152 replies to this topic

[John T Roberts]

You all are a few yards east of the location where Casa Bonita was located. It was at the west end of the strip where the Roomstore is now located. The actual restaurant building has been demolished, but the Just For Feet/Mister E's Music store replaced it.

[lobster]

You all are a few yards east of the location where Casa Bonita was located.  It was at the west end of the strip where the Roomstore is now located.  The actual restaurant building has been demolished, but the Just For Feet/Mister E's Music store replaced it.

John -- do you have any recollections as to why it failed? That place must have cost millions to build, and from the sheer size they must have staffed over 100 people -- always full of customers though..

[normanfd]

Food was very good, service was always friendly, and those toilets......MANNN those toilets!.

Most restaurant owners would be stunned and put off balance by a review focusing on their toilets. So what's so special about them anyway?

[safly]

Food was very good, service was always friendly, and those toilets......MANNN those toilets!.

Most restaurant owners would be stunned and put off balance by a review focusing on their toilets. So what's so special about them anyway?

You just had to be there.

[DrkLts]

I'm puzzled how this topic got to be so popular. Anyone stop to think why these places have closed down? Roaches, spoiled food, food poisoning, health dept? Let's just hope it was due to loss of profits, or was it?

[hipolyte]

Don't they have another location?

Not that I know of.. But Hui Chuan's (Camp Bowie, next to La Madelliene) is an excellent substitution.. highly recommended

Hui Chuan's was originally in the Mikado location, but mysteriously lost their liquor license and couldn't hold out. More politics? Downtown seems rife.

[hipolyte]

I'm puzzled how this topic got to be so popular. Anyone stop to think why these places have closed down? Roaches, spoiled food, food poisoning, health dept? Let's just hope it was due to loss of profits, or was it? 

Maybe all of the above, but then again, think of the Coffee Haus.

[lobster]

Don't they have another location?

Not that I know of.. But Hui Chuan's (Camp Bowie, next to La Madelliene) is an excellent substitution.. highly recommended

Hui Chuan's was originally in the Mikado location, but mysteriously lost their liquor license and couldn't hold out. More politics? Downtown seems rife.

I don't believe that to be the case.. She only had a beer+wine license back then anyway (only served sake, plum wine and kirin at the time.. didn't have the bar that's there now) and the TABC rules around maintaining one of those is apparently a lot more liberal (and 1/10th the cost!) than a full-on liquor license .. From what I understand Hui Chuan was going through a pretty rocky divorce and the restaurant was left in the balance of their possessions... Back then it was called Pangaea and it didn't really pull in that much business... ONe thing I do remember was that she had this AWESOME bread with little pieces of garlic embedded in 'em that was just INCREDIBLE -- and it was free with any meal. She stopped doing that at her new place but she did give me the recipe

[lobster]

Maybe all of the above, but then again, think of the Coffee Haus.

i miss that joint

mismanaged? sure.
attracted what SSq thought where "undesirables"? absolutely.
everything about that place was true coffee joint character -- something, as we can see, the cold and sterile starbucks replacement has yet to replicate

went there almost every day..
i do believe it will rise again, very soon :ph34r:

[John T Roberts]

John -- do you have any recollections as to why it failed?  That place must have cost millions to build, and from the sheer size they must have staffed over 100 people -- always full of customers though..

I can't recall why they failed. It's been too long ago.

[seurto]

Actually the building Casa Bonita was in has been torn down. It was a Jimenez for a while (man, I miss that, too!). But it was razed and a new building put up that was a Foot Locker or something; now I think it's Mr. Ed's music (?). Just westish of the Room Store, and between it and the Chicken Express. I never ate there, but LOVED Crystal's on CB!

[bronson2112]

LOVED Crystal's on CB!

Crystal's on Camp Bowie was my favorite place to go as a kid! I always sat in the movie theater while eating my pizza. They had a great sundae bar where you could build a huge sundae with practically anything you wanted on it. And of course I spent way too much money on all the video games that Crystal's had.

The Crystal's in Irving on 183 is still alive and kicking. I work in Las Colinas so I stop in every so often for their lunch buffet. The pizza is nothing special but it certainly brings back memories of eating at the one on Camp Bowie.

[safly]

Maybe all of the above, but then again, think of the Coffee Haus.

i miss that joint

mismanaged? sure.
attracted what SSq thought where "undesirables"? absolutely.
everything about that place was true coffee joint character -- something, as we can see, the cold and sterile starbucks replacement has yet to replicate

went there almost every day..
i do believe it will rise again, very soon :ph34r:

Yes, I did not frequent, but the smell from the derilect youth with rasta-like(not washed) hair did mask the smell of pigeon crap. $5 bucks is not my cup of joe but it has some benefits for being downtown. The business culture prefer it, I for one would rather frequent the Human Bean, and hopefully not get suckered into a bible revival. I do miss the Haus and hope they will find their way back into FW downtown culture. That was the first choice for many of hip symphony musicians to share a cup with at the time. They would pass up the Starbucks in the B&N for just the savory hot chocolate. Oh well, if I had my way I would bring a Tea Leaf & Coffee Bean place to downtown, sure to have EstrellaBucks trembling at their mercy, much like in CA.

We will get a Panera's in d-town pretty soon! Heard Panda Express and FreeBirds wants in too.

[hipolyte]

Don't they have another location?

Not that I know of.. But Hui Chuan's (Camp Bowie, next to La Madelliene) is an excellent substitution.. highly recommended

Hui Chuan's was originally in the Mikado location, but mysteriously lost their liquor license and couldn't hold out. More politics? Downtown seems rife.

I don't believe that to be the case.. She only had a beer+wine license back then anyway (only served sake, plum wine and kirin at the time.. didn't have the bar that's there now) and the TABC rules around maintaining one of those is apparently a lot more liberal (and 1/10th the cost!) than a full-on liquor license .. From what I understand Hui Chuan was going through a pretty rocky divorce and the restaurant was left in the balance of their possessions... Back then it was called Pangaea and it didn't really pull in that much business... ONe thing I do remember was that she had this AWESOME bread with little pieces of garlic embedded in 'em that was just INCREDIBLE -- and it was free with any meal. She stopped doing that at her new place but she did give me the recipe

The thing I liked about Pangaea was Hui Chuan had a REAL sushi chef. I confess that I've only visited the new location once, though, so I don't know if she still can claim that.

[lobster]

Maybe all of the above, but then again, think of the Coffee Haus.

i miss that joint

mismanaged? sure.
attracted what SSq thought where "undesirables"? absolutely.
everything about that place was true coffee joint character -- something, as we can see, the cold and sterile starbucks replacement has yet to replicate

went there almost every day..
i do believe it will rise again, very soon :ph34r:

Yes, I did not frequent, but the smell from the derilect youth with rasta-like(not washed) hair did mask the smell of pigeon crap.

haha.. oh come on.. it's that very attitude that made them go away -- and where are all these whiney pretentious people named Muffy and Brent holding hands walking down Houston Street too afraid to walk within 5 feet of three kids kickin' a hacky-sack in front of the Milan? That leg of Houston St is a ghost town thanks to the lack of CH... kind of depressing. Those who put the stereotypes aside and dared venture past the innocent hippy-esque kids did find that place to have a certain fun comradery to it. The Starbucks there now has zero of that. And I'm not saying that because it's a Starbucks -- I was very fair in giving it a chance.. it's just the most anti-inviting place on the block.. Almost as if they designed it w/ a $200/hr Feng Shui expert to figure out how to make people leave after 6.5 mintues inside.

[lobster]

We will get a Panera's in d-town pretty soon! Heard Panda Express and FreeBirds wants in too.

Why don't you use this mysterious High-powered in-the-inner-circle-of-restaurant-developers deal-makin'-networked-connected powers that you often allude to and get EatZis to put a location down here once and for all ?

[Sam Stone]

I second Lobster on that one. Eatzi's would be ideal.

Panera would be a good addition. Panda Express, though? I saw my first freestanding one in downtown Indy. I had never seen one outside of a mall or an airport, and I was in need of a quick bite, so I thought what the hey? It was actually worse than anything I had eaten in a mall or an airport. No need for them downtown.

I take it Freebird's is a wing joint?

We really need a Thai, Indian, or Vietnamese place. Anything a little exotic. I'll take Indonesian, Ethiopian, Jamaican, whatever.

[John T Roberts]

I take it Freebird's is a wing joint?

Sam, where have you been?

Freebirds is probably the best burrito shop around these parts. It is a small Texas chain with 11 locations across the eastern part of the state. In my opinion, it is much better than Chipotle and Baja Fresh. Their only Fort Worth location right now is on Overton Ridge, just southwest from Hulen Mall.

[JBB]

If I remember right, Freebirds got its start in College Station. Very popular with Aggies.

[salvag]

Tried it, but still like Chipotle better.

[safly]

I second Lobster on that one.  Eatzi's would be ideal.

Panera would be a good addition.  Panda Express, though?  I saw my first freestanding one in downtown Indy.  I had never seen one outside of a mall or an airport, and I was in need of a quick bite, so I thought what the hey?  It was actually worse than anything I had eaten in a mall or an airport.  No need for them downtown. 

I take it Freebird's is a wing joint?

We really need a Thai, Indian, or Vietnamese place.  Anything a little exotic.  I'll take Indonesian, Ethiopian, Jamaican, whatever.

The one by USC campus did fairly well, it was my first intro. to Panda Express. I guess it is more of a W. Coast thing. Anyone here heard of Orange Bang?

To Lob: Let me see EtZi's in downtown.....NOPE! I don't know who or what it is, but they are not worth my time. Especially if it is another venue for punk hackey sackers or some dork who wants to play steel drums for cash. Just playin.

[safly]

I second Lobster on that one.  Eatzi's would be ideal.

Panera would be a good addition.  Panda Express, though?  I saw my first freestanding one in downtown Indy.  I had never seen one outside of a mall or an airport, and I was in need of a quick bite, so I thought what the hey?  It was actually worse than anything I had eaten in a mall or an airport.  No need for them downtown. 

I take it Freebird's is a wing joint?

We really need a Thai, Indian, or Vietnamese place.  Anything a little exotic.  I'll take Indonesian, Ethiopian, Jamaican, whatever.

Go hug a tree. Vietnamese food is not gonna work downtown, just like a Spiral Diner would not work or some Vegan hut. NOBODY WANTS THEIR FOOD SERVED BY A MAN WITH A HOOK RING UP HIS NOSE.

[tcole]

Lobster:

Brinker no longer owns Eatzi's. They sold it back to Phil Romano in 2001 and he opened it for franchise applications albeit on a smaller scale than the main dallas, ATL, and Houston shops. I think that they have rescinded that plan in favor of corp. growth, but their "window" may have closed with the better capitalized arrival of CM. A scaled down version downtown could possibly work, but it would have to be more elaborate than Sundance Deli was, if you remember them. And I believe that Vietnamese would work downtown, just not the type of shop we are more accustomed to on Belknap. Look into some concepts like Vietopia out of Houston or even better, Le Colonial out of I do not know where - they have locations in LA, SF, NY, and Chicago (the one I have been to).

[lobster]

To Lob: Let me see EtZi's in downtown.....NOPE! I don't know who or what it is, but they are not worth my time. Especially if it is another venue for punk hackey sackers

Whoa whoa what's this? Mister I AM VAGUELY CONNECTED IN SIXTEEN HUNDRED BUSINESS DEALS AT ONCE AND DROPS NAMES LIKE THEY'RE CANDY has never heard of EatZis?? I guess you're just not the cosmopolitan penthouse dweller that you've been wanting us to come to expect! Mine heart is broken!

Alas, allow me to school you ...

EatZi's is one of the most popular gourmet eateries in Dallas .. (There's one in Atlanta and a few others) if you were to isolate the "Cafe on the Run" (but with wood burning grill, gourmet produce, seafood, meat, wine selection) from CM, it would be that but much more sophisticated. It would be a fantastic addition to downtown, serving as both an excellent restaurant venue as well as fulfill the long-awaited grocery solution.

"not worth my time" is a great quote from someone who thinks a fast food joint that serves low grade lo mein and sesame chicken is worthy of downtown square footage... "jk!"

[lobster]

...or some dork who wants to play steel drums for cash. Just playin.

bah.. i play for free because I enjoy playing and the crowd gets a kick out of the occasional Caribbean tune .. now, be a good lad and go take the big Clear Channel dog for a nice poopy

[lobster]

A scaled down version downtown could possibly work, but it would have to be more elaborate than Sundance Deli was, if you remember them. 

I do I do! I didn't understand it when Vicki shut down and left to do work at the COWGIRL MUSEUM! She closed just after the tornado and it sat there empty (w/ sodas in the clear fridge for months) -- she made incredible reubens.. Everytime I go to EatZi's I think "damn this would be so perfect for downtown fw" -- and you're right.. it'd have to be a little scaled down, but even so, I live without that huge breadmaking operation.. if they could keep the produce/wine/meat selection, the square gourmet food counter, and perhaps the wood grill, it'd be perfect. (no need for the sandwich guys in the back -- save the space, there's too many sandwich joints downtown as is) .. If EatZi's doesn't come -- since they don't have that large of a name recognition -- I'm sure someone savvy enough could emulate their layout just as nicely..

[tcole]

My brother in-law and I briefly considered applying for one or two of the "franchises" when they were first offered but abandoned the idea after CM came to town. We did not consider a DT location though due to higher costs and Eatzi's really operates on thinner margins than you would assume - at least they did when they were part of Brinker according to the last time I did an analysts report on EAT.

[lobster]

My brother in-law and I briefly considered applying for one or two of the "franchises" when they were first offered but abandoned the idea after CM came to town.  We did not consider a DT location though due to higher costs and Eatzi's really operates on thinner margins than you would assume - at least they did when they were part of Brinker according to the last time I did an analysts report on EAT.

Yeah, that place is such an amazing operation, I can't imagine how much $ it takes to keep that place flowing.. so many things going on, people all over the place .. it is always full of people when I go though.. But again, a smaller scale place similar to that would do just fine, even without the name

[safly]

Apparently, I have been schooled. Reading up on your EatZi's reports it may turn into a sound venture. where canI get any info. on this place? If anyone here is familiar with Trader Joe's markets that are in the NE and W.coast, then this is right in line with it. Wordly foods, organics, koshers, sushi and rotisseries all in a hip urban venue. Not to mention VERY low low priced ($5-25)excellent wines from all over the world. One exception, having spoken with their Chicago rep's in the past, they seem to only open up within a 1/4 mile of other supermarkets, it's some competition and evaluation deal to test their market strenght, viability, and density attraction(exposure).

Here is their website www.traderjoes.com

I am guessing that EatZi's is very similiar.

[lobster]

Apparently, I have been schooled. Reading up on your EatZi's reports it may turn into a sound venture. where canI get any info. on this place?

Just do a lil' google ..

http://www.eatzis.com/faq/faq_01.htm

if you're ever going to be in the area it's worth the visit... it's one of the few things Dallas has that I truly dig..

[lobster]

btw.. just remembered.. from my early post-highschool memories of downtown, I remember really being impressed with the Deep Ellum Cafe.. a very cool place

[John T Roberts]

The Deep Ellum Cafe was one of my favorite places in those days.

[John T Roberts]

...and from the other thread...

Name in chronological order all of the businesses that occupied the Jett Building (Chisholm Trail Mural building) since it has been owned by Sundance.

[lobster]

...and from the other thread...

Name in chronological order all of the businesses that occupied the Jett Building (Chisholm Trail Mural building) since it has been owned by Sundance.

(Fort Worth Books and Video ?)
Deep Ellum Cafe
Pangburn's Chocolate
Jamba Juice
Main Street Arts Festival communications headquarters yr 1999
Radio Ranch

are there more? :]

[John T Roberts]

Yes, try again.

[tcole]

Mi Cocina was there.

[John T Roberts]

Put it in the right order and you will win the prize. (The prize: nothing)

[lobster]

I just had this very obscure dream that featured a restaurant I remember as a kid in FW and it's really bothering me where it was...

It was called "The Fisherman's Wharf" and the entrance was a huge whale's mouth... Seafood I believe.. I want to say it was somewhere close to Forest Park, University or Camp Bowie and 30 but I really don't remember... anyone recall this?

LOb

[Sam Stone]

It was on Forest Park north of I-30.

I remember eating there once as a child too. Begged my mom over and over to take me there because of that crazy fish head entrance. Remember it being empty and bad.

I'm pretty sure that even though it closed down a long long time ago, that entrance stayed there through most of the 90s.

[seurto]

Actually, I believe it was called the "Spanish Galleon". As best I remember one side put you into the restaurant and the other put you into the bar. It was located off 30/Forest park across from the Magic Etc place. It really had cool decor - I was just a kid then, and really thought it was neat. "The Wharf" was a seafood restaurant right off the Weatherford traffic circle, pretty much were Grandy's is now I think. That was my mother's favorite place in the world! Before it was the Wharf, it was the "Old Corral"; steak, BBQ ribs, that sort of thing. First place I was ever given a finger bowl (w/my ribs) and just thought they were bringing me a fresh lemon in a bowl of water - ahh young and naive! Across the intersection where PepBoys is now was a little dive of a joint called "Rancher Bill's". Great BBQ. My dad liked to eat out a lot.

[lobster]

I'm pretty sure that even though it closed down a long long time ago, that entrance stayed there through most of the 90s.

Actually, I believe it was called the "Spanish Galleon".  As best I remember one side put you into the restaurant and the other put you into the bar.  It was located off 30/Forest park across from the Magic Etc place. 

Yes!!@ That's it
When did they tear the whole bldg down? ..... or did they?

[hipolyte]

It has been gone for some time, not sure of exact dates. When it was the 'Spanish Galleon' the giant fish head led to the bar, and my parents wouldn't let me go through there. The rest of the building looked like the side of a 'galleon'. It was cool.
We only ate there a few times that I remember.....my parents prefered Zuider Zee, and later, Bill Martin's 2nd Edition.

[Willy1]

Wow... the Spanish Gallion. I'd forgotten about that place. I never ate there as a kid because my parents said it was gross - and I didn't like seafood when I was a kid. The other weird/random memory I have of that place is that it backed up to the river and in the river right behind it was a big fountain that shot water straight into the air - sort of like a whale's blow hole. I remember thinking it was so cool that the restaraunt put that "blow hole" in the river to go with their Whale entrance/theme. It wasn't until later that I figured out that they had nothing to do with the fountain. I was sort of "creative" like that when I was a kid - just totally in my own world making crap up. Hmm, maybe I should work for a local newspaper. I wonder what ever happened to that fountain... It was a cool water feature. <drifting off to more made-up memories of FW as a child...>

[lobster]

..well, since we're along the lines of vague childhood restaurant memories and Forest Park/30, I do remember another restaurant that I know for a fact is now that wierd barn they use for wedding receptions (across from and a bit east of Magic Etc) .. I have no idea what it was called but I do remember it was one huge open room with diagonal barn-style beams (kinda like a rustic version of the interior of Tippins, if you will?) .. but all the tables were really just picnic benches ... I have no idea what kind of food they served except I do vividly remember the self-serve ice cream machine... anyone remember the name?

yipe, we're goin' back to when I was 6 or 7, here, folks :ph34r:

[seurto]

As embarrassing as it is to be able to remember all this stuff (I'm really not THAT old), that was the Windmill Dinner Theater. You went in to eat and watch a play or musical act or something. I only went once; couldn't tell you what the play was or what kind of food it was. As best I remember it was like cafeteria style.

My folks liked Zuider Zee and Bill Martin's too. They were seafood-aholics. If it isn't fried catfish, it isn't worth eating IMHO.

And digressing a little, who remembers what the little building just westish of the Spanish Galleon with the Asian arch over the drive way was? (Not a restaurant, just another very old memory).

[lobster]

If it isn't fried catfish, it isn't worth eating IMHO.

man all of a sudden, more and more of these distant restaurant memories are flooding my head.. you mention catfish -- then you must have been to "Mr Catfish" or something like that? (must have been 20+ yrs ago?) ... from what I vaguely remember, it was somewhat large, had a pond or little moat that surrounded the restaurant .. not sure if the pond was filled with catfish or not, but it had some sort of fish in it.. again I was probably 8 or 9 yrs old so I couldn't tell you what part of town it was in, but from what I remember it seemed like hulen-ish? .. or could have been closer to arlington.. ?

[seurto]

Well, Lobster, I seem to remember a place like that maybe, but it was way out on 20 towards Weatherford it seems; can't be 100% sure, was only there once, but it was out of my usual "sphere of influence." I remember it being a pretty cool place. If you ever get out to E Texas around Caddo Lake, there is a place in Uncertain called Big Pines Lodge that has THE BEST CATFISH, hushpuppies and coleslaw you will ever taste - at least last time I was there it was that good!

Talking about memories flooding back, I remember when Vance Godbey's etc were called smorgasbords instead of buffets!

[JBB]

Lobs - If I remember right, the Pappadeaux on Copeland Rd. in Arlington (across the street from the old Ranger Stadium) is the former Mr. Catfish location. I'm not sure if they demolised Mr. Catfish or if the building was remodeled by Pappadeaux.

For good local catfish, try's Papa's Fast Food on Rosedale (just east of 35) or Catfish Sam's on West Division in Arlington.

[Willy1]

..well, since we're along the lines of vague childhood restaurant memories and Forest Park/30, I do remember another restaurant that I know for a fact is now that wierd barn they use for wedding receptions (across from and a bit east of Magic Etc) .. I have no idea what it was called but I do remember it was one huge open room with diagonal barn-style beams (kinda like a rustic version of the interior of Tippins, if you will?) .. but all the tables were really just picnic benches ... I have no idea what kind of food they served except I do vividly remember the self-serve ice cream machine...  anyone remember the name?

yipe, we're goin' back to when I was 6 or 7, here, folks  :ph34r:

The Barn was called "The Hayloft" and they served home cooking... They were known for their chicken fried steaks. And, in addition to the free ice cream, they also had horse rides out front in the parking lot. My parents and their best friends used to like going there. I went once with them, and the friends daughter who was my age, went as well... We were probably 3rd or 4th graders at the time. After dinner we were outside petting the horse and it dropped a big steamer on the girls foot. Unfortunately she was wearing sandles. Eeeew! With a memory like that I'll never forget that place. I remember her busting out into tears and crying "Daddy it's hot".