Historic Houston Restaurants

[MidtownCoog]

Weinenschitzel?

They still have those in Flagstaff.

[citykid09]

We have Weinerschitzel in Bryan/College Station, I ate there the day before yesterday.

http://www.wienerschnitzel.com/

[MidtownCoog]

Nasty!

[sevfiv]

he looks scared - i guess i would be too if i knew i was about to be covered in you-know-what...haha

[Kirzania]

he looks scared - i guess i would be too if i knew i was about to be covered in you-know-what...haha

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I think I just threw up a little.

[MidtownCoog]

that looks like $#!^

[RedScare]

Putting a picture of something that looks distinctly like a pile of ____ on your advertisement is probably not a well thought out ad campaign...and, if my hot dog ever looks at me, it's going into the garbage.

[citykid09]

Houston had Bo Jangles for a while and they left quickly.

http://www.bojangles.com/

[lowspark]

Back in the day, it was called Der Weinerschnitzel. There was one on Chimney Rock & W. Belfort. It was an A shaped building and you'd drive through between the legs of the A. There were a few seats outside but no other seating.

There was a Del Taco on S. Braeswood just west of Hillcroft that opened brand new around 1979. It lasted a few years and was gone.

I also remember Alfie's Fish & Chips, & H. Salt Fish & Chips. ALSO Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips. Fish & Chips just seemed to be all the rage in the 70s, they came in to Houston in force and then most of them went out of business pretty quickly. The Alfie's on Fondren between SW Frwy & Bellaire lasted the longest to my knowledge. I think it lasted into the 90s.

Anyone remember Zuider Zee? It was also a fried seafood type of place but it was more of a sit-down-and-order restaurant. Not sure where it was exactly but my faded memory suggests somewhere on 59 near Sharpstown.

How about....

--Lumburger or Crumburger (?) on Bellaire -- don't think they lasted too long. They served "burgers" which were really kind of like sloppy Joes if I remember correctly.

--Jaime's on the corner of N. Braeswood & Main. They put up a bunch of billboards before they opened. All they said were, Jaime's is coming. Really built up curiosity! Then they opened, served burgers & beans, at least that's what we ate the ONE time we went. Their advertising was enough to get my family to go once & once only. It was probably around 1969 or so.

--Wyatt's Cafetaria. There was one in Sharpstown Mall, and one on the corner of W. Belfort and (then) Post Oak (now 610)

--Romano Cafeteria (which got taken over by Luby's)

--Piccadilly Cafetaria (was that in Northline Mall? I know it was in a mall, just can't remember which one)

Can you tell we ate at a lot of cafeterias when I was growing up?

[citykid09]

The one in Bryan is A shaped

[MidtownCoog]

Yum. NOT

Eat that for breakfast. I dare ya.

[lowspark]

OH! And I just remembered, Neil's Ice Cream in the 80s. Man that place was hoppin!

Neil was some guy who came here from New York I think. Opened a bunch of ice cream places and did a booming business. Then he sold them all and made a #$@#$load of money. I think he and his brother opened a kiddie amusement center in one of the malls after that but I don't think it lasted very long. After that, he was gone.

And, by the way, so were his ice cream shops. I don't remember what happened but shortly after he sold them, they all closed.

[BayouCityGirl]

Weinenschitzel?

They still have those in Flagstaff.

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Weinersnitzel was in El Paso too.

Was "Checkers" ever in Houston? (it was in Florida Orlando area)

[lowspark]

Sorry to keep posting but I keep remembering!

A couple of restaurants which were (apparently) huge in other markets but came here and lasted about 5 minutes:

Steak N Shake (1977)

White Castle Burgers (80s)

[citykid09]

Don't be sorry for posting, we like that!

I didn't Know Houston had Steak N Shake,

And I thought I remembered White Castle.

[Kirzania]

Don't be sorry for posting, we like that! I didn't Know Houston had Steak N Shake,

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It was off I-10, on the south side.. I remember going there when I was about 10ish? I forget the name of the road now, but it was right next to the gas station there. I think the building is a bank now or something.

[gnu]

Weinersnitzel was in El Paso too.

Was "Checkers" ever in Houston? (it was in Florida Orlando area)

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Checkers was here in the 80's

more cafeterias...Furr's anyone?

[BayouCityGirl]

Furrs!! LOL! I went to the one..okay you know.. El Paso had a Furr's right down the street from me. Wasn't too bad. More or less like a Luby's.

How about Shakey's pizza (I think it was Shakey's)

I vaguely remember my stepfather working at one. (when he had a mustache and the 80's haircut)...

[Original Timmy Chan's]

I know it was already listed above, but Pipe Organ Pizza was one of my all-time faves as a kid. I only got to go there once or twice, but it was a treat to see (and hear) the seemingly 100-ft long organ in there.

Piccadilly's Cafeteria used to be a favorite of my grandfather's.

How 'bout this one...Texas Tumbleweeds. I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet. I believe I ate there once or twice when I was a kid. I believe that was my first steakhouse.

Here's another: Sizzler. I believe that was the name of the place on Fuqua at Sabo. It later turned into a Po Folks. I think its latest incarnation was a fajita place.

My grandpa (lover of cafeterias, remember) also used to take me to a place in Pasadena called "Smorgasbord" a few times. It was an all-you-can-eat cafeteria where the food moved around on a conveyor belt.

Of course, one of our favorite subjects here, Monterrey House.

I don't know if it's still there, but we used to eat at the City Cafeteria on occasion, on College(?) near Old Galveston Rd in South Houston.

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor in Almeda Mall

Sambo's. I think there used to be one there at Airport and the Gulf Freeway.

Do we still have Mary Lee Donuts? I've always been a faithful Shipleys man, so I never ate there, but it always looked appetizing as a kid.

Does anyone remember this one: a BBQ place on Old Galveston Rd near the South Loop, just a little shack between the road and the railroad tracks. I believe it was the Whistle Stop(?) or something similar to that, anyways. When I used to go to work with my dad on the weekends as a kid, that BBQ sandwich was the one thing that would brighten an otherwise boring day.

How about Three Gables Hamburgers in South Houston/Pasadena? Ate there a few times as a kid too.

And last but not least, the short order grill at Mimosa Lanes off the Gulf Freeway near Airport. I used to eat a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches there when I was a kid. I believe the old Mimosa Lanes site is now a hotel.

[hokieone]

Checkers was definitely down in League City years ago. I think its a car dealership now. I went to one in Orlando a couple of years ago and realized it had no way to compete with James Coney around here. Mary Lee Donuts still exists, there is one on San Felipe near the Amegy Bank building. I think its a Mary Lee, but the more I think about it, the more I think might be something different.

[BayouCityGirl]

Princes Hamburgers (only one left on the freeway) -anyone daring to try it after Lakewood Church lets out?

Mary Lee Donuts are everywhere. One down the street on Dairy Ashford, another in Sugar Land, TX.

[Heights2Bastrop]

Three Mexican restaurants I miss are Old Mexico on W Gray, Santa Anita on Pierce and Louisiana and Del Rio on Shepherd and W 26th. These were places from my childhood, but I can still taste certain dishes from each restaurant.

I also miss DePaul

[gnu]

I LOVED Sambos as a kid. they had pancakes with ice cream on them and cool stuff for kids...cartoon menus or hats or something. I think there was one on NASA 1 too.

Shakey's - there was one on Nasa 1.

Sizzler - one was on Kingspoint behind Almeda Mall - its the Kidney Center now

If you are mentioning Sizzler then you gotta mention Bonanza.

Bonanza - One was at I-45 and Belfort/Howard. Its a "gentleman's club" now.

PoFolks sure came and left quick. I remember going there several times.

I used to love Orange Julius'..one was in Memorial City mall.

Speaking of cafeterias...STILL! What does anyone think of the Dinner Bell on Lawndale at Wayside?? I have eaten there a couple a times..its like going into a time warp...I don't think anything has changed in there since 1967.

[sevfiv]

--Wyatt's Cafetaria. There was one in Sharpstown Mall, and one on the corner of W. Belfort and (then) Post Oak (now 610)

My grandpa (lover of cafeterias, remember) also used to take me to a place in Pasadena called "Smorgasbord" a few times. It was an all-you-can-eat cafeteria where the food moved around on a conveyor belt.

i think there is a wyatt's on grigg's - and wasn't there one in the old meyerland shopping center?

and i would do anything to have food fly by on a conveyor belt! (i am easily amused...)

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Yeah, I think maybe that was a Bonanza there on Fuqua, which later became a PoFolks.

I just remembered another place: the Steak & Egg Kitchen at Telephone Rd and I-45. I ate there a number of times when I went to UH. We went there for the cheap prices, and because the place seemed to be in a time warp.

There also used to be a 24-hr Taco Bell on Wayside in the early 90's. It was one of the few 24-hr places we knew of near UH at the time. It was a good place when you had the munchies; even I could usually afford the 39-cent bean burrito (although I did have to bum change a few times to get one).

[sevfiv]

I think I just threw up a little.

that looks like $#!^

if my hot dog ever looks at me, it's going into the garbage.

sorry folks...heh

[texasboy]

ok, not the best advertisement for whatever your selling.

[gnu]

I just remembered another place: the Steak & Egg Kitchen at Telephone Rd and I-45.  I ate there a number of times when I went to UH.  We went there for the cheap prices, and because the place seemed to be in a time warp. 

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speaking of that Steak and egg place..i just noticed the other day, the old building is gone and a big pawn shop is there now! bummer, i think that little building that steak and egg was in had to have been there since the 30's or 40's.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Here's another one that UH folks will miss...Itza Pizza in the basement of the Towers.

I always thought it was a bad sign that they had to tell you "it's a pizza"

[Original Timmy Chan's]

speaking of that Steak and egg place..i just noticed the other day, the old building is gone and a big pawn shop is there now!  bummer, i think that little building that steak and egg was in had to have been there since the 30's or 40's.

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Did you ever eat there? I can believe the place was there since the 30's or 40's. The prices, furniture and CUSTOMERS all looked like they'd been there since 1938.