A look back at Henry’s restaurant December 1, 2009

David Allen of the Inland Valley (Calif.) Daily Bulletin takes a nostalgic look at the unique Henry’s restaurant on Route 66 in Pomona, Calif., which was demolished more than two decades ago.

More remarkably, the exterior – a large oval dome with broad windows and wooden trellises at the roof’s edges – is variously remembered as resembling an upside-down wooden boat or a spaceship.

The wildly unusual building on Route 66 defied description when it opened on Sept. 5, 1957, too.

“Unique and modernistic architecture” was the vaguely worded praise in the Pomona Progress-Bulletin.

The writer did make an attempt to describe the building, as follows: “The establishment is distinguished by its oval roof and glass panels. When it is lighted from within at night the effect is that of a huge inverted glass bowl.”

A wooden boat atop a glass bowl. What’s not to love?

The restaurant originally was part of the Oklahoma-based Chicken in the Rough chain, which started in 1936 and once had nearly 250 restaurants across the nation. Like the lone survivor of the Ku-Ku chain that’s now beloved by Route 66ers, it’s not wise to always criticize chain restaurants.

The only photos I’ve found of Henry’s are here.