El Chico Restaurant/Monterrey House

[Ashikaga]

When I lived in Tulsa in the early 90s there was still a Pancho's Mexican Buffet there. Not sure if it is still open or not.

One thing I loved during my many years in Houston was Los Tios Mexican Restaurant's puff tortilla covered in queso. They really got the tortillas puffed up into a thin, crunchy balloon. Wish I knew how to do it. Are they still in business?

BTW, for what it's worth, I remember Henke & Pillot's store on Bellaire Blvd. in a shopping center on the north side of the street, near the train tracks that go through the city of Bellaire. There was also a movie theater there.

Yes, I also remember a Henke & Pillot's store from back when I lived in Houston (1962-64). It was located on a "Y" where Telephone Road intersected Reveille. It later changed its name to Kroger. It was right across the street from the Monterey House restaurant that we ate at.

Is Los Tios a chain restaurant? Even though Taco Bell is classified as a fast food restaurant, I wonder if it is the chain that has replaced Monterey House/El Chico/Felix? If Los Tios isn't a chain, then I know of no other Mexican restaurant chains. But maybe you do.

[FreakyDude]

El Chico is popular here in Arkansas.

Rodney Parham is one location and another off of I-30 near Geyer Springs. Senior Tequila is much better though!

[PapillionWyngs]

The Monterey House chain was purchased by the same group which owns teh Skeeter's chain. They renamed the locations to Monterey's Tex-Mex Cafe and reopened only the locations which showed promise.

MRI doesn't own Skeeters, but does own Monterey's.

[northbeaumont]

This is the one on South Main from another topic.

Now these are two Mexican restaurants that I remember very well. There's a Monterrey House restaurant still operating on South 11th Street here in Beaumont. I heard that it is either the last or one of the last of the chain still open. I went there some, but not as much as I did to El Chico. El Chico was located inside Parkdale Mall next to Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor. It closed down in the late 1980s/early 1990s. There's now a Books-A-Million store in that space today.

[cowboybud]

Oops, sorry. I meant Bellaire and Hwy 6.

At any rate, the old Kroger center (now a 99

[northbeaumont]

At any rate, the old Kroger center (now a 99

[digitalcowboymagic]

Sometime back in the early 70's a guy killed himself inside the El Chico restaurant at Almeda Mall. Does anyone remember that one? I think it was right across from Picadilly cafeteria.

[musicman]

Sometime back in the early 70's a guy killed himself inside the El Chico restaurant at Almeda Mall. Does anyone remember that one? I think it was right across from Picadilly cafeteria.

i thought picadilly was on the kleckley side of the mall while el chico was on the freeway side?

[EastEnd Susan]

i thought picadilly was on the kleckley side of the mall while el chico was on the freeway side?

El Chico and Picadilly were across from each other on the Kleckley side. You went in the same mall entrance and El Chico was on the left a little further down and Picadilly on the right. If you kept walking forward you would run smack dab into a tiny food court where I got food poisoning. 2 burritos + extra chili sauce = 3 days at St Josephs Hospital. Memories of the summer of 1976.

[gnu]

El Chico and Picadilly were right across from each other on the Kleckley side. You went in the same mall entrance and El Chico was on the left and Picadilly on the right. If you kept walking forward you would run smack dab into a tiny food court where I got food poisoning. 2 burritos + extra chili sauce = 3 days at St Josephs Hospital. Memories of the summer of 1976.

and Picadilly is still there (and the food court)

at least 6 month ago, when i was in there.

Maybe musicman is confusing it with the old Farrell's location on the freeway side that later became a mexican restaurant?

[Vertigo58]

and Picadilly is still there (and the food court)

at least 6 month ago, when i was in there.

Maybe musicman is confusing it with the old Farrell's location on the freeway side that later became a mexican restaurant?

I think your right. That place did become a Mexican place like in the 80's?

As far as an incident happening, all I recall was about 7 years ago they found a dead newborn inside the ladies restroom of Piccadilly. That I recall vividly as my mom and I ate lunch earlier that day and I saw on the news that evening. What a shock, and I thought I had seen it all!

[musicman]

Maybe musicman is confusing it with the old Farrell's location on the freeway side that later became a mexican restaurant?

no i remember farrell's and the marco's on the freeway side. for some reason the only thing i remember across from picadilly's was a book store of some sorts, but it wasn't there long.

[Vertigo58]

no i remember farrell's and the marco's on the freeway side. for some reason the only thing i remember across from picadilly's was a book store of some sorts, but it wasn't there long.

Your right (maybe I misread) it was a Walden Books or similar to. I used to buy magazines there. Sadly the arcade place that replaced it became a center of thug activity later. Its a miracle Piccadilly is still sticking around for now anyway.

[musicman]

Your right (maybe I misread) it was a Walden Books or similar to. I used to buy magazines there. Sadly the arcade place that replaced it became a center of thug activity later. Its a miracle Piccadilly is still sticking around for now anyway.

yeah i think that was before that entrance was exclusively the food court area. the arcade place sure didn't help a thing. that piccadilly's is a classic to me. very retro.

[houstonmacbro]

Over here, there used to be an El Chico Mexican Restaurant in Parkdale Mall in Beaumont, but it closed down a long time ago. I think that it was a chain. I went there many times. To me, it was just about the same as Monterey House. Are there any El Chico's over there in Houston?

Chet Cuccia

I used to work at the El Chico at S. Main (forget the cross street). It closed, but not before becoming something else. That must have been around 1983 or thereabouts.

[terrbo]

I used to work at the El Chico at S. Main (forget the cross street). It closed, but not before becoming something else. That must have been around 1983 or thereabouts.

I'm pretty sure I remember an El Chico in Sharpstown Mall? In the 90's at least, maybe?

Also, I'm from Waco originally (been in Houston, actually started in Bacliff in 1975..), but in the 60's.. I remember our family taking my uncle, aunt and 3 cousins to El Chico. They were from Illinois. And they weren't that into Mexican food yet.. so.. the cousins had.. pizza!

[northbeaumont]

I'm pretty sure I remember an El Chico in Sharpstown Mall? In the 90's at least, maybe?

Also, I'm from Waco originally (been in Houston, actually started in Bacliff in 1975..), but in the 60's.. I remember our family taking my uncle, aunt and 3 cousins to El Chico. They were from Illinois. And they weren't that into Mexican food yet.. so.. the cousins had.. pizza!

Yes, I once went to El Chico with a Mexican woman. I didn't feel like having Mexican food, so I ordered burger & fries from the American food section of the menu. She wondered why we didn't go to McDonald's if I was going to buy that kind of food at a Mexican restaurant.

[digitalcowboymagic]

The El Chico on South Main was near the corner of main and kirby. There are apartments there now. Is the Al's Formal Wear still there?

As for the Almeda Mall location...there was this guy that was the manager, his name was Joe Stakes, he shot himself in the office late one saturday night. I think it was over gambling debts. At least that is what my father told me.

Does Anyone remember the Al Stokes Volkswagon dealership across the street? Thats where Randy Webster stole the car from.

[PapillionWyngs]

El Chico and Picadilly were across from each other on the Kleckley side. You went in the same mall entrance and El Chico was on the left a little further down and Picadilly on the right. If you kept walking forward you would run smack dab into a tiny food court where I got food poisoning. 2 burritos + extra chili sauce = 3 days at St Josephs Hospital. Memories of the summer of 1976.

Ype - that's where it was. Sorry about the food posioning. I hadit about a month ago - from Mexican food.

Yuck!

[northbeaumont]

El Chico and Picadilly were across from each other on the Kleckley side. You went in the same mall entrance and El Chico was on the left a little further down and Picadilly on the right. If you kept walking forward you would run smack dab into a tiny food court where I got food poisoning. 2 burritos + extra chili sauce = 3 days at St Josephs Hospital. Memories of the summer of 1976.

Sue, did you sue?

[johnfinley]

In DFW, El Chico is a shadow of it's former self. It's quality is below Taco Bueno's, but higher than Taco Bell's. The only thing ELC is good for is a cheap drink special. They are the worst chain out of the entire Street family empire!

http://www.croinc.com/el_chico.html

[EastEnd Susan]

Sue, did you sue?

Hmmm Now theres a thought. Is 31 years too long to have procrastinated? Wheres my lawyer!!

[northbeaumont]

Hmmm Now theres a thought. Is 31 years too long to have procrastinated? Wheres my lawyer!!

I meant did you file a lawsuit back when it happened?

[MarkInTheHeights]

One thing I loved during my many years in Houston was Los Tios Mexican Restaurant's puff tortilla covered in queso. They really got the tortillas puffed up into a thin, crunchy balloon. Wish I knew how to do it. Are they still in business?

They are indeed, and they still make the puff tortilla covered in queso.

[northbeaumont]

This is the one on South Main from another topic.

I remember the differences between El Chico and Monterrey House being Monterrey House was a small building located right on a busy main street. El Chico was a little fancier, located in malls, the buildings were bigger, a little more elegantly furnished than Monterrey House. El Chico mostly had waiters, Monterrey House mostly had waitresses. Now I can't remember if Monterrey in this usage (not the cities in California and Mexico) has one or two "r's."

I remember the differences between El Chico and Monterrey House being Monterrey House was a small building located right on a busy main street. El Chico was a little fancier, located in malls, the buildings were bigger, a little more elegantly furnished than Monterrey House. El Chico mostly had waiters, Monterrey House mostly had waitresses. Now I can't remember if Monterrey in this usage (not the cities in California and Mexico) has one or two "r's."

Also, you can tell by the body styles of the cars in the top photos that that was in the late 1950s/early 1960s. That building looks elegant for way back then.