Memorable Texas Restaurants?

[Richard Kilgore]

I was thinking about a few Austin restaurants of years gone by. I think the one that still exists is The Raw Deal, but it's in a different location from the original...and that makes all the difference. The original was on a one block long dead-end street next to a produce market. All the streets surrounding the block were one-way, so you could spend a good amount of time circling, trying to find the street in. When you finally arrived and walked through the door there was a large sign hanging over the order-counter that said, "If you don't like The Raw Deal just remember, you came lookin' for The Raw Deal, The Raw Deal didn't come lookin' for you!"

Next was Taco Flats, a tumble down shack with a warped floor supporting a pool table that stuggled without success to be level. They sposored an annual jalapeno eating contest (no fatalities). The sign out front had Taco Flats in big letters and then after a year they tacked on an auxillary sign (much like the McDonalds signs that touted three millions burgers sold!), but theirs said "Over 1,000 Tacos Returned!". The next year they crossed that out and added "2,500 Tacos Returned!" Inside Taco Flats there was a sign on the wall behinf the order counter. A small hand scrawled sign next to a small rat pelt. It read, "Fresh Meat Served Daily."

That's the funky. What's your sublime?

[bhoward]

I don't think a Raw Deal exists now but I could be wrong. You may or may not recall that the original Raw Deal had a sign over the entrance that read "Leave Your G#* Damn Guitar in the Car!" The original later moved over to 6th street near where Sweetish Hill is now but wasn't, in my opinion, nearly as good.

As for long gone Austin spots, don't forget Virginia's which had what may have been the greatest chicken fried steak in the history of the world. She was big on signage, too. Remember the signs stating that you could smoke anywhere and if you didn't like smoke you should leave?

[Tremor]

The Raw Deal is long gone. That was an Eddie Wilson creation. They opened the second one called Another Raw Deal, but I believe that was after Eddie had sold his interest. That's long gone, also.

Taco Flats was a gem. Closed at least 20 years ago, I think. (Getting old and the gray matter is fading.)

bhoward, Virginia's was wonderful. I hated to see her close, but age will do that to a person.

Some of the places around Austin I really miss (all in the "funky" category, Richard):

Spelman's. (I might be wrong on the spelling.) A place I used to go to in the early 80's. FANTASTIC burgers. It was on either west 5th or 6th.

Curve Inn. This was a little bar on a curve (duh) just north of Taylor, on Hwy 79 (the REAL 79, not the bypass). One of the best "restaurant" burgers I've ever had in my life. The lot is still vacant.

Nick's Great Pizza. A place I ate at almost every week for more years than I remember. It was on 2222 near 620. The best pizza I've ever had. Super thin, perfectly crispy crust, with an incomparible sauce. Nick sold his couple of acres for over half a million, and he retired in his 50's. The building was razed, and the lot is still vacant after years and years.

Elena's. A place in Round Rock (where the Red Barn Burgers is now). Ron and Elena had a Mexican restaurant for a very few years. I ate breakfast there once or twice every week, sometimes more. They had one of the best homemade hot sauces I've ever had. When I would walk in, Ron would fill up a new "sqeeze-bottle" for me, knowing I would use almost the whole thing on my breakfast of migas or heuvos rancheros. I would always leave with tears in my eyes (from the heat), but spiritually satisfied.

The Stallion. Enough said.

BB's. A Mexican restaurant on south 1st, not too far north of Oltorf. Man, I really miss that place. He tried to go "upscale" by moving to a building on west 7th. Didn't last too long after that.

Circle H BBQ. This was on the corner of 620 and 183, back when both were little more than country roads.

Ah, well, enough reminiscing for tonight.

[bhoward]

The Stallion. How many poor dorm residents ate the $1.00 chicken fried steak there on Sunday evening when the mess hall was closed? I would hate to count.

Let's not forget Armadillo World Headquarters which, besides hosting some of the greatest music ever, served a pretty damn fine plate of bean and cheese nachos!

[foodie52]

Used to get the salad at the Armadillo: as I recall, it was huge and delicious. Then just sat outside and listened to the music going on inside ...for free..it was sooo loud.

To my mind, closing down the Armadillo to build a bank building was the beginning of the end of that great era here. What a waste. And I seem to remember that the bank building stood empty for a couple of years...

[Richard Kilgore]

The Armadillo reminds me of a great only-in-Austin radio adv for Shiner beer from that period. It went something like...

Billy Bob: Hey, Joe, let's knock off and go get a beer.

Joe: That sounds great!. What'll we get?

Billy Bob: All right! Let's get a Shiner!

Joe: My god, Billy Bob! That stuff's awful!

Billy Bob: No, Joe. They've improved it! You can almost drink it now!