Bullwinkle's Restaurant

Here's an article about a restaurant that time forgot.

Okay, first off, a lot of you may not know what I'm talking about here. Well, let me take you back to the time of my childhood, and that was the 80's and 90's. There was once a local restaurant around where I lived called Bullwinkle's.

To start things off, this restaurant was based off the famous Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon. The restaurant was kind of cool. It was designed to look like a log cabin. Although, it was kind of hard to get out of your chair. We used to order from small menus when ordering our food here. The main fare of what we'd get would usually be a pizza, a couple of pitchers of soda, and the snowshoe fries. This restaurant is what first introduced me to snowshoe fries. I always remember this place whenever I order those kinds of fries at Carl's Jr.

The restaurant section also had some live entertainment. There was a main stage theatre with a red curtain. Every 15 or 30 minutes there would be a show that featured animatronics of Rocky and Bullwinkle, and above the curtain would be smaller animatronic faces of Boris and Natasha.

This is my wasted childhood that you're looking at right now. A show that makes no sense and is a total rip-off of the Country Bear Jamboree. Still, this is one of the very few places I know outside of the Disney theme parks that uses audio-animatronics.

In addition to the animatronic show, there was also a water-works show. The water fountain show had some laser lights mixed in to give off some cooler effects. Now that's epic!

Bullwinkle's also had a token opperated arcade. I remember the arcade being really dark and noisy, though I don't recall doing so hot on the games. Some of the games included popular video games and games like Skee Ball, which gave you tickets that could be turned in for a prize. Sounds like a rip-off of Chuck E. Cheese's. In the late 90's, Bullwinkle's Restaurants started this thing where kids could turn in their report cards and get free tokens for every good grade that they earned (2 tokens for every A and 1 token for every B). This happened the same time Chuck E. Cheese's did the same thing. Smells like another rip-off. I guess they were trying to keep the restaurant in business that way.

In the early 2000's, Bullwinkle's unexpectedly closed down due to financial trouble. There are still a few restraurants still open in other areas in America, but I'm referring to the one I used to go to in Santa Clara, California (but I think the Family Fun Center is still there). As of 2003, that building is now occupied by a nightclub known as Boomers, which I don't know very much about and probably will check out sometime.

So anyway, I just wanted to share this rare and obscure memory of my childhood. Kinda sucks that it's not around anymore and that Chuck E. Cheese's is more popular. But hey, I still got the Rocky & Bullwinkle movie to make up for it.

Comments

I was one of the original employees at Bullwinkles back in '82 during the high school days. Met a lot of great people with some great stories and fun times. Wish it were still around. They had the best hot fudge sundae "Snidely's whiplash"

I love all retro/vintage cartoons!! I wish Rochester, NY (where I live) had one of these. We only had the standard American, Chuck E Cheese.

I appreciate the opportunity to revisit Bullwinkle's. The late 80's and Early 90's are memberable to me due to the incredible location in Santa Clara. No matter the cold or the rain of the night, there would be times that we would be waiting in the line out the door. We would be greeted by hand carved Totempoles reaching 15-20 feet high (with Bullwinkle and his antlers on top. Once inside, we would see the photo op with (I think) Snidley Wiplash behind the jail-like bars. Over left, the dark Vegas-like sounds of bells from Skeeball, and the punches and music of racing and fight games. This was the first place I ever saw Street Fighter 2. I regret to the fullest that I never reserved the Eagle's Nest (remember the sleepy eyed eagle in the cartoon) portion of the eating room. Standing 10 to 12 feet tall and probably 10 feet wide, looking like a gun powder Keg, usually reserved for birthdays. My fondest memory was an afternoon in the "Dudley's Den" portion of the property (on the southeast side of the building stage left) where my Dad, brother and I sat with maybe 4 other dads and sons and watched the Minnesota twins in the World series. That was the cool, quiet room, with a big screen TV in it. I realized that day, that people serving us our pizzas, were dress as Mounties, complete with hat and red officer shirt. I can't forget that that fountain/waterdance show (before the Bellagio in Vegas). You would hear the Beach Boys: I get around, Beatles, and Sonny and Cher. This was ingenious because it nearly kept everyone in their seats while waiting for their food. One last note, when I was living in Los Angeles, I had the pleasure of visiting a Bullwinkles near Huntington Beach (Near Westminster, Long Beach, Orange County). It is built exactly the same as the Santa Clara Location, only it's brighter inside. That was a bummer, for the SC location was low-lit and cabin like. For you Bullwinkle lovers, it's worth the trip. That was 3 years ago, I'm afraid to check and see it if it's still there or not. It's nice reading from people who experienced this incredible place. I know that when I find a time machine, there's two places I want to go, Woodstock and Bullwinkles. If anyone has photos of the SC location that they can share, I would appreciate it. -Eddie

The Santa Clara location is now a night club. The area around there has changed so much. Kaiser built another hospital across the street and the traffice is bad. But Bullwinkles was a lot of fun to work at for sure. They also had a great arcade..

Thats the same one I went to in the santa clara area, I didnt think anyone else remembered that place haha.

It was probably run by the Chuck E Cheese peeps. Bu tti think Boomers is a more 'grown up' Chuck e cheese....

I remember that place. I also used to go to the one in Santa Clara. I had countless birthday parties there... it was one of my favorite places in the whole world as a kid! Just looking at these pictures is bringing back so many memories... I just may start crying!

oh and bullwinkles was befor chuck e cheese. and did the prize tickets befor them to.

i loved bull winkles! the best pizza i ever had in my life was there! dad would take us once in awhile and we would have a small pizza each and watch the robitic rocky and bullwinkles cast preform. love the arcade to! lots of awsome games!

Neat-o! Too bad there weren't any around my neighborhood...

Awesome article. I used to go to that One in Santa Clara when I lived in San Jose and I remember it being turned into a boomers. I wish I could go to bullwinkle's restaurant one more time.

Yeah, many people tend to forget, before that rodent was hawking Pizza Fun Parlors, classic toons like Rocky & Bullwinkle, and Scooby-Doo had their own places.

In Houston, Scooby had Scooby's Fun Pizza, which, like Bullwinkle's, had a Hanna-Barbera theme to it, a costumed Scooby, and a floor show, with games and pizza.

I also remember going to Pipe Organ Pizza for my birthday where Donald Duck was the host. Personally, I don't think your memories are wasted childhood, because I used to like going to these places, before the crass, commericialism came and devalued it into complete drivel. Just as you'll remember Bullwinkle's, I'll remember Scoob.

OMG!
There used to be a Bullwinkles in Fountain Valley, CA. It's now a Boomers too.