Historic Houston Restaurants

[WillowBend56]

Is the Great Mining Company or Montana Mining Company still in business near Westheimer and Gessner?

[marketingwiz]

Is the Great Mining Company or Montana Mining Company still in business near Westheimer and Gessner?

Unfortunately, it is no longer there. It was the first 'upscale date' my husband and I went on and I remember all the wooden interior and mine shaft entrance that supported the whole theme of the restaurant. Initially, you and other guests had to board a small mining car that would whisk you up to the hostess to be seated. They eventually stopped that but kept the mining car on display and removed the tracks. The menu was heavy steakhouse fare and a bit on the San Francisco side; they served a great sourdough bread basket before dinner with fresh butter.

Originally, I believe the restaurant was called Baby Doe's Matchless Mine Restaurant and then it changed names and management.

[RhinoVP]

You didnt happen to get into any Melba Toast fights did you?

{A JFDHS drama jock thing}

Coug

Mike,

I take it that you may have been a reg there too.

I was one of those that always sat in the booths back by the restroom, with all the rest of the Marlboro mob. Champs was kinda like a Stafford version of an "after hours" club for us. It seemed like we were there every night of the week!

You and I probably know many of the same people, since my folks moved to the Meadows in 72'. Sugar Creek though...... that was where the party was every weekend.

CHS 88'

[vstroud]

Does anyone remember matrangas on w grey? Does anyone know when or why they closed down

and what is there now.

[acamarillo]

Does anyone remember matrangas on w grey? Does anyone know when or why they closed down

and what is there now.

There was a Matranga's on Irvington for many years, in a small building a little north of Collingsworth. Used to walk past it every day on my way home from Davis. I think it closed in the 80s, not sure if the building is still there or not, I keep meaning to look and then I forget. I think Joe Matranga retired due to health problems and age, and may have died shortly after. Not entirely sure though.

[Tigerjag]

Unfortunately, it is no longer there. It was the first 'upscale date' my husband and I went on and I remember all the wooden interior and mine shaft entrance that supported the whole theme of the restaurant. Initially, you and other guests had to board a small mining car that would whisk you up to the hostess to be seated. They eventually stopped that but kept the mining car on display and removed the tracks. The menu was heavy steakhouse fare and a bit on the San Francisco side; they served a great sourdough bread basket before dinner with fresh butter.

Originally, I believe the restaurant was called Baby Doe's Matchless Mine Restaurant and then it changed names and management.

I remember the one at Gessner & Westheimer being named The Great Mining Company. I ate at Baby Doe's Matchless Mine in Dallas when I was a student at Baylor - in Waco. That was a destination for Baylor Bears in the 70's. Waco hadn't had a restaurant boom yet when I was living there.

Here is a video about Baby Doe's closing in Dallas, and it even mentions that it was a tourist spot. And here is a website actually about Baby Doe, but has a page about the restaurants. Scroll down about halfway.

[JohnEric]

While doing a search for one of my old favorites in the mid 60's Los Troncos, I came across your forum. Wow, what great memories. I was raised in Southwest Houston (off Hillcroft and Bissonnett) in the 50's and 60's. Nothing but corn, cotton and watermelon fields back then, it sure looks different now. Below are my favorite restaurants as I recall, may have some to add later. Eric Younkin Los TroncosThe Cellar DoorSonny LooksDer Weinerschnitzel (Hillcroft off Bissonnett)Albrittons CafeteriaThe Chuck Wagon (Beechnut off Fondren)Bellaire Broiler BurgerTaco Bell (Bellfort)The Velvet TurtleThe Lobster KettleMonterrey House (Bissonnett)San Jacinto InnThe Doctors Club Bill BennettsRuby Reds (Old Market Square)Youngblood's Fried ChickenTrader VicsDon the BeachcomberThe Poly-Asian RoomGriffs (Chimney Rock off Bissonnett Next to Holy Ghost Catholic School) Dugans Drug Store (Chimney Rock between Bissonnett and Bellaire)Shakeys Pizza (Bellaire Triangle area)Prince's Drive-InnBritain's Broiler BurgerGaidosKaphansOld Mexico (on Grey)AlfredsRomanos CafeteriaValliansBavarian GardensBud BigelosSteak and EggZappos (Meyerland)Alfies Fish and ChipsLa Carafe (Old market Square)The Black AngusThe Venetian RoomThe WarwickOne's A MealDutch KettleCharlie LungsMaximsBrennansYe Old College InnBill WilliamsKG DrugsThe RailheadVictoria StationJettonsThe Red LionDing HowLumsThe Bellaire Theater (JuJu Bees and Popcorn & the Saturday Matinee)

[JRH_1948]

I was born in Houston in 1948, grew up in the Heights and Timbergrove before we moved to Dallas in 1965. These are some of the places I remember:

Hamburger House. (2 locations in the Heights, 1 was on 11th a few blocks east of Heights Blvd. I think the other was on 20th)

Prince's Hamburgers on N. Shepherd @ 14th?

Pig Stand on N.Shepherd

Kaphan's (once a year on my parent's anniversary)

Christie's on S.Main (Fired Shrimp!!!)

Albritton's Cafeteria

Clear Creek Inn in Kemah

Doyle's Delicatessan on 34th near Waltrip High. (still the best pizza I ever had)

John's Shephard Drive BBQ. (He closed every year to go to the World Series)

The Enchanted Cup. (A coffe house on Westheimer)

Rettig's Ice Cream Shops

Somebody mentioned J&J Barbecue on Herkimer and 11th. The BBQ was good and one year we had them smoke a turkey for us. Some idiot used pine!!. Have you ever had a turkey that tasted like Pine-Sol?

[marketingwiz]

I know it's not officially a 'restaurant,' but does anyone remember Udder Delight homemade ice cream on the Westheimer curve near Montrose, close to Marini's Empanada House? If I recall, they were the original mix-in kind of ice cream shop with a limited number of flavors made fresh daily. Needless to say, their logo involved a spotted cow. It was very popular in the late 70's, early 80's.

How about Hungry International sandwich shop, also on Westheimer near Montrose? They made a great steak hoagie. YUM!

I remember the one at Gessner & Westheimer being named The Great Mining Company. I ate at Baby Doe's Matchless Mine in Dallas when I was a student at Baylor - in Waco. That was a destination for Baylor Bears in the 70's. Waco hadn't had a restaurant boom yet when I was living there.

Here is a video about Baby Doe's closing in Dallas, and it even mentions that it was a tourist spot. And here is a website actually about Baby Doe, but has a page about the restaurants. Scroll down about halfway.

You are absolutely correct, Tiger, it was The Great Mining Company. Thanks for jarring my memory! I've eaten at Baby Doe's in Dallas, as well.

[NenaE]

I miss Miami Subs, was on Westheimer, right outside the beltway.

[memebag]

I know it's not officially a 'restaurant,' but does anyone remember Udder Delight homemade ice cream on the Westheimer curve near Montrose, close to Marini's Empanada House?

Yup. They had the largest White Mountain ice cream freezer I'd ever seen in the middle of the store. It was just like the one we had at home, only super-sized. They made about 6 flavors a day, and every one of them tasted exactly like real homemade ice cream because it was, just made in the store. Some of my greatest dining experiences were based on the proximity of Marini's and Udder Delight.

In the 80s there was an Udder Delight in Austin on Guadalupe. It was beneath a dentist's office.

[Disastro]

I miss Hamburgers By Gourmet.

Those were scrum-dilly-umptious!

Especially the one with the chili on it.

[rsb320]

Cookies Goodies and More desert shop on Westheimer and maybe Crocker. Also, there was a spud place right along that stretch too. You grabbed a spud and selected from the many toppings. Both of these would have been in the 80's.

Also, remember the Happy Buda? I think the one in Galveston is still there. ...and Houlihans was right across Westheimer from Hungry International.

Oh, Oh, Oh - The Brasserie on Alabama, near Audubon. It was next to Pasternak's Grocery.

I'm done.

[RhinoVP]

I miss Miami Subs, was on Westheimer, right outside the beltway.

Nena, your not the only one.

We used to go there a couple of times a week for the gyro's. What ever happened to it? I thought this was a chain, but you don't see them anymore.

Rhino

[LeeinMT]

Here's some more from my 40 + years in Houston:

Monterrey House, started in the 50's and specialized in food to go. Tended to be in the new suburbs. This was many Houstonian's first experience with Tex Mex.

Spanish Village on Almeda. Famous for their enchiladas.

Ghallagers Irish Steakhouse, I think in the 80's. Incredible cream of potato soup and a bar that was bigger than the restaurant. Imagine that.

Ouisies Table on Sunset Blvd. I used to live in the apartments next door. Everything prepared from scratch and different every day.

Der Weinersnitzel. Drive through (literally the building) hot dogs. The polish dog was a complete meal. They are still alive elsewhere.

Bordmans (1980's). Manager was Klaus Elfeldt who later went on his own and opened the Cotton Gin out in Katy.

The Texan drive in on Hempstead Hwy at Long Point. Teenage hangout in the 50's and early 60's. The tough guys would come in from Cy-Fair and show off their hot cars against the Spring Brance dudes. Surprised there weren't more fights.

Ye Olde College Inn, mentioned by several. Class act in the 1950's on Main by Rice U. Ledgendary crab cakes.

Las Casuelas just north of downtown in the bario 1970's & 80's. For awhile, the only place you could find real Mexican other than Tex Mex.

Dobbs House 24 hour diners. All over town in the 50's & 60's. I remember them especially well because it was my first job as a teenager (dishwasher making 90 cents/hr min wage). Surprisingly high quality food, including their "Steakburger Plates". One of the salad dressing choices was remoulade.

2 K's Ice Cream parlor, Post Oak at Westheimer by the old Sakowitz, early 1960's. Could this be the Katz ice cream place mentioned earlier? Only place in town to get a 1920's style cherry phosphate.

Luther's BBQ, great onion rings and ribs.

Jimmy Walkers, sit out on the deck and watch the boats go by in the channel connecting Clear Lake and the bay.

Andros Foreign Foods Deli, Fondren at Westpark. Great poor boy on a real crusty roll. The best seller was called the "skinny". You entered one door, got the sandwich out of the cooler, picked up chips and a drink, paid the cashier and out the other door, often without stopping. I could eat these every day and not get tired of them. Lots of crumbs in the car.

The original Jack in the Box on Long Point in 1958. The assistant principle at Spring Branch Jr. High quit his job and bought a franchise for this new concept of fast food. We all thought he had lost his mind with this strange "drive through" idea, but the rest is history. The original was shaped like a big box and the order was taken by a plastic clown with a loudspeaker in it's mouth. An early TV commercial showed the cops chasing the bad guys past the pickup window, barely slowing down to grab their food.

Enough for now.

[Happy Historian]

I remember eating "family style" at the Monument Inn next to the Battleship Texas. And my long lamented eatery has been the Clear Creek Inn at Kemah. Ah, the garlic toast and pickled beet relish. Mary was our waitress from the time I was carried in on a pillow and fed crackers until I began dating and taking girls there myself in the 1970s. My usual was the Fisherman's platter and I still recall my grandmother slipping me fried shrimp she didn't want from her plate. On Saturday nights we'd have shrimp cocktails too. Even today when my family goes out for seafood - I always start with saltenes and butter to "set my mouth right."

Alas, one too many storms swept Kemah clean and they never returned. Now there is that goofy mall amusement park convolution there and their food pales in comparison. If you want REAL seafood, there needs to be caudrons of boiling oil in the kitchen and someone like Mary making sure your ice tea glass is always full!

[brucesw]

Here's some more from my 40 + years in Houston:

Monterrey House, started in the 50's and specialized in food to go. Tended to be in the new suburbs. This was many Houstonian's first experience with Tex Mex.

Ghallagers Irish Steakhouse, I think in the 80's. Incredible cream of potato soup and a bar that was bigger than the restaurant. Imagine that.

Dobbs House 24 hour diners. All over town in the 50's & 60's. I remember them especially well because it was my first job as a teenager (dishwasher making 90 cents/hr min wage). Surprisingly high quality food, including their "Steakburger Plates". One of the salad dressing choices was remoulade.

Andros Foreign Foods Deli, Fondren at Westpark. Great poor boy on a real crusty roll. The best seller was called the "skinny". You entered one door, got the sandwich out of the cooler, picked up chips and a drink, paid the cashier and out the other door, often without stopping. I could eat these every day and not get tired of them. Lots of crumbs in the car.

Enough for now.

We loved Monterrey House. Yep, our first experience of Tex Mex.

Gallagher's rings a bell - competitor to Steak 'n Ale? Where on earth was it - I can't place it.

Dobb's House/Toddle House - all over town - all over the country from about the 30s. Loved the steakburger and hash browns.

Andros is still there. I think the last time I drove down that street a banner proclaimed the original owner is back? Used to be an import foods store as well as deli, competing with Antone's which had only one location. I had my first sample of mortadella there and bought imported pasta, cheeses, biscotti, and olive oil in 2 gallon tins. Now it's just a deli, competing with the likes of Antone's and Niko Niko's. Skinny boy, Fatboy, gyro - all tend to have more meat than the competition. Also some good soups.

Welcome to HAIF.

[crunchtastic]

I remember eating "family style" at the Monument Inn next to the Battleship Texas. And my long lamented eatery has been the Clear Creek Inn at Kemah. Ah, the garlic toast and pickled beet relish. Mary was our waitress from the time I was carried in on a pillow and fed crackers until I began dating and taking girls there myself in the 1970s. My usual was the Fisherman's platter and I still recall my grandmother slipping me fried shrimp she didn't want from her plate. On Saturday nights we'd have shrimp cocktails too. Even today when my family goes out for seafood - I always start with saltenes and butter to "set my mouth right."

Alas, one too many storms swept Kemah clean and they never returned. Now there is that goofy mall amusement park convolution there and their food pales in comparison. If you want REAL seafood, there needs to be caudrons of boiling oil in the kitchen and someone like Mary making sure your ice tea glass is always full!

Thanks for the post! I grew up in Friendswood and when we went out for seafood it was to the Clear Creek Inn. My dad taught me how to eat a whole broiled fish there when I was maybe 7 years old. Had many happy memories there. Back when you got a stuffed crab that was full of fresh picked crab in the summer, yum.

[memebag]

Ouisies Table on Sunset Blvd. I used to live in the apartments next door. Everything prepared from scratch and different every day.

Ouisie's Table is now on San Felipe. It shut down for 6 years (according to the web site). I've only been to the San Felipe location once, and it seemed way over-priced for what it is.

[TheShadow]

We loved Monterrey House. Yep, our first experience of Tex Mex.

Gallagher's rings a bell - competitor to Steak 'n Ale? Where on earth was it - I can't place it.

Dobb's House/Toddle House - all over town - all over the country from about the 30s. Loved the steakburger and hash browns.

Andros is still there. I think the last time I drove down that street a banner proclaimed the original owner is back? Used to be an import foods store as well as deli, competing with Antone's which had only one location. I had my first sample of mortadella there and bought imported pasta, cheeses, biscotti, and olive oil in 2 gallon tins. Now it's just a deli, competing with the likes of Antone's and Niko Niko's. Skinny boy, Fatboy, gyro - all tend to have more meat than the competition. Also some good soups.

Welcome to HAIF.

There was a Gallagher's on 290 near Pinemont. It's been defunct for about 20 years and is now the Gold Cup "gentlemen's club".

[e streeter]

i loved clear creek inn. could get full just on the garlic toast. i moved to dallas after college in the early 80's and on one of my visits home my family decided to go to clear creek inn. it had been several years and my dad drove to where he thought it should be and we couldn't find it. we drove all around kemah looking for it. ended up at the flying dutchman (??) and asked them where it was because we were lost. they said it got washed away during alicia and pointed to an empty lot across the way. of course, it would be gone now anyway because it wouldn't fit in the style of the kemah boardwalk. tillman would do good if he brought back that good home cooked food (and the garlic toast) instead of the boring food he serves. still the best fried shrimp.

I remember eating "family style" at the Monument Inn next to the Battleship Texas. And my long lamented eatery has been the Clear Creek Inn at Kemah. Ah, the garlic toast and pickled beet relish. Mary was our waitress from the time I was carried in on a pillow and fed crackers until I began dating and taking girls there myself in the 1970s. My usual was the Fisherman's platter and I still recall my grandmother slipping me fried shrimp she didn't want from her plate. On Saturday nights we'd have shrimp cocktails too. Even today when my family goes out for seafood - I always start with saltenes and butter to "set my mouth right."

Alas, one too many storms swept Kemah clean and they never returned. Now there is that goofy mall amusement park convolution there and their food pales in comparison. If you want REAL seafood, there needs to be caudrons of boiling oil in the kitchen and someone like Mary making sure your ice tea glass is always full!

[e streeter]

monterrey house had the best refried beans. my mom would make her own tacos, but always served beans from monterrey house. i loved those little candies (not the pralines, but the soft ones - two in a package joined together with walnuts on top). would love to find those again. there was a monterrey house on willowbend near the railroad tracks. i remember when it closed and my dad had to go further just to bring us those beans.

Here's some more from my 40 + years in Houston:

Monterrey House, started in the 50's and specialized in food to go. Tended to be in the new suburbs. This was many Houstonian's first experience with Tex Mex.

[TxAzMa]

The place I miss the most is the Mexicatessen on Crosstimbers. Absolutely the best Mexican food hands down. It was family tradition to eat there on Saturday nights for all of my life and it closed at the end of '06 because of family squabbling or something like that. We were crushed, as many people were.

[Vertigo58]

Even after mentioning the old Lockwood Inn Barbecue place on Lockwood at 610 several times on Haif, its like losing a family member. That bad!

Even when I seldom drive past, all thats left is the sign and post but the place burned to the ground decades ago. The links were killer and the sauce they poured over them was undescribeable. I am crying now.

This place was just a few blocks from McReynold's Jr High (Indian territory) as some long time Houstonians may have called it. The competition barbecue place Cozy Kitchen was across the street but never could compare to Lockwood, never.

Ok now I am really hungry!

[ccowles]

I miss Pino's the most. I go to their place in Bryan when I can but is not the same.

One of the oddest places we used to frequent as a kid was Western Travellers BBQ on hwy 90 in Sheldon. The front half of the place was a typical western BBQ place with wagon wheels and john wayne pictures and clunky wooden floor. The back restaurant was a seafood place you went to a 2 story back room that was themed with polynesian huts and an artifical creek fed by a water fall and the walls and ceiling had glowin the dark stars. My dad would get us the shrimp platter and it was all you could eat. It burned down in the early 80's.

[Todds_Mom]

I miss Pino's the most. I go to their place in Bryan when I can but is not the same.

One of the oddest places we used to frequent as a kid was Western Travellers BBQ on hwy 90 in Sheldon. The front half of the place was a typical western BBQ place with wagon wheels and john wayne pictures and clunky wooden floor. The back restaurant was a seafood place you went to a 2 story back room that was themed with polynesian huts and an artifical creek fed by a water fall and the walls and ceiling had glowin the dark stars. My dad would get us the shrimp platter and it was all you could eat. It burned down in the early 80's.

[jwolfe44]

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!

[jwolfe44]

Re defunct Houston restaurants: Alfred's son, Mike, had Khan's Deli on Rice Blvd. for years, but has sold it recently. It's still open, but it ain't the same.

[jwolfe44]

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.

What's changed most is the food.

Does anyone remember an Italian market called, Zampieri's.... or something like that. It was a god-send to my Sicilian grandmother who transplanted herself in Texas in 1970. I thought it was where Mandola's Deli is on Telephone Rd./Leeland.

that was Samperi's

Edited December 21, 2008 by jwolfe44

[Specwriter]

It is a shame to hear about the fate of Kahn's Deli. My father worked as a pharmacist for the old Jones' Apothecary back in the 60's. There were periodic meetings of all the store managers (once every two months or so if I remember correctly) that took place in the evenings after the drug stores closed. Dinner was served at the meetings and it consisted (almost always) of sandwiches from Alfred's. They were set out on large trays and the Jones employees were invited to take the leftovers home. That is how I was introduced to what a proper deli sandwich should be.

Perhaps it is possible to buy a restaurant and copy its recipies but it would appear that there is an intangible element in play also. It is a further shame that the reputation of Kahn's may be diminished if the new owners can not maintain that which made it so memorable in the first place - the goodness of the food.