Austin Nostalgia Picture Thread

[Biff Tannen 45511]

17 minutes ago, utee94 said:

You definitely missed out.  Carmen's La Tapatia was the best Tex-Mex place Austin ever had.  I was bussed over to Martin Junior High, plus my parents had been in Austin since the late 50s, so they were pretty fearless about the area.  We were frequent visitors.

The only real problem I ever encountered was the big gang fight/turf war on the junior high campus, on the last day of my 8th grade, between the Junior Latin Kings and the Bishops.  They were squaring off with knives and chains and stuff just as we were pulling away.  I'm glad I didn't have to stick around for that.

[Hornius Emeritus 12424]

I'm trying to figure out where this place was.  17th street ... but where?



 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I'm trying to figure out where this place was.  17th street ... but where?



 

Looks like 300 block of 17th.

[yoladu 4071]

8 hours ago, texasdago said:

Nope but check this out... holy crap:

 

https://geemail.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/its-pics-from-the-past-of-hometown-austin-texas/ 

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

2 hours ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

I'm trying to figure out where this place was.  17th street ... but where?



 

There was a lot of stuff that got razed in that area to make way for "progress" in the 1960s and 70s.

I remember a La Fiesta on North Loop in the 1960s, another on Far West -- maybe late 1970s, early 1980s, and another, much later, in Cedar Park.  Gallegos family, I think.  Small guy, Lee, and big guy, Fred, were the long-time waiters that ruled the North Loop location.  I've read both of their obits in the Austin paper in recent years.  The North Loop store had some cool wall-sized hand-painted murals of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto.  I wonder what happened to those murals?

Edited November 19, 2021 by DalTxHornFan

[Deej 76587]

Brat, letting his horse graze near the Capitol.

 

[Biff Tannen 45511]

56 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

I remember a La Fiesta on North Loop in the 1960s, another on Far West -- maybe late 1970s, early 1980s, and another, much later, in Cedar Park

Sheeit.  I remember the current Far West HEB opening in the 90s and 6th grade me thought it was the most amazing thing ever.  Same when the Wendy's opened.  That was the fastest drive thru in the city for a good while. 

[dcbc 14434]

I remember when the Central Market opened up on 45th and Lamar.

[texasdago 7553]

This has some of those cool slider pictures of Zilker...

 

https://austin.towers.net/looking-back-at-100-years-of-zilker/

Edited November 19, 2021 by texasdago

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

25 minutes ago, dcbc said:

I remember when the Central Market opened up on 45th and Lamar.

That was 1994, youngster.  I have western boots older than that (re-soled 3 times thus far!).

[dcbc 14434]

2 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

That was 1994, youngster.  I have western boots older than that (re-soled 3 times thus far!).

Doesn't matter.  I'm like S. Austin.  I look at 100 year old pictures and say, "Them boys ain't right."

 

That, and I had a cookies and cream milkshake with my sister, UT Austin student, in the early 80s at Mad Dog & Beans.

[Guest Lobo]

2 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

That was 1994, youngster.  I have western boots older than that (re-soled 3 times thus far!).

I think it was later than that.  I wanna say Winter of 96/97, no?  And it wasn't 45th Street, it's between 35th & 41st.  

[dcbc 14434]

1 minute ago, Lobo said:

I think it was later than that.  I wanna say Winter of 96/97, no?  And it wasn't 45th Street, it's between 35th & 41st.  

It was on Lamar in that range.  And it was 95.

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

1 minute ago, Lobo said:

I think it was later than that.  I wanna say Winter of 96/97, no?  And it wasn't 45th Street, it's between 35th & 41st.  

Errbody knows that Wikipedia is always right, but I'm feeling lazy tonight: 

The original store opened in 1994 in the Central Park Shopping Center on North Lamar Boulevard in Austin, Texas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Market_(Texas)

It is located right across the street from 2-J's and the Original Colonel Sanders Fried Chicken Restaurant in Austin -- that dates me, as well.

[Guest Lobo]

1995 maybe, but 1994 sounds too early.  I dunno.

I went there with one of my roommates on a really cold November or December night in 1996 and he was saying how new it was (his dad did some work for HEB and wanted to see what he thought of it as a young hipster).  So yeah late 1995 is probably right and we were there a year later.  I grew up on Dominick's in Chicago, and had been to some HEB's in Austin.  I didn't realize what Central Market "was" for a few more years in terms of offerings and target market.  Only thing I remember from walking around was how purposely convoluted the aisles were (by design, obviously).  I didn't step in one again for probably a half decade.  

Speaking of old Austin and C/M's.........what used to be down there at the Westgate shopping center before it became that strip center?  By the time I ventured down there, it was close to being totally built out but that was in the late 90's.  What was there just before that?  

Edited November 19, 2021 by Lobo

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

2 minutes ago, Lobo said:

1995 maybe, but 1994 sounds too early.  I dunno.

I went there with one of my roommates on a really cold November or December night in 1996 and he was saying how new it was (his dad did some work for HEB and wanted to see what he thought of it as a young hipster).  So yeah late 1995 is probably right and we were there a year later.  I grew up on Dominick's in Chicago, and had been to some HEB's in Austin.  I didn't realize what Central Market "was" for a few more years in terms of offerings and target market.  Only thing I remember from walking around was how purposely convoluted the aisles were (by design, obviously).  I didn't step in one again for probably a half decade.  

Speaking of old Austin and C/M's.........what used to be down there at the Westgate shopping center before it became that strip center?  By the time I ventured down there, it was close to being totally built out but that was in the late 90's.  What was there just before that?  

An old Statesman article pegs the opening date as January 22, 1994 -- but to quote a former First Lady -- at this point, what difference does it make?

Don't know about Westgate much -- thought that it was just a basic 1970s mall, but that part of town was never in my strike zone.

[Anastasis 23402]

2 hours ago, dcbc said:

I remember when the Central Market opened up on 45th and Lamar.

I remember when that was all DSHS land. 

[Anastasis 23402]

Check that, I think it was called MHMR back then. 

[ztejas 43269]

5 hours ago, yoladu said:

Glad to see the infuriating S 1st, Barton Springs, Riverside triangle has always been there. 

[DanRydell 799]

1995 maybe, but 1994 sounds too early.  I dunno.
I went there with one of my roommates on a really cold November or December night in 1996 and he was saying how new it was (his dad did some work for HEB and wanted to see what he thought of it as a young hipster).  So yeah late 1995 is probably right and we were there a year later.  I grew up on Dominick's in Chicago, and had been to some HEB's in Austin.  I didn't realize what Central Market "was" for a few more years in terms of offerings and target market.  Only thing I remember from walking around was how purposely convoluted the aisles were (by design, obviously).  I didn't step in one again for probably a half decade.  
Speaking of old Austin and C/M's.........what used to be down there at the Westgate shopping center before it became that strip center?  By the time I ventured down there, it was close to being totally built out but that was in the late 90's.  What was there just before that?  

Westgate was just a regular (but relatively small) indoor mall. There was a movie theater (8 screens IIRC), Bookstop, Bealls, Service Merchandise, Solo Serve, a pizza place, an arcade, and a couple of other stores.

The Strait Music across Ben White was also a four screen movie theater. Other than Riverside, those two were the only first-run theaters on the south side for most the 90s after the closing of the Barton Creek Mall theater (now Abuelo’s) and until the opening of the Barton Creek Cinema (now condos).

[South Austin 52167]

6 hours ago, Lobo said:

I went there with one of my roommates on a really cold November or December night in 1996 and he was saying how new it was (his dad did some work for HEB and wanted to see what he thought of it as a young hipster).  So yeah late 1995 is probably right and we were there a year later.  I grew up on Dominick's in Chicago, and had been to some HEB's in Austin.  I didn't realize what Central Market "was" for a few more years in terms of offerings and target market.  Only thing I remember from walking around was how purposely convoluted the aisles were (by design, obviously).  I didn't step in one again for probably a half decade.  

I remember going to Central Market for the first time in law school and saying to myself, “Why can’t I find some mother fucking Kellog’s Raisin Bran and JIF peanut butter?”  Never went there again until moving back to Austin in 2003 having turned into a yuppie foodie. Now I practically live there.

[Jiggy-Z 3432]

6 hours ago, DanRydell said:

Westgate was just a regular (but relatively small) indoor mall. There was a movie theater (8 screens IIRC), Bookstop, Bealls, Service Merchandise, Solo Serve, a pizza place, an arcade, and a couple of other stores.

The Strait Music across Ben White was also a four screen movie theater. Other than Riverside, those two were the only first-run theaters on the south side for most the 90s after the closing of the Barton Creek Mall theater (now Abuelo’s) and until the opening of the Barton Creek Cinema (now condos).

Don't forget about the Southside theater, which is now Blazertag.

In addition to movies, the theater also served as a church for St. Catherine's of Sienna parish while the building funds were being raised and land was being acquired back in the early 80s.

The was also a theater on Pleasant Valley.

[Jiggy-Z 3432]

17 hours ago, Anastasis said:

RIP cabrito at El Azteca. 

That place was legit. Also had lots of interesting Mayan and Aztec soft core porn hanging on the walls.

[utee94 15746]

11 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

There was a lot of stuff that got razed in that area to make way for "progress" in the 1960s and 70s.

I remember a La Fiesta on North Loop in the 1960s, another on Far West -- maybe late 1970s, early 1980s, and another, much later, in Cedar Park.  Gallegos family, I think.  Small guy, Lee, and big guy, Fred, were the long-time waiters that ruled the North Loop location.  I've read both of their obits in the Austin paper in recent years.  The North Loop store had some cool wall-sized hand-painted murals of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto.  I wonder what happened to those murals?

That La Fiesta off Far West was there until the mid/late 90s, and when it shut down it became El Arroyo.

[utee94 15746]

3 minutes ago, Jiggy-Z said:

That place was legit. Also had lots of interesting Mayan and Aztec soft core porn hanging on the walls.

They released a calendar every year, with that poster art.  You still seem them turn up every now and then at the Austin-centric arts/crafts festivals and citywide garage sales.

[KaiserSoze 997]

RIP cabrito at El Azteca. 

That was the last meal I had there.

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

1 hour ago, utee94 said:

That La Fiesta off Far West was there until the mid/late 90s, and when it shut down it became El Arroyo.

That location is coming back with a familiar face in charge:

https://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/10-07-21-5280-burger-and-taphouse-denver-clay-mcphail-el-arroyo/

[Deej 76587]

10 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

It is located right across the street from 2-J's

I'd kill for 2-J's to still be around. 

[utee94 15746]

6 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

That location is coming back with a familiar face in charge:

https://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/10-07-21-5280-burger-and-taphouse-denver-clay-mcphail-el-arroyo/

Yup, I took my folks there last week for my mom's birthday, it was pretty good.

[South Austin 52167]

1 hour ago, DalTxHornFan said:

That location is coming back with a familiar face in charge:

https://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/10-07-21-5280-burger-and-taphouse-denver-clay-mcphail-el-arroyo/

I'll give that burger joint a shot.  Cielo sucked ass and I'm not surprised one bit that it failed. 

[utee94 15746]

7 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I'll give that burger joint a shot.  Cielo sucked ass and I'm not surprised one bit that it failed. 

I liked 5280.  Perfect Burger was tasty and the onion rings were fantastic.  Mom got one of the fries, and that looked good too.

I never made it to Cielo, but heard un-great things about it.  

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

12 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I'll give that burger joint a shot.  Cielo sucked ass and I'm not surprised one bit that it failed. 

Clay is a great guy and really knows his shit about restaurants.

[South Austin 52167]

6 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Clay is a great guy and really knows his shit about restaurants.

We took our kids to the Far West El Arroyo all the time when they were little.  But the last few years or so it went downhill in terms of quality and service.  Hope this place sticks around.

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

Just now, South Austin said:

We took our kids to the Far West El Arroyo all the time when they were little.  But the last few years or so it went downhill in terms of quality and service.  Hope this place sticks around.

Same here.  That was our standard Sunday after church place to go with the kids.  Once the Winstanley's took the joint over and started serving cold, bagged chips with salsa that wasn't made on-site -- that location went into a death spiral.

[utee94 15746]

5 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Same here.  That was our standard Sunday after church place to go with the kids.  Once the Winstanley's took the joint over and started serving cold, bagged chips with salsa that wasn't made on-site -- that location went into a death spiral.

It got terrible, quick.  Which is too bad because unlike others, I always really liked El Arroyo.  I always considered it Aus-Mex, not Tex-Mex.  The standard enchilada gravy wasn't all that good, but I really liked the BBQ enchiladas, and del Mar was my favorite dish of theirs for a long time.

I could be found at the 5th street location pretty much every Friday happy hour from 1993 through 1999 or so.

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

Not sure where to put this, but good news, nonetheless:

https://austin.towers.net/the-amayas-condo-redevelopment-is-austins-feel-good-project-of-the-year/?pro=caitlyn@towers.net

[mchookem 16243]

are they gonna tear down the shitty yellow LQ? it's disgusting...maybe they will replace it with one of the new purple and gray ones lol

[South Austin 52167]

32 minutes ago, utee94 said:

It got terrible, quick.  Which is too bad because unlike others, I always really liked El Arroyo.  I always considered it Aus-Mex, not Tex-Mex.  The standard enchilada gravy wasn't all that good, but I really liked the BBQ enchiladas, and del Mar was my favorite dish of theirs for a long time.

I recall their Chile Relleno was damn good. 

[dcbc 14434]

6 hours ago, South Austin said:

I remember going to Central Market for the first time in law school and saying to myself, “Why can’t I find some mother fucking Kellog’s Raisin Bran and JIF peanut butter?”  Never went there again until moving back to Austin in 2003 having turned into a yuppie foodie. Now I practically live there.

My first trip there in Fall 1995, I was kind of not feeling well, picked up some sushi from the cooler, took it home, ate it, and puked.

I also found it difficult to find the brands to which I was accustomed and may not ever have returned during my college stint.

[abuelo gringo 321]

2 hours ago, Deej said:

I'd kill for 2-J's to still be around. 

We rented a house at 3715 Medical Pkwy in 68-67.  The back yard backed up to 2-J's back property.  My parents came down to visit us and I walked over to Mayton's Minimax on the corner of Lamar and 38th with my 13 year old younger brother to pick up something.  While in line, three armed guys came in and robbed the place.  They clocked old man Mayton on the head and got off with a bag of money from the office and registers.  A bit scary with angry guys waving pistols all around.  I think they were caught later that day.

2j's was okay.  My son liked the small carousel they had on the parking lot.

[4th&Five 41461]

2 hours ago, Deej said:

I'd kill for 2-J's to still be around. 

i threw a massive fit there as a toddler because they tried to take me off the little animal tables.  i still have to hear about it at least once a year.  my response is usually that my mom FAAFO.

[JimmyJames 12271]

4 hours ago, Jiggy-Z said:

That place was legit. Also had lots of interesting Mayan and Aztec soft core porn hanging on the walls.

El Azteca was the best Mexican food in Austin IMO. Although being a gringo I could be wrong. Sad it’s gone. 
 

First fajitas I ever had in Austin was at fajita flats on Barton springs road. Wasn’t very good. They also had a location where they eventually put Ruby’s BBQ and that fajita flats sign stayed up there forever until they tore down Ruby’s, which was also a shame. 

[ztejas 43269]

12 hours ago, DanRydell said:

(now Abuelo’s)

Not anymore.

El Azteca fucked and I still miss it. The building is just sitting there - they should just reopen that mufucka.

Always thought El Arroyo did a great cheeseburger. 

[Jiggy-Z 3432]

1 hour ago, JimmyJames said:

El Azteca was the best Mexican food in Austin IMO. Although being a gringo I could be wrong. Sad it’s gone.

My non gringo business partner from Durango, loved that place.  He also really likes Jacalito's over on East Oltorf, which I think is still there.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

My non gringo business partner from Durango, loved that place.  He also really likes Jacalito's over on East Oltorf, which I think is still there.

I haven’t been to either place nor am trying to discredit your business partner. Your comment just made me think about how often we (myself included) trust the taste of someone because they are from a place and should know how it’s done right and good. But at the same time, we know so many Texans that have really awful taste when it comes to say BBQ or even Tex Mex. Just a funny observation.

[Jiggy-Z 3432]

58 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I haven’t been to either place nor am trying to discredit your business partner. Your comment just made me think about how often we (myself included) trust the taste of someone because they are from a place and should know how it’s done right and good. But at the same time, we know so many Texans that have really awful taste when it comes to say BBQ or even Tex Mex. Just a funny observation.

But I like it, too.

 

[FTWLOL 6]

10 hours ago, Jiggy-Z said:

Don't forget about the Southside theater, which is now Blazertag.

Forgot all about that place. Saw Real Genius there and then went over to that weird health food store and got some yogurt covered raisins or some shit. That chinese buffet place across from the Central Market on West Gate used to be a movie theater as well. Saw ET and Raiders Of The Lost Ark there. Not that anybody gives a fuck lol 

Do any of the Austin OGs remember that restaurant on Barton Springs next to Peter Pan called Treehouse or something like that? I swear I went there for like my 4th b-day one year and literally nobody remembers it. I'm starting to wonder if I imagined it.  

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

10 minutes ago, FTWLOL said:

Do any of the Austin OGs remember that restaurant on Barton Springs next to Peter Pan called Treehouse or something like that? I swear I went there for like my 4th b-day one year and literally nobody remembers it. I'm starting to wonder if I imagined it.  

Macedrick's Treehouse.  1155 Barton Springs Road.

https://austin.towers.net/the-ballad-of-1155-barton-springs-a-project-fighting-40-years-of-bad-luck/?pro=caitlyn@towers.net

 

[Biff Tannen 45511]

49 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Macedrick's Treehouse.  1155 Barton Springs Road.

https://austin.towers.net/the-ballad-of-1155-barton-springs-a-project-fighting-40-years-of-bad-luck/?pro=caitlyn@towers.net

 

Dammit, you should have let him think he was crazy. 

[Anastasis 23402]

12 hours ago, Jiggy-Z said:

Don't forget about the Southside theater, which is now Blazertag.

 

Saw ET there as a kid.