Austin -- We are losing this place

[LCHorn 2557]

19 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

That being said, buying that building for $3m after sinking $200k just to cover day-to-day operations at a struggling dive bar doesn't seem like a prudent investment.

“We’re currently losing money but want to take on $2.4m in debt, please give us money for down-payment.”  
 

These people are running a business?!?

In other news, Los Comales on 7th shut down.  I haven’t been there in seven or eight years but it was a good “I can’t think of someplace better” choice in the neighborhood.

[MAUFRAIS 6561]

Just went to Breed’s. Across the street it looked like Junior’s closed.

[HenryJames 65525]

10 minutes ago, MAUFRAIS said:

Just went to Breed’s. Across the street it looked like Junior’s closed.

Good. They sucked.

[Brisketexan 103602]

“We’re currently losing money but want to take on $2.4m in debt, please give us money for down-payment.”  
 
These people are running a business?!?
In other news, Los Comales on 7th shut down.  I haven’t been there in seven or eight years but it was a good “I can’t think of someplace better” choice in the neighborhood.

Damn. I liked Los comales.

[HenryJames 65525]

2 hours ago, LCHorn said:

 I haven’t been there in seven or eight years

Wonder why it closed?

 

2 hours ago, LCHorn said:

In other news, Los Comales on 7th shut down

They closed a couple of weeks ago.

Edited April 19 by HenryJames

[royiv 9044]

20 minutes ago, MAUFRAIS said:

Just went to Breed’s. 

Picking up a hacksaw, gloves, ammonia and some trash can liners?

[MAUFRAIS 6561]

Picking up a hacksaw, gloves, ammonia and some trash can liners?

And some mentos

[stc 1445]

3 hours ago, irishtexan said:

That sucks. I really liked that bar. Pizza was fine but I never went there to eat. 

That being said, buying that building for $3m after sinking $200k just to cover day-to-day operations at a struggling dive bar doesn't seem like a prudent investment. And asking the general public to cover part of your $600k down payment is an interesting strategy. The people that are going to contribute to that are regulars. And regulars already spend all of their disposable income at your bar. But good luck!

asking for $100k to "close gracefully" is some bullshit. i enjoyed going there to see mostly shitty and occasionally good bands, and doing some day drinking on weekends. hell i was just there on saturday. don't think i've ever had their pizza. 

[Deej 76197]

1 hour ago, stc said:

don't think i've ever had their pizza. 

Lucky you. 

[LCHorn 2557]

2 hours ago, HenryJames said:

Good. They sucked.

Junior’s was my go-to for kegs when I was 18 and buying on a fake ID.

[DalTxHornFan 3071]

1 hour ago, LCHorn said:

Junior’s was my go-to for kegs when I was 18 and buying on a fake ID.

Bold move.  Most of us just tried that to get a six-pack!

[YGIFS 19445]

We used to get our kegs at Fiesta since we lived over in Cherrywood.  

Fun fact, a few months back my Mom was in town and being from Mexico, she gets a kick outta stores like that where you can buy a box of Fideo, box of Masa, and a Virgen de Guadalupe candle in the same aisle end-cap.  So we're checking out and there's a handwritten sign by the cashier's register that says, "Keg Barrel Deposit-$25, Keg Pump-$25."  Same exact prices as it was 25 years ago when we used to get 'em there.  FUCK YOU INFLATION! 

Drove by Dirty Martin's yesterday while on campus, wanted to stop in for a burger but was late for something.  There was a City of Austin survey crew truck parked there and dudes in vests getting out.  And I thought "Oh shit, they are gonna tear it down."  But the dudes went inside, presumably for lunch.  But it got me in a dark laugh.  I can totally see the City Eminent Domaining the property, tearing it down for the train right before their 100th anniversary.  And then just letting the site stay a pile of dirt for three years while they figure this boondoggle out.  

[Chet Steadman 940]

Good news for The Parlor girls is no one paying $3 million for that building.  

They’d be lucky to get half that number 

Edited April 21 by Chet Steadman

[Not a cat 5598]

On 9/29/2023 at 3:12 PM, utee94 said:

The burger is good. I like C&A better, but they're both good. 

And I sure hope he's just talking about a "burger at the Posse" because the thing that was once called "The Posse Burger" and is now called "the Desperado" is taco meat with jalapenos and queso on a bun.

Which was also the cheapest thing on the menu back in the late 80s, something like 1.99,  so therefore that was my go-to order.

I was there last fall and decided to try it for old times sake and well, I'm glad I have a little money now.

[MAUFRAIS 6561]

foxtrot ... hell of a run ... rip

[utee94 15722]

On 4/20/2024 at 10:05 PM, Not a cat said:

Which was also the cheapest thing on the menu back in the late 80s, something like 1.99,  so therefore that was my go-to order.

I was there last fall and decided to try it for old times sake and well, I'm glad I have a little money now.

In the early 90s I could get a pitcher of Shiner Bock for $3.50 and drop that huge 14% tip to make it an even $4.  

[Mittens 8027]

On 4/19/2024 at 1:32 PM, MAUFRAIS said:

Just went to Breed’s. Across the street it looked like Junior’s closed.

That may or may not be permanent.  New property owner is weighing options.

On 4/19/2024 at 1:42 PM, HenryJames said:

Good. They sucked.

What do you have against cold beer?

[jimmyjazz 45192]

47 minutes ago, utee94 said:

In the early 90s I could get a pitcher of Shiner Bock for $3.50 and drop that huge 14% tip to make it an even $4.  

Our go-to was multiple pitchers of Shiner Bock plus either Sheriff sammiches or nachos.  I cannot fathom how much beer I consumed there.

[utee94 15722]

22 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Our go-to was multiple pitchers of Shiner Bock plus either Sheriff sammiches or nachos.  I cannot fathom how much beer I consumed there.

By my senior year I was there for lunch and/or dinner pretty much every day.  We were such regulars that I got to know the manager, Eddie, pretty well. Every now and then when I was desperate I'd park out back and Eddie would yell at me that it was only for customers and I'd reply "you know I'll be back here in a couple of hours for the rest of the day."  He'd grunt but then smile and say, "well that's true."

One morning I parked there around 9:30 before they were open.  He gave me his standard line about parking being for customers only, and I responded "Okay, can you sell me a beer?"  He walked over behind the bar, poured a Shiner Bock for me and said, "well we're not open so I can't SELL you a beer."  That day I skipped classes and drank beer all day long, my usual crowd of band and engineer friends swung by throughout the day, and at some point that night I ended up at The Crazy Lady with Eddie the manager, two of my crew, and a peeler named "Cocoa."  That was a long, interesting day...

 

Edited April 23 by utee94

[jimmyjazz 45192]

My low point was when a good friend's hot older sister, who was a PhD candidate in Econ, invited me to the Posse for beers.  About 4 pitchers in I was so addled I didn't realize what was actually going on.

Did I mention I was a dumbass?

[Professor Chesney 478]

I tried Verdad Kitchen for the first time, and I think it easily has the best fajitas in Austin.  To be sure, “best fajitas in Austin” is a low bar compared to Houston or San Antonio, but I would put these up against el tiempo, pappasitos, la piscina etc.  Definitely on the pricy side, however.

We also ran into Cooper Manning, so another positive data point.

[HenryJames 65525]

1 hour ago, Professor Chesney said:

I tried Verdad Kitchen for the first time, and I think it easily has the best fajitas in Austin.

Chicken or shrimp?

[MAUFRAIS 6561]

[hornian 5160]

6 hours ago, MAUFRAIS said:

foxtrot ... hell of a run ... rip

Never went in. Don't think I know anyone who did in real life. 

[Bozo_Casanova 25874]

What was Foxtrot

[MAUFRAIS 6561]

Looked like a royal blue grocery knockoff that was next to the coop. Not sure it lasted 6 months.

[DalTxHornFan 3071]

14 minutes ago, hornian said:

Never went in. Don't think I know anyone who did in real life. 

That may explain their demise.

[Professor Chesney 478]

13 hours ago, HenryJames said:

Chicken or shrimp?

[utee94 15722]

17 hours ago, HenryJames said:

Chicken or shrimp?

Sausage kolache fajitas.

[ztejas 42802]

19 hours ago, Professor Chesney said:

To be sure, “best fajitas in Austin” is a low bar compared to Houston or San Antonio, but I would put these up against el tiempo, pappasitos, la piscina etc.

Yeah if only there was a papasitos in Austin.

[South Austin 51633]

On 4/23/2024 at 9:29 PM, Bozo_Casanova said:

What was Foxtrot

I think the first one in Austin opened off Burnet across from Pinthouse a year or so ago, a few blocks from my old house.  It was a decent place to walk to and pick up some quick food, beer, wine, etc.  But seemed like an upscale convenience store that really depended on a lot of local neighborhood support to anchor its revenue.  It started in Chicago, and I saw a few locations when I was there last summer.  

[Bozo_Casanova 25874]

Wait someone put Papsitos in the same sentence as El Tiempo?
WTF

[High Plains Drifter 10931]

On 4/18/2023 at 7:52 AM, Patricio Swayze said:

I almost posted a photo of it from reddit the other day but figured it had been posted 47 times already.

 

Is that the corner of 21st and speedway? Son of a bitch. I used to live in a two story house that was to the left of where that orange front loader is. Right behind Record Exchange (RIP). I'm not sure of this "Sound Exchange" y'all speak of. 

Duplex split upstairs and downstairs. We lived upstairs, couple of chick lived downstairs. They would call us about once a week or so to come out and run the drag worms off their front porch. Our kitchen window faced north. You could see into the windows of a Jewish student center. We'd gather and drink beer and watch their aerobics classes at 5 and 6 pm MWF. Anybody remember the ass floss outfits the ladies would wear over their tights when doing aerobics? I member. 

Rent was 400 bucks a month (350 in the summer). Not 400 each, 400 total for a two bedroom one bath with kitchen and living room. Literally less than 50 yards from campus. No central AC though. But back then there would only be a handful to maybe two weeks worth of 100+ days during the summer. 

 

And speaking of Liberty Lunch-- I saw Slayer (Hell Awaits tour), GWAR, Dead Milkmen, Morphine, too many more to remember there. 

 

[High Plains Drifter 10931]

 

Also, speaking of being old, The Crown and Anchor was called "The Beach" when I was in school. 

[texasdago 7407]

On 4/25/2024 at 7:53 AM, South Austin said:

I think the first one in Austin opened off Burnet across from Pinthouse a year or so ago, a few blocks from my old house.  It was a decent place to walk to and pick up some quick food, beer, wine, etc.  But seemed like an upscale convenience store that really depended on a lot of local neighborhood support to anchor its revenue.  It started in Chicago, and I saw a few locations when I was there last summer.  

Corporate in Chicago apparently announced that the whole company was shutting down.  I would occasionally drop into the one on 2nd street for a coffee/pastry if I was DT in the morning but that was it.   My wife and I were pointing out the one near the Austin mural since it looked like it had a really cool interior patio but, ah well, never mind.  It never even achieved Old Austin status.  

[Deej 76197]

Wheatsville Co-op announced they will be closing the store on Guadalupe.

https://austin.eater.com/2024/5/22/24162769/wheatsville-coop-closing-guadalupe-austin-grocery-supermarket

[ztejas 42802]

50 minutes ago, Deej said:

Wheatsville Co-op announced they will be closing the store on Guadalupe.

https://austin.eater.com/2024/5/22/24162769/wheatsville-coop-closing-guadalupe-austin-grocery-supermarket

[South Austin 51633]

Very fond memories of that place . . . for some people, I guess.

[thrillhammer 680]

40 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Very fond memories of that place . . . for some people, I guess.

i lived a couple of blocks away from '82-'92.  i shopped there a couple of times. i respected it for what it was and what they were trying to do, but surprised it lasted this long.

[HenryJames 65525]

The last day for the 3101 Guadalupe Street shop will be on December 31, 2026.

[utee94 15722]

Wait, over two years from now?

This smells an awful lot like a furniture store "going out of business" sale, to me...

[jimmyjazz 45192]

13 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Wait, over two years from now?

This smells an awful lot like a furniture store "going out of business" sale, to me...

Might I interest you in an Oriental Asian a rug?

[YGIFS 19445]

1 hour ago, utee94 said:

Wait, over two years from now?

This smells an awful lot like a furniture store "going out of business" sale, to me...

Only time you worry about a Mattress Store is when they aren't having a sale.  Or if Lobo wants to weigh it.

That portion of Guadalupe is weird.  The whole Drag from Saint Austin's to 35th Street is just a weird real estate anamoly.  There are some seriously low-margin businesses that keep extending their leases and there are others more profitable that just can't make the $/sqft work.  We still hit the up the Wheatsville Co-Op in South Austin because wife does a lot of organic baking.  And it gets a fair amount of foot traffic, in a much cheaper location.  Every time I go in there I think of Ron Swanson on "Parks & Rec" talking about that store (IIRC) "Meat & Stuff", and he says "They can't go outta business.  That's where I go for my meat...and my stuff."  Because a few times a year, I'll go to the Wheatsville for some groceries and then wander on over to Harbor Freight, which is crap stuff, but every once in awhile you can get a decent pair of work gloves or craft bags or some other disposable chorin' shit.  And I feel like Ron Swanson without the mustache.  

Nobody wants that CVS pad site.  I doubt anything will come of that North Drag Wheatsville Co-Op.  The last time I was that particular location was with Longhorn Bob Wheeler.  We bought a buncha beer at the Party Barn, had to go to that Wheatsville to get some chips or fruit some shit because it was a morning game.  And then we went to that crappy sushi/chinese restaurant up the block because they agreed to cater one of his tailgates (Zen maybe?  About 32nd Street).  And I remember it's like 9am and we're going back to the spot off MLK and the Creek at about 105* with the heat index already.  And we're eating tepid sushi, shitty beer, and gluten-free bread in about 2003 or so.  And I just remember thinking, "I need to seriously re-think my life choices."  I still do, but I used to, too.  

[thrillhammer 680]

i cant think of too many places that were around in the early 80's that are are still around on that stretch of guadalupe.  party barn and thundercloud are about all that come to mind.   what i always thought was funny about wheatsville was there was a birkenstock store right next door.  

wheatsville pre-dates whole foods by 4 yrs.  i doubt they give them credit but i dont think there would have ever been a whole foods without wheatsville giving them the idea.

[ztejas 42802]

1 hour ago, YGIFS said:

Zen maybe?  About 32nd Street

Oh God - that place was awful. Classic example of a shitty Austin restaraunt that somehow both stayed open and made money. They had a 2nd location on SoCo.

Say what you want about Austin changing, the food has gotten a lot better. Most of those "institutions" have gone the way of the dodo.

[jimmyjazz 45192]

Y'all remember Martin Brothers?  Those idiots almost killed me.  I have a severe peanut allergy, which I always have to explain to waitstaff, and YET they still served me a salad with a peanut dressing.  "Oh, I didn't think it would be a problem in salad dressing."

[thrillhammer 680]

32 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Y'all remember Martin Brothers?  Those idiots almost killed me.  I have a severe peanut allergy, which I always have to explain to waitstaff, and YET they still served me a salad with a peanut dressing.  "Oh, I didn't think it would be a problem in salad dressing."

i had forgotten about martin brothers.  according to the google, they opened in '80, same year as whole foods (because they were in whole foods for awhile).  closed in '97.

el patio is a place i forgot that is also still there on that stretch from the early 80's.  

[jimmyjazz 45192]

6 minutes ago, thrillhammer said:

i had forgotten about martin brothers. 

Honestly, I never liked it all that much, but my then-wife did, so we went every once in awhile.  I preferred Mother's, which happened to be full on vegetarian, but better cooking.  (I think Martin Bros wasn't.)

[ftf82 481]

2 hours ago, YGIFS said:

The last time I was that particular location was with Longhorn Bob Wheeler.  We bought a buncha beer at the Party Barn, had to go to that Wheatsville to get some chips or fruit some shit because it was a morning game.

I got nothing to add to this except the first time my Mom came to visit me after I moved to Austin in the 80s and was living on Shoal Creek she thought the sign said "Panty Barn". So my wife and I have called it that for years.

[HenryJames 65525]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

Y'all remember Martin Brothers?  Those idiots almost killed me.  I have a severe peanut allergy, which I always have to explain to waitstaff, and YET they still served me a salad with a peanut dressing.  "Oh, I didn't think it would be a problem in salad dressing."