40 Once-Popular American Diners That Are No Longer Around

The Anchor Inn set up shop smack dab in the middle of Wheaton, Maryland, in 1954. Its American fare menu contained steak, crab cakes, shrimp, fresh oysters, and many other classics. Business was booming in 2003, but the Anchor Inn’s owner, Harry Scaggs Sr., wasn’t satisfied—Maryland had implemented an indoor smoking ban.

It took 50 years, but the Anchor Inn had finally worn out its welcome. Citing the smoking ban as one of the main reasons for the closure, the Inn’s anchor was pulled up in 2004 and took its place among the ranks of landmark restaurants the American public will surely miss.