Western Travelers Restaurant At 16900 Hwy. 90

[Retama]

Who remembers the Western Traveller restaurant on old Highway 90?

Growing up in Baytown, I remember lots of folks driving out there for dinner. It had a "blue grotto room" that was fairly popular. When I played football at REL and we travelled to take on the North Forest schools (Smiley and Forest Brook), we'd stop and eat there on the way back. The place apparently burned down in the early 1980s after I left the Houston area for a time.

Trouble is, I can't remember exactly where it was located. Was it in Sheldon, further east in Crosby or more west toward Houston?

[gnu]

Trouble is, I can't remember exactly where it was located. Was it in Sheldon, further east in Crosby or more west toward Houston?

I think it was right at Sheldon and 90

across from the paper mill

[sevfiv]

^Looks like you're about right - 16830 Beaumont Highway:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source...mp;t=h&z=16

[Lady Steph]

My dad Frank was the head chef at the Western Travelers. It was on old 90 next to Big Chief grocery..

I was in there a lot back then about age 7-8.

Frank you comp a lot of big party tickets and frequently visited the patrons tables checking on food and service. 

The wagon wheel room with the water wheel and racoon was popular and the back dinning room had the stone river with bridge and Cabana room. This was the best restaurant I've ever been to till this day. We had many country and Western stars such as...Willie...Waylon... Charlie Pride... Conway Twitty...and many more. 

The owner Travis burned it down for insurance because of back owed taxes. 

I heard he was later caught and arrested. 

My uncle Kenny owned the Parkway drive in theater farther down hwy 90 at maxey (federal Rd). I worked the ticket booth as you drove in again at the age of 8.

Great memories!!

Frank..my dad passed away in 1984 from a massive heart attack. 

If any of you may remember he was about 5'11...had horn rimmed glasses and wore tan khakis and a white button up shirt with his initials on the left pocket... Very generous and humble man. Great chef and awesome dad. 

I'd love to hear from anyone who remembers anything of this post.

Time era long gone but we'll remembered. 

 

[driveinfan]

Would you have any more information regarding the Parkway drive in?

[Jayw847]

I recently started writing about my family, and this restaurant played a big part in it, so I came across this page. My parents met at Western Travellers. My dad would stop in for lunch, and my mom was his waitress.  If not for this place, I wouldn't be here.  Haha. I remember going there when I was a young boy. 

My grandmother started working there in about 1964, when it was still a small cafe. The owner, Travis Wall, added onto it in the early 1970's, adding the waterfall and the Spanish Room.  My grandmother would get there early in morning and would bring her 3 daughters (my mom and my 2 aunts) to work with her.  They would sleep in the booths in the Spanish room, covered with table cloths, until about 8am. The Spanish room was only used in the evenings. My mom and 2 aunts would bus tables. My mom was allowed to begin waitressing when she turned 12. My mom remembers Frank.  She says he was very funny, and a very nice man.  She even recalled a few funny stories about him.  My grandmother worked there until the 1980's. She stopped working there about a year before Travis sold the place. 

I'm in no way trying to be rude or disrespectful, but the information about Travis burning it down and later being arrested is not true.  Travis sold the place about a year before it burned down.  It was under new ownership at the time of the fire, not owned by Travis at that time.  Travis and Cindy had already moved to east Texas and had a restaurant out there that they were running.  So he was never arrested.  Travis and Cindy both attended my grandmother's funeral in 2006, and were doing well at the time. 

My mom and her 2 sisters are a wealth of knowledge in regards to Western Travellers.  One of my aunts still has a few menus from the restaurant.  I love hearing about this place.  Hope everyone enjoys. 

[Jayw847]

In regards to the location..... if you are driving east on old Hwy 90, it would be on your right hand side.  Between Johns Road and Lamkin Road.   My mom's family lived right there off Lamkin, in Sheldon Woods.  

[April King]

On 2/4/2018 at 4:33 PM, Lady Steph said:

My dad Frank was the head chef at the Western Travelers. It was on old 90 next to Big Chief grocery..

I was in there a lot back then about age 7-8.

Frank you comp a lot of big party tickets and frequently visited the patrons tables checking on food and service. 

The wagon wheel room with the water wheel and racoon was popular and the back dinning room had the stone river with bridge and Cabana room. This was the best restaurant I've ever been to till this day. We had many country and Western stars such as...Willie...Waylon... Charlie Pride... Conway Twitty...and many more. 

The owner Travis burned it down for insurance because of back owed taxes. 

I heard he was later caught and arrested. 

My uncle Kenny owned the Parkway drive in theater farther down hwy 90 at maxey (federal Rd). I worked the ticket booth as you drove in again at the age of 8.

Great memories!!

Frank..my dad passed away in 1984 from a massive heart attack. 

If any of you may remember he was about 5'11...had horn rimmed glasses and wore tan khakis and a white button up shirt with his initials on the left pocket... Very generous and humble man. Great chef and awesome dad. 

I'd love to hear from anyone who remembers anything of this post.

Time era long gone but we'll remembered. 

 

I was about the same age as you were, when I was going there (I’m 50 now), and I have fond memories of going there!!  The wagon wheel room with the raccoon was my favorite!!  Sounds like you had an great dad...sorry for your loss.  My father is gone, too, as well as the rest of my family, but I’ll always have those great dinner memories 😁

[LisaW]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers this place fondly! My mom was a bartender/waitress there for a while when I was in elementary school. I remember going there after school and sitting upstairs with a snack until mom got off work. Someone would come check on me every few minutes to make sure I was okay (someone even gave me a cocktail napkin full of cherries to eat one time when I was hungry). The little gazebo sitting over the "river" was my favorite place to eat. 

[Rosalie Francis]

Hi I worked at Western Travelers from 1974 until 1984 when it burned down I remember Frank he worked the evening  shift and Art worked the day shift I waitress in the day time Monday thru Saturday and Hostess up stairs on Friday and Saturday night.  Day  shift I worked with Shirley Ryan and Patty Lamkin  , nights Ursula hostess up front and Cindy Hostess down stairs in back    and Eva worked the Bar  Travis sold the restaurant to the Burtons   and moved to east texas Him and Cindy also Oveda and Nick also moved  to east texas 

[Jodi lee]

Many fond memories of this Restaurant!  I’m sitting here on the patio at home reflecting and The Western Traveller came to my thoughts. As kids we would walk over the little bridge waiting for our food to arrive. I think that’s the first time I had Chicken Fried Steak!  Lol

 

i lived down the street from Mr Kenny and his Wife Bernice. Sadly to say Mr Kenny passed away. The Parkway Drive Inn brings back great memories as well!

[TamBam]

Well my dad G. Burton owned the Western Traveler.  I have so many good memories from this time in my life. The restaurant years prior belonged to my dad's father and then my dad bought it back many years later. This was a very magical and special place. Glad so many had such fond memories.  

[PSme]

I worked at Western Travelers from 1981 until it burnt down in 1984. I was the steak cook. I started there when the Walls owned it and then George Burton and family took over. I do very much remember Frank and the day I had heard he died. As a college project i repainted his big Mercury. Orginally it was a yellowish color, he wanted it gold with a metal brown accents along the bottom half. I remember rosie, mel, eve, snookie. After the fire everyone to my knowledge drifted away. I eventually joined the army and now work as a mechanic living in San Antonio. I remember the 99's, 9 scrimp and oysters and the 88's, an 8 oz serlion steak. I have many many good memories there, although it was alot of hard work

I started as a weekend dishwasher and was accepted to be steak cook once Snerk left. I loved making the BBQ brisket, we had our own recipe. I still use it today. What a cast of characters, from the bus boys, the waitresses, the kitchen staff and management. Lunchtime was always busy, weekends were no different, many times lines of people out the door. Especially when we had the t-bone specials. I remember in the aftermath of hurricane Alicia when we stayed open eventhough we didn't have electricity or lights. What an icon of the community, an icon of the era and a history that will live on. Want to express appreciation for all the hard working people, our customers and those just passing through for a hometown meal. God bless ya'll.

 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2021 by PSme
correct spelling

[Vickie Langley]

Does anyone remember the recipe for the garlic cheesy dip that came with the bread?

[MLG]

I started thinking of this place this morning as I was eating toast and thought, “This is good but it’s not Western Travelers bread good...” My family still jokes about us liking that hard bread. We often ate there on Sundays when I was a child. I always ate the sausage link dinner served with beans and potato salad. Yum! 

[ccowles]

Thanks for this walk down memory lane.  This was my dad's favorite restaurant.  You walked into that cowboy looking front and the waterwheel room in the back was awesome.  We used to get the big pile of shrimp and fries and onion rings.  I remember that bread too. Brings back fond memories of a simple time. 

[Laurie]

So many fond memories of this restaurant.. the waterfall for sure.. Does anyone have any pictures of this restaurant that could share? 

[P J Baber]

On 3/7/2019 at 12:40 PM, Jayw847 said:

I recently started writing about my family, and this restaurant played a big part in it, so I came across this page. My parents met at Western Travellers. My dad would stop in for lunch, and my mom was his waitress.  If not for this place, I wouldn't be here.  Haha. I remember going there when I was a young boy. 

My grandmother started working there in about 1964, when it was still a small cafe. The owner, Travis Wall, added onto it in the early 1970's, adding the waterfall and the Spanish Room.  My grandmother would get there early in morning and would bring her 3 daughters (my mom and my 2 aunts) to work with her.  They would sleep in the booths in the Spanish room, covered with table cloths, until about 8am. The Spanish room was only used in the evenings. My mom and 2 aunts would bus tables. My mom was allowed to begin waitressing when she turned 12. My mom remembers Frank.  She says he was very funny, and a very nice man.  She even recalled a few funny stories about him.  My grandmother worked there until the 1980's. She stopped working there about a year before Travis sold the place. 

I'm in no way trying to be rude or disrespectful, but the information about Travis burning it down and later being arrested is not true.  Travis sold the place about a year before it burned down.  It was under new ownership at the time of the fire, not owned by Travis at that time.  Travis and Cindy had already moved to east Texas and had a restaurant out there that they were running.  So he was never arrested.  Travis and Cindy both attended my grandmother's funeral in 2006, and were doing well at the time. 

My mom and her 2 sisters are a wealth of knowledge in regards to Western Travellers.  One of my aunts still has a few menus from the restaurant.  I love hearing about this place.  Hope everyone enjoys. 

 

[P J Baber]

Western Traveler was a great restaurant!  My husband, daughter and I went there many times in 1970s and 1980s.  We really liked the service and food. Great mixed drinks and seafood.  Our daughter really like the Shirley Temple drinks.