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Favorite Defunct Restaurants


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Frank's Place on University Ave. My wife and I had our first date there in 1990.

There was a pool hall on Texas Aveneue just north of University.... Kind of next to Fajita Ritas. Can't remember the name.

Frank's Place has been Fox & Hound for many years now, Yesterday's pool hall is still between Luby's and the old Fajita Rita's(been through a few name changes, still a Tex-Mex place).

Edited by Scotch
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  • 6 months later...
WHOA! I just threw away a frisbee featuring the long gone restaurant! So that's how it came into our family's possession...

I managed to save the Flying Tomato frisbee from a garage sale. I can take a picture...then put it on the HAIF Buy/Sell board.

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  • 4 months later...
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That was China Garden, in an old Mr. Gatti's. You entered on the ground level and then there was a larger sunken level. As a Mr. Gatti's, there was a projector TV at one end of the restaurant.

It closed then a few years later was torn down to make way for a gas station, which lasted a few years, that was torn down for the current Walgreens at Texas and Villa Maria.

 

(2015 edit: I believe the China Garden building may have lasted longer than I said. I believe only the Soundwaves buildings were demolished for the gas station, and then the China Garden building and the gas station torn down for the Walgreens.)

Edited by Scotch
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  • 1 year later...

I've heard on MyBCS that the Chinese place that occupied the place where the thrift store is (on Wellborn Road near Luther) was called Shirley Ping's. Does that sound right? I remember being in it a long time ago, but don't recall the name (it closed in the mid-1990s). An even-more-unconfirmed rumor is that the building shared occupancy with a *** bar (called Astropides) back in the 1970s/1980s.

(EDIT: Apparently the site doesn't like the common three-letter word for "homosexual", the one that starts with G)

Edited by IronTiger
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Odd that *** bar would be censored. I think I heard that there was indeed one there. Somewhere in that area was a place called Fish Richard's that seemed to be very popular as well.

Edited by Scotch
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  • 1 month later...

The Deluxe Diner on University and Wellborn was a staple my freshman year. I ate there every Sunday night in the fall so I could watch the NFL game on ESPN. The nice Greek lady that ran the place would keep bringing me vanilla Cokes.

They had great breakfast too. Not sure when they closed up, but I know that they were open in '06 or '07. I don't think they had changed a thing the entire time.

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My wife and I had a favorite called, simply, Asian Restaurant. It was located at/near the intersection of Richmond and Weslayan. The owner was a man named Tom - very friendly and knowledgeable - and the food was always good. The cuisine appeared to be American-style Chinese with some other dishes thrown in. My wife, a vegetarian, loved the way he fried the tofu.

Alas, Asian Restaurant went away along with the strip center to make room for the Edwards that's there now.

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  • 5 months later...

The Deluxe Diner on University and Wellborn was a staple my freshman year. I ate there every Sunday night in the fall so I could watch the NFL game on ESPN. The nice Greek lady that ran the place would keep bringing me vanilla Cokes.

They had great breakfast too. Not sure when they closed up, but I know that they were open in '06 or '07. I don't think they had changed a thing the entire time.

...except the food went downhill. My sister's friend had one of the worse job experiences of her life there, as well.

Add Ken Martin's Steakhouse/Ken Martin's Safari Grill to that list.

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  • 1 year later...

We were retread students through the last half of the 70s, and several of the places mentioned bring back great memories.  The Texan definitely was a top tier restaurant but the digs were never the draw.  Fantastic menu with dishes from all over the world.  Great seafood and the Silver Lining Salad was unbeatable.  Pelican's Wharf was a delight with a good menu and great salads.  And there was a place east of town, maybe thirty miles or so, called the Hilltop Herb Farm.  They grew their own produce and had wonderful organic meals, not the bland sort of thing that we (I) normally associate with the term "organic". 

 

For a long time after we left, we'd make the occasional drive of several hundred miles to dine at the Texan.  What a loss to the region when it closed.

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  • 3 years later...

Just found this thread. I think I'm older than most of the commenters on this thread, but... I remember The Texan, and I believe the nice restaurant on Texas near the mall at Villa Maria was the Captain's Table. We loved the Farmer's Market at Northgate. Could also get a reasonable CFS at the Claim Jumper in the strip center on Old College at University on the north end. Also, an IHOP and Mr. Gattis at that intersection by the stoplight. Two nice restaurants for special occasions were TJs at 707 Texas and Fish Richards on Welborn south of campus in an old house. Hamburgers at DSP-Dead Solid Perfect and Delux Burger also known as the Slut Hut. Moms in Bryan had home cooked food out of her house. Last National Bank was actually a restaurant not a bar. I was there in the 70s-80s before the Post Oak mall was built. 

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  • 11 months later...
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The Texan had the greatest food. I believe it was in an old DQ building.  I was a Freshman in ‘85 at A& M.  Worked at Steak and Ale which became Oxford St. which was better quality while my BF  worked at Fajita Rita’s and roomate at JJ Muggs which also changed names, I think to Rita’s.  I recently saw that Cenare was still there.  JT mcCords had closed while I was there.  Uncertain why as business seemed to be good.  Toms barbecue was popular.  Swensens and Bennigans were in culpepper plaza along with 3 C barbecue.  There was also Pops barbecue.  The Deluxe, Cow Hop, flying tomato, the Chicken were all there.  Cafe Excel (sp) had just opened close to univ dr and Wellborn and was popular.  Now in 2017 it’s a bigger restaurant and different food on Texas.  La Taqueria or La Taq as we referred to it was just a short distance down from cafe excel.  Kroger was my store on SW parkway before Hastings and now not sure what is there. There was also the chicken oil company in Bryan and Farmers Market.  Of course, DOUBLE DAVES is alive and well.  I wonder if The Hall and Graham’s dance halls are still in existence?  Used to go dancing with friends at The Edge, MC^2 (mc square), and The Roxy....big hair days.  Worked out at 24 hr gyms which closed; then went to Golds gym. My son is now at A & M.  Seems like a totally different town.  I graduated in 1990; so it’s been 27 years.  That’s just crazy!

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5 hours ago, Heidi GK said:

The Texan had the greatest food. I believe it was in an old DQ building.  I was a Freshman in ‘85 at A& M.  Worked at Steak and Ale which became Oxford St. which was better quality while my BF  worked at Fajita Rita’s and roomate at JJ Muggs which also changed names, I think to Rita’s.  I recently saw that Cenare was still there.  JT mcCords had closed while I was there.  Uncertain why as business seemed to be good.  Toms barbecue was popular.  Swensens and Bennigans were in culpepper plaza along with 3 C barbecue.  There was also Pops barbecue.  The Deluxe, Cow Hop, flying tomato, the Chicken were all there.  Cafe Excel (sp) had just opened close to univ dr and Wellborn and was popular.  Now in 2017 it’s a bigger restaurant and different food on Texas.  La Taqueria or La Taq as we referred to it was just a short distance down from cafe excel.  Kroger was my store on SW parkway before Hastings and now not sure what is there. There was also the chicken oil company in Bryan and Farmers Market.  Of course, DOUBLE DAVES is alive and well.  I wonder if The Hall and Graham’s dance halls are still in existence?  Used to go dancing with friends at The Edge, MC^2 (mc square), and The Roxy....big hair days.  Worked out at 24 hr gyms which closed; then went to Golds gym. My son is now at A & M.  Seems like a totally different town.  I graduated in 1990; so it’s been 27 years.  That’s just crazy!

The Texan was a drive-in in the 1950s that the owners later converted to an upscale restaurant over time

Steak & Ale/Oxford Street closed in 2008 and ultimately became a seafood restaurant, which burned down in 2012 and was torn down very soon after.

JJ Muggs/Rita's became a Mexican restaurant by the 1990s and has been a Fuddruckers since around the mid-2000s.

Fajita Rita's closed around the early to mid 2000s and became a series of Mexican restaurants until 2012, when lightning struck an AC unit and burned down the building. Today there is a First Watch breakfast restaurant and Hungry Howie's.

Tom's Barbecue settled in the early 1990s at the intersection of Holleman and Texas Avenue. It closed around 2001 and was torn down for a strip center. The Bryan location is now J. Cody's.

Swensen's closed around the mid-2000s, I think it's Firehouse Subs now. Bennigan's is now an AT&T store.

3C Barbecue is now Napa Flats.

Pop's Barbecue later became a catering business but is now a tire shop after a major renovation.

The Deluxe is gone, having been substantially rebuilt for Chimy's Cerveceria several years back.

Cafe Eccell was torn down for an apartment building. Their current spot replaced Luby's.

La Taqueria eventually became La Bodega, which was torn down for a food truck park.

The SW Parkway Kroger was updated inside and out in 2001, but was still run down, and closed in 2016. It is to become a Tru Fit fitness center.

Chicken Oil is still there.

Graham's is still there. The Hall closed in 2011 and was torn down for a Walmart.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 5/5/2008 at 7:41 PM, IronTiger said:

Given that the area restaurant guide came out relatively recently, I'd like to take this time to have discussions of old restaurants. Here are a few:

Tuscany's: The Gelato place closed down and is replaced by some sign of a karate guy kicking! What happened? :o

The abandoned steakhouse on Texas Ave.: You've always seen it...it's the one with the tepees and the vine-coated sign, between Kroger and Wal-Mart...but what is it?

Defunct Post Oak Mall Eateries: According to an insert when Post Oak Mall opened, Chick-fil-A and Corn Dog 7 opened as well as the following eateries: Funnel Cakery, Giovanni's, The Great Hot Dog Experience, Ken Martins Chicken Fried Steak (looks like that venture didn't go too well), Peanut Shack (it's actually a candy and nut shop that still seems to exist in forgotten places), Pepe's, Potatoes Etc., Salad Bartique (that is how it's spelled), Seafood Shoppe, and Sesame Hut.

Also, McDonald's, Orange Julius, and Subway had presence as well.

Swenson's was also in it, as well as the now-defunct location near Los Cucos. I believe it closed Dec. 2005 but I could be wrong. The ice cream there (as well as the clown ice creams) were awesome!

I wasn't sad to see Pancho's (where Los Cucos is now) go. Pancho's had these creepy sun masks all against the wall. They gave me nightmares!

T-Bone Jones was a sad loss, but you couldn't find it unless you were looking for it after they redid University.

Tom's BBQ I have a menu of, but I never ate there.

That's all I can think of for now...anyone know of these places/have restaurants they knew of too/etc. etc.?

 

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You jogged my memory of long lost favorite haunts like The Great Caruso on Westheimer. Sadly it burned down. Great food, entertainment and fabulous old bar.  Casablanca was a Moroccan restaurant with food served on large brass platters.  A unique place not for everyone but it was a fun night out for my husband and I.  Also The Ratskeller, down in a basement of I think The Houston House...can't remember for sure.  

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  • 2 years later...

I just wondered if anybody could answer this if they happen to see it. When I was young my dad used to go to Texas A&M grad school but at the school in San Antonio. I think it was when we moved out of Texas up to Pennsylvania, but we stopped to get his transcripts up there in college station. This was early 70s like 74? And we stopped In a Burger joint it must’ve been on or near the campus. But The snack shop or whatever it was seemed to be inside another building like I just assumed at that time I was young so I didn’t really know anything about colleges, I was probably 13, it seemed like it was kind of an official college building or some office building or something and you walked in an entrance off of the sidewalk outside and then you walked into the building and there was another entrance in there for the burger joint inside to the right kind of. The reason this always struck me was it was really just one of those experiences that you have when you were Young like being in a new kind of college environment for me because while in there having our food, there was just all the cool college experience, and I specifically remember Rod Stewart Maggie May, and you’re so vain by Carly Simon playing on the jukebox there, or it could’ve even been a college radio station. But it was just the coolest time I always remembered back on it and I always wondered where it was. I was in Bryan today and College Station and I drove around a little bit but I thought there’s no way I’ll ever find it. Anybody who might have an idea where a place like that was in the early 70s I’d appreciate it. 💚

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/15/2020 at 4:40 PM, webmeist said:

I just wondered if anybody could answer this if they happen to see it. When I was young my dad used to go to Texas A&M grad school but at the school in San Antonio. I think it was when we moved out of Texas up to Pennsylvania, but we stopped to get his transcripts up there in college station. This was early 70s like 74? And we stopped In a Burger joint it must’ve been on or near the campus. But The snack shop or whatever it was seemed to be inside another building like I just assumed at that time I was young so I didn’t really know anything about colleges, I was probably 13, it seemed like it was kind of an official college building or some office building or something and you walked in an entrance off of the sidewalk outside and then you walked into the building and there was another entrance in there for the burger joint inside to the right kind of. The reason this always struck me was it was really just one of those experiences that you have when you were Young like being in a new kind of college environment for me because while in there having our food, there was just all the cool college experience, and I specifically remember Rod Stewart Maggie May, and you’re so vain by Carly Simon playing on the jukebox there, or it could’ve even been a college radio station. But it was just the coolest time I always remembered back on it and I always wondered where it was. I was in Bryan today and College Station and I drove around a little bit but I thought there’s no way I’ll ever find it. Anybody who might have an idea where a place like that was in the early 70s I’d appreciate it. 💚

In the days since creating this topic, I have an entire blog about the city and everything in it, and more than half of that is restaurants (pretty much everything on this page has been covered). The way you're describing the place is either (what is now) Grill at the Pavilion, which still exists (the chairs face toward the hallway) but I don't think the Pavilion was like that in the 1970s (I think it was rebuilt wasn't rebuilt as actual office space until the 1980s). It sounds more like the MSC, which had cafeterias and other small restaurants inside of it.

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  • 4 months later...

Mom’s Dining Room, which served family style food at 1207 E. 25th St.  Chicken A Go-Go, which  was owned by the Almanza family, until it burned down. I used to wash dishes at Wyatt’s Cafeteria, on Texas Ave. Best strawberry cream pie. And, who can forget the smell of freshly popped popcorn at Perry’s Five and Dime? There was a cafeteria at the old bus station on Texas Ave. I believe it was called CC’s Cafeteria. Tinsley’s Fried Chicken, next to the ice house on Texas Ave.

Edited by Me Aggie
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  • 2 months later...

I think I have a vague memory of one time stopping at a boarding house type place in Bryan I  with my Dad called Miss Maybells or Miss Mabel's - seems we were sitting at a long table eating with other people - this would have been in the 1950s or 60s - anyone else any clues?

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