Steak 'n Ale

Steak 'n Ale's 2008 closure alongside sister chain Bennigan's demonstrates how restaurant concepts age out of relevance. The salad bar and casual steak concept that seemed innovative in 1966 felt dated by 2008. Like a species perfectly adapted to a climate that no longer exists, Steak 'n Ale's format matched tastes from four decades earlier. The chain that invented casual dining couldn't survive casual dining's evolution.