Don Pablo's! This was a lunchtime staple for any office worker in the 1990s. I bet anyone on this
blog that worked in an office from 1992-2000 went to Don Pablo's at least once every two weeks.
Everyone knows the features of a Don Pablo's restaurant - usually it looks like a warehouse from the outside - and when you get it, it feels like it! 20 foot ceilings, an open floor plan - it was like entering the ballroom for a large high school prom.
Don Pablo's started in 1985 in Texas, and quickly spread to the Midwest and East Coast. At its peak in the late 1990s, they had 120 restaurants across the nation. I could count 4 in the Cinci area - Springdale, Newport, Rookwood, and somewhere on the west side - and the one in Beavercreek, near Dayton.
What do I remember about the menu? Well, the food was ok - general Mexican food, with the free nachos they give you to fill you up before they give you rice and beans..... but I do remember the margaritas and all the different flavors they concocted. Strawberr
y, blackberry, banana...…yes, I tried all the fruity flavors and loved them.
Boy, when I worked at TASC in Dayton from 1994-97, we went there all the time for lunch. We couldn't drink, of course, so I couldn't have my fruity drinks - but it was a regular in our lunch rotation of Chinese food, Applebee's, and Olive Garden. I also got so drunk here after a golf round at Beavercreek GC with a friend I worked with in Iowa that was serving his two weeks in the Air Force reserves at Wright Patt ---- it was so bad I had to sleep it off before driving home back to Cincinnati.
How did this franchise fail? I'm not sure. In doing research from this piece, there's not a lot of details surrounding Don Pablo's going from 120 to 0. The last Don Pablo's closed this summer in New Jersey. Some of the last 10 Don Pablo's were here in Cincinnati (Norwood) and in Baltimore (White Marsh). How do you screw up cheap Mexican food and overpriced drinks? I liked Don Pablo's.....it is what it is ! Chain Mexican food at prices you can expect. Apparently the franchise went through multiple owners - the parent company of Applebee's owned it from most of the 90s and 2000s - and then sold it off, and then it was sold again, etc.
Here's some commercials from the late 90's.....
1. The real enchilada. Plenty of shots of the fruity drinks I love!
2. Um - maybe these jingles caused Don Pablo's to go out of business.
We will write about another failed Mexican chain later this year - but is there one that exists in the US now? Does Chuy's count? Anyone outside of Ohio know what Chuy's is? How is there no national Mexican food chain?
And how come the Browns can't be consistent from week to week ? I know we have a rookie head coach, and there would be growing pains - but geesh. C'mon Freddie - stop laying eggs and at least be competitive in each game.
On to the games:
TB 27, Car 20. Tampa's D is legit - so they will contain CMC like they did in week 2. So they will force Allen to beat them - in London? Not sure Carolina can do it.
Bal 24, Cin 13. Bal's defense is bad. Really bad. I'm not calling for a Cincinnati upset, but I wouldn't be surprised. Cin will run - Bal will run - look for a low scoring game.
NO 27, Jax 24. I know this is a bad spot for the Saints - I just can't see Minchew taking advantage of the Saints D. As for the Saints O? A lot of running.
KC 34, Hou 27. I hate the Texans - I have no feel for this team. Will they put another 50 spot up against a bad D? I can't see the Chiefs losing 2 in a row at home...
Mia 20, Was 16. This is it, baby! Calling a Dolphins win. They have been competitive vs. the Cowboys and Chargers before fading in the second half. Off a bye? I'll take them and the points.
Min 23, Phi 20. At first glance, I thought Min would win by 10-14, but Philly's run D is strong and that means the Vikes will rely on Cousins. No thank you.
Atl 31, Az 27. Bad pass defenses on both sides here mean a shootout. I don't think Atlanta is good enough to blow Arizona out on the road. I expect Murray to have a great day.
LAR 23, SF 20. This may be a make-or-break game for the Rams. Gurley being out should not make much difference. I am impressed with SF's pass rush, which will keep them in the game.
Ten 23, Den 13. How to figure out these two teams? Tennesse won't make mistakes - and Flacco will - so that's the difference. Another game where both teams will run, run, run the ball
Dal 24, NYJ 13. This could be the week where Dallas regroups and acts like the best team in the NFC. Darnold will bring some life to the Jets O and they will score at least one TD.
LAC 23, Pit 20. How can you trust the Chargers? The D is bad - and injuries are making it worse. The 3rd stringer for Pit moved the ball vs. the Ravens - another bad D - so he should do it here.
GB 27, Det 20. Fascinating game. How good are the Lions? We will find out. Are the Packers dominant on D? Again, a good test for them.
Best bets: 13 of them. Last week: 5-9; overall: 38-35-1
ATS bets: 3-6 last week; 18-27-1 overall
O/U bets: 2-3 last week, 20-8 overall
TB +2.5
Cin/Bal under 48
NO +3
NO/Jax over 42.5
KC -4
Hou/KC over 55
Mia +3.5
Atl/Az over 52
SF/LAR under 50.5
Ten +2
Dal -7
Dal/NYJ under 44.5
Pit +6.5
Supercontest picks: last week: 1-4; overall: 10-15
TB +2.5
KC -4
Mia +3.5
Ten +2
Pit +6.5
Everyone knows the features of a Don Pablo's restaurant - usually it looks like a warehouse from the outside - and when you get it, it feels like it! 20 foot ceilings, an open floor plan - it was like entering the ballroom for a large high school prom.
Don Pablo's started in 1985 in Texas, and quickly spread to the Midwest and East Coast. At its peak in the late 1990s, they had 120 restaurants across the nation. I could count 4 in the Cinci area - Springdale, Newport, Rookwood, and somewhere on the west side - and the one in Beavercreek, near Dayton.
What do I remember about the menu? Well, the food was ok - general Mexican food, with the free nachos they give you to fill you up before they give you rice and beans..... but I do remember the margaritas and all the different flavors they concocted. Strawberr
y, blackberry, banana...…yes, I tried all the fruity flavors and loved them.Boy, when I worked at TASC in Dayton from 1994-97, we went there all the time for lunch. We couldn't drink, of course, so I couldn't have my fruity drinks - but it was a regular in our lunch rotation of Chinese food, Applebee's, and Olive Garden. I also got so drunk here after a golf round at Beavercreek GC with a friend I worked with in Iowa that was serving his two weeks in the Air Force reserves at Wright Patt ---- it was so bad I had to sleep it off before driving home back to Cincinnati.
How did this franchise fail? I'm not sure. In doing research from this piece, there's not a lot of details surrounding Don Pablo's going from 120 to 0. The last Don Pablo's closed this summer in New Jersey. Some of the last 10 Don Pablo's were here in Cincinnati (Norwood) and in Baltimore (White Marsh). How do you screw up cheap Mexican food and overpriced drinks? I liked Don Pablo's.....it is what it is ! Chain Mexican food at prices you can expect. Apparently the franchise went through multiple owners - the parent company of Applebee's owned it from most of the 90s and 2000s - and then sold it off, and then it was sold again, etc.
Here's some commercials from the late 90's.....
1. The real enchilada. Plenty of shots of the fruity drinks I love!
2. Um - maybe these jingles caused Don Pablo's to go out of business.
We will write about another failed Mexican chain later this year - but is there one that exists in the US now? Does Chuy's count? Anyone outside of Ohio know what Chuy's is? How is there no national Mexican food chain?
And how come the Browns can't be consistent from week to week ? I know we have a rookie head coach, and there would be growing pains - but geesh. C'mon Freddie - stop laying eggs and at least be competitive in each game.
On to the games:
TB 27, Car 20. Tampa's D is legit - so they will contain CMC like they did in week 2. So they will force Allen to beat them - in London? Not sure Carolina can do it.
Bal 24, Cin 13. Bal's defense is bad. Really bad. I'm not calling for a Cincinnati upset, but I wouldn't be surprised. Cin will run - Bal will run - look for a low scoring game.
NO 27, Jax 24. I know this is a bad spot for the Saints - I just can't see Minchew taking advantage of the Saints D. As for the Saints O? A lot of running.
KC 34, Hou 27. I hate the Texans - I have no feel for this team. Will they put another 50 spot up against a bad D? I can't see the Chiefs losing 2 in a row at home...
Mia 20, Was 16. This is it, baby! Calling a Dolphins win. They have been competitive vs. the Cowboys and Chargers before fading in the second half. Off a bye? I'll take them and the points.
Min 23, Phi 20. At first glance, I thought Min would win by 10-14, but Philly's run D is strong and that means the Vikes will rely on Cousins. No thank you.
Atl 31, Az 27. Bad pass defenses on both sides here mean a shootout. I don't think Atlanta is good enough to blow Arizona out on the road. I expect Murray to have a great day.
LAR 23, SF 20. This may be a make-or-break game for the Rams. Gurley being out should not make much difference. I am impressed with SF's pass rush, which will keep them in the game.
Ten 23, Den 13. How to figure out these two teams? Tennesse won't make mistakes - and Flacco will - so that's the difference. Another game where both teams will run, run, run the ball
Dal 24, NYJ 13. This could be the week where Dallas regroups and acts like the best team in the NFC. Darnold will bring some life to the Jets O and they will score at least one TD.
LAC 23, Pit 20. How can you trust the Chargers? The D is bad - and injuries are making it worse. The 3rd stringer for Pit moved the ball vs. the Ravens - another bad D - so he should do it here.
GB 27, Det 20. Fascinating game. How good are the Lions? We will find out. Are the Packers dominant on D? Again, a good test for them.
Best bets: 13 of them. Last week: 5-9; overall: 38-35-1
ATS bets: 3-6 last week; 18-27-1 overall
O/U bets: 2-3 last week, 20-8 overall
TB +2.5
Cin/Bal under 48
NO +3
NO/Jax over 42.5
KC -4
Hou/KC over 55
Mia +3.5
Atl/Az over 52
SF/LAR under 50.5
Ten +2
Dal -7
Dal/NYJ under 44.5
Pit +6.5
Supercontest picks: last week: 1-4; overall: 10-15
TB +2.5
KC -4
Mia +3.5
Ten +2
Pit +6.5
1 comment:
Lunchtime staple? What are you talking about? I bet that no one on here went there for lunch during work. Did you just have team meetings in the bathroom?
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