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Historic Houston Restaurants


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Schwinn! Did you put that together? NICE WORK MAN (whoever did it!)!!

Whoever put that together had a lot of nice reference photos to work with.

My hat is off to you/them.

Dis

Allow me to echo that compliment, really NICE work, exceptional. I've watched it a couple of times already. You're a regular Scorsese, no kidding.

And has anyone mentioned the San Jacinto Inn, with their picnic tables, all-you-could-eat seafood (family-style) and their homemade biscuits?!?! Not to mention a great view of the San Jacinto Monument.

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griffscup.jpg

Okay, I did it. Tried out Griff's in Denver for lunch today. Really a good flavor to the burger. In a way, reminded me a bit of the Bellaire Broiler Burger. I will go back!

As for Del Taco, they came into Denver about 2 years ago. They are okay, but I don't see the attraction of tacos and french fries together.

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griffscup.jpg

Okay, I did it. Tried out Griff's in Denver for lunch today. Really a good flavor to the burger. In a way, reminded me a bit of the Bellaire Broiler Burger. I will go back!

As for Del Taco, they came into Denver about 2 years ago. They are okay, but I don't see the attraction of tacos and french fries together.

There is still a Griff's in the metropolis of Ruston, LA where I went to college at Louisiana Tech.

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griffscup.jpg

Okay, I did it. Tried out Griff's in Denver for lunch today. Really a good flavor to the burger. In a way, reminded me a bit of the Bellaire Broiler Burger. I will go back!

As for Del Taco, they came into Denver about 2 years ago. They are okay, but I don't see the attraction of tacos and french fries together.

HA! Yeah, I never got the fries (although they do sell hamburgers to go with those) -- I liked the burritos.

I agree fries and burritos are two great tastes that don't go great together. :P

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THANK YOU '57! Unfortunately nothing is showing up on your post so I'll search for your 1941 menu of Hebert's. Nice to know someone else remembers it.

I sure remember the place , my parents went there and my wife and I had our rehearsal dinner there in an upstairs banquet room back almost 37 years ago...and went back a time or two to celebrate anniversaries. Miss the great rib steaks. :D

griffscup.jpg

Okay, I did it. Tried out Griff's in Denver for lunch today. Really a good flavor to the burger. In a way, reminded me a bit of the Bellaire Broiler Burger. I will go back!

As for Del Taco, they came into Denver about 2 years ago. They are okay, but I don't see the attraction of tacos and french fries together.

I Remember the Griffs in Bellaire just down the street from the Broiler Burger and a Prince's...it eventually was torn down and the First National Bank of Bellaire was put up later torn down to make room for what today I think is a Burger King. What can we say about "progress"? :wacko:

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I Remember the Griffs in Bellaire just down the street from the Broiler Burger and a Prince's...it eventually was torn down and the First National Bank of Bellaire was put up later torn down to make room for what today I think is a Burger King. What can we say about "progress"? :wacko:

Yep, I remember that Prince's also. When I was a kid, we used to go to the Princes on South Main, because my dad loved their burgers. Once they built the one in Bellaire, we went there. Talk about a great hamburger...Prince's always was up there near the top of the heap! The Griff's burger from yesterday was really tasty too!

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>7. Farrells, Northwest Mall -- I too, would go there for birthdays, etc. Awesome place!

So odd that this style of restaurant, pizza or otherwise, that was so popular, has gone completely out of style, at least here in Houston. Live entertainment for kids, other than Chuck E., is just gone.

>14. Bellaire Broiler Burger -- Excellent food. I remember the carrousel they had in there for kids who were my age at the time.

This place is still operating and looks exactly like it did in 1955. Why not make a visit? (To those that don't know, it's at Bellaire and Bissonett, near Firestone).

>15. Roy Roger's Roast Beef -- On the 610 feeder near the Galleria. Loved that place! I guess Arby's killed Roy. :-(

This is a sex shop now.

Edited by Larry Brown
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This might jog a few memory cells. A 1970 Houston time capsule.

Your officially the Houston History God of Haif!

The images of the Gulfway and Telephone Drive-In Theater's alone brought back many fun memories!

and you must be a mind reader I was thinking about how hellish those aluminum ice cube trays used to be. As a kid I always got pinched on my hand when closing or opening them. Reminds me of the heavy- as-hell-glass milk gallon containers with the metal brackets on top were. Dropped and broke some of those as a kid, were just too heavy! :lol:

There were also several Superette's around Houston. A phrase never to be heard again.

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yamin's and it's offspring, stefano's, had the best po' boys in town (better than antone's because their's were hot and antone's po' boys were cold). i wish i could find someplace that sold hot po' boys like they used to make. my favorite was the meatball po' boy. i still remember walking in there and it smelled so good and italian. almost as good as the aroma of valian's. nothing smells better than italian cooking.

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yamin's and it's offspring, stefano's, had the best po' boys in town (better than antone's because their's were hot and antone's po' boys were cold). i wish i could find someplace that sold hot po' boys like they used to make. my favorite was the meatball po' boy. i still remember walking in there and it smelled so good and italian. almost as good as the aroma of valian's. nothing smells better than italian cooking.

Back in the 70s I worked on San Felipe just outside the Loop and there was a Yamins/Stephanos (can't remember which) just inside the Loop on Westheimer. I can't count the number of times we'd go there when we were working late, sometimes sending one of the crew to pick things up, sometimes taking a break en masse. I can't remember ever trying a po'boy so I can't compare but Mandola's Deli on Leeland @ Cullen will heat their po'boys and of course they do a meatball version. They're part of the Mandola family restaurant empire.

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Back in the 70s I worked on San Felipe just outside the Loop and there was a Yamins/Stephanos (can't remember which) just inside the Loop on Westheimer. I can't count the number of times we'd go there when we were working late, sometimes sending one of the crew to pick things up, sometimes taking a break en masse. I can't remember ever trying a po'boy so I can't compare but Mandola's Deli on Leeland @ Cullen will heat their po'boys and of course they do a meatball version. They're part of the Mandola family restaurant empire.

Yamins had great pizza! I would rank them right up there with Valians or Panjo's.

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Anyone remember Spoons on Gessner by the Katy Freeway. Closed down in the late 80's or 90's.

Dream

there was a spoons at the front of Walnut Bend on Westheimer a friend worked there and some other friends were up there eating and they looked across the street and one of the Westheimer bums was swimming nude in the pond across the street

Old San Francisco Steakhouse.

Love that place....the bread and cheese and the bananas flamb

Edited by TexasVines
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anyone remember the seafood place near the Astrodome that had a big crab and some other stuff out front....and I think a big neon sign (Gaido's Seafood) I just read

and anyone remember Across The Street where you picked up the phone at the table to order

there was a Der Wienierschnitzel on Gessner into Spring branch and my T Ball teams would go to Panjos in Town and Country some as well

I went to Pipe Organ several times and still love pipe organs

I remember Good Time Charlies but not the upscale restaurant....must not have been there the day it was open :lol:

I remember Atchafalaya on Westheimer and had been there a few times and I liked Strawberry Patch as well....I went to Rainbow Lodge once and it was awesome...what a location

went to magic pan a few times in the Galleria

what was the place near strawberry patch that was all upside down with a bit of a carnival theme (Circus I read)....there was one in Austin also

I liked the Longhorn Cafe and I liked Frys (restaurant not electronics) also

I always thought Taco Cabana was better than Two Pesos and I had been to the origional Taco Cabana on San Pedro in San Antonio and a friend and college roommates uncles own Taco Cabana....anyone remember when there were Taco Cabanas and TacoCitas.....they had a fight over franchising and split the company for a while

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circus was near the strawberry patch, it had the train running around the ceiling. i think papadeux is there now. circus had the best chicken fried steak.

as a senior we could go off campus for lunch and we would go to places like across the street and los tios on gessner was another (the one on westheimer wasn't open yet), besides the stefano's on gessner.

what was the name of the place on westheimer that was on the east side of 610 and you threw your peanut shells on the floor?

and the ice cream place in westbury square? rumpleheimers (or something like that)

i remember the pizza at yamin's/sefano's was good, but i was addicted to the po' boys.

gaido's was the restaurant with the giant crab. not too far away was sonny look's and they sometimes had a knight on horseback riding up and down the front entrance. we would always go to sonny look's on family special occasions.

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Bonanza on Kuykendahl @ FM 1960, a western steak style restaurant my family and I would frequent during 1978-1979

Yeah, I sure remember Bonanza! My mom hated the place and my dad loved it, so anytime mom was working late, we were in the car and off to the Bonanza. Every once in a while we would go to Danver's instead, but only if we complained loudly about going to Bonanza again.

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:lol::lol::lol:

Unfortunately, Applebees is still around to fill the void Bennigan's has left behind.

Mediocre food and service and lots of it! :lol:

Oh...and if you like roaches -- might I recommend the ever-wretched "Golden Corral"? Too bad Marvin Zindler was in his declining years when this chain became big because they could keep him busy 24-7.

Lame...and nast-eeeee...

Every GC I ever went to -- the bathroom looked like the toilet exploded and puked up toilet paper!

Disgusting.

I'll never step foot in a Golden Corral for the remainder of my existence on this Earth, I'll tell you that!

Edited by Disastro
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Remember Bennigans and Steak and Ale? I remember going there many days ago before they went bankrupt...

This thread is only for Favorite defunct restaurants. You are WAY off topic! :lol:

I don't think ANYONE would seriously admit that a faux Irish tavern was their favorite.

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There still is a Tookies in Seabrook. Their burger isn't really my taste but they are always packed and people who grew up in the area when they come to visit tell me the burger is just like they remember.

We used to get my dad cheesecake on is birthday at a bakery called How Sweet It Is.

Every Saturday my dad and I would go to get Big Toms at The Kolache Shop while my mom and teenage brother slept in.

When we first moved to Houston my brother liked this pizza restaurant that had a moose head on the wall. My mom thought the Pizza was good and we went there every friday night while we were getting settled in. The only think I remember about the place is being terrified of the moose.

And when we went to Galveston we always stopped at a po boy shop on 65th that closed not long after I moved back in 2000. Can't remember the name of the place but they were great po boys and they had a tomato based Gumbo. I got to eat there one last time before they closed... which was awesome... just like I remembered. But my favorite part about them was the owner. When my parents split up my dad and I went to Galveston every weekend that first summer and then didn't go back for about a year. We walked in a year after having been there and the guy looked up and said, "Hey you left your sunglasses in here last time you were here." He went into the back and brought out a pair of my dad's prescription sunglasses which he had in fact left there a year before.

On the way home from Galveston we'd stop at the Flying Dutchman in Kemah which is still there but undoubtedly owned by the Landry Corp as is probably Jimmy Walkers which was mentioned a couple of years ago in this thread. But there is one on the upper floor of Landry's. Take the stairs. It's more upscale than Landrys.

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There still is a Tookies in Seabrook. Their burger isn't really my taste but they are always packed and people who grew up in the area when they come to visit tell me the burger is just like they remember.

We used to get my dad cheesecake on is birthday at a bakery called How Sweet It Is.

Every Saturday my dad and I would go to get Big Toms at The Kolache Shop while my mom and teenage brother slept in.

When we first moved to Houston my brother liked this pizza restaurant that had a moose head on the wall. My mom thought the Pizza was good and we went there every friday night while we were getting settled in. The only think I remember about the place is being terrified of the moose.

And when we went to Galveston we always stopped at a po boy shop on 65th that closed not long after I moved back in 2000. Can't remember the name of the place but they were great po boys and they had a tomato based Gumbo. I got to eat there one last time before they closed... which was awesome... just like I remembered. But my favorite part about them was the owner. When my parents split up my dad and I went to Galveston every weekend that first summer and then didn't go back for about a year. We walked in a year after having been there and the guy looked up and said, "Hey you left your sunglasses in here last time you were here." He went into the back and brought out a pair of my dad's prescription sunglasses which he had in fact left there a year before.

On the way home from Galveston we'd stop at the Flying Dutchman in Kemah which is still there but undoubtedly owned by the Landry Corp as is probably Jimmy Walkers which was mentioned a couple of years ago in this thread. But there is one on the upper floor of Landry's. Take the stairs. It's more upscale than Landrys.

I'd have to say Burger Chef...The Cellar Door...Shakey's Pizza...Monterrey House...Del Taco...Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor...to name a few.

Edited by Disastro
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as someone who has been away almost 40 years and is now back, can anyone say what happened to these?

albritton's cafeteria on waugh dr close to dallas? great twice baked potatoes

Jetton's cafeteria on richmond maybe at buffalo speedway? close to greenway plaza

alfred's deli and bakery on both rice blvd and stella link? good bakery

- and back then luby's in houston and dallas was called Romana, not luby. the first one in houston was on the buffalo speedway south of the SW FWY. I have stood in line 25 minutes many many times in that place for the fried fish, tartar sauce, pea salad, pecan pie, and iced tea. the building is still there but closed up now. of course, there are lots of luby's. why would that locale close? the area certainly could support another luby's - or former Romana.

and, last, dunkin donuts on shepherd north of richmond - east side of shepherd. you could get a dozen filled for 99 cents. this is not to downplay shipley at all. i ate my weight lots of times at shipley too.

ding

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as someone who has been away almost 40 years and is now back, can anyone say what happened to these?

albritton's cafeteria on waugh dr close to dallas? great twice baked potatoes

Jetton's cafeteria on richmond maybe at buffalo speedway? close to greenway plaza

alfred's deli and bakery on both rice blvd and stella link? good bakery

- and back then luby's in houston and dallas was called Romana, not luby. the first one in houston was on the buffalo speedway south of the SW FWY. I have stood in line 25 minutes many many times in that place for the fried fish, tartar sauce, pea salad, pecan pie, and iced tea. the building is still there but closed up now. of course, there are lots of luby's. why would that locale close? the area certainly could support another luby's - or former Romana.

and, last, dunkin donuts on shepherd north of richmond - east side of shepherd. you could get a dozen filled for 99 cents. this is not to downplay shipley at all. i ate my weight lots of times at shipley too.

ding

I guess they all closed down. I know Alfred's closed. But I believe his son operates a very similar deli in the Rice Village and has photos of his dad's old place.

I'm sure the answers are somewhere on this board. Would be a lot faster just to tell you if I knew. :D

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I know Alfred's closed. But I believe his son operates a very similar deli in the Rice Village and has photos of his dad's old place.

That would be Kahn's Deli on Rice Blvd. Unfortunately, Mike Kahn sold it a couple of months ago and my understanding is that he's no longer affiliated with the business at all. Supposedly the new owner did a complete new buildout of the interior as well, but I haven't been by there to confirm that.

I miss Alfred's. Best potato soup I've ever tasted.

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