Bill Williams Chicken House. We haven’t exactly forgotten the Bill Williams Chicken House that used to advertise chicken fried “savage style” with the neon image of a Native American brave (formerly Indian warrior) squatting and cooking over a campfire. In fact, I’ve mentioned the place here in the past. Today I simply ran across an old restaurant menu that recently went to auction on Ebay. Based upon what we can see in the photo, the menu had to be from the 1940s at the latest. It advertises “BWCH” as “opposite Rice Stadium on South Main.” That means it was produced during the period in which Rice still used the old Rice Stadium on South Main as their football venue. Football moved to the “new” 70,000 seat Rice Stadium in 1950.
It’s an interesting graphic. A chicken is on trial. We must presume that the bird was charged with being plump, juicy, and delicious because the heartless chicken judge and jury have just found him guilty and “sentenced (him) to fry.” The Internet piece also notes the availability of soft drinks, coffee, and iced tea available at nickel and dime size prices. Iced tea today in most Houston restaurants probably costs more than a whole fried chicken meal for two at Bill Williams back in the day.
Of course, I always have to mention her when it comes to Bill Williams memories, I’ll never forget the fortune-teller robot woman in the glass box near the door. For a dime or so you could have your fortune read before you walked out the door after a Bill Williams chicken dinner. I should have listened to her. I think she’s was trying to tell me: “Cut back on the fried food, boy! One of these days, your pipes are going to clog!” Professional buildings surrounding the Texas Medical Center swallowed Bill Williams years ago. They didn’t even pause long enough to fry him savage style.
Weldon’s Cafeteria. Heading north from Bill Williams, we wind our way to my all-time favorite cafeteria back in the 1940s and 1950s. Weldon’s served the most delicious chicken and dumplings I ever tasted outside my mom’s own kitchen. Weldon’s was located on the site and in the same building that later housed the Massey Business College for years. I’m not sure what’s there now.
Kelly’s Steakhouse. Just up the road and barely south of downtown on South Main, we had Kelly’s Steakhouse, one of best early steakhouses I ever visited as a kid. I’m not sure how Dad swung it, but he took us there once in a blue moon on Sundays. I can’t recall what’s there now in 2010.
Bill Bennett’s Grill. Thanks to fellow St. Thomas High School Class of 1956 classmate A.J. Garney for opening the memory door on this favorite haunt. Wow! How could I have forgotten. In our trip up South Main, we turn right on Pierce and head to LaBranch. At LaBranch near St. Joseph Hospital, we turn right again and take another right at Jefferson (now St. Joseph Parkway) and there it is on the left: Bill Bennett’s Grill. As A.J. so fondly recalls, Bill Bennett’s served these great homemade all-you-can-eat biscuits and practically everything else that could be grilled or fried – and at the modest prices we could all afford as high school guys out there on the original rock-n-roll boogie trail. I’m not sure when Bill Bennett’s closed, but it came down when TXDOT acted to use that space for that section of the downtown freeway we now call the Pierce Elevator. Oh well. It was great while it lasted – as were we and the times of our youth. Thanks for the memories, AJ!
If you can think of any other places that have breezed through the sieve of my memory bank about the 1940s or 1950s, please let me know what they are and what you remember of them. As always, I’ll do what I can here to help Houston remember what we’ve lost or given up in the name of progress over time.
January 16, 2010 at 1:18 am |
What was the restaurant, downtown and close to the Pierce elevated, that was owned by James Street’s father. I remember going in there in the late 60′s and seeing all kinds of University of Texas memorabilia. Don’t remember the name though, or the food. It might even still be there.
Mike
January 16, 2010 at 2:07 am |
Mike:
I have only vague memories of such a place in that area. I had dinner with Barbara Jordan in a place near St. Joseph in about 1972, but I cannot recall the name of the restaurant. Maybe someone else will get a bellringer from the UT motif and help us out here with a comment post.
January 16, 2010 at 1:14 pm |
What about Valian’s on Main. The best spaghetti and meatballs with melted cheese and mushrooms! And George was a real gentleman.
And was it Ray Hey’s in your old neighborhood?
And Rettigs(sic?) on Holcombe for the 9 high sundae!
April 21, 2011 at 7:53 pm |
I remember when about 5 or 6 years old (about 1955) my grandparents would take my sister and me to Bill Williams. I don’t remember much about it only that it tasted good and it was a special treat to go out with them. Also very nearby was a little place where they had ponies that children could ride. Would you know anything about that?
April 21, 2011 at 10:25 pm |
Beth:
The place with the ponies was called “Kiddie Wonderland” and it was located at Main and Kirby from the 1930s through the mid 1990s. Now, like a lot of old Houston landmarks, it is gone forever – without a trace left of it ever having been there.
November 4, 2011 at 7:43 pm |
tigres uanl y la mejor aficion del futbol mexicano…
[...]Gone But Not Forgotten Houston Eateries. « The Pecan Park Eagle[...]…
November 26, 2011 at 11:43 pm |
Matcha Green Tea Powder…
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