Historic Houston Restaurants

[LTAWACS]

I wonder when El Real Tex Mex Cafe will join this list.

[Specwriter]

I happened to be driving on Park Place Blvd. west of I45 just yesterday evening and remembering the Burger Haus. Very near there in the early 1990s, at the corner of Poplar and Park Place (now a Mexican restaurant I believe), was an Italian restaurant called Figaroni. I used to stop in there and get pizzas when I lived on Joplin Street. One night my father-in-law was in town and he was a big Italian food fan. We decided to walk to the restaurant and have a meal in the dining room. I ordered the lasagna amatriciana. It was to die for! I asked the waiter to give my compliments to the chef. Who would have thought I would ever be doing so in a place like that. About 5 minutes later this tall, slender man with red hair came out of the back room and introduced himself as the chef. We've been friends ever since. How could I not be a friend to someone who makes dishes like that? Who was he,? you ask. His other two restaurants have been mentioned in this thead also: It was Andrew Rebori of Tutto Bene and Just Dinner fame.

Writing this just made me remember the Ballatori Room on Leeland as well. Who else remembers that one?

[msteele6]

I happened to be driving on Park Place Blvd. west of I45 just yesterday evening and remembering the Burger Haus. Very near there in the early 1990s, at the corner of Poplar and Park Place (now a Mexican restaurant I believe), was an Italian restaurant called Figaroni. I used to stop in there and get pizzas when I lived on Joplin Street. One night my father-in-law was in town and he was a big Italian food fan. We decided to walk to the restaurant and have a meal in the dining room. I ordered the lasagna amatriciana. It was to die for! I asked the waiter to give my compliments to the chef. Who would have thought I would ever be doing so in a place like that. About 5 minutes later this tall, slender man with red hair came out of the back room and introduced himself as the chef. We've been friends ever since. How could I not be a friend to someone who makes dishes like that? Who was he,? you ask. His other two restaurants have been mentioned in this thead also: It was Andrew Rebori of Tutto Bene and Just Dinner fame.

Writing this just made me remember the Ballatori Room on Leeland as well. Who else remembers that one?

Yeah, Ballatori's was right across from the bakery on Leland. The bakery building is now the City of Houston Water Department if I'm not mistaken.

[hbcu]

Wendy's on West Bellfort near Fondren...RIP

Their practices make me wonder on the areas they remain open/shut down...

[blueskyseattle]

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.

I happened upon your post as I was searching to see if there were any old pictures posted of the Del Rio Inn in Houston. Lena Murrel was my Aunt and she owned the Del Rio Inn and ran it until the early 70's until her brother Joe took over. I finally closed in 1975. Lena was murdered in Conroe that same year.

It made me smile to know someone still remembered her. She was a character for sure. I attached a picture of her and Mae Ethel ( her long time friend and employee)The baby is my son born in 1970. The picture was taken in the kitchen of the Del Rio Inn. I was living with her in Conroe when he was born, My husband was in the Air Force and I'll never forget that harried ride to the hospital in Houston. We had to go to Jacinto City but because she didn't want to go alone we made a detour to pick up her friend at the Del Rio Inn. she was so scared I was going to give birth in the back of her new Cadillac!

She was an angel here on earth.

[blue92]

Not sure if any one has asked about Gaido's Seafood on South Main. I can swear we used to drive past it everytime we would go to the McClendon Triple Theater.

Gaido's had that giant shrimp packing 2 pistols and a cowboy hat right? There must be a photo of it somewhere, if someone has can you please post? and what were the cross streets?

It was so cool I always wanted to take it home. Only in Texas!

Yes there was a Gaido's on S. Main it was right across the street from Playland Park. I know this because my parents house was almost right behind it. But no it didn't have a shrimp with 6 shooters that was Kapan's at S. Main & Kirby. Gaido's had a huge crab on the top of their building.

[blue92]

On the Border... I'm pretty sure they're all gone now (please correct me if I'm wrong).

There were two that I know of, and they had great red sauce, chips, and veggie fajitas.... and I'm not even vegetarian.

On the Border was started by a Dallas family. The entire family were flying to Santa Fe, NM when their small plane crashed killing them all. Some restaurant chain ended up with the restaurants and they are all over Texas and the southwest U.S. They have them all over the DFW metropldex.

[Earlydays]

On the Border was started by a Dallas family. The entire family were flying to Santa Fe, NM when their small plane crashed killing them all. Some restaurant chain ended up with the restaurants and they are all over Texas and the southwest U.S. They have them all over the DFW metropldex.

They are now in 37 states....

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

the shrimp with the 6 shooters live in Richmond now, still on Alt 90, just east of the Brazos River bridge

[57Tbird]

Yes there was a Gaido's on S. Main it was right across the street from Playland Park. I know this because my parents house was almost right behind it. But no it didn't have a shrimp with 6 shooters that was Kapan's at S. Main & Kirby. Gaido's had a huge crab on the top of their building.

You're right about the big crab, but I also remember the big shrimp being at Gaido's, not Kaphan's. I went looking and found this. It says the photo was taken in 2008, but that is the date of the upload, not when it was taken. This was taken long ago.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

bummer- I went looking for the shrimp with the six shooters on my way out to my mom's house the other day. They are not there anymore!

[Gary_Wayne_Diablo]

Does anyone remember Emiliano's. If I recall--- this had to be the mid to late 70s and the location was in the old Memorial City Mall.

Emiliano's served Mexican Food but was set up basically like a dinner theatre with a large stage. There was always live music going on during the dinner--- something you don't see that much of anymore...

I was a tiny kid, but remember the food, the almost night-club environment and the waiters in tuxes promising ice cream if I could just make it through the singer's shrill rendition of "Torn Between Two Lovers"....

the place used to be really packed, but I don't think it lasted into the 80s. If I remember correctly, that space became the Luby's in Memorial City Mall.

Am I just imagining this place?

Edited September 12, 2011 by Gary_Wayne_Diablo

[acamarillo]

My wife and I loved Emiliano's for several reasons. First the food - although owned by Pancho's it was really good and different from most in the area at that time. There were several dishes that I really miss to this day. Also the margaritas were excellent, at least in my memory, which may have been clouded by those same margaritas.... second, the house band was Larry and Marilyn and the Brass Connection, featuring Alonzo Alonzo on drums... the son of the founders of the band Alonzo y sus Rancheros (I blelive that's the name) mentioned in other threads about music in the area. Marylin had about a four octave range and could sing the h*** out of "Bobbie McGee". One of my friends worked for Larry and we got to go to a recording session one night at Gilley's studio. And he got us past the waiting crowds several times. : ) I think Marilyn is now a big deal real estate agent in theSW but the band may still be performing..... Lastly, the people watching....many fairly recognizable faces could be seen there, including one local female tv reporter who seemed to always be there enjoying *several* of those margaritas...... still miss the place. Good times, good times......

[blue92]

You're right about the big crab, but I also remember the big shrimp being at Gaido's, not Kaphan's. I went looking and found this. It says the photo was taken in 2008, but that is the date of the upload, not when it was taken. This was taken long ago.

After reading all the way threw this thread I found out it was Christie's not Kaphan's that had the shrimp with the 6 shooters (my bad) but Christie's was just down a little south on S.Main from Gaido's so maybe your drunk friend started at Gaido's and wondered down to Christie's.

[blue92]

OK here goes maybe long.

60's

Alfred's on Rice.

Prince's Drive in

Stuart's drive in

Lee's Den S. Main

Wynn's Grocery & Bar-B-que S.Main

Vailian's S. Main for the pizza

Don's Seafood

Giado's S.Main & Galveston

Jimmy Walkers Kemah we used to drive my dad's cabin cruiser from Seabrook Shipyard down and tie it off at the pier outside. We would get a table to look out at the bay and keep an eye on the boat at the same time.

Chuck Wagon on Post Oak close to Willowbend. I never ate onion rings but theirs looked & smelled so good I had to try them never have had any as good since. Building was shaped like a chuck wagon.

Christie's Seafood S.Main in a old Boat

The PolyAsian on S. Main all tho I never ate there. It was between Buffalo Speedway and Murworth Dr.. They had a very long driveway that was lined with tiki lamps. By the time I was old enough to take myself there it was gone.

Spainish Village on OST/S.Main. My best friend's dad owned the place and he and I would help make palines in the back of the restaurant. His dad was the 1st in Houston to have a puffed taco machine, it puffed them then cooked them. My friend told ne his dad invented and had it built, but then again that may have been a bunch of bull.

One's a meal on Main close to the old Sears store. Summer of 67 me and my best friend practically lived there, well after midnight anyways.

Howard Johnson's Ice Cream on Belliare Blvd. was across the street from the YMCA. There was a huge building on the back of the property where they made and packaged ice cream to ship all over the US. I believe it was their head quarters for a while.

The Cellar Door

Price's Hamburgers .19 cents (the secret sauce?) on Belliare Blvd. & Stella Link.

Someburger in The Village

70's

Los Troncos

Natural Child off Montrose a vegetarian restaurant lots of hippies ate there. Me and my roommate at the time both worked there he a chef me the dish washer/bus boy.

The Happy Budda on Westheimer

The Family Hand a huge bicker hangout in the late 60s. I almost got shot there one night when 2 bikers drew down on each other and started shootin.

Taco Bell on S.Shepherd when it 1st opened they were great I wouldn't eat there today their (so called) beef sucks compared to when they 1st started.

Submachine on S. Shepherd across the street from Battlestien's. Who ever started Subway ate there 1st because everything Subway did in the beginning was something Submachine did. Cook their own breads, the counter you walked up to pick out your sandwich ingredients, how they used to cut the tops out of the loafs of bread to put the ingredients into, the interior design. Only thing different in the 2 was Submachine was way better than any Subway I've been to. This place made Antone's look minor league.

Cheh Orleans on Westhiemer at Drexel a long time up shale steak place. Great date place.

Antone's S.Main and the one on Voss

Yamin's on Hillcroft south of Westiemer they made an awesome muffaletta sandwich, one sandwich could feed 8 people.

Alfred's on Stella Link on Tuesday nights they had a all you could eat smorgasbord, I remember one night my wife now my ex came out and once outside she had to unbuckle here pants she looked 5 months pregnant. She said to me "I'm so full but I still want to eat some more my stomach is full but my mouth is still hungry I didn't even get out of the salad section".

Steak & Ale on Memorial east of Westscott. My ex-wife stole an entire place setting from there one night everything on the table ended up in her purse. She was quite intoxicated.

also the Steak & Ale on the Shephard/Farnham curve.

The donut place that was in an old Der Wienerschnitzel on Gessner south of Long Point owned by an Asian lady that made the most awesome Vietnamese egg rolls, you couldn't eat just 6.

I believe it was Tommie's Chinese (probably not) on the south side of Memorial between Dairy Ashford & Winter Oak Dr.

The Bar-b-que joint in the strip center at the corner of Memorial and Kirkwood northwest corner. They made the best links I ever have eaten

The Pie house or factory on the north side of Westheimer I think not to far from Fonderen.

St. Michel

Ches Orleans on the north side Westhiemer & between Drexel Dr. & the railroad track. Great steaks and great date place.

La Hacienda de los Morales

The Mason Jar (may still be open).

80s

Bay Street - Seafood restaurant chain owned by the Steak & Ale corp.

Tony Romo's Ribs the chain has great ribs all kind of ribs.

90s

The Greek restaurant that used to be on the corner of Westiemer & Gessner where they sang/danced/&broke plates.

2000's

I lived in Houston from April 1999 to Oct. 2001 this list is of my favorite restaurants when I lived there, many of these I'm sure are still opened. We lived off 290 and 6.

The Japanese all you can eat Shusi restaurant on 1960 in front of Willow Brook Mall the name started with a K in 2000 it was 21 bucks a person and worth every penny.

Chinese buffet at the southwest corner of 6 and Clay Rd.

Burger King at 6 & Longenbaugh

All you can eat Itialian buffet that was on 6 across the street form Sears hardware/garden.

Capt. something that was a Seafood joint that the building was a boat they had one on 1960 and on I-10. They served cajun seafood as well as fried fish and raw oysters.

Edited September 17, 2011 by blue92

[Gary_Wayne_Diablo]

My wife and I loved Emiliano's for several reasons. First the food - although owned by Pancho's it was really good and different from most in the area at that time. There were several dishes that I really miss to this day. Also the margaritas were excellent, at least in my memory, which may have been clouded by those same margaritas.... second, the house band was Larry and Marilyn and the Brass Connection, featuring Alonzo Alonzo on drums... the son of the founders of the band Alonzo y sus Rancheros (I blelive that's the name) mentioned in other threads about music in the area. Marylin had about a four octave range and could sing the h*** out of "Bobbie McGee". One of my friends worked for Larry and we got to go to a recording session one night at Gilley's studio. And he got us past the waiting crowds several times. : ) I think Marilyn is now a big deal real estate agent in theSW but the band may still be performing..... Lastly, the people watching....many fairly recognizable faces could be seen there, including one local female tv reporter who seemed to always be there enjoying *several* of those margaritas...... still miss the place. Good times, good times......

That's the place... and the music!! thanks for your post--- that ties some memories together for sure!

Was I right about the location--- was it in the Memorial City Mall?

Seems weird that it was gone so quickly having been such a 'hot spot' at one time--- I'm guessing it was the early 80s when it disappeared...

Edited September 23, 2011 by Gary_Wayne_Diablo

[Bill Lins]

Capt. something that was a Seafood joint that the building was a boat they had one on 1960 and on I-10. They served cajun seafood as well as fried fish and raw oysters.

Cap't. Benny's? Seems like I remember one being on I-10 just west of the West Loop. There was also one near the Medical Center & on the Southwest Freeway at Stafford. Are any of them still around?

[brucesw]

The one on I-10 is long gone; squeezed between the railroad tracks and the frontage road, it became something else - non restaurant related as I remember - for a while before disappearing in the face of the expanding freeway. I think that one was actually a Capt's Table Oyster Bar or something, the different name a result of a split in the family as I was told. The one at 59 @ Murphy/Wilcrest/FM 1092 moved down 1092 about half a mile and is still going strong. That move was necessitated by the widening of the freeway.

The location on 1960 was originally a Capt. Benny's. Benny Heileman (? - Heineman?) gave a couple of businessmen a franchise of sorts as I understand, but they had never operated a restaurant before and didn't do well. It was sold to the manager of the Stafford Capt. Benny's whose name was Tom and it became the first Capt. Tom's.

[Pyrotek40]

Alfies fish and chips is still alive and well in Texas City on Palmer Hwy just before the dike! We ate at that on after the one on broadway in Galveston closed down.

[Pyrotek40]

Alfies fish and chips is still alive and well in Texas City on Palmer Hwy just before the dike! We ate at that on after the one on broadway in Galveston closed down.

[hensleyaus]

I can't believe I just found this thread. Here goes: (sorry for the bad spelling)

Panjos on Memorial and Dairy Ashford

Mason Jar on I-10

Vargo's (Voss?)

Strawberry Patch on Westheimer

Velvet Turtle (SW Freeway?)

Romanos Town and Country - Sundays after church

Cliff's Hamburgers in Katy (when it was just rice farms and geese)

Jame's Coney Island (the old, old one in Town and Country)

Orange Julius

Piccadilly Cafeteria in the old Memorial City Mall

York Steak House (also in Memorial City Mall)

Pino's (the owner always came by to say hello, the original was by UofH, my parents went there when they were in college)

Butera's

The Black Angus

The diner in the downtown Foley's (every Christmas Eve before seeing Santa)

Patio House on Memorial Drive

Rainbow Lodge (senior prom)

Old Spaghetti Warehouse by UofH on the Bayou (every birthday, always sat in the trolley car)

I could go on forever. I lived in Houston from '64 to '82.

Anyone remember Peppermint Park on 610?

[Subdude]

There are a number of discussions on Peppermint Park. Welcome to HAIF!

[Texmex1]

Mother's PoBoys on Richmond just West of Kirby , awesome sandwiches and a nice Hungarian couple owned it....

[Juliet Shohreh]

I remember when I was a little girl during the 1970s and the 1980s I used to go to a barbecue place on the end of the shopping strip on Boardway going toward Hobby Airport and going away from I-45. It was on the end where the Glenbrook Valley Area is. Does anyone remember the name of the restaurant? This place bring back GREAT memories!

~Juliet Shohreh Nour~

[MarcusLC]

The name of that pancake place was "Uncle John's Pancake House."

As a kid, I lived there from 1961 till 1967. My dad owned the 2 Mobil service stations, OST & Tierwester, and OST & Scott. This was an epicenter of activity in Houston at the time.

This is a list of some of the businesses around there I can recall at the moment:

Cellar Door Restaurant

Frontier Restaurant

Chuck Davis Chevrolet

Mosehart & Keller Ford

Art Grindle Chrysler Plymouth Dodge

Uncle John's Pancake House

Piggly Wiggly

Nabisco

Houston Fruit Stand

Trail Drive-In

Paris Theater

Princes Hamburger

TSU

UH

Do these jog any memories?

[Dave W]

Uncle John's Pancake House was a California-based franchise restaurant chain. I don't doubt the one on O.S.T. was locally owned but it was definitely part of a franchise operation.

There was a One's A Meal in the Braeswood Center on Holcombe at Greenbriar, we used to eat there often when I was growing up in the 50s.

The Chuck Davis jingle came from an old ragtime song, Ja-Da (Ja-Da Jing Jing Jing).

[IHB2]

I just unpacked these 70 vintage matchbooks from my late parents' stuff. Mostly Houston area restaurants of the 1950s and 1960s, but also some Houston hotels, oil industry service companie, and some great Bellaire businesses. There are another 80 or so from all over Texas and some international and other US states - I'll post a pic of these after I take it.

 

I sob a little just looking at the Valian's matches, and Kaphan's, and Pier 21, and Safari, and...

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2013 by IHB2

[Subdude]

Awesome.  There's a Shamrock Hilton in there.

 

 

[readam]

There was a One's a Meal in the Bellaire Triangle  shopping center and also one next to the Delman theatre across from Sears.  Sad day when Cellar Doors were gone, last one I believe was on Stella Link and Bellaire...

[Victor Del Rio]

Would anyone have pictures of or know where Sybil Leek’s Cauldron, restaurant circa 1970s, was located in Rice Village (Houston, Tx)? I'm aware it was first located where Charlies used to be which I believe was 611 Hyde Park Boulevard, Houston, TX., then moved to Rice Village.