MarthaG Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 In the early 60's my mom and dad would load up by brother and I and drive thru downtown to their favorite place to eat shrimp. It was a "drive-in" restaurant and I remember it had huge wooden indians sitting cross legged on the roof. My mom told me many years ago that at first they would pack by brother and I PB&J sandwiches to eat while they had "Fried Shrimp". Money was tight! Then it got to where my brother and I wanted hamburgers and would be able to talk my mom out of 1 shrimp for each of us. When it got to when we both wanted shrimp, that was the time we stop going there. Anyone know the name of this place? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Only one I can think of, with the Indians on top, would be Bill William's on South Main where University Blvd intersected near the Rice U. campus. They had a dining room as well as the drive-in area. The Indians were cooking over a campfire. There was a sign that read, "Fried Chicken, Savage Style". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 (edited) Only one I can think of, with the Indians on top, would be Bill William's on South Main where University Blvd intersected near the Rice U. campus. They had a dining room as well as the drive-in area. The Indians were cooking over a campfire. There was a sign that read, "Fried Chicken, Savage Style". TBird, you hit it right on the ol'noggin. That is the place. I have an excellent reference, my mother. Memory like a steel trap, it's a little rusty, but once you jog her around a little bit, BOOM, she's got it. Edited October 1, 2005 by TJones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarthaG Posted October 1, 2005 Author Share Posted October 1, 2005 Thanks TBird and TJones. That must be it...but the name does not sound familiar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 I have an excellent reference, my mother. Memory like a steel trap, it's a little rusty, but once you jog her around a little bit, BOOM, she's got it. Your mother is probably younger than I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Your mother is probably younger than I am.well, she just turned 57. so maybe by a couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarthaG Posted October 2, 2005 Author Share Posted October 2, 2005 Subdude... Thanks for the photo. I have noticed you a a great collection of old photos. What a treasure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 well, she just turned 57. so maybe by a couple of years. Well...My glory years there were the early-mid 50's, so I have her beat by a lot more than a couple of years. Tradition was to go to Bill William's if you had a date...usually after a movie. Then, depending on, shall we say, how well you and your date were acquainted, you might go to Hermann Park, park by the lake, and "watch the submarine races". If you didn't have a date, then you would go out to Stuart's and park on the back row and talk cars with other guys and maybe a car full of girls would cruise by looking for some nice boys to buy them a Coke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucesw Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Great illustration - postcard? Were there Indians on top of the building at one time, or just the sign? I don't think I ever saw the building; we came to town on Almeda/288, across on Holcombe, then up Fannin to Montrose, and seldom went on Main. Bill Williams had other restaurants, too. Anybody have an explanation of what 'fried chicken, savage style' meant? I've heard something from another source but would like to confirm it. Actually, I'd heard it was 'savage skillet style.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 Great illustration - postcard?Were there Indians on top of the building at one time, or just the sign? I don't think I ever saw the building; we came to town on Almeda/288, across on Holcombe, then up Fannin to Montrose, and seldom went on Main. Bill Williams had other restaurants, too. Anybody have an explanation of what 'fried chicken, savage style' meant? I've heard something from another source but would like to confirm it. Actually, I'd heard it was 'savage skillet style.' The postcard there says it all, and it says fried chicken SAVAGE style. Those postcards were usually paintings over photographs, so that they would be pretty acurate. Subdude... Thanks for the photo. I have noticed you a a great collection of old photos. What a treasure. You are right Martha. Subdude's collection is astounding. My bet is that he used to frequent alot of "Stuckey's" roadside marts as a kid on family vacations. Any hints as to where all these come from, Sub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 Speaking of Stucky's, does anyone remember that now abandoned one on I-10 about half way to Louisiana? I don't know why they thought they could make money way out there in the middle of nowhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 Speaking of Stucky's, does anyone remember that now abandoned one on I-10 about half way to Louisiana? I don't know why they thought they could make money way out there in the middle of nowhere. That was usually the whole point of Stuckey's, Have them out on the open road, so you could buy the ashtrays and t-shirts saying, whichever state you were about to leave, that mom and dad went there, and all you got was that crappy souvenir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucesw Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 The postcard there says it all, and it says fried chicken SAVAGE style. Those postcards were usually paintings over photographs, so that they would be pretty acurate. I can see what the post card says. I can also see that it does not depict Indians sitting cross-legged on the roof, as described in MarthaG's original post. The restaurant probably was there for a couple of decades; the post card shows it at one point in time. Restaurants have been known to change signage, menus, recipes and menu descriptions over time. In another forum a couple of years ago a fellow who seems to be very knowledgeable about Houston history, and particularly restaurants, stated that Bill Williams signature dish was Fried Chicken, savage skillet style. I was merely asking if anyone else could confirm that. The answer cannot be divined just by looking at this one post card. The connection with Indians is curious, anyway. Fried chicken is not a Native American dish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 (edited) I can see what the post card says. I can also see that it does not depict Indians sitting cross-legged on the roof, as described in MarthaG's original post. The restaurant probably was there for a couple of decades; the post card shows it at one point in time. Restaurants have been known to change signage, menus, recipes and menu descriptions over time.In another forum a couple of years ago a fellow who seems to be very knowledgeable about Houston history, and particularly restaurants, stated that Bill Williams signature dish was Fried Chicken, savage skillet style. I was merely asking if anyone else could confirm that. The answer cannot be divined just by looking at this one post card.The connection with Indians is curious, anyway. Fried chicken is not a Native American dish.You don't see the indian sitting crosslegged by the fire there ? Oh, wait, you thought they might be statues sitting on top, I gotcha. No, it was just a painting on top of the building. I've talked to several people who have actually been there, and that's what it looked like. Edited October 4, 2005 by TJones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarthaG Posted October 4, 2005 Author Share Posted October 4, 2005 As I recall, there were actual wooden indians (painted red) like statues that sat on top.... Does anyone else remember them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 I remember them being three-dimensional figures, and they were kneeling, one on either side of the fire. They were not on top of the building, rather on the overhand of the entrance. I believe they were on the Fannin Street side, so you wouldn't necessarily see them from Main. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarthaG Posted October 4, 2005 Author Share Posted October 4, 2005 Good... I did not dream up those indians... I remember, they were on the overhang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 (edited) OK... This from one who actually went there. I can only speak of the mid-late 50's era. There were two, larger than life, Indians sitting/kneeling by a campfire on the roof/overhang. The campfire at night, had glittering lights, such that it appeared, with the technology available at that time, the fire was burning. There were lights shining on the Indians. This display was primarily for the Main Street side, but could have been visible from Fannin. The phrase was "Fried Chicken, Savage Style". No "skillet". See an ad I found in my Rice yearbook of 1954... http://tinypic.com/e99p2v.jpg I also had the pleasure of my first encounter with raw oysters there after a few beers. Absolutely delicious!! Edited October 4, 2005 by 57Tbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucesw Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Thanks everybody for the info. I sure wish I had seen the three-dimensional signage and 57TBird - love that 'chicken savage' in the Rice ad! I guess that means BW's opened in 1939, according to the ad, so maybe I'll come across something on it in the old newspapers I'm reading.I'm sure the guy on the other forum isn't infallible so maybe he misremembered or it was just a typo. Maybe I'll try to rouse him - he doesn't post anymore.I'm guessing the 'skillet' just meant the chicken was skillet fried rather than deep fried like the fast food joints do today. As famous as Bill Williams was it must've been pretty good. I grew up in Lake Jackson and never ate at BW's but I always heard about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 OK... This from one who actually went there. I can only speak of the mid-late 50's era. There were two, larger than life, Indians sitting/kneeling by a campfire on the roof/overhang. The campfire at night, had glittering lights, such that it appeared, with the technology available at that time, the fire was burning. There were lights shining on the Indians. This display was primarily for the Main Street side, but could have been visible from Fannin. The phrase was "Fried Chicken, Savage Style". No "skillet". See an ad I found in my Rice yearbook of 1954... http://tinypic.com/e99p2v.jpg I also had the pleasure of my first encounter with raw oysters there after a few beers. Absolutely delicious!! 57tbird is right, after consulting my references again, mom said,"oh yeah !, there were some indians on that roof, I forgot." she also went on to say how the fire looked like what 57tbird described. That place was apparently very popular. Hey,57tbird, which was delicious, the BEER or the Oysters, or Both !? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 in my Rice yearbook of 1954T-Bird, were you at the Alabama game that year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MZargarov Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 I remember the Indian cooking over a fire...He was a statue, outlined in neon. That is about where that big clinic and garage are now, between Fannin and Main, at Dryden.Anyone remember VALLIAN'S near the Shamrock? They had a great ceiling with twinkling stars...like the Hobby Center.My favorite was Trader Vic's at the Shamrock.And the SirLoin Inn, on Main at 610, with a Knight on a White Charger out front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 (edited) T-Bird, were you at the Alabama game that year?No, but a bunch of us were watching it on TV at Kay's on Bissonnett. I'll never forget it. Didn't realize what had happened, at first, when Tommy Lewis of Alabama came off the sideline and decked Dicky Moegle as he was running in the clear for a TD at about the 50 yard line. It happened so fast. No instant replay then. Didn't take long for everything to get straightened out though, and Moegle was given the TD. It made Tommy Lewis an instant celebrity. I think I remember him being on the Ed Sullivan show the next Sunday. Edited October 6, 2005 by 57Tbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Last interview I saw, probably last year (50th anniversary), Lewis was still being asked about that play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Hey,57tbird, which was delicious, the BEER or the Oysters, or Both !? Well.....I'd have to say both. I really miss the raw oysters now. Haven't had any in a long time because of the health issues associated with where they might be harvested. However, I've gotten hungry for some just talking about it, so I just might sneak one or two down on my next visit to the coast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Well.....I'd have to say both. I really miss the raw oysters now. Haven't had any in a long time because of the health issues associated with where they might be harvested. However, I've gotten hungry for some just talking about it, so I just might sneak one or two down on my next visit to the coast.You can go right over to Sam's Boat on richmond. Fresh Oysters and they shuck 'em right there in front of you. When they are in season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 You can go right over to Sam's Boat on richmond. Fresh Oysters and they shuck 'em right there in front of you. When they are in season.Would that place be near Weslayan? Is it a restaurant or meat/seafood market? A good friend of mine has mentioned a good meat market in that area, but I don't remember the name. I know this one sells beef, but I'm not sure about the seafood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 T-Bird, are you thinking of Hebert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 T-Bird, are you thinking of Hebert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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