Historic Houston Restaurants

[groovehouse]

Even though it's only been gone a short time, I miss the original Antone's on Taft. The chain Antone's pale in comparison to the original locations. I don't even know how many 'original' stores exist.

I also miss ZuZu, which was on Shepherd near Fairview. It was Mexican fast food and I remember a salsa bar or something... it was quaint with good food.

[pineda]

Longhorn Cafe at Richmond and Kirby!

[Montrose1100]

I miss that drive threw only burger place, and they where cheap, but the BEST! Does anyone remember? I think they had like 3 around Uptown-Westchase... I remember the color yellow, there where generally in parking lots, ONLY drive threw...

and CHECKERS!!! They had the BEST fries!!

Cinco De Mayo on Holzworth (It burned down to the ground)

[ssullivan]

Several from long ago in my childhood when we used to come to Houston to see my grandparents:

-Kapan's on South Main at Kirby (where the Eckerd's is now), our usual Sunday after church lunch place - good steaks and seafood, and those excellent crab ball appetizers that the guy in the white suit used to bring around to all the tables

-Angelo's, another long gone seafood restuarant

-The Strawberry Patch on Westheimer, the Pappas family's country/home cooking concept (Pappas Bros. Steakhouse is there now)

-Tokyo Gardens, the first place I ever had Japanese

[The Great Hizzy!]

Atchafalaya's.

Cajun restaurant, and the first restaurant that became a "favorite" after I moved here. Had a great Chicken Tchopitoulas and the best cornbread muffins I've ever had in a restaurant. The atmosphere was kind of stale, because I guess people started visiting less but the food was great and the staff very friendly.

[dbigtex56]

Renu's, a Thai restaurant on Westheimer near Commonwealth. They had a dish called "Tiger Cries", and I'm drooling just thinking about it.

[ricco67]

The one I REALLY miss is Yakov's Deli.

It was THE place to go. I cried for a couple of days after I found out he left. He was supposed to open another shop, but he never got around to it, I guess.

Ricco

[Subdude]

-Kapan's on South Main at Kirby (where the Eckerd's is now), our usual Sunday after church lunch place - good steaks and seafood, and those excellent crab ball appetizers that the guy in the white suit used to bring around to all the tables

Never ate there, but if nothing else they should have saved the giant shrimp with six-shooters!

[BayouCityGirl]

Mr. Gatti's (their still around somewhere)

Showbiz Pizza (AKA Chuck E. Cheese)

Del Taco (their still around!)

JoJo's (breakfast house...y'all know what I am talking about right?)

Champs

[hokieone]

Mr. Gatti's (their still around somewhere)

Showbiz Pizza (AKA Chuck E. Cheese)

Del Taco (their still around!)

JoJo's (breakfast house...y'all know what I am talking about right?)

Champs

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gatti's for sure is still around I know in Clear Lake. Also still in Rice near the stadium last I saw.

[ssullivan]

Del Taco is long gone from Texas, but alive and well in California. I saw several in San Diego last weekend.

Weren't Showbiz and Chuck E. Cheese two different companies that merged at some point? Neither was very good; the only real attraction there was the games.

[BayouCityGirl]

I saw it in California as well when I went there not too long ago.

I thought Del Taco was in Dallas.

Isn't there going to be a "El Pollo Loco" here in Houston coming...I think way later in the year. I read it somewhere.

[musicman]

I knew all the others already mentioned......(oldest first i think)

Ranger Drive in on Telephone

Metranga's

Pipeorgan Pizza

chichi's

[Kirzania]

Mr. Gatti's is/was all the way down here? ... They're still going strong in Kentucky. There's a Mr. Gatti's by Ft. Knox and a Gattitown (same thing) in Lexington. I know of at least five in Louisville.

I'm not really impressed by the place...

[ssullivan]

I'm pretty sure there's a Gatti's at the corner of University and Greenbriar across from the southwest corner of the Rice campus. I think it's a delivery/carry out only location in an old converted house.

[citykid09]

I did not know Del Taco was in Texas before! I knew they had came into the El Paso market awhile back and it did not work. So Houston use to have Del Taco? When?

[gnu]

I did not know Del Taco was in Texas before! I knew they had came into the El Paso market awhile back and it did not work. So Houston use to have Del Taco? When?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

late 70's and early 80's

also had Taco Bueno's too.

[citykid09]

Did Houston every have RuBy Tuesday's?

Or Hardee's?

Or Carl's Jr?

[MidtownCoog]

There was a Del Taco on Edgebrook. It's a credit union now.

What about that crazy fish and chips place?

It was called Alfreds or something like that.

[BayouCityGirl]

We had a Ruby Tuesdays' on Westheimer (near Toys R US)

Hardees...mm..not sure. I don't think we ever had a Carl's Jr. but I do remember when I lived in El Paso we got "KTLA" (for free) and I'd watch the Carl Jr. Ads (if its not in your face, it doesn't belong on your sandwich) -I think that was the ad.

From what I hear Hardee's sounds gross. I remember having Del Taco around the corner from me. (I lived in Fondren Southwest) I used to go to Mr. Gatti's by Braes Bayou (I think)..

What I remember of Mr. Gatti's is that they had a big screen and they'd show "The little Rascals" and old newsreels.

I remember my bday party at Showbiz (with the bear)

I think its cool we have the One of a kind "Whataburger"

and our Kolaches (which is now expanding)...even though Canadian I wish we had a Tim Hortons!

I saw Taco Bueno in the metroplex.

[citykid09]

How did you get KTLA in El Paso?

[BayouCityGirl]

I lived in an apartment and we had basic cable. Just like some stations get WGN, El Paso gets KTLA for free. I enjoyed watching the weather and traffic and news.

Mountain time zone production and airing shows out there is weird out there.

When Star Trek Deep Space Nine came on we got it at 10:30 PM on ABC (on other affiliates it came on UPN) whereas Voyager came on UPN with no problem. (which we'd get Voyager at 11:30 AM on a Saturday)

[citykid09]

What ever happened to Krystal Burger expanding?

[Kirzania]

What ever happened to Krystal Burger expanding?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ugh. :retch: Why would you want them to? Nearly every one I've ever seen has been boarded up.

[sevfiv]

I'm pretty sure there's a Gatti's at the corner of University and Greenbriar across from the southwest corner of the Rice campus. I think it's a delivery/carry out only location in an old converted house.

yep - it is there, and not easy to access i am sure...

i saw a krystal burger cup in a parking lot at a kroger here...must have been traveling! last time i saw one was in beaumont...

[skwatra]

remember Two Pesos? i think they got sued by taco cabana for copying style.

gatti's is still in clear lake, i prefer cici's or double daves for the buffet though.

little caeser's still around?

del taco is going strong in the midwest. ate there once, never again. hardee's is ok, but i don't mind not having it here. and i'm very glad we don't have krystals or white castle.

hopefully they'll open more raising cane's here, had it in new orleans and those are some good, fast tenders.

[citykid09]

We have Gatti Town in Bryan College Station.

And we just got Chucky Cheese after them being gone for about 20 something years.

[hokieone]

Hardee's is gross. Glad we don't have around here, although really wouldn't make any difference either way. I've always thought of it as a poor man's jack in the Box. Yeah that good.

I remember that Gatti's near A&M. Went there once after a swim meet. Remember having a good time. I think we were there late enough that SNL was on and I remember Dennis Miller was still the host of the Weekend Update. Oh, how time flies.

[citykid09]

They closed the Gatti's near A&M many years ago, then they opened a big one in Bryan, about 13 years later they closed that one and opened a new one in College Station.

[gnu]

There was a Del Taco on Edgebrook.  It's a credit union now.

What about that crazy fish and chips place?

It was called Alfreds or something like that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Credit Union on Edgebrook was a Taco Bueno. i think the company was dallas-based. it may have been a del taco too later but it was built as Taco Bueno.

Maybe Alfie's fish and chips?..i remember eating at one on Broadway in galveston.

Their logo was the canadian mountie from the cartoons.

What about H Salt fish and chips? They are still around in California. I know their were a few here in the early 70's.

And the little places..about the same size as an old box shaped jack in the box but were made to look like windmills with cedar shake siding. can't remember the name seems like it started with a W.