That well known Pioneer Chicken in many Buk stories is now gone (1 Viewer)

Drove by last week and the often Buk mentioned Pioneer Chicken in East Hollywood is now officially closed for business...

It was an LA institution for many years, though has been on the decline for a long time (as long as I can remember it has been a sketchy place).

At one time, you really could see everything he wrote about and more at the Pioneer, the people and their lives, laid out in front of buckets of fried chicken, sorting out hunger before getting back to it.

It was a seedy place open late and the characters never in short supply. The tables are still out front, though the business looks to have fallen to commercial redevelopment.

It's sad to see these LA landmarks falling off. One of the last places standing from that crazy era in LA he wrote so well.

Thought it worth mentioning...
 
Also the Western Sizzler on Hollywood blvd now has a closed sign on it. Not exactly a cultural landmark or anything but I read that Buk liked to eat there.
 
My parents were driving us home from a Lakers or Clippers game at some point in the mid 80's, when the Lakers still played in Inglewood, the Clippers, at the sports arena. And though, the memory/reason is foggy now, a homeless guy threw his chicken wings at our car, I remember being terrified as they bounced off the windshield(and as my mom begged my dad NOT to get out of the car) But anyway, I'm certain they were from Pioneer chicken, though maybe they were from KFC or Popeyes! In any event, a chicken experience I'll never forget. I think I now need to call my parents and ask, what the reason was!? I'm sure there was one.
 
Also the Western Sizzler on Hollywood blvd now has a closed sign on it. Not exactly a cultural landmark or anything but I read that Buk liked to eat there.

I think you meant "Sizzler" exclusively west Coast franchise (plus one In Florida). The "Western Sizzler," I don't know why Western, when is serving only the East and South part of the country. Just wanted to point at this 'extremely important' difference. :)
 
If that's the one Billville meant, I'm confused? The one on Western is right off 7th street, and just 3-4 months ago it was pretty jumping on a Sunday evening? But, I guess things change quickly.
 
I think I now need to call my parents and ask, what the reason was!? I'm sure there was one.

No - you don't need to call them. There was no rational reason for that person to throw chicken wings at your family's car, other than they were homeless and felt like throwing shit.

Not to sound indifferent to the homeless and their problems, but these things just happen. There are so many warped and lost souls out there, it's scary.

But...maybe if I lived on the street for ONE WEEK, I could be enlightened... :rolleyes:
 
I think you meant "Sizzler" exclusively west Coast franchise (plus one In Florida). The "Western Sizzler," I don't know why Western, when is serving only the East and South part of the country. Just wanted to point at this 'extremely important' difference. :)

Doh! You're right Bill. It's Sizzler. Not sure why I tacked on the Western. although it is close to Western Ave, unfortunately I was referring to the one on Hollywood blvd. (I'm an idiot.)

Thanks mjp for the benefit of the doubt, though. :o
 
I don't remember my L.A. geography well enough to know if this is the same one that Buk wrote of (is Echo Park in/near East Hollywood?)

Doesn't Zevon sing: "she hangs out down on Alvarado Street, near the Pioneer Chicken stand..."?
 
This was the same stand he writes of. It's on Sunset Blvd just at the Hollywood/Sunset junction into one blvd.

Technically Los Feliz if you're on the opposite side of the street, though the stand was considered in East Hollywood.

It was about three blocks from his court.
 
That motel that he mentions in one of his poems has been torn down as well...it was on Western, off of Hollywood Blvd. He went there once when him and Linda had a falling out...he made fun of a fat guy at the pool and had to run into his room cause the guy wanted to kick his ass for it. And yeah, I noticed the Pioneer chicken spot getting the chain link fence treatment as well...

Also the Western Sizzler on Hollywood blvd now has a closed sign on it. Not exactly a cultural landmark or anything but I read that Buk liked to eat there.
I got arrested at the taco bell (now a Thai restaurant) next door to that Sizzler for kicking some guys ass when I was 17. The cops where eating at the Sizzler next door and saw it going down while they where sitting down at their table. The bastards ran over and threw the chains on me.

Oh, and by the way...the sizzler that Bukowski mentions in his stories is not the Sizzler on Western Ave...it's the Sizzler on Hollywood Blvd, right off of Western, in East Hollywood. The one that you mentioned is about 2 miles south on Western....a block past Wilshire....I thoght that you where talking about the Hollywood Blvd one...until I hit that link and saw the picture.
 
It's amazing that there are any Sizzlers left, considering they seem to engage in some perverted form of bovine cannibalism...

sizzler.jpg
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top