Kristin Hamilton's Inland Empire Blog: Throwback Thursdays: Griswold's ~a Swedish Smorgasbord in Redlands

Kristin~ How cool that you still have the postcard. Maybe I should start a collection?!

Cool old cars Kristin, sorry to hear that it has been replaced with a less interesting and less tasty business

He did take a ride over there--even just for a minute. :

Oh to be able to go back in time....I miss my old sandwich shop that I worked at as a teen.  A family squabble ended the business and it was replaced with a strip mall many years ago.

Love your picture, and especially the old cars!

Hi Donna,

When I put in Griswold's on the computer, I came up with several sites and one was a postcard on Ebay selling a postcard for $5.84 and 1.85 shipping. I laughed to know it was worth money.

Hi Bob,

I guess many older restaurants have gone on. We still have iHop but of course the big spire on the top of the roofs have been replaced. It is just a modern age now.

Laura,

He probably went there with others for lunch but it was big event to drive there about 35 miles for brunch on weekends. It was a special place for so many families.

When I first glanced at that picture and saw those older cars, I thought it might be classic car night at Griswold's.  Then I read the era of the establishment.  It sounds like it would have been a great place to eat!

Hi Sharon,

Yes it is fun to go back and revisit our memories. Just putting it on the site last night was enough to get me thinking about my mom and dad and eating there.

Hi Myrl,

You probably would have enjoyed it and the cars in the picture were just patrons visiting the restaurant.  Stationwagons and big boat cars were the rage.

Nice throwback Kristin, as a fan of "National Lampoons" movies I love the name.  Shame that it's a fitness center now instead of a place with good eats.

Hi John,

Yes it is a shame but the gym is packed day and night. Progressive real state trends.

Kristin, Thanks for telling us the story and I do like the old postcards with car pictures. Those were popular days back in the day. 

Hi Robert,

The post card business has gone down in the past 50 years and that is sad. I still buy post cards when I am on trips to mail out and save.

Hi Kristin, Wow, look at those vintage cars.  It seems like "back then" the all you could eat deals were called smorgasboards, now they are "buffets."  I loved the car-hop days.

Hi Bette,

When I was a little girl we had a drive-in downtown in Riverside called B & B's and they had car hops who brought the food out and hung it on your windows. I am not sure they were on roller skates or not?

Kristin, what fun to see these old cars on the post card!  My neighbor has one from this era that he sometimes parks on the street.  Makes out houses look newer!

Hi Patricia,

Yes, these old postcards are great memorabilia of the old sites and cars. We have come a long way but the old cars are especially fun to see.

Kristin, it is a shame that a lot of these smorgasbords have disappeared over time.  We had a great one in West Lafayette that  was destroyed by fire.

Hi Sharon and Bruce,

I think the chain restaurants have replaced a lot of older restaurants like this one. I guess that is part of the new era!

Thank you . Was in so.cal. This past week and wondered if it was still around.

Hi Elizabeth, 

Thanks for stopping by to comment. I think I speak for many when I say I wish it was still here but sure the people who operate Family Fitness do not agree.

kristin, would it be ok to use your photo in the Facts, for the nostalgia rail?

Hi Toni,

It would be very nice of you to use my picture. I really loved Griswalds and have wonderful family memories there.

Most of the kids from Redlands HS worked at Griswolds at one time or another. They had a nice gift shop, as well. When we would cut school (oh, yes...) we went to Griswolds for coffee. Good memories. Anyone remember the burrito place in the late 60s and 70s?

Hi Marge,

Great to read your comment. It was a fun place and they had good coffee and desserts so I can imagine this would be a terrific place to cut school and hang out at. We hung out at Denney's and a Drive-In on Madison Ave in Riverside when we ditched school. Fun Memories!

I lived in Claremont just up the street from Griswold's. We went there for dinner, but I really remember the brunch. As a teenager I could not get over how creamy and smooth their scrambled eggs were. They had the best Danish. I remember watching people load their plates up with the Danish. Everything in the bakery was great. We moved away and were so sad when we went back and discovered it had all gone away. I have not found anything like it.

Hi Vicki,

So glad you stopped to comment as what you mentioned brought back so many good memories. It was a lifetime ago but seems like yesterday!

I remember there was a statue of a horse or something in the front. My family used to meet my uncle coming from San Diego once a month to eat breakfast. They used to serve these little chicken wings there I couldn't get enough of them. Anyway enough of my banter, when I heard this place shut down I have to admit I died inside. This place provided a dynamic foundation for plenty great tastes and memories. It was unique, and it has not been replicated since. I wish they could reopen somewhere else but I doubt it would be the same.

I discovered Griswolds when I moved from Brooklyn to Loma Linda in 1978. Great food and the most unique gift shop. There was another near Clairmont (I think). I went once but it did not have the same charm as in Redlands.

I worked at Griswold's 1972-1976 in the kitchen and the bakery. Supervisors were Alice in the kitchen and Ed Lee in the bakery. Was a busy place. On Sundays they would have up to 1500 people for breakfast alone.

Thank you Doug for your comments. I’m sure you have good memories there too. Still sorry they closed it down.

We always stopped there on our way to Palm Springs and it was such a treat! Great memories!

Yes I totally agree Joyce.

Was looking up Griswold's and found this! I grew up in O.C., and remember going to Griswold's in the late 80's, as a kid. It was usually after going to the mountains and camping, or playing in the snow. I remember the long line, and how fast it moved, and I remember how delicious the brunch was. I remember they had the Swedish version of crepes (not sure of their name), and other delicious food. Loved the devor, too! It's too bad it went out. One of my favorite childhood memories! ☺

What great memories you have. I have these memories too of going with my family and the food was delicious and decorated so cute. Thanks for stopping by.

Doug Moe, hello: You stated you worked there from 1972-1976 in the kitchen & bakery. I remember fondly memories at the Claremont location as they made & decorated the mouth watering cakes from the huge window. Ordered quite a few there also. I always wanted to know the way they made their icing & what they used to flavor it with. The cakes were AWESOME too. Assuming by scratch??? Chocolate Mint to die for. My Favorite...but the white icing-I still drool just thinking about it. And the Danish-who could forget the Danish. So so missing that place. Anyway could you let me know how they did it. I always wanted to work there-by the time I was old enough they were gone NOOOOO. Went on to work at the now defunct Hollander Cafeteria in the bakery. Memories. Can you you bring them back for me please??? sari999333@gmail.com

Kristen- my family mostly went to the one in Redlands, but we had gone to Claremont also. I miss all these great places from my childhood. Since you’re in Banning, do you remember the San Gorgonio Inn? That was also a favorite of ours.

We were newlyweds back in the mid to late 70’s, when our friends took us there and treated us to a lovely meal. We were hooked. Every time that we had to leave the High Desert and go “down below “, we would make sure that we’d saved enough to go to Griswolds. It was an amazing experience during The Holidays when the servers were dressed ever so heavenly. Service was always great; I think that a lot of college kids worked there. My guy is gone now, but I have our memories...♥️

Thanks for posting a picture! I'm originally from Redlands; I loved this place as a kid and was sad when it went out of business. It had a lot of the same charm that Anderson's Pea Soup Factory has in Solvang.

I loved coming here from Riverside as a child! My twin sister and I couldn't get enough of the pink lemonade and we would fill our plates with cubes of cheddar cheese, Swedish meatballs and cottage cheese from the smorgasbord. I'm sad to find out it is now gone.

Was looking for Griswolds bran muffin recipe and came across this post. Grew up in San Bernardino and had my wedding rehearsal dinner there in 1981. Great memories. Can’t find the recipe though.

I ate there as a Kid from The San Fernando Valley My Mom has an Aunt that lived out in Redlands Ca

I was born in Pomona, lived in La Verne and we wen to Griswolds on Sundays for brunch, I used to be amazed by the Kings table buffet they had, every breakfast meat, eggs of every style, baked goods that are not available today, the bakery was astounding, all the juice and bacon I wanted! it was indeed a very special place where families celebrated and had special times there.
Bakers drive through ihn San Dimas had a cheese burrito that was awesome,In & Out had , still has a store by Bonita High school in La Verne, the owners of In & Out lived nearby nd attended Bonita high school, in fact they were scouting for sites to build new stores and dropped the Mom off at Brackett field in L Verne before continuing on to John Wayne airport and their private jet followed a wide body airliner too closely and got caught in the vortex and crashed into the earth killing thre some who was in charge that left the place to the girl who still owns it today she is a billionaire!
Taco Lita was another great place, My Grandparents owned 2 MTI schools in Pomona then I was janitor and made $5 a week!


I remember so much about living in La Verne then, the orange groves were from La Verne to the desert almost, the Pomona Valley was almost all groves, when they bloomed it smelled so good everywhere you went, the smudge post were bad, they were filled with crude oil like ships burn, really hi sulphur garbage oil, the smoke was terrible.
There was a steak house called Pinnacle Pete's and they cut off your tie and stuck it on the wall, I always wore a tie there even as a kid.
Pizza & Stuff in La Verne and Alta Loma was really good and I hear still around!! The canyon theatre in San Dimas had .50 matinees and I recall getting cigarettes for my Mom with a note from her and they cost .50,today I see they are almost $10 a pack.

I loved going to Griswald's. I wish it was still there.

Our family went to Griswalds at least 8 times a year when wr were kids we went to both of them Claremont and Redlands we lived in Indio and Grandparents lived in Upland . I absolutely love there cheese bread sticks they were the best . The way the cheese over lapped the bread makes my mouth water for them but nobody makes them the wat Griswalds did and there food was the best.