Oh, don't get me started on Automats
What heaven when you're a little kid! They had the best hot chocolate, and pretty darn good macaroni and cheese, and fried cornmeal mush with maple syrup. Mainly, though, it was such fun!!! Go to the cashier and get lots of nickels. Then look in all the little windows until you find what you want, insert the needed number of nickels, turn the handle, lift the door, and pull out your food. The beverage dispensers were beautiful spigots. And sometimes you'd see a real live person's (gloved) hand replacing the dish in the now-empty slot.
I think I've heard of someplace that might have been Hamburger Train -- kind of like the sushi bars with a conveyor belt snaking around the counter? But never been, as far as I know.
I just finished reading the 25th anniversary version of Michael and Ariane Batterberry's
On the Town In New York, which seems a VERY complete history of public eating places from the very beginning through 1973, with a little update. Fascinating to read about places I used to eat at years and years ago.