brucesw

Can't help you with the first two but there were several Brittain's around, all gone, so far as I know. The last having been renamed Bellaire Broiler Burger at the intersection of BIssonnet and Bellaire, closed during the pandemic. A food truck has been operating at that location for a couple of months, claiming to have the recipes and planning on reopening the restaurant after remodeling the interior but I understand they gave up because of issues with the building and have shut the truck down. I'd like to find a broiler burger place but don't know of any. Alfred's - of course. Hamburger Steak Sandwich on an Egg Roll - one of the greatest burgers of all time! All locations gone for years. Alfred's son operated Kahn's Deli in the Village for a few years, just sandwiches, not the burger, but that's gone now, too.

The early Dutch Kettles were knock-offs of Toddle Houses with almost identical menus, I think. While Toddle Houses were usually in free standing structures, early Kettles were in strip centers and ground floors of office buildings, with an exterior entrance. Just coffee shops, small diners. Yeah, 24 hours, breakfast served all day type thing. Should have done well right across from the Med Center, unless staffers aren't allowed to leave the building to eat??? There was one in the big strip center in Lake Jackson at the corner of Plantation and what was known as Loop Road in the 60s, right across from Restwood Cemetery. There was a big Weingarten's in that center, later an HEB, and a Sears Tire Store. I was getting new tires and went in there. My only visit to one but I was familiar with Toddle Houses from going to UT Austin. Later they had stand-alone facilities that were larger and more in competition with Denny's, Po' Folks, etc., more of a country diner. I think there was on on 332 in Lake Jackson about 20 years ago and more - not really sure of the name of that place. I think this is the company. There's a story behind a paywall in the Galveston Daily News about the one there on the Seawall that closed in 2012.

The Briar Club? An entrance to the club was right across from the Post Office on Timmons, about the middle of the block, not right on the corner. Private 'Gentlemen's' Club or private dining club??? May be the former lanes.

The address change may be a change of street name rather than a move by the establishment. I'm sure there's some discussion on HAIF about Old Main Street Road. Never heard of Jack Landers. I came across something on the Dentler family while looking up something for another post of yours recently. I'll look at it again. The George Dentler of Pier 21 was the son of the George Dentler who had the Dentler Maid potato chip company. The original Capt. Benny's was a boat, a real shrimp boat hauled up from the coast from what I've read. Plopped down on a shell lot at the corner of S. Main/Holcombe, hole cut in the side for a door and a bar and cooler installed inside according to my brother back then, who frequented in the early days. The web site said 1967 but I thought it was earlier than that. Still, I'd imagine Pier 21 predates it. There also the possibility of some other seafood restaurant in Houston using a boat or boat replica as part of their building.

The address is now Riddims Club, which I've never heard of. Cool Runnings Jamaican Grill is the only business in that center I've been to. I think there was a shooting or small riot in the parking lot of the club maybe as much as 20 years ago. That may have had as much to do with the c-store on the end as the club. I have no idea when it closed. Per Wiki - Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm". In the context of reggae, dancehall and séga music, it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Wikipedia

Yes, you are right. The ad in the original post is dated 1984 and shows that location still open. I saw that and was going to come back and correct my post but got engrossed in looking for a pic, too, and forgot. That ad does not list 6703.

Christie's originated in Galveston in 1917. I had read it was just a stand on Seawall Blvd but the website says it was in the Tremont at first. Moved to Houston in '34 in the Med Center, then to 3512 Main. Does 'Med Center' mean the 6703 S. Main location? Website history The website used to claim Christie's had invented fish sticks but that was removed some time ago. I know I was in the 3512 location ca. 1971; I can't remember if we stayed to eat. If so, it probably was the only time I ate there. I ate at the one on Bellaire and the last one on Westheimer several times and probably also the one that replaced Gaido's at 9200 S. Main. I never knew of the one on S. Post Oak and possibly never the one at 6703 S. Main. I was puzzled by the Spanish Colonial style of 3512 but I see from Ross' link it wasn't originally built for Christie's. I think that location closed in the early 70s and sat vacant for years, as best I can recall.

I've been in that Walgreens but it was decades ago. Also the Peru Gourmet (formerly Peru Gourmet Express) several times a few years ago. Seems like there was another place in there I went into once but can't recall. There was another Peruvian place, rotisserie chicken type place, for a short time on the other side of S. Post Oak where S. Willow dead ends and I thought there might be a community of Peruvian expats around. I think I remember a discussion of that Foodarama and what it was before somewhere on HAIF. I've had friends in Willowbend on both sides of S. Post Oak.

Never knew of the original/earlier version. I don't believe I ever knew what was behind those strip centers on the west side of Main between Holcombe and University. I've seen Dean's on Fannin, I'm pretty sure. I usually head west on S. Braeswood if I'm coming out of TMC and never noticed it contained a deli. Looks like the deli became Bobob's and may or may not still be in operation according to YELP. One poster from out of town claims it was closed a month and a half ago. Looks like a pretty pricey menu for a restaurant in a convenience store. I hope some more of our posters who used to keep this Historic Houston forum so busy will notice all this activity. Most of what you've been posting about finding the ads for was when I was just a kid, coming to town with my parents, long before I moved here.

Excerpt from American Shipper: Ro-ro cargo has been one of Port Freeport’s fastest growing segments over the last several years. The port has seen a $400 million increase in automobile imports since 2018, and has been exporting close to $1.5 billion in autos assembled in Texas annually. New cars arrive from Arlington, Texas, and are exported mostly to the Middle East. New imports arrive primarily from South Korea and India. Used cars are shipped off to West Africa, Booth said. “We get upwards of three ro-ro ships a week,” Booth said. “That’s the reason we decided to put an additional railroad dock out here, because we need to be able to handle more than one ship at a time.” Link to article.

Mandola's Deli on Leeland - mostly known for sandwiches but some red sauce offerngs. UH mafia? Since 1975 Maceo's - Galveston. well, the M word was used. Lunch counter only, small daily menu. Other Italian places on Galveston ??? Mario's (several), wasn't there an old school Italian mostly known to locals? Never been to any of these. Original Napoli - several but I go to the one on Beechnut. 1975. Airport Italian Deli (and Sushi) on Airport near Broadway. This one would do it for me. Haven't been since they added sushi; only had the po-boys, which are/were good. Probably need to prowl the un-gentrified areas of Houston where sometimes restaurants thrive that never get any publicity. Likewise the small towns around. As far as that 'vibe' - Romano's on W. Gray would do it for me. Don't ask for ranch dressing to dip your pizza in. And I thought another Italian place had replaced Buon Appetito on Holcombe?

A topic concerning the history of the Black school on this site (purple building replaced the original in 1918) has been posted in Historic Houston.

The Luckie School, first elementary school for Black children in the Harrisburg(Houston) school district. There is a recent topic about activity on this site here that hasn't been updated in several months, but I thought this information belonged in the Historic Houston Forum. The purple building replaced the original wooden school in 1918 and served as school for many years. The Luckie School is listed in the history section of the HISD website.

South Rice and Chimney Rock bridges completed and open per NextDoor and Brays Bayou Association. All lanes open in all directions but there will be temporary closures for finishing work. Some street signs were installed incorrectly - both wrong intersections and wrong way, apparently - and a tagger has already visited. Ramps are in place but pathways under the bridges for bikes and walkers are still just dirt.

Agreed. Come to think of it, I don't even remember any of the grill items; I may have never looked at that part of the menu. They did neither themselves nor the participating chefs any favors with that promotion. The resulting products in the stores were very poorly executed in my experience the 2 times I went in to try one. I had to wait for a manager to return from an errand to fix one for me, no one else in the building knew what to do. Neither did he, it turned out. He delivered it to the table himself, beaming. The bun was toasted to a crisp and significantly charred; the sausage was worse. Several of the items mentioned in the press release were missing. I hope they don't go away completely but if they do, 100 years ain't too shabby a run in the restaurant biz. I tell everyone/out-of-towners, stick to the legacy menu. Many people working there can make those blindfolded.

Now that I don't remember at all. Possibly gone by the time I got here in '70? Wasn't Lee's Den in that block too?, with the Astrodome mock-up? @pecos Bud Bigelow's was one of the Steak House Associates restaurants I believe just a little west of the Galleria next to the fire station on the north side of the street. SHA also had The Stables (Westheimer in River Oaks and on S. Main) The Courtyard (on I-10) and another restaurant that I think was seafood @ 2607 Westheimer that became the first Chuy's in Houston (from Austin). All three restaurants along Westheimer were on the north side of the street. @D.P. Westheimer is a pretty long road. Can you be a little more specific about location (and time frame). I can only think of 3 bbq restaurants on the south side of Westheimer: Thomas BBQ - mid 70s and on, Westheimer @ Chimney Rock or not far west of there, in a strip center (it may have been white). Great lunch spot. Luther's (became Pappas) - Westheimer @ Gessner - still there. I may be remembering that wrong. May have been a white building when it was Pappas. Brandon's - late 90's at the earliest, in Carillon Square, may have been a white building. Brandon was the son-in law of the man who wound up running Thomas (3 locations) after his restaurantuer partner died just shortly after opening. I don't know that any of them specialized in ribs.

Sounds like you have mixed up a couple of real places and something else. I think the Toddle House architecture was pretty set for years, kind of like a small cottage, white brick with blue (or blue-green or green) roof. I don't ever remember one with no booths but the booths in the original ones may have been only 2-tops. But the sliders part of your memory has to be My-T-Bite, mentioned in several posts above (and on other threads here on HAIF) which replaced TH at that location in the TH building. Also along there that has not been mentioned above was a Someburger, green metal building with yellow trim, looking not unlike a shipping container, with no indoor seating at all, just a 1950s style walk-up to the window burger shack. That was a chain started in Austin by a couple of UT students in the 50s that was spread through out SE Texas. The two remaining ones include the one on 11th @ Studemont, which looks exactly like the one that was on Shepherd until the early 80s or so, and downtown Baytown which has an indoor dining room and looks more like a Denny's. Nothing like an AirStream but maybe that's the metal building you're remembering. I think that was on the next corner down from TH. To see an older Toddle House like the one that was on Shepherd look up the Original Kolache Shop on Telephone Rd.

I believe in the early 70s there was a Lack's or Western Auto in there - not sure of the exact address, tho. That's the only BBD I ever went to. Never went back - just so so sandwiches. When you had Nielsen's just off Westheimer, Alfred's in the Village, Antone's on Taft, the Louisiana po-boy place on Main - just didn't need so-so.

Probably no guerilla activity necessary. Check with your city council member or the Parks Dept directly. I think the city welcomes that but they'll want to designate where it goes. My HOA maintains maybe as many as 8 'beds' along S. Braeswood from Brays Bayou Dr. to Gessner with volunteers. One woman spent hundreds of dollars on plantings and untold hours on maintenance. I gave a bunch of plants and went once a week to water during the drought with a trunk full of plastic jugs of water filled from my outdoor faucets. I wanted to give a lot more and add some outside the designated areas but she said that was a no-no. Sounds like a great project to me. I need to get back to that neighborhood with some time to look around.

I believe it was announced the store will be 90,000 sq. ft. That's significantly bigger than the new Bellaire Market or the Montrose Market which are both bigger than the Buffalo Speedway store. I think that will include space for a new bank facility, though. HEB's competition in the wine dept is Belden's on N. Braeswood @ Chimney Rock which is known for catering to the Jewish community and also for a big wine department. A few years ago a feature, in the Press?, said it was one of the largest wine departments at any grocery store in the city. I think both CM and the HEB Montrose stores are bigger but I haven't counted or measured.

Wow. No mention of HBG???? I know it's been talked about several times here on HAIF and last year there was a thread about an attempt to revive the chain down in Clear Lake. (There's a similar thread to this one in the Dining, Shopping and Entertainment forum, too). The HBG on Kirby (where Castle Dental is now) was the second restaurant I went to when I first arrived in Houston in Sept 1970. I was hooked immediately. I think it may have been the original location/first one. All my new co-workers raved about it. The one on Yoakum was one of the last ones. I started work in Montrose in '83 and worked in that neighborhood thru early '95. I went to HBG on Yoakum often for lunch when i got off. I can't remember when it was torn down but I know I missed it.

All I've ever read or heard about Antone's is that the original store was on Taft, where Pass and Provisions is now, opened in 1962. That's the only store I knew about and went to when I got here in 1970. Here's an article about the closing of that store in 2004 and a history of the Lebanese/Syrian iconic 'Houston PoBoy;, both articles cite the Taft store as the original. I know there was a Droubi's around Main and OST at one time, but that was not the original Droubi's - that one is still open on Hillcroft.

Some Google hits for 'roger gray houston radio' if you were wondering.

I think it was just the Windmill Dinner Theater, I don't remember 'red' being part of the name, in T&C. I went there just once. Couldn't tell you what we saw (or ate). There was a Roger Gray. I never knew he worked for 39; I worked with him briefly at KLYX, the precursor to Majic 102. I think he worked at several radio stations and was a talk show host at one time, as best I recall. Last I heard of him I think he was up in East Texas, but that's been a couple of decades ago.

I believe that's a median in the picture - it's a 6 lane divided street.