Take a Trip Back in Time to When York Steak House Was at the Maine Mall

If you're of a certain age that I won't mention, you may remember York Steak House, a restaurant chain that was at the Maine Mall. You know how everyone seems to love Texas Roadhouse? That's what York Steak House was like in the '70s and '80s. People loved it!

York Steak House History

According to Wikipedia, The first York Steak House was opened in 1966 by Eddie Grayson and Bernie Gros in Columbus, Ohio. The second York Steak House was built and operated by Grayson's brother Howard inside the Maine Mall and was one of the first tenants when the mall opened in 1971.

By 1977, the chain was bought by General Mills. Yes, the same General Mills that is so well known for the cereal they make, including my favorite as a kid, Lucky Charms. This is the vintage 70s and 80s box that I found from eBay seller Hollywood Icons.  This brings back memories.

200 Restaurants by 1982

Under General Mills' ownership, York Steak House locations grew to 200 until the chain was sold. Eventually, all the restaurants closed except for one in Columbus, Ohio, which has been strong after 45 years.

READ MORE: Why Isn’t There a Standalone Panda Express Outside of the Maine Mall?

Maine Mall York Steak House

The Maine Mall York Steak House was just inside the former main entrance to the mall on the right. It also had a single door where you could enter outside the mall. I can only guess that this was used when the restaurant was open past mall hours.

If you don't recognize this location, it's from before the Maine Mall expanded in 1994. Today it's home to Best Buy.

Check out the two photos taken inside the mall and the restaurant shared by Linda Newman on the Maine History Facebook page.