Italian Beef House On Telephone Rd.

[EastEnd Susan]

Does anyone remember the Italian Beef House? It was located I believe on the corner of Dumble and the Gulf Freeway right under the giant neon coca cola sign. I went to Austin high and sometimes we would sneek off campus and have lunch there. They had the best meatball sandwiches in town. It was just a tiny place but it was always packed.

[MidtownCoog]

neon coca cola sign

No, but I am glad someone else remembers that sign.

My Dad graduated Austin in 64 (I think). I'll have to ask him.

[PARKERPLUS]

I remember the ITALIAN BEEF HOUSE - it was located at the corner of Telephone Rd, Dismuke, and the Gulf Freeway under the Coke a Cola sign. I have eaten there quite a few times and loved their sandwiches. Across Telephone Rd was a Steak & Egg resturant, later became a pawn shop. Next to the beef house was SAM SORELLE Lumber Co which now is a mattress manufacturing place. A church was across Dismuke from the beef house.

[TexasHome]

Dont know why I dont remember anything but the Steak & Egg. That was a great place to just sit and munch.

Thanks ParkerPlus for reminding me of that.

[Vertigo58]

Does anyone remember the Italian Beef House? It was located I believe on the corner of Dumble and the Gulf Freeway right under the giant neon coca cola sign. I went to Austin high and sometimes we would sneek off campus and have lunch there. They had the best meatball sandwiches in town. It was just a tiny place but it was always packed.

Just found this old message. We used to always to to Italian Beef House I miss those delicious sandwiches so much! I used to load the parmeson cheese big time! There was that peculiar little bar on the top level. I was too young to hang out there but yep miss that place bad, which is just as well because they would have turned it into another Mexican eaterie. last thing that area needs. On a happier note I am glad I filmed the Coca-Cola sign above it on 8mm! and at night so it really sparkled. For those unfamiliar, that Coke sign was humongous! and dazzled the nightskies for years. When it was turned off the area was headed downhill. That was the 1st sign pardon the pun!

[Larry Hill]

Vertigo58, do you still have your 8mm film of the Coca-Cola sign. There is a long thread about the sign on the Facebook group "I'm from Eastend Houston, Tx".  Everyone remembers the sign, but nobody has pictures. 

[Sonny]

The Italian Beef House was my grandfather's restaurant.  It was on Telephone Rd. and I-45.

[mkultra25]

Italian Beef sandwiches aren't exactly easy to come by anymore. Anyone in search of a good one (or a very good pizza) should check out Chicago Italian Beef and Pizza on Airline near Cavalcade. I have no connection with them other than as a semi-regularly-satiated customer. 

 

http://www.chicagoibp.com/

[Larry Hill]

I am still looking for a video or photo of the Coca-Cola sign that was at the corner of Telephone Road and the Gulf Freeway. I guess to ask for a photo of the Italian Beef House behind the sigh is too much to ask.

[Bob M]

The Italian Beef House was at the corner of Telephone Road and the Gulf Freeway, right under the huge Coca-Cola sign and across Knobloch Street from Sam SoRelle Lumber Company.  They started as Henry's Feed Store, then became the Freeway Gun Shop.  After the gun shop moved down the freeway (around Cullen, I believe), it became the Italian Beef House.  It had the best pizza and Italian beef or Italian sausage sandwiches in town, hands down.  Buster and Jeanne, Caroline, Maxine, and others made the Italian beef from scratch.  The pizza was so loaded with toppings that you could barely pick one up!  It also had a dining room and bar in the back that was popular with local businessmen.  The building burnt-down in the late 1980s, I believe.  There was a Steak and Egg Kitchen across Telephone Road from it and Epworth United Methodist Church was in back of it.  I believe all of these places are just a part of East End lore at this stage of the game, including that giant Coke sign.

[chrispy]

I’d love to see any pics or videos of the sign and/or Italian Beef House. My mom ate there often, took us along several times. 

I notice Vertigo58 hasn’t been on here in a very long time. If anyone knows him in real time, I hope he is doing well. I always enjoyed his posts! He must live somewhere very close to me (Griggs/Gulf Freeway). 

I miss that Steak and Egg...but it did go downhill the last couple of years it was open. I ate there about 6-8 months before it closed down and wasn’t impressed...especially when you have Tel-Wink right down the road. 

[Larry Hill]

I sent several messages to Vertigo58 two years ago but he never responded.

[Jenkins76]

Used to sneak off campus and go to the Italian Beef House for lunch. Loved it.

[Pamela Swafford]

My family always ate there. My Dad would call in our orders and my younger brother, David Cook & I, Pam Cook, would go and get it. Their food was amazing!

[Watson503]

I grew-up on Des Jardines right off of Telephone and although I haven't had it since the mid-80s, the Italian Beef House's pizza is still my favorite to this day - pepperoni or sometimes we'd order pepperoni and mushroom...just awesome! This is one of those places I wish was still around, I tell my wife about that place all of the time as she grew-up in Spring Branch and never had heard of it. 

[Jim B]

This message is mostly a reply to "Sonny" and "Bob M". Hey Sonny, my mother worked there in the bar for several years - June. We often speak fondly of Buster and Jeanie and Nellie and "the best pizza ina da town!". We're the folks that handed down to you the big train set mounted on plywood when you were little. Bob M: did you live right down the street from The Orange Show? If so, hello Bob M! Of course we remember you, too, if I've got the right guy.

[Janet]

My grandparents owed it.  Buster and Holla Ayo.  

[Jim B]

First order of business: Apologies to "Bob M". I was thinking of Bud Mosier, a regular at the Beef House. He was very old in the early 80s, so I'm sure he's gone to his reward.

Second: Hello, Janet. My mother and I knew your Grandad, Buster, but I remember his wife being known as "Jeanie". My mother was Buster and Jeanie's bartender for several years. Either Sonny is your brother or you're from different sides of the family. Nice to hear from you. Good thread here covering a very old topic.

[Scott Frazier]

The sign was there . and Italian beef house also remember the steak and egg  I just found this post my Grandma lived on des Jardines and 45  I went to Austin  high and Stonewall Jackson  growing up would go by that sign all the time and how it looked so cool at night lit up when I tell my sons about the big coca-cola sign all the time they look at me like I am lying 😂 I remember one of the TV stations doing a story on it when they Took it down after all those years of it up I want to say they said it was the cost of maintenance is why they took it down :( but who knows good old East End  also remember The Orange Show a few blocks over from Grandma house TV News  did a story on it also