Though essentially gone, reminders linger everywhere. The My Florist sign on McDowell Road, stories of purse stools at Mary Elaine’s, and what the Obamas ordered at the old stair-step Macayo’s. The Phoenix area has had some fascinating restaurants. Don & Charlie’s and Pink Pony fed famous athletes for decades. Designer Glen Guyett made Valley eateries legendary for iconic signs like the one outside Bill Johnson’s Big Apple. The first McDonald’s franchise put up the chain’s first golden arches in central Phoenix.
Here’s a look at 21 favorite Valley restaurants that have closed, and what those same spots look like now.