Historic Houston Restaurants

[Racehorse]

When i was a kid my parents use to take me to a polynesian restaurant in woodlake square. It was kick ass, had a suspension bridge and tiki's torches everywhere. I cannot remember the name for the life of me though. ahhh memories

Was it Don The Beach Comer [ They had good Food &^ Drinks ] we went there for Sunday Brunch .

[Racehorse]

When i was a kid my parents use to take me to a polynesian restaurant in woodlake square. It was kick ass, had a suspension bridge and tiki's torches everywhere. I cannot remember the name for the life of me though. ahhh memories.

[dbigtex56]

We used to eat there at least once a week and at Mrs.Me's. They were the first Thai and Vietnamese places in town, I believe. Yes, the Tiger Cries were on our plate at each visit.

I remember Mrs. Me's (gotta love that name!) and know I've eaten there, but can't remember where it was located.

[john Lopez]

Shuckers is still open in the Galleria.

Does anyone recall the Windswept Inn? It was a home cooking/family style restaurant on a side street off of 45 North, south of BW 8 area. I remember going there as a kid in the mid 70's with my grandparents. They would bring huge (huge to a 5 year old) bowls of mashed potatoes, greens, beans, and platters of fried chicken and chicken fried steaks.

Shuckers is still open in the Galleria.

Does anyone recall the Windswept Inn? It was a home cooking/family style restaurant on a side street off of 45 North, south of BW 8 area. I remember going there as a kid in the mid 70's with my grandparents. They would bring huge (huge to a 5 year old) bowls of mashed potatoes, greens, beans, and platters of fried chicken and chicken fried steaks.

[NenaE]

Out of all the past & surviving restaurants I've been to in Houston, Don the Beachcombers has got to be one of my favorites. Too bad it's gone.

[Bill Lins]

Wow! This thread brought back a ton of memories!

Some of the restaurants already mentioned that I loved:

Zorba the Greek's on Tuam

Valian's

Bellaire Broiler Burger (still eat there when I'm in town)

Kip's on Bellaire (used to have breakfast there when working day shift)

Yamin's on Buffalo Speedway

Der Weinerschnitzel on Westheimer near Montrose

Alfred's on Stella Link

Others that I haven't seen mentioned:

A&W Root Beer stand on Bellaire just east of Hillcroft

Pancho's Mexican Buffet (kept a poor UH student from starving- all you could stand for $1.99!)

There was a Greek place out on Bissonnet near Shipley's- IIRC it was called the Athena (or something like that).

Also, places that I've forgotten the names of:

Pizza place next to a flower shop on the NE side of the Park Place- Broadway- Gulf Fwy. traffic circle

Mexican place on Kirby north of Richmond- it was FULL of UT stuff!

Someone asked about Bert Wheeler's- isn't the one by Broiler Burger on Bellaire still there? Haven't been by there recently.

[Subdude]

Mexican place on Kirby north of Richmond- it was FULL of UT stuff!

Was that Jalapeno?

[ronniejay]

We went to Don's The Beach Comer. I think we went to THE GREAT MINE COMPANY, a steak house which opened in that location.

[Fringe]

[

Mexican place on Kirby north of Richmond- it was FULL of UT stuff!

Casa Dominguez? It used to be in that area before relocating to Bellaire about 20 years ago.

[NenaE]

We went to Don's The Beach Comer. I think we went to THE GREAT MINE COMPANY, a steak house which opened in that location.

There was a German food restaurant around where Don's was previously located, that I've always wanted to try (it's still there). The air always smelled so good around that place. Haha. Gessner & Westheimer.

[Bill Lins]

[

Casa Dominguez? It used to be in that area before relocating to Bellaire about 20 years ago.

That sounds about right. Are they still in business?

[TVB]

Hey man, this is Chris Criezis, no kidding. They had built up quite an empire allright. My favorite was the Bastille, had plenty of chances to get in trouble there when I was a kid, I remember working the sandwich counter when I was like 14/ 15, and had all the beer, wine, and liquor I could ever want right in the walkin cooler (when my parents werent looking), and I would make enough money selling sandwiches directly to customers and pocketing the proceeds. Funniest thing was, they thought they were getting 'free' labor with me working the sandwich counter, what they didnt know didnt hurt them. And the chicks...ahh yes, man it was great to be a kid around then, I dont know what kid gets to live that kind of nightlife.

That was the life, at least for that time period. Ernie (my dad) passed away in 1996 and Toni Renee, supposedly is a recluse living off an island in France but I doubt she is still alive. They really breathed life into Houston and built up quite an empire while it lasted. I believe the Great Caruso is still standing, last owner was Spero, dont know if he still owns it or if its even still there.

[TVB]

Hey man, this is Chris Criezis, no kidding. They had built up quite an empire allright. My favorite was the Bastille, had plenty of chances to get in trouble there when I was a kid, I remember working the sandwich counter when I was like 14/ 15, and had all the beer, wine, and liquor I could ever want right in the walkin cooler (when my parents werent looking), and I would make enough money selling sandwiches directly to customers and pocketing the proceeds. Funniest thing was, they thought they were getting 'free' labor with me working the sandwich counter, what they didnt know didnt hurt them. And the chicks...ahh yes, man it was great to be a kid around then, I dont know what kid gets to live that kind of nightlife.

That was the life, at least for that time period. Ernie (my dad) passed away in 1996 and Toni Renee, supposedly is a recluse living off an island in France but I doubt she is still alive. They really breathed life into Houston and built up quite an empire while it lasted. I believe the Great Caruso is still standing, last owner was Spero, dont know if he still owns it or if its even still there.

Chris, Hi! I don't know if you will see this or not. I was Googling your Dad's name and La Bastille, b/c I used to work at Fat Ernies in the mid 70s and my boyfriend and I were regulars almost every weekend at La Bastille. We saw some GREAT Jazz players like Stanley Turrentine, Grover Washington, Chuck Mangione, Josef (sp?) Latiff (sp?), Chuck Corea, and on and on and on! MANY and I mean MANY great Jazz players! Those were some of the best times of my life back then and La Bastille holds a special place in my heart! I had some wild times working as a waitress at Fat Ernies too! Sorry to hear of your Dad's passing back in 96. You and your Sis were lucky to have been in such a great family.... I think. ;-) Anyway, it was great to see your post, and I hope that you and your sister are doing well these days. Yes, your Dad did liven up and improve Houston! All my best, Terry

[ExTex]

I remember the original Britain's Broiler Burger, on Westheimer where Greenbriar ended. This was in the middle to late 50s. It was a favorite place for me, since it had a sheltered outside seating area, surrounded by a low concrete and rough stone wall, with some of the stonework (!!) tables and seats positioned such that they were hidden from view, both from casual glances from the street, and also from the pickup window. This made it a prime location for stopping after school with your "steady", getting a Coke and a burger, and indulging in a little surreptitious necking before walking home. They also had a little four-horse carousel for the kiddies to spin around on after they had eaten! Originally, it spun at a pretty good clip, but they slowed it down after they had to clean up too many spit-ups!

Does anyone remember the brouhaha when McDonald's wanted to start up in Houston? It seems there had already been a "McDonald's" - it was 50s-style drive-in, complete with carhops, and was owned by a local family. By the time the national chain wanted to come in, the "original" place had closed, but the family still owned the local rights to the name! Ol' Mickey D had to shell out a lot of money to them to be able to erect their Golden Arches in Houston!

[LTAWACS]

I remember Burger Haus on park place. Near some engineering firm.

Also... I dont recall a "Pizza place next to a flower shop on the NE side of the Park Place- Broadway- Gulf Fwy. traffic circle"... there is a pizza place on the NW side of that same interchange... Papa's I think.

[Specwriter]

I remember Burger Haus on park place. Near some engineering firm.

S & B Engineers. The occupy (or did) a four-story office building on one side of Park Place Blvd., next to where Burger Haus used to be, and a small one-story building (white painted brick) across the street. The one-story building is a former funeral parlor. One of the engineers took me into a back room one day and showed me the marble slab where embalming was done. At the time I visited the surface was being used to unroll and look at large drawings.

[icameback]

I have enjoyed reading all these posts and was especially glad someone else remembered the Del Rio [inn] on Shepherd near 26th. I remember the owner was a character we called Miz Merl. The Del Rio was the first place I ever ate Mexican food and I was born here in 1955. I would welcome hearing memories from others. Here's my list of places I think have not yet been mentioned:

Tutto Bene (Shepherd and Feagan, owner now runs Just Dinner on Dunlavy)

Ho Sai Gai (Post Oak and San Felipe?, first place I ever ate Chinese food)

Western Kitchen (Wirt Road-- great BBQ and awesome homemade fries)

Battelstein's and Joske's Tea Rooms (someone already mentioned Sakowitz but the high-end stores' tea rooms were all good)

There was also an ice cream store on Shepherd; I think they sold Borden's. I grew up in Oak Forest and we used to go over to the Heights a lot.

[icameback]

Writing to correct my own post-- I think I am referring to Rettig's Heap-o-Cream on Yale. Not Borden's-- their own product. There was a Borden's store over off 59 S of Downtown, if I recall.

[NenaE]

Writing to correct my own post-- I think I am referring to Rettig's Heap-o-Cream on Yale. Not Borden's-- their own product. There was a Borden's store over off 59 S of Downtown, if I recall.

I grew up with Borden's Ice Cream Parlors, no Heap-O-Cream's. Architecturally speaking, those glass squares come to mind.

I vaguely recall, maybe a flying pizza sign & restaurant, 1960-early 70's? near that flower shop, Broadway and Park Place. Could be mistaken.

[readam]

I remember Burger Haus on park place. Near some engineering firm.

Also... I dont recall a "Pizza place next to a flower shop on the NE side of the Park Place- Broadway- Gulf Fwy. traffic circle"... there is a pizza place on the NW side of that same interchange... Papa's I think.

My wife remembers a Goggi's Pizza in the area

[Lloyd-TX]

Wow! This thread brought back a ton of memories!

Someone asked about Bert Wheeler's- isn't the one by Broiler Burger on Bellaire still there? Haven't been by there recently.

Nope - it shut down a few years back.

A check cashing business occupies that ol' place now.

[Disastro]

There was an Alfie's listed at 3301 S Shepherd (at Branard) which may be the one brucesw mentioned - it was rebuilt and is (was?) an MRI clinic.

It looks like you can tell what is still an Alfie's freestanding building by the half-timbering..

Other Alfie's from the 1970s and 1980s were at 74 E Crosstimbers near Fulton like Specwriter mentioned (now a seafood market but the half-timbering design is still there), 7525 Bellfort (near Telephone, across from the Fiesta, now a car lot), 3452 Ella (just north of 34th, same strip mall), 7229 Fondren (just south of Bellaire Blvd. - gone?)), and 10025 Long Point (just east of Gessner, now a Taco Stand?).

Here is the streetview of the Alfie's in Texas City:

http://maps.google.c...2,222.81,,0,5.8

I remember the Alfies on Shepherd...

[FilioScotia]

I dont recall a "Pizza place next to a flower shop on the NE side of the Park Place- Broadway- Gulf Fwy. traffic circle.

You don't remember Big Humphrey's Pizza? It was on that big circle at Park Place and Broadway for many years.

It was originally a hamburger joint, but they added pizza in 1960. The pizzas were so good and popular the place became a Pizza parlor. My memory has it on the southwest corner of that circle, on the south side of the freeway.

It was owned by one of the most interesting guys Houston has ever had. In the 1930s, pro wrestler Joe Vitale was the model for the Big Humphrey Pennyworth character in the old Joe Palooka comic strip. Big Humphrey proved to be such a popular character that the cartoonist, Ham Fisher, let Vitale use the name Big Humphrey professionally.

He was hugely popular on the wrestling circuit, and he made enough money to open five Big Humphrey restaurants around Houston, including the one on Park Place. You can read the whole Joe Vitale/Big Humphrey story on their website

http://bighpizza.com/?page_id=17

There's only one Big Humphrey's now, in Pearland, where it is Big Humphrey's Pizza and Italian Restaurant.

http://bighpizza.com/

Joe Vitale died in 1977, but his son and granddaughter own and run the Pearland restaurant. Here's what the Houston Press food critic wrote about it.

"...Taking in Big Humphrey's King of the Hill ambience, customers might wonder about the food. But all they need to do is sit down and order. Jasper Vitale uses recipes left by his grandmother, who was born and raised in Sicily. They supplement Grandma's Italian dishes with good ol' American and Tex-Mex favorites, as if to concede that truckers do not live by the meatball alone. Those who want wine with their pasta will have to bring it themselves."

Edited April 24, 2011 by FilioScotia

[john Lopez]

Anyone remember the name of the Creole restaurant on Richmond at about Stanford, just East of Montrose? It was on the south side of the street and in a house, I think. I ate there in late sixties, early seventies.

Edited April 25, 2011 by john Lopez

[ronniejay]

are you the john lopez on 610am?

[john Lopez]

are you the john lopez on 610?

Nope, not me.

Jl

[sevfiv]

Anyone remember the name of the Creole restaurant on Richmond at about Stanford, just East of Montrose? It was on the south side of the street and in a house, I think. I ate there in late sixties, early seventies.

Chapultepec on Richmond used to be the "Gumbo King Club"

[john Lopez]

Thank you very much.

[Earlydays]

Thank you very much.

Ditto...we lived on West Main in the early 70's and I also couldn't remember the name.

[sw324]

My wife remembers a Goggi's Pizza in the area

Big Humphrey's was the pizza of choice on Park Place.