Reply With Quote
With an ear to the commercial real estate market here, the plans when the new owners purchased it were to turn it into an upscale cigar bar.
I remember the one on San Pedro. I remeber the guys playing the banjo and piano, and the live entertainment. Those were the days.
With an ear to the commercial real estate market here, the plans when the new owners purchased it were to turn it into an upscale cigar bar.
You bet your sweet ass. Nostalgia is not for babies.I'm going to assume that most of you who have posted in this thread are 30+.
How ironic, considering that Maggie's basically closed down because of lack of business do to the smoking regulations. At least I have perfected my own version of the Chicken Ranch nachos.
Where exactly was it at?Oh ... was that the place located on Bandera road, kinda close to Marshal High School? I remember when I was like 5 or 6 going there... and they had a big pot or bucket on the top of the restaraunt... I got my hand smashed in the car door when I was young there... good times.
Wasn't there a Bean Pot on Austin Highway right by the last original Mobile Station(with the flying horse) before Broadway?
Burger Chef Kick ass place for a kid. It was like a fast food version of Fudruckers.
Bonanza ing Bonanza was the ! Sizzler was for snobs.
Jim's Frontier Burgers Unlike the Jim's coffee shops JFB char-grilled their hamburgers.
First Mate "Always clean as a whistle"
Little Hipps
Shakey's Pizza
You're not too far off!Mario's was a hangout for our family on Friday nights, my dad was really good friends with the owner and his kids. The sons now run the Mario's on Fredricksburg and 410, same food. But yeah Mario's always felt like a mafia hangout.
Here’s a very tiny bit of Mario's history for those who are interested:
Mario Cantu was one of the most colorful figures in SA history. He died in December of ’02 of cirrhosis of the liver. He was a both philanthropist and drug smuggler. Local community activist and arms smuggler. At one time the illegal aliens that worked in his restaurant weren’t just the cross the border type but guerillas in exile from Chiapas where he was seen aiding their cause on network news. In 1976 he called then Mexican President Echevarria a fascist right to his face. He also paid for a community center on the Westside and helped a lot of disadvantaged people. That’s kind of what he was like.
Local politicos, socialites, artists, g-men and mafiosos all ate at Mario’s. A “see and be seen” kind of place. In the early ‘80’s he tried to build this huge Mayan pyramid looking restaurant but failed to get support. His political and personal troubles led him to exile in Paris where he opened a pretty innovative Mexican restaurant. It was a hit with the Parisians and won several awards. He eventually came back to SA in the early 90’s and tried to open a similar restaurant on the Westside called Mario’s Papa Maya but it failed. It was too ahead of it’s time. Today it would probably be a hit seeing there are places like Acenar, Rosario’s and Azuca. Eventually his brother Hector opened the Fred Rd. location in ’97 with Mario in a lesser role as a consultant. It’s still doing okay. I think Hector has retired and the business is run by Mario's nephew.
I still eat at the Mario’s on Fredericksburg Rd every now and then. Mostly, it’s good food and I recommend it to anyone. But I really miss the original. It was located where UTSA downtown is.
I do research on Mario from time to time. His story would make a good screenplay. Kind of a cross between Like Water for Chocalate and GoodFellas.
lol First Mate.. was that the fish fry walk up shack on Rosevelt??
No, but I remember the place you're talking about. Damn, I can't remember the name! There was another one on Blanco Rd.
First Mate was shaped like a boat and it was walk in.
Hum.. there was one of those on Rosevelt too near the bowling ally. They used to have all you can eat fried cod on Thursday.
I am in my early 30's and all these places are bringing back great memories, keep them coming.
It's a funny story because people would call info for the phone # and would always get the opposite one. Then they'd place an order 4 food and of course when they'd show up it wasn't ready.
So finally they went to court over the name and since the one in UC had it 1st they settled. I've been to both but the one on NW Mil was far better. I think they had a gambling problem because they closed down despite being busy...
Thanks for the piece of information, I loved Mario's tacos. Do you remember a guy who wrestled for Joe Blanchard who went by the name of El Tejano? He was a waiter at Mario's during the day.Burger Chef Kick ass place for a kid. It was like a fast food version of Fudruckers.
Bonanza ing Bonanza was the ! Sizzler was for snobs.
Jim's Frontier Burgers Unlike the Jim's coffee shops JFB char-grilled their hamburgers.
First Mate "Always clean as a whistle"
Little Hipps
Shakey's Pizza
You're not too far off!
Here’s a very tiny bit of Mario's history for those who are interested:
Mario Cantu was one of the most colorful figures in SA history. He died in December of ’02 of cirrhosis of the liver. He was a both philanthropist and drug smuggler. Local community activist and arms smuggler. At one time the illegal aliens that worked in his restaurant weren’t just the cross the border type but guerillas in exile from Chiapas where he was seen aiding their cause on network news. In 1976 he called then Mexican President Echevarria a fascist right to his face. He also paid for a community center on the Westside and helped a lot of disadvantaged people. That’s kind of what he was like.
Local politicos, socialites, artists, g-men and mafiosos all ate at Mario’s. A “see and be seen” kind of place. In the early ‘80’s he tried to build this huge Mayan pyramid looking restaurant but failed to get support. His political and personal troubles led him to exile in Paris where he opened a pretty innovative Mexican restaurant. It was a hit with the Parisians and won several awards. He eventually came back to SA in the early 90’s and tried to open a similar restaurant on the Westside called Mario’s Papa Maya but it failed. It was too ahead of it’s time. Today it would probably be a hit seeing there are places like Acenar, Rosario’s and Azuca. Eventually his brother Hector opened the Fred Rd. location in ’97 with Mario in a lesser role as a consultant. It’s still doing okay. I think Hector has retired and the business is run by Mario's nephew.
I still eat at the Mario’s on Fredericksburg Rd every now and then. Mostly, it’s good food and I recommend it to anyone. But I really miss the original. It was located where UTSA downtown is.
I do research on Mario from time to time. His story would make a good screenplay. Kind of a cross between Like Water for Chocalate and GoodFellas.
Burger Chef- Awesome
Jim's frontier burgers were very good.
there was this place called Burger hop I remember going to a few times too.
Oh and What about Rudy's where Las Palapas is now off 410 by the airport.
Rooty's had some great rootbeer, shame it is also gone.
Tin Bucket Cafe at Ingram/410. Also, that's where the People's restaurant that I remember was. Both of them were kick-ass back in the day.
Also, Quick Wok Chinese was the shizz-nit, too. You could get sweet n' sour pork delivered with egg roll, rice, and soup for like 3 bucks.
Good times.
You can still go there....sorta....but now since it is Sugar's you get more than a steakStuart Anderson's Cattle Company (that was the best steak in the best atmosphere I've ever eaten, bar none)
Tin Bucket Cafe
Whopper Burger
Conan's Pizza
Puffin' Billy's
Great American Hot Dog
Po Folks
Bullpepper's
Waffle House
Kettle
Godfather's is all over the northern US.
Where Bandera and Huebner hit... on the side of Bandera that Bandera Bowl is... but across from it... where that Blockbuster video is now.
Great american hotdog- home of the 39 cent hotdog.
Conan's Pizza- Another treasure.
Peoples
Kabuki - on 281. closed last summer and is now India Palace II.
Mr. Dunderbachs in Northstar.
Houlihans in Northstar.
Garcia's Mexican in the Rivercenter
Wind Chimes Japanese in U.C.
Damn, Kabuki closed? That sucks ass.
I was just going to mention Houlihan's in North Star--they had the best French onion soup ever. Also, there was a place in Ingram Park Mall (or Westlakes--it's been so long I can't remember) that used to make these sandwiches on these pita-type breads. They were delicious. We ate there a couple of times and it became one of our favorites, then disappeared. There was a place called Burger Time that was really good, too--they had the best 3 piece fish dinner, and the burgers were decent, too, for the price.
Man, I'd forgotten all about Puffin Billy. That place kicked ass.
BTW, for those that like Lil Hips, there is a new place up in the same location that makes the hamburgers the same way. I've had them a few times and they're very good. They still do the tots and fries in huge orders and all that stuff.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
