Learn how a city eats, and you will learn how it lives. A catalog of restaurants >50 years old either still open or now closed. View our guides to the city's growing culinary scene from award-winning restaurants and fine dining to amazing places for budget-friendly meals. The first thing that really struck us was how early everyone went out to eat. Youngbloods was a big hit. Those were great days. Opened in 1954 by James Brady in Detroit, this family-owned restaurant now calls Novi home. L'eggs/YWCA Race - Houston, Texas. One eventually learned to book a room far in advance. Popular during the 70s and early 80s, the sandwich consisted of taco meat, shredded lettuce, mild "border sauce" and diced onions. Frizell examines one of two Aldine Independent School District buses which collided at Frick Road and Sundale in northwest Harris County at 3:23 p.m. Thursday,injuring four students and a driver. Here are some of the other bars I remember from the early 80s in Houston. Anyone remember Zuider Zee? Though shunned by the food elite, corporate chain restaurants continued to grow and thrive. Reading the tealeaves Is ethnic food aslur? The menu recounted Leo's adventures as a revolutionary. I think it's a delivery/carry out only location in an old converted house. I think it was on Westheimer or Richmond, out west. Features Valet parking & parking lot Dress code: Ties suggested Full bar Kaphans, at 7900 S. Main, was known as the aristocrat of seafood and steaks. Established in 1927, and reportedly one of the first Houston restaurants to fully integrate staff and customers, according to the Houston Architecture Information Forum website, Kaphans was owned and managed by the Tomac brothers from the 1950s until 1997, when the restaurant closed its doors. 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. Shanghai Reds Red-hot happy hour with dancing and a free buffet, all with a great view right on the Ship Channel. With dinner for two easily totaling $100 [about $228 now], they learn it often means higher prices too. Originally it was solely a barbecue pit, but the restaurant expanded its menu to include a wide variety of southern comfort food. Permitless carry means more dangerous people have easy access to guns in Texas. It was possibly the most influential restaurant in Houston's culinary history. BFE Rock Club. | michelle.iracheta@chron.com, Photos show Houston life as the 1980s began, Willie Nelson pays lovely tribute to another country legend, Rare photos show 2 ocelots crossing South Texas road, Astros GM Dana Brown has more praise team's top prospect, This is what Houston looks like from space. I enjoyed watching the weather and traffic and news. The Fig Pig, pictured, took the former spot for Bryan's 797, at the corner of Fifth Street and Hazel Avenue in Old Town. The 970 foot tower, located on the block bounded by Lamar, Smith, McKinney, and Louisiana, will contain two million gross square feet. Wed love to share your dining memories. 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. I saw it in California as well when I went there not too long ago. If you were there, youll recall some of them. Dozens of Banks and S&Ls go bust 4. Pizzitolas has been firing up their brick barbecue pit for more than 80 years, and its the only one of its kind allowed inside the city limits. Old maps of Houston on Old Maps Online. --Lumburger or Crumburger (?) Any places you recall and want to share, send to -> wpmfla at gmail. Eventually, the suburbs evolved into a popular destination for dining experiences, with the citys development to the west. Put simply, Pittsburgh is the best place in the world to call home. When I used to go to work with my dad on the weekends as a kid, that BBQ sandwich was the one thing that would brighten an otherwise boring day. Y'all really love Chick-fil-A's waffle fries! Change). I've always been a faithful Shipleys man, so I never ate there, but it always looked appetizing as a kid. Oh Yes - Houston in the 80's 1. Meet the Astros prospect tearing up Spring Training, Turner: TEA is giving Houston ISD two optionsclose school or be taken over, Texas tornados destroy homes, leave 300,000 without power, Proposed Texas bill would offer 12 weeks of paid family leave, Heres how you can watch 'Daisy Jones and the Six', Texas Republican wants to ban access to abortion websites, Dallas Morning News reporter calls mayor 'bruh,' gets fired. July 1980 - Shun Davis, 6, spend part of another over-100-degree day by reveling in the shade at Hermann Park Lake while her mother, Lillian Davis, cools off by reading in a recliner. While other Houston cafeterias have come and gone, Cleburne stands strong, offering beloved cafe plates like meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, blackened catfish, and turkey with dressing available year-round. I remember the color yellow, there where generally in parking lots, ONLY drive threw and CHECKERS!!! My uncle, Leon Levinthal Jr., had several favorite places for steaks, including the original Brenners Steakhouse on Katy Road and Bud Bigelows way out west location on Westheimer. Bermann and many other American restaurant owners of the 1950s decorated their dining rooms in the "fin de siecle" bordello style. Originally opening on Galveston Island in 1917, Christie's Seafood Restaurant opened its first Houston location at 6703 South Main Street, near the Medical Center, in 1934. Christies has flourished for decades and calls itself the oldest family-run restaurant in Houston, still owned and operated by the Christie family at 6029 Westheimer. somehow Busy bees Eat and run,please! There are also lots of snacky sides like fried green tomatoes, mac n cheese bites and tater tots. The suit by the NAACPs Legal Defense and Educational Fund charges that Shoneys sets limits on how many Black workers can be hired in each outlet, keeps them in jobs out of public view, and punishes white supervisors who refuse to go along with the program. I don't even know how many 'original' stores exist. Yesterday Once More best I remember it was located in South Houston. I think the building is a bank now or something. Open in Google Maps Foursquare 3606 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005 (713) 667-2386 Visit Website Also featured in: 17 Excellent Dining Options For Christmas Eve and Day in Houston 16 Classic. United States. Come for Sunday Supper, and you'll be in for a family-style meal of items like chicken-fried steak, fried chicken, mac 'n' cheese, coleslaw, and chocolate-chunk banana bread. This Is It. Over the years, Ive had a lot of traffic coming to read my article called A Look Back at Gilleys 1980.. Franklin Park, IL restaurant Nostalgia . You could not even move around Alfreds during Passover, as the lines were out the door due to everyone stocking up for their Seder needs. All are Houstonians. We were youngish professionals with two kids, so were they. As a child, my culinary palate was limited. Editors note: Russell Weil reviews hamburgers at his foodie blog, eat-more-burgers.com. Former Presidents Nixon and LBJ stand together outside the LBJ library. Pizza at 25 cents or perhaps falafel at 50 cents, were "reasonable" investments in a blind date. The mall was known for its huge carousel and other attractions. Houston has more restaurants per capita than any other U.S. city. Onto the auction block go pewter plates, crocks, jugs, and replica muskets, along with a Nacho Cheese Dispenser. Houston Grand Opera. sincerely, Meredith https://www.etsy.com/shop/MeredithBrittCollage?ref=hdr_shop_menu. January 1980: Dressed in a three-piece suit, Johnny L. Turlington, a chairman of Clerical Workers in Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union, Houston, Local 4227, pickets the Crown Central Petroleum Corp. refinery at 111 Red Bluff. Wasn't too bad. March 1980 - Aerial view of Houston International Festival, looking east from high atop the Chronicle garage showing Preston closed to traffic as the festival spills over from Market Square. Cirque du Soleil Presents KOOZA under the Big Top, The Riot presents Friday Night Comedy Showcase. Later, the main location moved to the Stella Link Center, which was located next door to Carlsams Jewelers, owned by my uncle. State game warden David Shelton said the shooting of an alligator, an endangered species, is a federal offense. Arnold John Tomac was chef, and older brother Pete Tomac ran the dining room and was often seen passing around broiled Oysters a la Kaphans to all the tables. . Police on site. Signing the petition is Melody Grant, who sometimes employs Miss Cook as a sitter, with her 9-month-old son Jason. All they said were, Jaime's is coming. When? See Best of Boston 1980 winners in the Restaurants & Food category, as selected by Boston magazine. Restaurant-ing al fresco A chefs life: CharlesRanhfer The (partial) triumph of the doggiebag Early chains: John R.Thompson Anatomy of a restaurateur: Mary AllettaCrump Laddition: on discrimination Between courses: dining withreds Banqueting at $herrys* Who invented lobsterNewberg? Who is Justin Dirden? newsletter, 12 Houston Speakeasies to Spice Up Your Night. Houston has been criticized as a city that doesn't remember its past. Houston Nightspots 1980-1986. 15 Houston Tres Leches Cakes to Add to Your Bucket List, If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. Their tamales were delicious, but smelly. Clip ref GW76Late 1. African-American tea rooms Romantic dinners Flaming swords Theme restaurants: castles Know thy customer Menue [sic] mistakes Waiter, telephone please! Conference-ing Top posts in2010 Variations on the wordrestaurant Famous in its day: BuschsGrove Between courses: a Thanksgivingtoast Basic fare: Frenchfries Linens and things partII Linens and things partI Menu art Dining in shadows Spotlight on NYCrestaurants Laddition: on tipping Taste of a decade: 1870srestaurants He-man menus That glass ofwater Famous in its day: TonyFausts Theme restaurants: prisons Laddition: French on the menu, dratit Anatomy of a restaurateur: RomanyMarie Between courses: onlyone? Fall woman's fashions in Houston, Texas. Barbarella. Thats why I still love fried chicken., Food editor Criswell concurred on both of these fried chicken legends. I went on invitation from friends who were gay. Things were changing then, but not dramatically. The place had a separate Mood Room with glass partitions and couches. I know their were a few here in the early 70's. A) Sonny Bono B) Jimi Hendrix C) Frank Zappa 4. Much of Market Square destroyed 7. In his younger years, founder Leo Reynosa, Sr. rode with Pancho Villa. Adorned with a large crab on the front canopy, Gaidos was true Southern white-linen service waiters in white dinner jackets and white gloves, with napkins draped over their wrists. Only local dining scholars will recognize the names of some of Houston's first eating establishments: Round Tent Saloon, Mansion House, T.J. Prindle's Exchange Restaurant, Perkin's Corner,. He and business partners Dr. Frank Morello and Anthony Hassen are opening a 1980s-themed diner called Hungry Like the Wolf, a name that comes from the 1982 Duran Duran hit. Helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega and housed in a charming 1930s-era home, Backstreet Caf has served as a destination restaurant for Houston diners for almost four decades. (Photo: Houston: Then and Now William Dylan Powell), One of Princes Drive-In Restaurant locations was in the 5200 block of Bellaire Blvd. Renu's, a Thai restaurant on Westheimer near Commonwealth. Putting a picture of something that looks distinctly like a pile of ____ on your advertisement is probably not a well thought out ad campaignand, if my hot dog ever looks at me, it's going into the garbage. The food seemed to go on for miles. Weekend Food Bets: A Chef Collab and Fish Fridays, Los Compadres: First Look at a Hidden Gem, Upcoming: Wine Dinners, Tequila Pairings and Exclusive Cellar Cuts, Become a member to support the independent voice of Houston Ninfas may have a location in Uptown today, but the original concept (as its name suggests) began on Navigation by Ninfa Laurenzo, a.k.a. On Friday and Saturday night, DJ Mike Snow will set the vibes and our '80s Brunch Party on weekends is not to be missed!! Now a beloved franchise, Frenchys has humble beginnings as a po boy shop in the Third Ward. They're still going strong in Kentucky. I lived in an apartment and we had basic cable. A sketch of the planned 71-story Allied Bank Plaza building is superimposed on the downtown skyline. BUD BIGELOW'S STEAKHOUSE This 1980 menu from Bud Bigelow's, featured in Houston Epicure: A Menu Guide to the Better Restaurants, highlights its steak and chop offerings. I also remember Alfie's Fish & Chips, & H. Salt Fish & Chips. There was a Del Taco on Edgebrook. March 1980- Iranian Demonstration in Downtown Houston. Noted for the knight in armor perched upon a horse, greeting patrons in the parking lot, Looks Sirloin Inn sported a British Castle feel. 2-6cm Natural Clear Ball Quartz Crystal Polished Healing Gemstone Sphere Stone. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Tea at the MaryLouise Restaurant-ing as a civilright Once trendy: tomato juicecocktails Famous in its day: Thompsons Spa The browning of McDonalds Eating, dining, and snacking at thefair A Valentine with soul(food) Down and out in St.Louis Serving the poor For the record The ups and downs of FrankFlower Famous in its day, now infamous: Coon ChickenInn Nothing but the best, 19thcen. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100 | Bellaire, TX 77401 | Phone: 713.668.4157 | Fax: 713.665.2940. Who doesnt remember Alfreds both the delicatessen and the man? Major buildings shown, from left to right, are Pennzoil Place, Houston Lighting & Power, One Shell Plaza, Allied Bank Plaza, First International Plaza, One Allen Center, Capital Bank Plaza, and the Exxon building. It was also a fried seafood type of place but it was more of a sit-down-and-order restaurant. An added treat was having our family photo taken by the restaurant photographer after we had finished our meal. Todds Richmond Avenue area. (Photo: www.bellairebook.com), Henrys Steaks near the Bellaire Triangle was a local favorite. They had a dish called "Tiger Cries", and I'm drooling just thinking about it.