Historic Houston Restaurants

[albertnurick]

I went to Pier 21 with my parents regularly; it was "their" seafood place. Jackie was our waitress.

The Polynesian doesn't ring a bell, although we did frequent Albert Gee's PolyAsian on S. Main.

Pier 21 was on Fannin, just down from the bayou (I think), and The Polynesian was on the northeast corner of Sage and Westheimer... and Wyatt's Cafeteria in Highland Village... and the drive-in (like a Sonic) that was just across the tracks from Highland Village, the north side of Westheimer (west side of tracks) that had orange striped awnings? (I'll be surprised if anyone remembers this one).

[readam]

I grew up in the Bellaire area and Price's on Bellaire/Holcombe was the early 60s version of MacDonalds/Burger Chef/ Burger King before they hit it BIG. Someone mentioned Jack's Yogurt Shop; it was named for Jack Chaluh a student from Westbury High School whose parents ran the place-- it was next to Zinnate's Delicatessen on Hillcroft. Zappo's Sandwich shop in Meyerland was around, if I remember, before Schlotsky's hit the scene. There was a place that I have not seen mentioned in the HighLand Village area at the RR tracks and Westheimer called Granny Haber's Chez Orleans-pretty decent seafood. There was a pretty good One's a Meal in the Bellaire Triangle. We'd go there after serving mass as altar boys at Holy Ghost Church. Timmy Chan's in Greenway Plaza, the original Cleburne Cafeteria near the downtown Sears, Tony's original small restaurant on Sage near Westheimer, and many more that I've mentioned on another thread...Good eating and good memories

[houstonmacbro]

Moveable Feast.

Two Pesos ... I think they were kinda like Taco Cabana.

[TheNiche]

Williams Smokehouse BBQ

My stuffed baked potato tribute to them courses through my veins.

[houstonmacbro]

Ah .. one more, Del Taco. I remember there was one out on main street. I think Taco Bell killed them.

[hbcu]

2 pesos....way better than taco cabana.....first place I ever saw a double drive-thru...

best timmy chan's ever was at hillcroft before beechnut...

[houstonmacbro]

2 pesos....way better than taco cabana.....first place I ever saw a double drive-thru...

I agree. Their food was much better. It had to do with some sort of lawsuit when Taco Cabana moved to Houston. Looks like the courts decided.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Pesos

[rgb001]

I've been looking at this post for a while so if I repeat any places forgive this neophyte, this is my first reply...Here goes

Hebert's Ritz,

LC Cafeterias

Foote's cafeterias

Allbritton's cafeterias

Jetton's cafeteria

Weldon's cafeteria

Mr. Hamburger (many locations)

Griff's hamburgers (in Bellaire)

PRICE'S not Doug Prince's( OST also Holcombe and Stella link)

Art Wren's

Bill bennett's

Trader Vics

Don the Beachcomber

Victoria Station

The Foundry

Velvet turtle

Red Lion

Ten Fathoms( near original Massa'S)

Captain John's

Green Parrott( in MacGregor area)

Ming Palace( next to River Oaks theatre)

Ding How (in Bellaire)

Lee's Den( OST and Main)

Kapan's ( next to Kiddie WonderLand)

Pier 21

Jamey's hamburgers( East side corner of Main and N.Breaswood)

Howard Johnson's( Near RRTracks on Bellaire, now Moeller's Bakery)

Burger Chef

Weber's Root beer Stand on Main

Sullivan's drive Inn in Bellaire

Someburger

Kelley's seafood on Main

Zorba the Greek

Molina's Old Mexico ( Main and Alabama)

Mexico City (on Grey)

Linoleum Club( upstairs at james Coney Island on Walker)

Lums

Safari( 610 and Richmond)

Harry's kenya

Christies on Main and Holcombe

Kips (especially after a hard night gigging and foolin around)

Alfreds ( in the Village and later on Stella Link)

Monterrey Houses

Vallains

Bill Williams

Ye Old College Inn

Youngbloods Chicken( many locations)

Panjos Pizza

Can't jog the old memory much more

Hi everybody -

It took me two days to read through all these posts, bringing back such wonderful memories. I was born at St. Joseph's in 1951, lived in Houston until 1960, came back "home" a few times, last visit was in 1977. You are only the second person who has mentioned "Mexico City" on S. Main. I remember their steamed tortillas kept warm between two hot white plates. My parents were married at South Main Baptist. Mom was a Houston native, graduated from San Jacinto High (Magna cum Laude, Captain of the Pep Squad), and she had lots of friends who were "well-off" - people like Glenn McCarthy, William O. Bartle (Brewster-Bartle Drilling), and other tycoon types.

Anyway, we ate out quite often. Bill Williams, Gaido's (didn't they have some giant sailfish mounted on the walls?), One's-A-Meal, Prince's (those poppy seed buns!), and, of course, James' Coney Island (we always took our dogs upstairs, sat on the school chairs). We also went to Spanish Village many times, my personal favorite (I have a "society page" clipping of my parents at Spanish Village, will upload it soon).

One restaurant not mentioned yet was the China Clipper, downtown (think it was near James'Coney Island). Everytime I see a picture of one of those old PanAm seaplanes, I remember that restaurant.

But I've been saving the best for last. One night my mom's best friend took us to the Green Parrott. It was a special occasion, so we were all dressed up. Since I absolutely LOVED fried chicken, my parents figured this would be a perfect evening. But evidently things didn't go as planned (I was only 4 or 5, and they told me this story many years later). It seems that when the waiter asked what I wanted for dinner, I said, "Pancakes!" When he tried to explain that they didn't have pancakes on the menu, I got upset and insisted I wanted pancakes! Then the lady who owned the Parrott (somebody mentioned her name in an earlier post - "Miss Vera") came to the table and asked what the problem was. When they told her, she said, "If the young man wants pancakes, he shall have pancakes." Then, while our orders were being prepared, she went down the street to some store, bought a box of Aunt Jemima mix and a bottle of "Bud" syrup (does anybody else remember that Anheuser-Busch used to make pancake syrup?), came back to the restaurant and fixed me those pancakes herself!

My parents were mortified, but grateful.

Thanks so much for all of these great postings!

[Frank M]

Dinner Theaters-I remember The Dean Goss Dinner Theater(and all the drama surrounding his back-to-back wives that were murdered in his house), and The Windmill Dinner Theater. Any more?

[TEX]

Monterey House (many family meals there)

Boston Sea Party (on Westheimer)

U-R-Cooks (cook your own thick steak while sipping a brew)

Uno's Pizza (may still be one left, but not near me)

When I was very young kid (born 1953) there was an old house on a couple of acres not too far away from our home off Southpark (now MLK Blvd.) that was operated as a Italian resturant by what seem to me to be a Italian family. Absolutly great food and homey faimly atmosphere. The house was, what I can only describe as a country mansion and they had turned all the downstairs room in to mini-dinning rooms much like Steak and Ale does. I remember as kid it seemed to me like a country inn stached up from Europe and dropped down here in Texas, bu then again I was a kid, so it may have been nowhere as impressive if I had been an adult.

Most of the resturants that have come and gone in Houston were far better than most resturants out of state that I have been to.

TEX

Edited December 23, 2007 by TEX

[readam]

OK Folks I went through a matchbook collection and found these eating places in the Houston area. If there are duplicates , as I wrote before, excuse me. Here goes:

Bill William's branches on OST and in Richmond, Tx right before the Brazos River Bridge

Vittorio's in the Village ( Rice and Kirby) there is a wings joint there I think

Gallagher's Old Irish Steak House ( many locations)

Daddy$ Money

T.J. Crump's ( Sak's Fifth Avenue Center on South Post Oak)

Houlihan's Old Place ( same as above)

Liliane's Maison des Crepes ( 80 Woodlake)

Alexander's (212 Westheimer)

Houston Oil Company ( Meyerland Plaza)

Lennox Barbecue

Swiss Chalet (511 S. Post Oak)

Strawberry Patch (5839 Westheimer now the Pappas Steak House)

Restaurant El Michoacano (7041 Harrisburg)

Greenway Terrace Restaurant

Stouffer's (Top floor of the hotel near the Summit/Church)

The Magic Pan ( in the Galleria)

The Mariner ( 5919 Westheimer also 1960@Champions)

The Big Mouth Frog ( 2727 Crossview)

Dunfey's Family Royal Coach ( SW FWY at Sharpstown)

Bavarian Gardens ( 3926 Feagan)

Hacienda de los Morales ( near the Villages area in and around Memorial)

Look's Depot (downtown)

Thanks for puttin' up with me...although I can't remember some of these palces too distinctly

[puddydunne]

I really enjoyed the memory walk. I got to Houston in 76'. Do you remember the Woodhollow Apts. I ran the Woodhollow club inside the project. The 8 alarm fire that destoyed most of it? Those damn wood shingles! I loved these places:

BARS

Papa Blakelys -FM 359

Lizards - Fountainview

Codys- Montrose (Kirk Whalum)

Steak and Ale (Boyce & Kramer)

Theodores - Galleria (Shake Russell/Dana Cooper)

Nickels - Hillcroft/Voss

Fitzgeralds, Rockefellers and the Summit for shows

Disco to Urban Cowboy

Mirage - San Antonio Rose

Foxhunter - Cowboy

Xanadu - Deperados

Cooters & Elan

Do you remember:

The Nighthawk Restuarant - Westheimer

Strawberry patch - Westhiemer - (chicken Fried staek bigger than the plate)

The best burgers were at a place called Rovnovskis (sp) Does anyone remember this place. An icehouse type of joint. I can't remeber where it was?

[eileen]

I have not looked thru every post here, but I recall these w/fondness:

Whatsaburger-- home of the 10 cent burgers on Monday nights.

Weinershnitzel drive thrus. Good dogs! i used to go to the one on Hillcroft btwn Beechnut and Bellaire Blvd.

Christies, the old one on Bellaire Blvd.

Broiler Burger in Bellaire.

Felix Mexican in Bellaire.

Ousie's in the Village.

One's a Meal

Oh, and what was that "trendy" cafe on Westheimer near the Galleria- Strawberry Patch?

[tmariar]

Apologies if it's a forum faux pas to revive dead threads, but this didn't really warrant a new one...

I recently did some shopping at a place I think is called India Grocers (6606 SW Fwy, Hillcroft exit) and a very similar store close by called Patel Bros. Grocery (5815 Hillcroft). They both had a broad selection of Indian spices and curry powder mixes in bulk, at low prices (at least compared to Whole Foods and Penzeys). As well as all sorts of other Indian food. I'd recommend either to anyone who makes curries on a regular basis.

[mojeaux131]

Three from UH Days:

1. Super Happy Fun Land off the North Loop, on Polk St. Really cool little venue to see some music and have some drinks. When I went the drinks weren't rip-offs at all, but "suggested donation" instead.

http://www.superhappyfunland.com/

2. Mai's Vietnamese restaurant on Milam. Open pretty late and the food is just terrific. You can get a satisfying bowl of vermicelli with BBQ pork and chopped egg rolls, or garlic tofu, or sticky rice or (their menu has LOTS of options). And of course the prices are excellent. I think the vermicelli bowls are like $5.75. On St. Paddy's Day 2006 my buddy and I saw Kinky Friedman there and took a picture with him. He was super cool.

http://www.maisrestauranttx.com/

3. Two Rows Restaurant and Brewery in Rice Village. It can get crowded, but if you can get a table for Dollar Pints, it's worth the wait. Your choice of specialty beer brewed on location at Two Rows, for just a dollar a pint. Thank goodness for designated drivers. The food's not bad, but you can always get your desi to take you to Ruchi's which is just down the road on Kirby (does that count as four? moo, whatever). When I went there, Dollar Pints was on Wednesday every week. Good times. Sometimes, they'd run out of glasses and use plastic cups instead, which was fine because then we could make beeramids.

[musicman]

Three from UH Days:

1. Super Happy Fun Land off the North Loop, on Polk St. Really cool little venue to see some music and have some drinks. When I went the drinks weren't rip-offs at all, but "suggested donation" instead.

http://www.superhappyfunland.com/

been here it is not off the north loop.

[tmariar]

Super Happy Fun Land was up near the North Loop for a long while, but has recently moved to the Polk St. address.

[jc281]

Ciro's

the real one that was at 10 and Campbell.

new one in m.city is just not the same :/

[mojeaux131]

Ah. Well I hope the new location is as cool as the one I went to.

Edited January 22, 2008 by mojeaux131

[brerrabbit]

Monterey House (many family meals there)

Boston Sea Party (on Westheimer)

U-R-Cooks (cook your own thick steak while sipping a brew)

Uno's Pizza (may still be one left, but not near me)

When I was very young kid (born 1953) there was an old house on a couple of acres not too far away from our home off Southpark (now MLK Blvd.) that was operated as a Italian resturant by what seem to me to be a Italian family. Absolutly great food and homey faimly atmosphere. The house was, what I can only describe as a country mansion and they had turned all the downstairs room in to mini-dinning rooms much like Steak and Ale does. I remember as kid it seemed to me like a country inn stached up from Europe and dropped down here in Texas, bu then again I was a kid, so it may have been nowhere as impressive if I had been an adult.

Most of the resturants that have come and gone in Houston were far better than most resturants out of state that I have been to.

TEX

I know the exact place your talking about. It was on Telephone Road with the entrance right across the street from the old Hickory Stick bar-b-que place. You had to look to find it becasue all you could see from Telephone was a sign next to a gravel road that led to the resturaunt. I remember it well because when I was 4 or 5 for whatever reason we went out to eat on Christmas Eve ( this would have been around 1963-64) and no one was open on Christmas Eve. We drove all over looking for a place to eat and I said what about that place and pointed at the sign, and sure enough they were open and thats where we ate. The house is long since gone and the forest that protected it from the rest of the world mowed down.

[fortbendtomontrose]

Dutch Kettle, anyone?

Ok, no bites.

What about Salvatores?

[fortbendtomontrose]

Finally. someone else who remembers Capri! I've asked other places, but it seems to have had a limited reputation.

I hope someone comes up with the exact location and/or knows of anything in a similar style.

It was at 3810 Farnham St.

The Curve.

Edited February 3, 2008 by fortbendtomontrose

[barracuda]

Europa Cafe. Was a nice little Argentine restaurant near rice village in a neat old house. They changed owners a few years ago and the food immediately went downhill. Way downhill.

The place reopened last year as Seco's, which is pretty good, albeit completely different compared the original menu at Europa.

[Mikeytex]

Dutch Kettle, anyone?

I'll bite on this one. I had a Houston Post paper route back in '74-'75. My next door neighbor (the Mom) was a manager at the Dutch Kettle on Gulf Freeway (near Howard/Bellfort). My friend (the son) would help me do my route and afterwards we wnet over to DK and his mom would treat us to breakfast. My "usual" was a pecan waffle with blueberries..........mmmmmmmmmmm!!! Later on, I worked the graveyard shift on weekends at the DK on 59 (near Chimney Rosk/Gulfton). I bussed tables, and got my first glimpse of things yet to come............getting something to eat after clubbing. There were some characters to say the least, and years later, I became one of them!

[ThirdGen]

There was a fine Italian restaurant a block from Rice University that we frequented when our daughter was in school there in the 1980s. I can't remember the name but was so sad when it closed.

Also, the old One's a Meal on Main Street near the theaters.....or is it still there?

Foley's Azalea Terrace and Sakowitz's Sky Terrace...........where Mother and I could lunch when shopping.

Hebert's Restaurant downtown.

And most of all, I think: Alfred's in the Village for best hamburgers in the world!

Edited February 6, 2008 by ThirdGen

[isuredid]

When I was very young kid (born 1953) there was an old house on a couple of acres not too far away from our home off Southpark (now MLK Blvd.) that was operated as a Italian resturant by what seem to me to be a Italian family. Absolutly great food and homey faimly atmosphere. The house was, what I can only describe as a country mansion and they had turned all the downstairs room in to mini-dinning rooms much like Steak and Ale does. I remember as kid it seemed to me like a country inn stached up from Europe and dropped down here in Texas, bu then again I was a kid, so it may have been nowhere as impressive if I had been an adult.

TEX

The Restaurant you are referring to was Galli's Spaghetti house. The owner, Mary Galli, passed in 1999 at the age of 103. Great place that I wish I could go back to.

Edited February 10, 2008 by isuredid

[DonMahoneyFan]

Marini's Empanada House on Westheimer.

Udder Delight Creamery next to Marini's - we always said one could walk back and forth between the two, eating a little at each, until "bloated to critical mass."

I had my first musical gigs at The Bull And Anchor in Westbury Square, but earlier in life was inspired by the live bands at Village Inn.

Cheese Man at Westbury Square.

Marini's Empanada House on Richmond.

Yan Sushi on Holcombe in an old JIB box - they moved to Elgin and are now in Sugar Land, but no drive-thru sushi boxes!

Marini's Empanada House on Hillcroft.

Walkabout Cafe on Hillcroft, later Richmond around the corner.

Original Luke's Hamburgers (Luke Mizell gave it to Annie in the divorce), heck, *any* Luke's.

Marini's Empanada House on Westheimer again, next to Ninfa's by the House Of Pies. *sigh*

GladThey'reStillHere list: Hot Bagels (aka Original New York Bagels), Bellaire Broiler Burger, and I need to get over to Christie's!

[OldHouseLover]

GREEN PARROTT! Great food served in a beautiful large Macgregor/Riverside residence. Anyone remember it's exact location....somewhere in vacinity of what is now Hwy 288 & Macgregor. Timeframe: late 50s/early60s.

[gnu]

GREEN PARROTT! Great food served in a beautiful large Macgregor/Riverside residence. Anyone remember it's exact location....somewhere in vacinity of what is now Hwy 288 & Macgregor. Timeframe: late 50s/early60s.

it's under 288 now

EDIT: the address was 2314 mac gregor

Edited February 13, 2008 by gnu

[Vertigo58]

Oh My God! and we have Marini's Empanada House (one Westheimer on 8mm film) at night! That was a great eatery.

There once was a delicious Mexican Restaurant called Los Pinos at corner of Telephone Road and Dumble rigjht next door to Leonard's Dept store. The lunch plate was only about $3.50 thats right! It was a simple walk in and sit down and order place that easy. Man it was delicious!

Just next door or rather across the street was the Heap O Cream ice cream shoppe. Another Near East End teeny bopper hang out. Pineapple Freeze! Yummy!

There was a Luke's Hamburgers just around the corner from here too. They had just simple cheap burgers.