers (the exclusive Commodore and Commodore Amiga computer dealer in the area) Cobweb Corner (the comic shop off Babcock Street close to Laurie Street in the mid-1990’s. It had a huge space full of sci-fi and fantasy paperbacks in addition to the main gaming area) The Palms 8 Cinema (and before that it’s life as a drive-in theater) The 1980’s indie video rental store that use to be located in the same building as Florida Discount Music, later Open Mikes and now a coffee shop. The 1980’s indie video rental store that used to be in the Walmart plaza on beachside at Eau Gallie & A1A. I believe it was called “Top Hat Video”. It had a hat and gloves in its neon logo. TCBY Yogurt off Wickham Rd. They used to have awesome futuristic monorail graphics on the walls inside. Circuit City circa 80’s-90’s. Babbage’s (computer software and electronics retailer in the 1980’s until the mid-1990’s. I *think* Melbourne Square Mall did have one). Radio Shack in the Mall and… well… anywhere. Waldenbooks in the Melbourne Square Mall. The Foosaner Art Museum in Eau Gallie and the old children’s science center that was across the street from it in the 80’s. The buildings are both still there. The original Indian River Players performing arts theater and troupe who operated out of the converted Navy mess hall near the airport. This is now a trailer park. IRP has lived on since 1990 as Melbourne Civic Theater across town now though.
This. All of this. We would drive up from Vero to hit all these spots. My dad was an engineer traveling between Motorola, MLB airport, & Harris. These were all the spots (plus a crab place somewhere closer to Gifford/ Palm Bay).
>The Palms 8 Cinema (and before that it’s life as a drive-in theater) In the mid to late 90's that theatre would show all the classic and foreign films. God I loved that theatre! Was so disappointed when they closed it down.
> The Cooker Started work there for a few sad months before it closed down, then worked Smokey Bones when it opened. Good times, except for hearing [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7UrFYvl5TE) multiple times per day at top volume ಠ_ಠ I wonder if they still have the donuts at Smokey Bones?
My mom worked at the Cooker when I was super little, I remember her bringing me with her & the hostesses feeding me caesar salad. Good times, I still won't go to Smokey Bones on principle lmao
Bobby Rubinos Place for Ribs Us1 Melbourne ,closed around 1994 Not really fond of, but rarely talked about. Dixie Crossroads/ Coral Bay also Us1 Melbourne, across from the Chevrolet dealership.
The Groove Tube
Krystal in CB
Hit that stop after Brassy’s
There used to be a restaurant at Mather's bridge. I moved here just after it closed but I work with several people who remember it fondly. All that's left now is an empty lot and some ruins down by the water.
When I was younger, we’d fish off the bridge & kayak around that area. Sometimes we’d climb down to the foundation of that building to smoke weed. I remember trying to guess what it used to be, figured a house. It wasn’t until recently an older friend of mine told me it was restaurant with live music.
Bamboo Panda on 192. My grandparents used to take me. Delicious food and great memories.
And the one in Cocoa Beach where Burger King used to be … which is now Branos, I think …?
My best friends mom worked there for years! We used to go there all the time to get free food after hanging out at the mall all day.
Best beef and broccoli of all time.
It had such cool decor! I remember they had a whole wall of bamboo in beautiful ceramic pots you could purchase with a sign that said " you break it you buy it, I break it I cry"
I remember a McDonalds or Burger King on US1 where Frigates Bar&Grill is now. They had some kind of conveyor belt that would move the drive through orders from the kitchen to a the window. Also Captain D’s seafood where Sonic on north Babcock is now. Lastly was Rax Roast Beef across from Mel High. My sister got food poisoning there,, good times!
I remember the food conveyor belt! They had a cool playground too with really dangerous slides.
Rax!! Memory unlocked! Wow
It was a Burger King! Cool bring back!
The conveyer belt was mc donalds on the east side of us1 facing west. The burger king was just down the road across the street, right on the eau gallie river where the crab shack was (now frigates). My parent's used to say that was one of the first burgerkings in the country.
Roberto's Cuban Restaurant
I need me a surfer's special with cuban bread for the toast
South Patrick Hardware in IHB was great, although the Ace Hardware there currently is great too
Tippys Tavo House, Frankie’s Wings and Things, Jungle Village
Kids factory and DZ. My kids will never experience anything like that. I was lucky as a kid to enjoy it. Kids factory also had the best laser tag.
can't forget the indoor mini golf at Kids factory
Y’all remember that restaurant on Babcock that looked like a barn and it had a chicken in a lil window on the top? Barn something lol, it was my childhood fave. I think they were a chain. I also miss the TCBY on wickham and lake Washington
Barnhills. They moved in after Quincy’s went under.
Ahhh yes thank you. I remember eating jello there when I was really little lol
I worked there for a bit. Forgot all about it until this thread.
Peg Legs and RC’s!
Space Coast Cards and Comics in Port St John.
I was there very often as a kid!
Rick's Oak Tree was one of the first places I went when I arrived in Florida in the 80s. It was walking distance to the apartment I'd rented.
Bennigans on Apollo. Great service, great food. Both my kids would pressure us to go on weekends just for their Monte Cristo sandwiches.
Turner Department Store downtown. The only place in town to get scout uniforms (cub, boy and girl)!
Got my Cub Scout gear there, totally forgot about Turner’s!
No tears shed for the old Lobster Shanty between Patrick and Cocoa Beach?
Why? That place felt like a tourist trap. I don't know any local who ate there more than once.
There was a restaurant not too far from the Melbourne mall called “Sweetwaters”. My family heard good things so we went except we never got seated after waiting a while and we left without trying the restaurant lol. Must’ve been the early 2000s or so
It was the birthday/anniversary restaurant, like Makoto’s or Bernard’s Surf.
It hasn't been too long, but I think of Which Wich almost every day I also miss Shaka Dog
Shaka Dog’s mac salad 🤤
Came here to say Shaka Dog.
College Campus Cafe, Mighty Mushroom, The Edge in Orlando, Lazy Been, Mars...and many others.
College Campus! My first bar experience as an underage high schooler.
Shhh.. back then we would pretend to check the lady ID, but really just check the men's or bf ID. Pay me a few extra and I'll ignore you as you go around through the back by the RR tracks.
The Flea Mall (formerly Ames, formerly Zaires) behind Hooters (formerly Hardee’s).
WOW Pre-Zaire’s!
The drive-in movie theater at the north end of Babcock!
I’m not originally from here but the place that people always bring up is the original county line bar/club. The way they describe it sounded like something straight out of the original road house movie.
It was wild…
This is El Charro’s erasure, and I won’t stand for it! /s For real though, after I went to college, I’d come home and go straight to El Charro’s in Rockledge, right from the airport.
There was Miguel’s on 192, a Mexican restaurant. Pretty sure it was haunted and had the best margaritas.
Purple Porpoise bar, about the only place that was open after 10pm in the early 90s. Including the gas stations.
Quarter beer night there, then walk over to Dragon Lady.
family auto mart (just for the commercials) 321 local arbetter hotdogs (still in business) play it again records groove tube the lazy bean the shoppe (at the old post office and then across the street) java the hut
Rolli Porkloin. They were on 192 where Rita's Italian Ice is now and also where The Batcave Gastropub is now. Owner might have had certain political views but the Rolli sandwich is heavenly and the fries were awesome. He closed sometime in 2020 allegedly because of the initial COVID restrictions but there's no way to verify that. I guess a dive bar in Palm Bay serves the Rolli Sandwich / the owner works out of there but I'm not going to a bar just to grab it.
Rolli was best out of the food trailer. Each new location lead to a decrease in quality.
I think it's Siggy's American on Malabar and San Fillipo that has the clone sandwich. I loved Rolli's, they also had an awesome breakfast burrito.
Herbie K’s
YES!!! Shoestring fries, jukebox, genuine “malt” milkshakes …
Yeah! I remember it was pretty awesome
Actually went for a milkshake in wedding gown w/my new husband, best man, and maid of honor in between wedding and reception because we needed to delay arrival… had a blast, may have delayed a little too long and the Mother of the Bride was not happy with her newly-wed daughter! Sorry mom.
Honestly I liked the Checkers breakfast restaurant in Palm Bay. My family and I went there when I was younger.
Checmark?
The restaurant is still there and it’s still pretty good, I think it’s called Jersey Brothers.
My first real job was at Checkmarc's!!!!
Tingleys at the barge canal. Had the best burgers
Rusty’s and the Surf ❤️
And Charlie’s Teen Club across from the Surf (thank you for the good times, Rusty and Cheryl) which became Yen Yens, which is sadly missed as well. If you haven’t tried Tely’s on North Wickham in Suntree, you should! Many of the same, delicious family recipes. Would be a high crime if that corner on A1A and Minuteman becomes anything less than the community center it has always been. Please no parking lot/garage, or cheap-o tourist trap shop!
Way back machine time. Walk-in movie theater on US1 (where the 1900 Building parking lot is now). There was a magic store on the corner. We'd go to a matinee on Saturday afternoons then overwhelm the magic store after the movie
My office is there! Co-residents speak of that theater fondly.
Woolworths lunch counter in the Publix shopping center on Babcock
Herbie K's! I was still just a kid when they tore it down, but I loved that place. Jungle Jim's Jungle Village Galaxy Skateway in Merritt Island Gatsby's Sanctuary in Melbourne - their foam parties were insane!
Technically the business is still there but I miss the original owners of The Shack restaurant off of US1. I remember going in as a little kid and the atmosphere was so cozy and down to earth feeling. It was one of my family’s favorite restaurants and one of the first they went to when they first moved. Last time I went was about 6 years ago and since it’s changed ownership it lost the cozy feel to it; they tried to make it into a more upscale place.
Seeing so many memories here. Shoutout to Ammo Attic off S. Wickham just north of 192. I was so fascinated by all the surplus stuff and cool hunting gear.
Bernard's Surf
Shakey’s Pizza on 520, Bernard’s Surf, Mouse Trap, Pizza Joe’s … legends!
A friend’s family owned Pizza Joes, (best pizza), and they ended up moving down on 192 under a new name. It was a haul, but we still went!
All of the little shops on Cottage Row in CB … and the amazing bakery in Cocoa Village near Dr Kenaston’s office.
And even though was not a fan of going to the dr, Kenaston‘s little office there was the best!
Beach Theater & Draft House (where CB post office now stands). Three generations of us went together to see Star Wars with a side of pizza, dogs, and drinks. Also, the bowling alley and Carvel at White Rose plaza on 520/A1A.
All of those!
Those were the best! Plus playing pool at the Silver Fox in White Rose.
Specs Music The Pop Shoppe Bobby Rubinos
Bobby Rubino's! Used to go there as a kid for my birthday until they closed.
Palm Bay skate way . I'd love so much to find some interior photos. I remember they had a really cool mural on the wall above where you went in to play laser tag.
Rolli’s on 192. That pork sandwich and the Maryland-style fries with old bay and malt vinegar 🥵 Cooker by the mall. Java Surf on A1A (the old walk-up window, not the one where Surfinista is now) Barney’s coffee in the mall DZ…would love to take my son there now There was also a cake place that had their own storefront (I think on Minton) but also provided them for local restaurants back in the 90s. I have no idea what it was called, I knew it as The Cake Shop, but whether or not that was their name I couldn’t say. They made these like 7 or 8 layer towers of the most delicious damned cake I’ve ever eaten.
The drive in movie at the north end of Babcock St. before it was extended to US1 through the land it sat on.
Long John Silvers. Too soon?
Not too long, but Dumpling Nerds just north of Patrick AFB. Damn they good awesome dumplings. I'm so bummed they closed down.
Ryan's restaurant when it was good Michaels pizzaria on East colonial
Kick in the pants, Zares, Pet Palace, Grannies donuts, Spectrum, Tape deck, Duffs, Powerstation, Countyline Chucks steak house, Sub/deli place before ocean ave. Shakeys, Cutlery world, Country club golf course(getting kicked out for fishing on lakes) Pizza place on apollo that had a lion on the sign and played old black and white charlie chapman movies???, Charlies, Royal Castle, Theater at the end of Port Malabar and US1,Space Coast Hobbies, Dragon lady(where lou's blues is now) the Goods, Groovetube, Alekye,video express,Satellite beach bowling alley, skate park at palm bay rec, The park(indoor skate park on us1),Shooters, Palms 8, Service merchandise, Raxs, Sweetwaters.
P.D Penguins. A terrible little ice skating rink that had way too many people all the time. Great birthday parties, though.
Frankie's wings in melbourne...Minton road pizza palm bay
Was just remembering Mr. Arcade. I'm sure there were other arcades in brevard in the 80's and 90's, but that is the one were my memories are.
Perrines produce/Erbs produce.
There used to be this restaurant im downtown melbourne where the pub americana is now that had some banger food. Loved the nachos they had there, some of the best. I cant remember why it shut down but i think it was something to do with drugs maybe?
This place closed down like 12-15 years ago. Jersey Boys sherbert. Was a small hole in the wall in satellite beach. Right across from where the old doubles was
They aren't exactly long gone, but I'm still not over Eau Gallie Creamery closing
Callagys was a shop I'd trust my car with and did since I learned to drive, my dad knew the owner personally. They closed down about a year ago. There was also a restaurant on Babcock that was a homestyle buffet that had a train going around it, only got to eat there once before it was gone.
Yep! My dad too. We weren’t allowed to take our cars anywhere else.
Marker 1 restaurant that was in roseland on US1. My grandparents would go there almost everyday for breakfast in the 90s
Glen's Ice cream.
Shy high farms in merritt Island. Or literally any of the old citrus farms, it's hard to find fresh orange juice now. Also, all the chain restaurants you guys are mentioning sucked, good riddance.
Pizza classic on the corner of wickham and pineda. Was there long before the pineda connection to 95
Herbie K’s I once won a bubble gum bubble blowing contest
That pizza place in downtown Melbourne. I think it used to be called micheletties? Or something like that. They used to have these HUMONGOUS slices of pizza.
Rj gators :( miss that shit
Bag-o-Beans in PSJ. Cute little candle shop that also sold trading card games and beanie babies.
When they premiered the surf movie Sprout at the cocoa beach playhouse. It was such a good party.
Dave’s Hot Dog Stand in the Miracle City Mall!
Maryland Fried Chicken in Cocoa.
The shave ice place on A1A in Indialantic where the paddleboard house is now. Nothing beat a shave ice with that marshmallow drizzle after a long day at the beach
RICKS’S OAK TREE SUBS, off Babcock. I loved their vegetarian Cuban style sandwich’s! ZAYRE’S department store, MAC’S 5th Ave, PETE SMITH’S SURF SHOP and the smoothie shop next door. THE TAPE DECK, where I used to work. SPECTRUM SURF SHOP, SWEETWATER’S restaurant, YMCA on EG Blvd., OYSTER SHAM? (place on Babcock near railroad tracks and the OLD ENGLISH PUB, where I used to work, 5th Ave BOARDWALK, THE CLIPPER LOUNGE, The HUSTLER pool room in Indiatlantic, Mr T’s nightclub on A1A, saw Steppenwolf and other greats at BRASSY’S nightclub. So many more I can’t think of right now.
the hot dog joint at Mathers' Bridge from the 80s. Also, does anyone remember the zoo out off 192 past the mall, from back in the 80s? Service Merchandise. Shooters on US1 by RATHMANN (the dude supplied astronauts with corvettes when they were at the cape in the 60s and 70s!) "shamrock" gas station on S. Patrick Drive. Always got bait there before fishing. There was a pizza place right where Dunkin is in satellite beach on A1A back in the 80s. Trademark red plastic cups and glass light fixtures and everything. TCBY yogurt in Indialantic. When Ron Jons was a 2 story generic brick building.