Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Fredericksburg: basement, area)

[Snowglobe]

Does anyone remember Henry's original location on Woodlawn? It was a very small building and only had about 6 or 8 tables. It opened in 1978.

Has anyone been to the new location on Bandera just outside the loop?

[OzzyRules]

I've been to Henry's one time. About a month ago, which was my first visit. I ordered their puffy tacos, which I think are about as good as the ones at Las Palapas. I would definitely go back and order the same thing or try something different.

The best puffy tacos are still at La Jakala on West Avenue.

[journeyman37]

AAhhh the quacamole cups, yes I do remember them well. My mother used to talk to the owners whenever she would go, and we would see the son working along side. Later he took over, I remember him wearing his Central Catholic high school Jacket sometimes. It was around 1996 or 1997 when they had to move,because of the albertsons. When the son took over, he extended the restaurant area by adding a patio with a fountain in the middle, he also used x mas type lights to wrap around the old tree. It was a great restaurant, and we went there every friday. On southcross and goliad, was a store called Mckinney shoes, next to it was stop n go, and baskin robins. There was also the whopper burger on goliad, which is now las chinitas, a chinese ,and mexican restaurant combo. The drive in across from Floyds is no longer there,,it became the shoppers world in the 70s, now a hardware supply. in front of it was the shakeys pizza. I still can remember seeing the pizza bakers wearing their big white hats,and white uniforms. They served root beer in frosty chilled mugs, and had long tables with black tiled floors, as you went in, there was a movie screen on the right side, they would show the old black and white Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and 3 stooges shows. At the strip center on Pecan Valley where the old winns used to be, is one lone original business that dates back to 1969. That is Eddies barber shop, It is still run by Eddie, who opened it when he was in mid 30s. He told me a year ago, when i was down there. ( currently liveing in Austin) that he was gonig to make it an even 40 years, then shut down. ( he will be missed) San Antonio had one working drive in left, up until this year. This was the mission drive in, they had four screens and were on Roosevelt near military. On friday nights i would take my classic car to pig stand on broadway, where all the old classic cars go, and then to the drive in. The last movie i saw there was superman returns. Unfortunately sometime while it was closed for the winter, the concession stand was broken into and vandalized. The owner said on TV, that it would cost him a million to re open it,but that he was takeing donations to reopen it, Too bad,,it was one of the few great remaining nostalgic pieces of San Antonio history. On steves and clark there an old store that has been there since the 60s, its called Pennies. Nothing has changed about it , its still open. When you walk in, you instantly feel like your pulled back in time, with the crickity wooden floors, that are sloped. Back in the 70s, i used to walk here with a group of nieghborhood kids, and drink Frosty root beer, (which no longer exists.) Then we would walk to southeast lions park, on Hiawatha near Highlands high school, and go swimming.

Originally Posted by Nostalgic

The Taco Hut was the best! My best friend & I would mow the lawn for my mom and she would give us money to bring back home food from Taco Hut! Boy, it was sure good. We all loved those great guacamole cups - anyone remember them? I think the reason they moved to Hot Wells in later years was because the Albertson's was built; now Albertson's is closed.

I think the drive-in across from where Floyd's still is was called the ParkAir - I went there with my family in the summer. There was a Ben Franklin's next to the Highland Hills Pharmacy and seems like a fabric store was in that area too. I also remember the Model Market and the Leeds Dept. Store where I got a new swimsuit every year. LOL!

Boy, what memories: that area was like a small town; seems like you knew everyone.

[OzzyRules]

I remember Shakey's being really big inside. Like, enormous. Was it really that big?

[ilia68]

anyone remember a hippy shop close to hawthorne middle school and close to a pinata shop? oh and by a church and close to french street/

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

I remember Shakey's being really big inside. Like, enormous. Was it really that big?

I remember the one on San Pedro was a pretty good size, and the one on Fred Road was also a good size.

[journeyman37]

The building across from the floyds hamburger place and the el tipico, (formerly El rancho,) is where the old shakeys used to be. not sure what it is now ,but it has a black roof.

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

I remember Shakey's being really big inside. Like, enormous. Was it really that big?

[journeyman37]

Does anyone remember the old coney island hot dog restaurant, on St. Mary's. I used to walk there from St. Marys school, when i was a kid to eat one, Also on alamo street i can remember a place called Laurasteins clothing store, across from that was pincus. My grandfather worked there,and my grandmother worked at laurasteins as a seamstress. Laurasteins was very old, it had a basement that was cold dark, and musky smell, The ladies worked there sewing and makeing military uniforms, I played in all the empty boxes makeing forts. The elevator was old timey, you could see the chain that pulled it up. the building was torn down in the ealry eighties I think, and now its where the fountains and little stores are in downtown San Antonio, At lunch time, my grandfather would tame me to woolworth, and buy me a burger and a strawberry shake. good memories.The actual location for laurasteins I believe was on losoya, in between houston and commerce.
There used to be a Winns on Perida and St. Mary next to the old pig stand on presa. Grandparents used to take me there after school. The floors were wooden, and the inside had this smell that was soo good, it was like the smell of cherry Ice's and wooden floors,crazy combination. There also used to be a H.E.B on whittier and south presa. It had a basement downstairs called Bruners, a dept. stare, similar to woolworth and H.L Greenes. As big as the H.E.B was on top was the size of Bruners underneath, it was huge, clothing store. But in 1967 that area had a big flood, and the water rose to 4ft, All of Bruners was flooded to the brim, completely destroyed, The H.E.B is still there but the lower level is closed off. Dad told me about this story, he was a newlywed at that time, and lived in the area. There was also a Bolners Meat market on S. Flores and Mitchell street, that has been there since the 1950s. and is still there.

[disappear-here]

El Rancho!! That's a place that I hadn't thought about in years. I believe there used to be one on Military Drive in or by Shopper's City. I remember Bruner's, but this one was on Military Drive and Pleasanton Rd. It was next to the old, old HEB.

I remember the Coney Island......vaguely I didn't get downtown much, but I also remember N.Y. Pizza.

I definitely remember the HEB on Presa. I didn't know about the Bruner's in the basement though.

I also remember Bolner's meat market!! Another place that I hadn't thought of in years.

My grandmother used to buy all of her TV's, radios and stuff like that at Deason's. I believe it was on South St. Mary's. It was just a little family owned business. She also bought her cars at Newt Godfree Chevrolet (which later became Ancira-Winton).

[mexicajun]

Originally Posted by ilia68

anyone remember a hippy shop close to hawthorne middle school and close to a pinata shop? oh and by a church and close to french street/

I used to work with a man named Bill, whose last name I forget, mentioned owning a store like that on North St. Mary's Street and Ashby which is right next to a church. Supposedly Tandy Leather Store stole his business ideas or some such an put him out of business, but I can't really give too much credence to that since he could really spin a yarn of a story.