Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Austin: farmers market, hired)

[Macgrad89]

North Star Mall opened September 23, 1960. That part was the western-most portion of the mall from San Pedro/Macy's extending to just before the present-day Mervyn's. The building where Macy's is wasn't built until 1981-1982; there was a Walgreen's and an H-E-B there along with some smaller shops. Somewhere in this thread is a map of the mall from 1975 which shows this. The portion of the mall near Mervyn's (including Mervyn's, built as Frost Bros.) was built in 1963. The Cinema I/II went up in 1965, followed by the rest of the wing to Joske's (now Dillard's) in 1969. The Sak's wing was built in 1984-1985, and then the Marshall Field's wing (now JCPenney) was built in 1986-1987.

GWhopper - From what I have been able to gather, Murf's Better Burger is run by someone who used to be with Whopper Burger up to the end in 1985-1986. Most if not all of Murf's locations are former Whopper Burgers. Burger Boy down on N. St. Mary's near Josephine indeed is run by the Bates' family who owned Whopper Burger. That site is a former Whopper Burger and going inside is like stepping back in time as the smells are the same and the food is close to the same. Good burgers, crinkle-cut fries and Orange Freezes are on the menu. Makes me miss the old WB at Broadway/410 (where Las Palapas is now) even more.

BuzzCam - glad to know there's another ex-San Antonian up in middle Tennessee. We're in Kingston Springs, just west of town on I-40.

Macgrad89

[Dwangle]

I remember going to North Star Mall shortly after it opened. It must have been in 1960. I remember they had a fallout shelter on display in the mall area that you could buy and bury in your back yard--just in case!. It was a fiberglass sphere with a hatch in the top. I thought it was cool and would be great fun to play in.

[johnrex62]

Something almost gone but certainly not forgotten is not a place or a person but rather a flavor. How many of us recall that uniquely local tex-mex flavor that nearly every restaurant in the area had. It was different than anything you could get in Austin, Dallas, Marble Falls, even New Braunsfels or San Marcos.

There is a triangle region that extends from San Antonio to Houston to Corpus Christi that shares this basic flavor style in the tex-mex food. It has been slowly vanishing from the restaurants as more national chains and more Californian and Austinian shops open in this area. We are seeing more black beans, white cheese, chipotle sauce, etc instead of the 'traditional' components from the early 70's and before.

I have not forgotten, but I do miss it.


For Buzzcam and Macgrad89 and anyone else in Tennessee or Northern Alabama. I found a place in Huntsville, AL near downtown call El Palacio De Mexican Food that still has that flavor. The owner, Angie, came to Huntsville in the early 60's from Sinton Texas and brought the flavor with her. It is still there today. A bit on the greasy side compared to today's offerings, but still very good. Another spot in Huntsville is called Rosies and it is a knock off of Papasitos from Houston. As good as the original and very true to the concept.

If you guys drive a bit south to the Huntsville area and are missing that home town cooking, these two spots are very good substitutes for being here.

[BuzzCam]

Originally Posted by Macgrad89

BuzzCam - glad to know there's another ex-San Antonian up in middle Tennessee. We're in Kingston Springs, just west of town on I-40.

Macgrad89

Hello there fellow Tennessean! I know exactly where you are. I am in Donelson, by the airport.

I do miss San Antonio, it is a neat city to live in! I wish our family was able to stay there longer, but the Air Force didn't like keeping people in one place more than a year at a time. (We ought to start a thread similar to this on the Nashville board.)

Another memory I have was when I broke my wrist, while skateboarding, when our family lived on Melton Drive in 1965. My Father wrapped my wrist up in tightly wound magazine and off the Brook Army Medical Center we went. The Doctors had to set my wrist three times before they were satisfied it would heal correctly. They would set the fracture, then up to X-Ray, back down to the ER to set it again, back to X-Ray, well you get the picture.

I had to stay in a ward with about 40 other kids my age. I was the healthiest person in there, but once I got out, I was sick for weeks! My Mother said I did so well in the ER when the Doctors were setting the bones in my wrist. I didn't even whimper. Well, that is not how I remember it. I remember screaming up a storm in pain with 3 Doctors and my Father holding me down while another Doctor tried to set the bones. No wonder I had to go to X-Ray so many times, then have the bones reset.

I remember the big old V8 Buick Wildcat car my Father had in San Antonio. We went on vacation to Tennessee and at every gas station to refuel, my Father was so impressed by the 16 miles to a gallon that car got on the highway!

[DORISD628]

I just heard about Karam's closing today. I live in Vegas, but travel to SA every summer mainly to eat at Karam's. My family has been going there since around 1949. Can anyone tell me exactly when they are closing and WHY.

[Macgrad89]

Karam's is selling out so yet another Walgreen's can occupy a corner of Earth... Only one of the Karam kids is running the place now and she sounds burnt out on the restaurant business.

As for good Tex-Mex food around here - there simply isn't any so we resort to making our own. We have the Los Barrios cookbook which helps tremendously and sometimes I'll mix spices to find the right taste. We were able to get Bolner's spices for a while here but the closest Wal-Mart to us quit carrying them. So, I send my Mom to H-E-B and she mails it up here to us! I find it amusing when we go out with friends and they go on and on about how good the Mexican food is in certain areas of Nashville (southeast side along Nolensville Rd). It's NOT Tex-Mex but interior Mexican food - lots and lots of red/green peppers in fajitas and everything else.

Closest Whataburger to us is in Birmingham, Alabama - three hours' drive south. If gas was a buck a gallon, I'd consider a road trip for a burger. Gas hit $3.80 a gallon here today - not worth the trip now. I know full well Whataburger would be a hit here but they aren't considering expanding outside of the states they currently serve. Too bad.

I did see today in the Express-News online that in a couple weeks Loop 410 will be 10 lanes from Nacogdoches to Frederickburg. Good golly how things change in a hurry as all that was a mess when we visited in November. The next big mess will be Nacogdoches to I-35... What gets me is 410/I-10 was begun on January 6, 2000 and is still going on! My son was 7 months from birth when that started; he'll be 8 in August!!!

Macgrad89

[DORISD628]

So sad that Karen Karam has grown weary of running the wonderful restaurant her family started in 1946. Even sader she is selling out to a Walgreen's!!! Last summer when I was in there I noticed it needed some TLC and wondered why a new floor hadn't been put in. It didn't deter me from going there several times on my visit to SA. If anyone hears when it is closing exactly I would appreciate it being posted. Maybe I can get down to San Antonio for one more fabulous meal.

[bigdaddyjp7983]

Just to update, we tried to go to Karam's tonight for dinner, and the wait was over an hour. The entire restaurant was packed, including the back patio and the "upper" area that is almost always curtained. Maybe if we can pack the place every night, they will keep it open! I've been going there since I was a kid (40+ years ago) and after losing Naples, La Lou, Little Hipps, et., etc., this one really hurts. We were there two weeks ago, and they said "sometime in late June" was the best estimate of when it would be closing.

[kmerian]

Originally Posted by Macgrad89

Karam's is selling out so yet another Walgreen's can occupy a corner of Earth... Only one of the Karam kids is running the place now and she sounds burnt out on the restaurant business.

As for good Tex-Mex food around here - there simply isn't any so we resort to making our own. We have the Los Barrios cookbook which helps tremendously and sometimes I'll mix spices to find the right taste. We were able to get Bolner's spices for a while here but the closest Wal-Mart to us quit carrying them. So, I send my Mom to H-E-B and she mails it up here to us! I find it amusing when we go out with friends and they go on and on about how good the Mexican food is in certain areas of Nashville (southeast side along Nolensville Rd). It's NOT Tex-Mex but interior Mexican food - lots and lots of red/green peppers in fajitas and everything else.

Closest Whataburger to us is in Birmingham, Alabama - three hours' drive south. If gas was a buck a gallon, I'd consider a road trip for a burger. Gas hit $3.80 a gallon here today - not worth the trip now. I know full well Whataburger would be a hit here but they aren't considering expanding outside of the states they currently serve. Too bad.

I did see today in the Express-News online that in a couple weeks Loop 410 will be 10 lanes from Nacogdoches to Frederickburg. Good golly how things change in a hurry as all that was a mess when we visited in November. The next big mess will be Nacogdoches to I-35... What gets me is 410/I-10 was begun on January 6, 2000 and is still going on! My son was 7 months from birth when that started; he'll be 8 in August!!!

Macgrad89

Actually work on 410/I-10 started when I moved her to go to UTSA, in January of 1992!

That's right folks, 16 years and counting!

[GWhopper]

I just heard, but have not yet confirmed, that the San Francisco steakhouse was back open under new managment? Can anybody confirm this? And if so, has anybody eaten there yet?

I understand the same family from Mexico that previously owned it and ran it into the ground still owns it, but that they hired a new managment company to run. This is the same family that bought Maggies and tore the exterior up.

I'd like to go there again, but want to know if the food has improved any. Last time I went, it was aweful.