mercredi 10 octobre 2018

Locating Historic And Affordable Mexican Food Houston

By Ronald Martin


When looking for good Tex Mex cuisine, one place not to miss is that of Last Concert Cafe. For, the location provides historic and affordable Mexican Food Houston. Now offering a full bar, along with Tex Mex and American options, it is one of the best though lesser known establishments in the area.

In most cases, patrons also find the history and traditions of the establishment quite interesting. In one case, legend tells that the cafe or house next door was once a busy bordello. While the house has now been torn down, the white picket fenced property originally hosted 8 bedrooms, one or two bathrooms and no kitchen. As such, most believe the house actually served as the bordello.

It was not until 1949 that Last Concert Cafe was opened as a restaurant. At that time, a 62 year old woman known as Mama Lopez purchased the business. The name came from a statement Lopez made stating that the restaurant would be her last endeavor. After which, Mama Lopez lived a long life and operated the business well into the 1980s.

In the late 1950's, the business survived the largest marijuana bust in Houston history. Whereas, the establishment was also one of Houston's first gay bars in the 1960s. It has also been said that Lopez had sway with local officials during the construction of the I10 East Interstate which was rerouted to avoid interfering with the business.

With the somewhat interesting yet tainted history of the business, there are also some rather fun traditions which have carried over from owner to owner. These include, knocking on the red door twice for entry and having no sign on the building with regards to name or service. In most cases, it is believed that both these traditions date back to the time the business was believed to have been an operating bordello.

While originally there was no door knob on the outside door, local authorities insisted the cafe needed to add one for safety reasons. Still, regular patrons and those in the know still knock twice to gain entry. While most find the cafe easily enough by street number, it should be noted that another tradition is that the cafe has no signage anywhere on the building.

The cafe has gone through several changes over the years. In one case, it is now a live music venue offering local and touring bands in the area. In the 1990s and 2000s, the Hightailers provided entertainment playing every Thursday for over 28 years. Whereas, Carolyn Wonderland whom now tours internationally would provide entertainment every Tuesday night through most of the 1990s and early 2000s.

Along with live music, there are other traditions which have been introduced by various owners and managers over time. These include, the annual Watermelon Festival in July, a Halloween celebration complete with costume contest on Halloween and what is no doubt one of the biggest and best New Year's Eve parties in Houston.




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