What Was The Restaurant On The Hill?
#1
Posted 03 August 2007 - 12:47 AM
Wasn't there some sort of restaurant or club that once sat on top of the hill just East of Beach St on I30 and overlooked downtown Ft Worth? In the early eighties I was just a snot-nosed kid but I do remember seeing such a place and asking my parents about it as we drove by. All I can remember them saying was that it was a steakhouse and was "expensive". I can recall looking to the other side (North) of the highway and seeing Don Carter's All Star Lanes (now a church I believe) so I know it had to be at that location. I also remember wondering how the heck people got up there as there was no service road, thus it was not accessible from the highway.
Again, this is all based on the memory of a 5 or 6 year old so I could be off on some of the details, but I would love to get some info about this place and learn how long it's been gone.
Thanks!
#2
Posted 03 August 2007 - 06:54 AM
#3
Posted 03 August 2007 - 08:29 AM
You'll probably get a lot of replies on that question. I believe the last incarnation was The Fort Worth Cattle Co. which was, obviously, a steakhouse. I believe originally it was called Luminaras and had a few changes in between. Considered one of the best views of downtown you had to get to it off Lancaster. It was a cool place and I believe the story goes that the original owners tried to buy out a pig farmer whose land was connected, but he wouldn't sell, so supposedly there was some "ambience" that came with it.
I thought that "pig farm" scenario belonged to what is now the Ambassador at I-30 and Beach, once a Holiday Inn (??).
#4
Posted 03 August 2007 - 02:46 PM
You'll probably get a lot of replies on that question. I believe the last incarnation was The Fort Worth Cattle Co. which was, obviously, a steakhouse. I believe originally it was called Luminaras and had a few changes in between. Considered one of the best views of downtown you had to get to it off Lancaster. It was a cool place and I believe the story goes that the original owners tried to buy out a pig farmer whose land was connected, but he wouldn't sell, so supposedly there was some "ambience" that came with it.
I thought that "pig farm" scenario belonged to what is now the Ambassador at I-30 and Beach, once a Holiday Inn (??).
Yes, I remember the pig farm. Also, smelled it every time we came into and left downtown in the 60s. The pig farm was between the hotel and the Twin drive-in and was gone by the time the restaurant opened. The restaurant had a great bar on the back with large windows and the downtown view. I was there last in the mid 80s. The lack of access is what killed it.
#5
Posted 03 August 2007 - 03:54 PM
#6
Posted 06 August 2007 - 12:56 PM
You'll probably get a lot of replies on that question. I believe the last incarnation was The Fort Worth Cattle Co. which was, obviously, a steakhouse. I believe originally it was called Luminaras and had a few changes in between. Considered one of the best views of downtown you had to get to it off Lancaster. It was a cool place and I believe the story goes that the original owners tried to buy out a pig farmer whose land was connected, but he wouldn't sell, so supposedly there was some "ambience" that came with it.
Yes, it was called Luminarias and was at the end of Ben St. It was there as early as 1975 and I'm pretty sure that was when it was built.
#7
Posted 06 August 2007 - 04:51 PM
Does anyone remember how long ago the building was demolished? It looks like the parking lot/foundations are still there.
#8
Posted 14 August 2007 - 10:30 PM
Thanks for the replies. It's funny to hear about the pig farm. In this day and age it's hard to imagine something like that being so close to downtown.
Does anyone remember how long ago the building was demolished? It looks like the parking lot/foundations are still there.
I don't know when it was demo'd. I remember it best when it was a fairly hot night spot called Calamity's.
#9
Posted 02 December 2007 - 11:23 PM
#10
Posted 24 January 2008 - 10:43 PM
Just to clarify further, the last incarnation was called Fort Worth Cattle Drive Restaurant.
The old Cyberrodeo website from 1996, which is still floating around in Google's cache somewhere, listed it as "Steaks, seafood. Elegant." It's funny, there are several restaurant sites on the web that still list this restaurant. Be the first to review it Does anyone have a photo of this place in any incarnation? It was one of those places I always passed but never thought to snap a shot of.
John
#11
Posted 24 January 2008 - 10:54 PM
#12
Posted 27 January 2008 - 03:53 PM
#13
Posted 26 May 2008 - 11:29 PM
Thanks for the replies. It's funny to hear about the pig farm. In this day and age it's hard to imagine something like that being so close to downtown.
Does anyone remember how long ago the building was demolished? It looks like the parking lot/foundations are still there.
I don't know when it was demo'd. I remember it best when it was a fairly hot night spot called Calamity's.
I do remember it being called Calamity's when it first opened but it went through several different name changes after that. I don't know what it was by the time I moved to Austin but I remember it as Calamity's.
#14
Posted 27 May 2008 - 09:04 PM
#15
Posted 27 May 2008 - 11:19 PM
#16
Posted 28 May 2008 - 07:50 PM
#17
Posted 30 May 2008 - 01:14 AM
I remember going there for a special family get-together in the early 70's; in its first incarnation, Luminarias. It was frustrating--so visible from I30 but so puzzling to get to. I remember mom & dad got lost, but, fairly soon got there. (And the view was great!)
I think some owners may have invested eventually in a billboard telling people on 30 the route to the restaurant. I suspect that was not enough without a convenient exit and straightforward route; thus all the restaurants failed.
#18
Posted 30 May 2008 - 12:42 PM
#19
Posted 25 July 2008 - 09:30 PM
My wife and I enjoyed our first dinner together on our wedding night at Calamities. Although I cannot remember exactly what we ate, I was a little preoccupied, I do remember it as being a very romantic evening.
Thanks for great memories,
The HC Kid
#20
Posted 17 November 2008 - 09:08 PM
It's still a great view of downtown, just watch out for the burning stolen cars and the "Johns" with their "dates".
#21
Posted 18 November 2008 - 09:54 PM
It's still a great view of downtown, just watch out for the burning stolen cars and the "Johns" with their "dates".
what was the place east from there on the same side of 30 or the old turnpike
that had a gangster theme it had a secret stairway that lead to some tunnels ??
maybe somewhere around east chase on the south side of 30
dan h
#22
Posted 18 November 2008 - 10:24 PM
#23
Posted 19 November 2008 - 08:48 AM
what was the place east from there on the same side of 30 or the old turnpike
that had a gangster theme it had a secret stairway that lead to some tunnels ??
maybe somewhere around east chase on the south side of 30
dan h
[/quote]
You're talking about the O.D. Stevens home at I-30 and Morrison. Stevens was convicted of murdering two robbery accomplices and dumping their bodies off the East First street bridge. I know some people who lived in that house before it became commercial property, and they couldn't get a moments peace from trespassers snooping around or trying to find unrecovered money. Later it was the "Texas Connection" restaurant and even later a day-care, I think.
#24
Posted 19 November 2008 - 09:40 PM
n801hme, must have been fascinating place for your friends to live. Were all the disturbances outside the house? Like I said, the vibe there must be weird.
#25
Posted 21 November 2008 - 08:55 AM
n801hme, must have been fascinating place for your friends to live. Were all the disturbances outside the house? Like I said, the vibe there must be weird.
The person I'm referring to is a friend of my parents from their church. She lived there in the 70's. She's talked about how "cool" the house was *lol*. Don't know if she knew ALL the details. I wouldn't think that would be a realtors main selling point. She mentioned another hidden room under a stairway. Never heard of "paranormal" activity, though...
Thought I'd tack this on-thanks, edit option-I was in the neighborhood today & drove by the Stevens house. It is a Child Development center now. The church is next door. I'd forgotten what an imposing place it was with all the balconies & the red stone walls. They've built playgrounds all around the yard-quite a different vibe from when Stevens was arrested in 1933. You have to respect Stevens' foresite when he built the place- there was no way anyone could have snuck up on him from that perch on the hill.
#26
Posted 30 November 2008 - 08:10 PM
(an infrared photograph)
Bruce Burton
#27
Posted 01 December 2008 - 05:23 AM
I remember when Luminaria's was on this location
Pete Charlton
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#28
Posted 21 June 2012 - 02:13 PM
<!--quoteo(post=39410:date=Aug 3 2007, 07:54 AM:name=seurto)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seurto @ Aug 3 2007, 07:54 AM) </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
You'll probably get a lot of replies on that question. I believe the last incarnation was The Fort Worth Cattle Co. which was, obviously, a steakhouse. I believe originally it was called Luminaras and had a few changes in between. Considered one of the best views of downtown you had to get to it off Lancaster. It was a cool place and I believe the story goes that the original owners tried to buy out a pig farmer whose land was connected, but he wouldn't sell, so supposedly there was some "ambience" that came with it.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, it was called Luminarias and was at the end of Ben St. It was there as early as 1975 and I'm pretty sure that was when it was built.
#29
Posted 31 December 2019 - 01:28 AM
I remember Calamity's being up on that hill.
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