cdenker

Does anyone remember the original Piquet Market?  NOT the current restaurant (although it is related).  This was a Cuban Market Store, and I think they had a small restaurant area as well.  I'm pretty sure it was on or near Chimney Rock. We used to go there in the 70s to buy Brasilian stuff (they were the ONLY place in Houston that carried Guarana - our must have soda drink).  I know later in the 80s/90s it moved a few times and is still in existence nearby as a full Cuban restaurant.

On 8/27/2020 at 1:39 PM, dfresh38 said:

Thanks for the response!  I think the sign was maybe from the 50s or 60s, so would have been older than the sports bars.  And BW3 is listed as 2525 Rice, so there must have been multiple businesses on what is the current lot.

I know a friend of mine opened up BW3 around 1997 or so.  I remember walking through it before it got renovated and it was definitely a sports bar.  The tables had lots of cool sports memorabilia laminated into the tops.   

On 3/9/2023 at 5:02 PM, KPB said:

Wow, I used to work there in the early 80's. I actually applied for a cook position in 1980 and Chris Pappas hired me to do odd jobs as the restaurant wasn't opened yet. I spent many hours polishing the front brass doors. Once the restaurant opened, Chris moved me to a cook. On the weekends there was an acrobat from Guiana who performed tricks all over the restaurant and a clown making animal balloons for the kids. Really fun place to work!!

did people call is "Circus Circus" back in the early days?  I'm guessing people called it that because of "Circus Circus" in Vegas, or perhaps because there were two "Circus" signs in the front (left and right side), so people might see that and start calling it "Circus Circus".  In any case, everyone I know including me has always called it "Circus Circus", and I was surprised when I learned the names is only "Circus".

On 7/19/2006 at 11:26 PM, Trophy Property said:

Actually the Railhead turned into Club 6400 and has been about 10 clubs since.

The Boston Tea Party was on Westheimer I think where Molinas now sits.

Is Michealangelos closed. I ate there a couple of years ago?

I know this thread is a little old, but I was looking up something and saw this.  Before Club 6400 there were clubs called Fizz and Hippo.  Hippo turned into Club 6400 around 1988 or so.  

Does anyone remember the "Circus Circus" restaurant over at 6015 Westheimer?  It was one of the early Pappas restaurants, during the 80s.  The official name was just "Circus".  But EVERYONE always called it "Circus Circus".  Does anyone remember why?  

On 9/29/2022 at 11:07 PM, Clifford said:

I have 4 childhood favorites from the 60s. Very obscure. I wonder if anyone remembers them? I even have a hard time being sure of their names and locations. 

There was a coffee shop/ diner in Westbury, on Belfort, next to the library and putt putt golf, called Kings? I just remember that part of the name. Fried grilled cheese battered, with cracker crust. Never had anything like it again.

Another was the best Italian I've ever had called Leonardo's. There were flip-card movie machines and other antiques. Best real Italian food. It was south of Westbury, out Hillcroft, somewhere. 

Then there was Brittain's Broiler Burger in Westbury Square. Very tasty flame grilled burgers and nice lemon ice cream.

Of course, Alfred's Delicatessen on Stella Link. Amazing burgers and borscht.

I remember these places and wonder if no one else remembers. 

Kings was the place that had telephones on the table where you could order.  It was located where the Gabbanelli Accordian Store is now, 4991 W Bellfort.   Leonardo's was probably before my time, but there is a lot of info on this place (see pic), but it is listed as being on S. Post Oak, not Hillcroft, so not sure if it is the same place or not.  

Brittains Broiler Burger wasn't technically in Westbury Square, but right next to it in a strip mall.  One of the associated locations (there were a few around town), called "Bellaire Broiler Burger" just closed weeks ago.  They were known for having a merry-go-round inside.

There is a facebook group called "Southwest Houston - Do You Remember When....."

Does anyone remember the "Circus Circus" restaurant over at 6015 Westheimer?  It was one of the early Pappas restaurants, during the 80s.  The official name was just "Circus".  But EVERYONE always called it "Circus Circus".  Does anyone remember why?  

Church's (Fried Chicken) opened up in around 1972 - technically outside of Westbury Square, but right next to it.  At some point it changed over to a Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Does anyone remember when this happened?  I'm thinking it was mid - late 80's, but not sure.  

I'm confused.  Several of the pictures mention the oil field was exactly where NRG stadium exists today.  But the actual salt dome and production wells that I have seen are all a fair bit south, more or less where Reed Road intersects Almeda Road.  That's not really close to NRG stadium.  Anyone?

On 2/15/2006 at 7:13 PM, roym said:

I found this listing for Southway 6 on cinematour.com:

Southway 6, 8006 S. Gessner Dr., Closed

Unfortunately they didn't have any photos or other information. Don't know which theater was at W. Bellfort & Fondren. Maybe a similarly named one?

Crockpot and Gavel,

What was it directly before it became a BW3?  I seem to remember BW3 was opened in about 1998 or so.  My friend owned/operated it, obviously I need to track him down and ask him directly!  For some reason I want to say it "Giffs", from Giff Nielson.  But maybe I'm just confusing it with the Dan & Nicks iteration.  I remember walking through it when it was becoming BW3 and I think they kept a lot of the sports memorabilia from when it was Giffs (or whatever place I'm thinking of).   I'm pretty sure it was a sports bar right before it became BW3 (but maybe there might have been a gap of few years between Dan & Nicks and BW3?). 

Our money was the first ever spent in there, and one of our dollar bills was on the wall for years afterward.

I'm putting this issue to bed.  The weather ball did NOT come down in 1964, as every reference to it indicates.  Here is another picture from 1968, from the John Wayne movie "Hellfighters".  It show both the Gulf sign and the Weatherball in the background.  No disputing the date of this one, since it is a major movie with no special effects.  

On 2/15/2006 at 7:13 PM, roym said:

I found this listing for Southway 6 on cinematour.com:

Southway 6, 8006 S. Gessner Dr., Closed

Unfortunately they didn't have any photos or other information. Don't know which theater was at W. Bellfort & Fondren. Maybe a similarly named one?

This thread is way old, but the cinema was called PLIT or maybe PLITT.  No idea what that stood for, but it was built around the same time that Welch Middle started up, in the very early '80s.

On 6/30/2014 at 8:04 PM, ArchFan said:

 

See if you can follow this link:  http://www.sixflagshouston.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3393&sid=6ea17978b64e04bc5898487d97a5c14c

 

If you scroll down, there is a photo and this comment about "The Weather Eye":   "This ball was dismantled in 1964 and eventually placed at the entry fountain at Astroworld where it remained until 1995 when it was located in Astroworld storage."  It also mentions something I didn't remember, that "Conoco" was only on one side, the other said "Texas National Bank".

This is driving me crazy...  I found a picture from the Houston Chronicle in 1969 (assume taken at same time?) that shows the weatherball, along with several buildings that didn't exist until 1967.  In addition, it shows the Gulf "Lollipop" sign, which didn't go up until 1966.  So this must mean the weatherball didn't get dismantled in 1964 (a LOT of places mention that same fact).  Could they be wrong?  Does anyone know for sure when the weatherball went down?

On 4/6/2016 at 2:24 PM, Zenjive said:

Does anyone remember El Yucatan on Hwy 6, about a block or two south of I-10? It was just south of Grisby on the west side of 6. It closed around 2002-2004.

They had hundreds of photos of Pancho Villa on the walls. Tucked away on one of these walls was a small print of what looked like somebody in a panda suit "wrestling" with a nun in a sort of nature scene. It was quite magnificent!

I really wish I had a camera phone back then, because I have yet to find this image anywhere on the internet.

Yeah I do remember that place.  Used to eat there in the late '90s.  Since that whole area was torn down, it's hard to remember what it even looked like.  Don't remember the picture, though.  

It is mentioned several times that the weatherball was taken down in 1964.  But I posted a picture (on a new thread about the weatherball) showing the weatherball in the same picture as many other buildings that didn't exist until 1967.  Can anyone confirm when exactly the weatherball was taken down?  Many sources say 1964, but that just can't be given that, in addition to the aforementioned buildings, it is also in a picture also showing the Gulf Lollipop sign, which didn't come about until 1966.

You are absolutely correct. Here is the blog where I got the address, and I blindly just copied it, but they are incorrect!  

This photo is attributed to the Houston Chronicle , 1969.  The Texas National Bank Building (1300 Main) is on the left side of the SHELL sign with the "weatherball" still on top.  Everything I've read says the weatherball was removed in 1964.  But the building behind the SHELL sign (1200 Travis) wasn't built until 1967.  Also, the TENNECO building wasn't named that until 1966, so what am I missing here?  Also, the Gulf lollipop sign wasn't erected until 1966.  So it MUST be that the weatherball was NOT dismantled in 1964, as all the sources would indicate, because it is still in this picture. 

Confusing picture.  The "weatherball" on top of the Texas National Bank building (921 Main @ McKinney) is visible on the left side of the picture.  Everything I've read says this was removed in 1964 (and ended up at Astroworld of all places).  But the building directly behind the Shell sign, wasn't built until 1967 (1200 Travis).  This picture was posted on a Facebook group and is notated as being published in the Houston Chronicle in 1969.  What am I missing here?

EDIT:  I'm not sure it belongs in this thread, so I started a new one with the same picture. 

Does anyone remember the other Pig & Whistle?  It was also on Richmond but more to the west, maybe around Fountain View area?  I think it closed in the early '90s maybe?  Where was it exactly, anyone remember?

This was in the semi-recent past, within last 10-20 years or so.  There was an Italian/Pizza place either on Westheimer or possibly Memorial, probably just outside of the Beltway (Energy Corridor).  I remember they had a collection of basketball player's shoes.  The big shoes, incredible sizes.  They had many dozens of these shoes displayed on the walls of the restaurant, along with pictures of the players.  The pizza was forgettable, but not the shoes.  Does any one remember the name of the place?  It might still be there, but I doubt it...

Slightly different topic, but does anyone know how Riceville School Road got it's name?

I have seen an ad for a girls' boarding school that looks similar (from memory). I'll take a look and see later today. In other news, I noticed that Traces of Texas never (rarely?) gives any attribution for images. Are they part of a personal collection?

I'm not sure, there is a facebook page related to it.  I think the photos are personal contributions from private collections.  There is usually and attribution when the photos are posted on facebook (and this is usually to a personal name and relation to photo)

This is pure speculation on my part, but the architecture strikes me as simpler pre-Victorian than Victorian era.  Also, if that is the case something of this size must have been a fairly important building.  

 

Compare it to the original 1839 Brazoria County Courthouse:

 

The 5*6 window bay proportions are the same, as is the placement of the chimneys.  What differs are the additions of the dormers, the rear extension, and the wrap-around porches.  The porches might have been a latter addition, since the porch roofline isn't consistent with the main roof.  

 

If the photograph isn't the same building as the courthouse, it wouldn't be surprising if it was the same architect reusing plans.

 this picture is being discussed on a Houston facebook page (from Traces of Texas website).  Anyone have any idea?  It is labeled as an undated house is houston.  Obviously looks like some sort of rooming or boarding house?

When I went to Westbury in the early '80s, I remember they had spitoons with running water in the hallways. For the 1st year I thought that these were men's urinals and I couldn't figure out why they were out where everyone could see them... Eventually I learned they were for spitting tobacco juice!