This is a delightful documentary on the sandwich! Such a good recommendation 
I think the filmmaker also made documentaries on breakfast and the hotdog, among many other things!
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I used to love driving past the Bob’s Big Boys when I was a kid.
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Sorry😥
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Here’s more about the original Bob’s in Glendale where I grew up as a teen…and 2 photos taken from the site. I used to enjoy their comic books a lot.
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Michigan has the lion’s share now. We used to stop occasionally on our way to Pittsburgh through Detroit or Port Huron.
https://www.bigboy.com/all-locations
It’s been around 40 years since I stopped at a Big Boy, 22 since I stopped at a Denny’s, and 15 years since I stopped at a Friendly’s. I have been to a Bob Evans twice in the past decade.
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Thanks for that. It’s funny how sometimes chains get bigger outside of the area where they originated. I haven’t been to any of the US locations of the chains you listed since I left the US in 2009 except for Friendly’s and Bob Evans neither of which I’ve never been to at all. (I have seen Bob Evans’ frozen foods in stores here in the States, however.)
Japan has many Denny’s locations, but the menus are almost entirely different than in the US…as are Big Boy’s. Japan had a Denny’s/Big Boy like chain called “Friendly”, not Friendly’s from 1954 to 2022, but as far as I can tell, it was 100% unrelated to Friendly’s.
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When I was growing up in Pittsburgh in the 50s, going to Bob’s Big Boy was a very occasional treat. I remember loving their burgers!
But, from doing some research, it looks like it was also an Eat 'n Park, a name I recognize.
https://www.brooklineconnection.com/history/Facts/EatNPark.html
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This is why I make the effort of removing the meat & cooling the cooking liquid from the Mississippi roast overnight: check out that 1/2 inch layer of beef fat (it’s green from the hot banana peppers)! 
While a lot of the peppers tend to get lost when skimming off the fat, you can always top the roast with fresh jarred peppers, and you’re left with a nice jar of flavorful beef jus to moisten up that tender meat before serving.
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OMG you are sending me down a rabbit hole. Loved that docu and stoked that there are more!!!
We had Bob’s Big Boy in Maryland in the '80s/90’s. My father hated it but my mom loved it. 
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I also remember Bob’s Big Boys in MD.
Though I remember them being there and I know that I ate there at some point, I have 0 memory of the Food.
Probably much less memorable than the Thai, Ethiopian and Vietnamese that started showing up in the late 70’s and 80’s.
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I’m not a fan of cooked cabbage, I always use brussels sprouts or kale.
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There was a Bob’s Big Boy in Reno when I lived there. I loved their bean with bacon soup.
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I forgot that there are so many more, wish it were easier to find them to watch. Will have to dig around Youtube tonight and also my library (they have DVDs of the ones I’ve seen).
Please report back if you find some good ones!
ETA: there are lots of titles available on DVD in the library system, yaaay!
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(& @BierMonk ) Marriott was an early operator of Big Boy restaurants on the East Coast, specifically in the DC and middle Atlantic states and the locations you remember were likely operated by them. Marriott also ran A&W stands and their predecessor, “The Hot Shoppes”
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My Pops used to have a Big Boy franchise back in the late 70’s early 80’s, I worked there for a while but don’t remember much(that’s how much I hated it). He eventually sold it back to the franchiser because he hated all the rules
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I can imagine that being an owner of a franchise restaurant would be kind of frustrating or even infuriating with rules and regulations.
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I definitely remember them! They griddled their Hot Dogs and the Rolls in Butter which I loved as a little Kid, Mom got either a Tuna Melt or a Patty Melt 
I will have to ask her.
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Wow! Very generous with the cheese!! Yuummm!!
We’re watching the ice cream one now! https://youtu.be/4PpnnDdA1J8?si=YpMqea8F6wqJMIJU
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