Restaurants that have closed...

[rondvu]

As a child we would often go to the Adairs cafeterias. Tropicana on NW 23rd it was lined with the aquariums. The Uptown in Midwest City had a round glass room, I thought that was so cool to eat in a glass room. I know there was one on N Lincoln and NE 23rd as well. I also enjoyed the salad lady at the Boulevard. "Would you like a salad today?" I hope she is doing well.

[JamesAyers]

Neptune Submarine Sandwich's had the best roast beef sub I've ever eaten. Crystal's Pizza was truly a one of a kind place. It was a great first job for me. I'll never forget the long lines of people waiting to get in and eat and the fun that people were having. But the one thing I'll always remember is a Sunday night in July when I told my parents that I was working, but instead, I was just hanging out at work. That was the night of the Sirloin Stockade murders. That's one night of my life that I will never forget.

[metro]

I thought Neptune's was still open......?

[Martin]

^
i believe he's talking about the chain that existed through the 80's and not the place on classen... just a guess. -M

[jbrown84]

^
boomerang on sw 89th & western is NOT closed. -M

Norman is open too.

[twinkles]

The Neptune's on Classen is like the chain. Same bread, same sandwich names, same mayo and oil dressing on the sandwiches. Just ate there tonight, as a matter of fact.

[Prunepicker]

Monterey House was a favorite of mine. Does anyone remember it?

[Charlie40]

Monterey House was a favorite of mine. Does anyone remember it?

Yes the one on SW 59th between Walker and Western. Loved the little candy things they gave you instead of mints.

[bluedogok]

Praline candy

Monterey House was the first "real" Mexican food (other than tacos) that I tried, it was the one on May near Wilshire, I think where Sophabella's is. We ate at the 39th Street location quite a bit, along with the El Chico's at Shepherd Mall and North May where Zorba's is now.

[tburn]

Monterey Jacks?
I remember the location on N May where new Zorba's is now.
pretty straight forward Tex-Mex if I remember.

Reasonably priced and easy for quick lunch.

[bluedogok]

The old Zorba's location was originally an El Chico until the early to mid 80's. The owner or manager of the franchise then reopened as Cafe Ole. It closed in the early 90's and Monterey Jack's opened in its place. Zorba's opened after I moved to Austin in 2003, I used to go to the old location (not too far from my old residence in Mayfair) which was originally a Taco Tico.

I still miss the big burrito on the metal plates (like Sirloin Stockade used) that was like $5.00 with a drink at El Rancho Sanchez where the Oklahoma Baptist Convention building is by the Ford dealer at 39th & May.

[Prunepicker]

Monterey Jacks?
I remember the location on N May where new Zorba's is now.
pretty straight forward Tex-Mex if I remember.

Reasonably priced and easy for quick lunch.

Is that the location that's just north of Long John Silvers, formerly Quicks,
and on the east side of May? I believe at one time it was La Fiesta and
Jorge, the original Maitr'd at El Charritos on S. Robinson, worked there. I
always thought he looked like Danny Thomas.

La Fiesta was GREAT! It reminded me of El Charrito's.

Someone, on these threads, has called El Charrito a slop joint. I think that
person is insane.

[bluedogok]

Is that the location that's just north of Long John Silvers, formerly Quicks, and on the east side of May?

Yep

[Prunepicker]

Yep

I suppose the reasonable response is,

cool!

Back to biz... Jorge, aka George, is, or was, the most memorable maitre'd
I've ever known. That includes the 21 Club in NYC. He was at La Fiesta, aka
where we're talking about.

My dad had an optical shop on N. May and he'd drop in for adjustments.

[bluedogok]

I remember the name, I think he was the manager of that El Chico and subsequently opened up Cafe Ole to get out from under the El Chico franchise. It improved after that, it was the place that we went the most during that time period.

[soonervegas]

The Furr's in the Shields Mall is, I think, still a cafeteria style and is amazingly still open. They built one of their AYCE concepts in Moore, and I hate it.

Agree 100% with the Moore concept and Shields is now gone. No more Furrs for me....

[Charlie40]

Here is the reason Furr's closed on S Shields.

Thank you for your inquiry about our location on S. Shields. Our lease was up and the building was very old. At this time we don’t have plans to build on the South Side however, perhaps in a few years that might be the right thing to do. We do hope you will visit our Moore location and we appreciate your writing to us.

Regards,





Barbara Yule

Executive Assistant



Buffet Partners, L.P.

2701 E. Plano Parkway

Suite 200

Plano, TX 75074

214-291-2831 - Phone

214-291-2470 - Fax

[Mike Porter]

Hey SoonerQueen, I haven't thought of Billie Lee Pies for a long time.
I think we have a pie pan from that place!

Was it on SW 29th and May, just east of May on the north side of the
street? Or was it on NW 23rd street just east of Western? I remember
Billie Lee's but I'm certain of the location.

HELP!

Did they have prune-cream pies?

It was located at N. W. 39th and Nicklas I used to work there

[ctchandler]

I'm pretty sure both Captain Ds and Monterey Jacks 23rd street locations are gone -- another mexican restaurant tried to make a go at 23rd/Ann Arbor and closed up fast. now yet another is remodeling and about to open.

I'm sad that Bahama Breeze at Lake Hefner is gone.
They had great Tostones (plantain nachos) and Tortilla soup and Key Lime Pie!

Papa's Little Italy on I-35. sigh...

I was a big fan of Papa's Little Italy and it was close to where I live. Are you aware that the lady that owned it is the daughter of the late Papa Dio (Bonadio I think is the correct last name)? If you go to Papa Dio's (now owned by the the original owner's son) on North May near Hefner you will find the menu is very similar and I think it is really good. My favorite at both places was the JRW special.
C. T.

[Jim Kyle]

There was another pie shop location on NW 23 between Shartel and Western...

[ctchandler]

There was another pie shop location on NW 23 between Shartel and Western...

Yes, that's the one we went to. How about Fred Gang's. It was owned by the same company (franchisee) that owned Sizzlin Sirloin/Sirloin Stockade. And wasn't Billie Lee's owned by the same people?
Also, how about the Olive Tree on North May. I believe between 63rd and Grand Boulevard.
C. T.

[Jim Kyle]

I remember Fred Gang's -- it was the same building that housed the other Billie Lee's but I can't remember which was there first. I think the pie shop was first, then replaced by Fred Gang's -- which was the first one I encountered to have a fictional history behind it (but Vince Orza created a much better backstory for his Garfield's chain).

Don't remember the Olive Tree, but do recall a few others. Gator's, on Country Club Drive in the block just east of May and south of NW Grand Blvd, was a great little theme place in the 90s but didn't last very long... Their specialty was Cajun cuisine; I loved their Po' Boys...

[ctchandler]

A couple more that have mysteriously appeared in my brain. I don't remember seeing anyone mention Twitty Burger on the East side of South Western. I believe it was a little South of the Winchester drive-in. Also, The Fox and Horn just South of 59th and South Western. Another barbecue place comes to mind as well. It was Ray's on South Blackwelder, just a little ways North of Filmore elementary. I think that would be North of S. W. 51st. Somebody told me Ray's eventually moved to Moore and went by the name Ole Ray's.
C. T.

[Prunepicker]

There was another pie shop location on NW 23 between Shartel
and Western...

I believe that was Billie Lee's. There was one at S.W. 29th and
S. May, too.

[ctchandler]

I just drove North on Classen and as I approached the old "Classen Circle" area, a barbecue place came to mind. But, I can't remember the name of it. Can anybody help? It was right where Jimmy's Egg is located now.
Thanks.