Restaurants from your childhood that don’t exist anymore

[South Austin 53221]

On 8/25/2018 at 1:52 AM, LongestHorn said:

Spaghetti Warehouse on 4th.

I’m sure if you put me in the time machine and take me back to Spaghetti Warehouse in the mid 90s, I’d think it was average Italian food.

But my parents and I loved going there when they would be in town during my student days.

And I have a vague memory of taking my daughter there when she was a toddler in the 2007-08 timeframe. But it’s also possible they had closed by then and it’s a confabulated memory.

[Deej 77812]

It was still there in 2007-2008.

[Wiler77 1628]

12 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

It is right. Was one of our faves. We never ordered off the menu - whatever was on eve special board would be fantastic.

And they had a chocolate chipotle tort that remains one of my wife’s favorite desserts of all time. We ordered a whole one for one of her graduations, I think.

I seem to remember they did a REALLY good carbonara.  Not the garbage most places try to pass as carbonara which is spaghetti sitting in a bowl of cream sauce.

But the type where the sauce barely coats the noodles and you hardly notice it's there. 

[jimmyjazz 47137]

Any place that makes carbonara with cream should shut their doors.  It's a really simple dish.  It's not alfredo.

Eggs, hard cheese, pork, pasta.  Done.

[3adays 454]

On 8/27/2018 at 10:14 AM, PencilPusher said:

Gunther's was a client of mine when I worked for a local Austin accounting firm in college. Knew Gunther very well as I did his books and delivered payroll every week on Friday. He was an interesting guy....originally opened a Gunther's in El Paso, but believe when he got divorced, his ex wife got that restaurant, so he moved to Austin and opened it up here. Would always sit and drink at the bar after dropping off the weekly payroll, which is how I got exposed to the virtues of German beer as they generally had Spaten and Paulaner on tap, which in late 80's/early 90's Austin was uncommon. Best mashed potatoes I have ever eaten - watched him make them with loads of cream and butter. This was my go to place in college to impress a date because of the fact that I knew everyone there and would get treated like a high roller. Also learned a lot of German bierhall songs as they had live music every Fri/Sat night, so when I went to Munich after college, I could sing all of the songs in places like the Hofbrau house and thus was very popular with the frauleins.

Gunther closed it right after I moved to Houston in the mid 90's and retired up right outside of Knoxville. I visited him a couple of times as I had a client near there and we would drink a a few beers and reminisce. 

I grew up with his son. We’d lost touch and I was sad to find out he passed a few years ago. I have some good memories of Gunther’s. 

[ChuckNorrisActionJeans 2692]

So many of these I remember. Haven't read from the start, but Togos? South end of campus Guadalupe, they never carded. We went from either not being carded/having fake IDs in the early 90s, to having fake ID's being a terrorism offense 10 years later.... jeez. 

Same with El Chino's ... we were endlessly fascinated with the half Mexican/half Chinese menu, and even more so with the endless booze supply for the underage. Glad I experienced it and kind of glad that sort of thing has changed for my offspring (do as I say, not as I do if you want to survive). 

Polar Bear Ashburn's ..... always a stoner hangout. As a 3rd grader in Plano, our teacher took a small group of us there for lunch(?) as a reward or something. I think she was just picking something up...very cool teacher, looked a bit like a young Ann Wilson and had a FILTHY car with Kiss cassettes everywhere. Can you imagine going anywhere in a teacher's car now without express parental permission? By the way, this was probably about 1980 or'81, and the cool teacher's name was Phyllis. To help you understand how old we are.

[CTC2 2865]

On 1/11/2022 at 7:17 AM, utee94 said:

That location started as a Jojo's, and then it became a Coco's, and later became Suzi's.

Loved The Filling Station in my early college years.

 

The Filling Station was where I first got drunk as a 10th grader when my parents sent me to visit my cousin to see what college was like.

[DalTxHornFan 3130]

58 minutes ago, CTC2 said:

The Filling Station was where I first got drunk as a 10th grader when my parents sent me to visit my cousin to see what college was like.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

The Filling Station was where I first got drunk as a 10th grader when my parents sent me to visit my cousin to see what college was like.

We seemed to go to The Filling Station every time we visited my older brother at UT. I recall they had an awesome brownie dessert. When I got to UT in 1995 I think it was still open, but don’t recall ever going back.

[tx 3 putt 78675]

23 hours ago, CTC2 said:

The Filling Station was where I first got drunk as a 10th grader when my parents sent me to visit my cousin to see what college was like.

 

first place i had chicken wings, blown away 

[jimmyjazz 47137]

My wife is the youngest of six, with four sisters and a brother.  Her next younger sister worked at The Filling Station.  Let's just say she is . . . rude, if you know what I mean.

[deac_tracy 517]

Anyone remember those Chinese restaurants that were at every HEB in the 90's/early 00's? Came across a thread in reddit discussing them and brought back memories. Hadn't though of them in years. Loved the lemon chicken there. They also sold frozen versions of all their food and I'd eat them at home all the time. Apparently there's one still at an HEB in McAllen.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Anyone remember those Chinese restaurants that were at every HEB in the 90's/early 00's? Came across a thread in reddit discussing them and brought back memories. Hadn't though of them in years. Loved the lemon chicken there. They also sold frozen versions of all their food and I'd eat them at home all the time. Apparently there's one still at an HEB in McAllen.

FUCK YES. My younger brother and I would eat at the one at Hancock (before they tore it down to build the current one). Loved the Kung Pao.

[Native Horn 3581]

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

My wife is the youngest of six, with four sisters and a brother.  Her next younger sister worked at The Filling Station.  Let's just say she is . . . rude, if you know what I mean.

It's like you're new here or something.  

[utee94 16080]

32 minutes ago, deac_tracy said:

Anyone remember those Chinese restaurants that were at every HEB in the 90's/early 00's? Came across a thread in reddit discussing them and brought back memories. Hadn't though of them in years. Loved the lemon chicken there. They also sold frozen versions of all their food and I'd eat them at home all the time. Apparently there's one still at an HEB in McAllen.

Yes, in college and early professional life I ate the crap out of their version of General Tso's which was called "General Joe's."  I lived off Far West and Woodhollow so the NW Hills HEB was my store.  I screamed bloody murder when they got rid of it and replaced it with a kosher deli.  Yeah, I know why they did that, of course.

[Brisketexan 106884]

1 minute ago, utee94 said:

Yes, in college and early professional life I ate the crap out of their version of General Tso's which was called "General Joe's."  I lived off Far West and Woodhollow so the NW Hills HEB was my store.  I screamed bloody murder when they got rid of it and replaced it with a kosher deli.  Yeah, I know why they did that, of course.

I belief they called it their "China Kitchen."  A pro move was heading over there right around the time they'd close the kitchen, and they'd have whatever was left boxed up and ready to go, and marked down.  Discounted fresh chinese grub when I was young and poor?  Yes please.

[Revolution512 1518]

I always liked the original (I think it was) Pok-E-Joes that was next to Balcones Little League. Weirdos years later ended up near the location. Now, you couldn’t pay me to eat that BBQ. Could be a nostalgia thing. Great memories of playing ball and stopping there.

[Brisketexan 106884]

4 minutes ago, Revolution512 said:

I always liked the original (I think it was) Pok-E-Joes that was next to Balcones Little League. Weirdos years later ended up near the location. Now, you couldn’t pay me to eat that BBQ. Could be a nostalgia thing. Great memories of playing ball and stopping there.

Actually have a little soft spot for Pok-E-Joes.  If you want a chopped beef sammich, theirs is hard to beat.  Side of baked potato casserole topped with fresh pico and an iced tea, and it's a nice little weekend lunch if you're out running errands.  There's still on in the Arboretum area we hit from time to time, although it's been a while.

[Deej 77812]

1 hour ago, utee94 said:

Yes, in college and early professional life I ate the crap out of their version of General Tso's which was called "General Joe's."  I lived off Far West and Woodhollow so the NW Hills HEB was my store.  I screamed bloody murder when they got rid of it and replaced it with a kosher deli.  Yeah, I know why they did that, of course.

 

[Knoxtnhorn 6303]

Kind of on topic as I'm assume it's no longer around.

I hazily recall a restaurant just off campus.  This would have been mid-90's.  It was a sit down restaurant and, to my poor ass, kind of fancy.  I want to say it was located near a Double Dave's, but I could be wrong on that.  It would have been in the area near St. David's Medical Center, just north of campus, but close to I-35.  I'm pretty sure it was southern-esque food.  I want to say that it looked more like the inside of a house than a restaurant.  I think the place had multiple rooms with tables.  I ate there for a couple of graduation dinners if that helps.

[Your Mom 4968]

The location doesn’t sound quite right but the description sounds like Hyde Park Grill. If so, it’s still there. That was the genesis of the peak of my post-divorce dating. Met a UT senior there for a tinder date when I was in my early 40’s and spent one glorious summer banging her.   Life is still good but it certainly went downhill from there. 

[utee94 16080]

13 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Kind of on topic as I'm assume it's no longer around.

I hazily recall a restaurant just off campus.  This would have been mid-90's.  It was a sit down restaurant and, to my poor ass, kind of fancy.  I want to say it was located near a Double Dave's, but I could be wrong on that.  It would have been in the area near St. David's Medical Center, just north of campus, but close to I-35.  I'm pretty sure it was southern-esque food.  I want to say that it looked more like the inside of a house than a restaurant.  I think the place had multiple rooms with tables.  I ate there for a couple of graduation dinners if that helps.

Sounds sort of like you're describing Hyde Park Bar and Grill.  It's in an old house, with sort of separate rooms inside.  It's definitely north of campus but a little further up, at 42nd and Duval.  One way to get there would include driving north past Double Dave's and then cutting over to the west.

 

@Your Mom beat me to it.

Edited January 19, 2022 by utee94