Al Dowd's Steak Houses Customized Pyrex Dinnerware

Recently, Edward Babcock discovered a previously undocumented opal Pyrex dinnerware pattern for Al Dowd’s Steak Houses. The pattern uses the red Chariot standard pattern, produced from 1967-1970, as its basis with “Al Dowd’s” embossed at the top. Presumably, the restaurant ordered the customized dinnerware during the late 1960s when the Chariot pattern was in production.

In many cases, restaurants used a standard pattern to purchase open stock (non-customized) dinnerware of smaller items, such as cups, mugs, saucers, bowls, and bread plates. The establishment would then invest in a customized version for larger plates and platters since the minimum order quantity was 100 dozen. Prior to ordering, Corning could provide a sample plate using handpaints or transadhesvies at no charge.
 
Al Dowd’s Steak Houses was established in 1965 in New York. The chain had at least four locations in Long Island, New York, that operated through the 1990s. The restaurant was affiliated with Dan Dowd’s and Manero’s Steak Houses which operated in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida.

Photo courtesy of Edward Babcock.