To celebrate Saturday Night Live’s 40th season, they have pulled some of their most memorable sketches from the archives. Of course the skit that made SNL famous was among them. Go to http://www.snlbythedecade.com/1970s and click “The Olympia Restaurant” skit to vote. Hurry! Voting ends January 15th!
Learn more about the history behind the skit on our website!
The Olympia Restaurant skit is now available on Yahoo! Check it out!
From one animal house to another: Happy Birthday! Nobody flipped a better cheezborger.
Check out this great interview on Billy Goat history with Bill Sianis:
http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2013/04/17/billy-goat.php
For the complete history of the legendary Billy Goat Tavern, check out Rick Kogan’s Book “A Chicago Tavern” https://www.billygoattavern.com/souvenirs/index.php/books/book-a-chicago-tavern.html
Check out this amazing set of photos of The Goat from the Chicago Tribune:
Ordering at the Billy Goat may go something like this: “Cheezborger! Cheezborger! You want doublecheez?!? Who’s next!?! WHO’S NEXT!?!” If you take more than one second to answer: “Don’t look at the menu, look at ME! I order for you – DOUBLECHEEZ!” If you only feel like a single: “No. DOUBLECHEEZ!!!” If it’s the end of the week: “It’s Friday, doublecheez for everybody! It’s payday! Triplecheez for the big guy!” Want French fries with that? “No fries – CHEEPS!” Thirsty? “No Pepsi – COKE!” To drink: “Coke or Diet?!”
Such rantings by the Billy Goat staff have gone on for almost 40 years and originated when Billy Goat Sianis and another Greek immigrant by the name of Bill Charuchas would entertain patrons by yelling out: “Try the double cheese! It’s the best! No fries, cheeps!” In the 1978, Sam Sianis and Charuchas were immortalized by Saturday Night Live’s John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Loraine Newman. The sketch was originally written by Don Novello (of Father Guido Sarducci fame) when he was an advertising copywriter in Chicago. John Belushi and Bill Murray knew the Billy Goat from their Second City days, and the rest is history. As a result, the Billy Goat Tavern achieved national infamy. When in Chicago, Don Novello and Bill Murray still come by and visit Sam and the Billy Goat staff and have their “Doublecheezborger”!
