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A host of dining options lay beyond the confines of the Notre Dame campus. There is little doubt that South Bend has a wide variety of stellar restaurants to explore. When the cuisines offered at the dining halls just aren’t doing it for you, venture into the city — you wouldn’t be the first.

In the March 19, 1987 issue, Scholastic opened a column dedicated to finding the best restaurants in the Michiana area. Writer John Markey spared no resources in his mission, committing “three years of gastronomic thrill-seeking which much to my surprise and delight, has given me a whole new outlook on Northern Indiana.”

Now just what are some of the restaurants that Markey raved about, and how do they measure up nearly 40 years later?

1. The Oaken Bucket: Located on the waterfront of the St. Joseph River, this restaurant boasted classic American food and featured bluegrass music on the weekends. In 2021, it came under new ownership and transformed into a tiki bar, but saw little success. As of early 2024, it went up for sale and has been closed ever since.

2. Franky’s: Heading north to Niles, this Italian restaurant offered a wide selection of classic dishes and was well loved for its Italian salad and shaved stacked ham sandwich. Even its motto, “It’s better to eat at Franky’s than wish you had” leaves prospective customers eager to give it a try. Unfortunately, Franky’s has been closed for many years now, and all of us are left to wish we could have tried it.

3. Granger Tap House and Grill: Heralded by Markey as the “best-all around restaurant in the area”, this place was known for its steak and seafood. One could order a 32 oz. steak for merely $15 — an absolute steal in today’s economy. It, too, has gone the way of the Bucket and Franky’s, and one can only dream of finding a deal that good again.

Perhaps this carefully cultivated list of dining options hasn’t aged well into the current day. But if anything, it opened the door for another eager foodie to explore today’s offerings in the off campus restaurant scene. Flip to page 18 for a look at some of the best food that South Bend has to offer in 2025!