Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada Québec Saint-Simon L' Extra-Terrasse
L' Extra-Terrasse is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Gastro Obscura

L' Extra-Terrasse

For a brief moment, the world was given a flicker of the future of fast food, thanks to a visionary inventor.

Saint-Simon, Québec

Added By
Nat Bocking
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
L’Extra-Terrasse during its brief heyday   pixlink / Atlas Obscura User
Add Photos
L’Extra-Terrasse during its brief heyday   pixlink / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Jean Saint-Germain is a model of perseverance and imagination for the Quebecois. An inventor since just a teenager, his name appears alongside Canadian greats in patent halls and legends of innovation. However, to the myriads of Quebecois travelers he is likely more remembered for his most bizarre – and perhaps enthralling – creation of all: L’extra-Terrasse.

Saint-Germain was failure in school-smarts, but he was a master of “thinking outside the box.” Some of his most lasting inventions have were scooped up by the Playtex Corporation, after they became enamored by his revolutionary new model for baby bottles that replaced rigid glass or plastic vessels with a plastic bag that flattens as the infant drinks (now used throughout the world). Another creation, known as the Aérodium, was developed in 1980 to simulate the state of free fall faced by paratroopers.

After settling a debt that ensured the solvability of his family of 13, Saint-Germain set out to create a new, inspiring wonder to change the world as we know it – only closer to his home. This invention took the form of a most unusual restaurant, known as L’Extra-Terrasse.

Built in 1992 without any drawings except those stored in his head, the famous restaurant had some unusual aesthetic features: a real glass saucer with antennas hovered above the roof, and people on pink sofas emerged from improbable meteorites. The truly inventive aspect of Saint-Germain’s brainchild lived inside the restaurant, where the service was to be provided entirely by robots. In the words of Saint-Germain himself, "The idea was to put on the market the equivalent of McDonald's with the appearance of a flying saucer."

From the visitor’s perspective, it was quite delightful in its surreality, with robots moving along rails throughout the interior. The only human inside was a lone individual, charged with managing the server-robot. By listening to the customers through a microphone, she would answer them back using the robot voice, which would then bring each table their order. 

Within two months, the L’Extra-Terrasse had become a smash hit. Waits to get a table without human service extended more than two hours, and Saint-Germain was raking it in. But, like so many great ideas, L’Extra-Terrasse functioned better on paper than in reality. The inventor had become overwhelmed by the practicalities of managing a staff of humans and a robot whose circuits would periodically revolt (as electrical systems are wont to do). Within six months, its creator had pulled the plug on L’Extra-Terrasse, and the burger joint from another galaxy was no more. 

**UPDATE: Sadly the vacant building where L'Extra-Terrasse once had been was torn down in the fall of 2015.**

Related Tags

Restaurants Abandoned Aliens Robots Machines Food Lost Wonders

Know Before You Go

Roadside attraction crumbling in the middle of farm country, closed since 1995, and finally torn down in 2015.

Community Contributors

Added By

pixlink

Edited By

littlebrumble, Molly McBride Jacobson

  • littlebrumble
  • Molly McBride Jacobson

Published

May 10, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://voir.ca/societe/2001/10/31/jean-st-germain-retour-vers-le-futur/
  • http://www.foodinc.ca/4507982843/index.html
L' Extra-Terrasse
1445 Rang St-Georges
RR 1
Saint-Simon, Québec, J0H
Canada
45.734985, -72.872346
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Mouvement Essarts

St-Pie-de-Guire, Québec

miles away

Le Roy Jucep

Drummondville, Québec

miles away

Le Stade Olympique

Montreal, Québec

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Québec

Québec

Canada

Places 89
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Mouvement Essarts

St-Pie-de-Guire, Québec

miles away

Le Roy Jucep

Drummondville, Québec

miles away

Le Stade Olympique

Montreal, Québec

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Québec

Québec

Canada

Places 89
Stories 3

Related Places

  • The abandoned galleon.

    Deyme, France

    The Abandoned Galleon

    The deserted pirate-themed restaurant still entices explorers.

  • Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.

    Rome, Italy

    C'è Pasta... E Pasta!

    Fried artichokes and other Roman–Jewish classics are executed with care at this no-frills cafeteria.

  • Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.

    Rome, Italy

    Giano Restaurant

    Inventive Sicilian specialties are executed with flair at this restaurant overseen by chef Ciccio Sultano.

  • The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.

    Rome, Italy

    Cesare al Pellegrino

    Chef Leonardo Vignoli subtly updates Roman classics in a storied space.

  • Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.

    Rome, Italy

    Flavio al Velavevodetto

    For one of Rome’s finest renditions of cacio e pepe, head straight to this osteria.

  • Tripe is fried to a crisp.

    Rome, Italy

    L’Osteria della Trippa

    Everything from fried brains to stewed lungs are on the menu at this nose-to-tail spot.

  • Pizza al taglio is done right here.

    Rome, Italy

    Fratelli Trecca

    Roman-style pizza al taglio arrives here with magnificent, crackly crust.

  • A slice of cake is the perfect coda to a meal at Piatto Romano.

    Rome, Italy

    Piatto Romano

    Once the home of a renowned slaughterhouse, formerly working-class Testaccio is still the place to go for Roman offal dishes.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.