The Beth Lists
  • Homepage
  • Little Bear's Adventures
  • Diverse Dining List
  • 90 Notable Nights
  • Happy List
  • Quilt Adventure Blog
  • Not So Happy List
  • The Texas Twenty List
  • Mom's Picnic List
  • 18+ Dance Adventures
  • 55 Strangers
  • The Barbie Bucket List
  • 60 Celebrations
  • 57 Celebrations of the Fifties!



Diverse Dining List

Brenner's Steakhouse

12/22/2016

1 Comment

 

Oldest Steakhouse in Houston
​

​
In this ever-changing city, you have to search hard to find iconic, family owned restaurants that have been around for generations. Brenner's is one of them.
Picture





Herman & Lorene Brenner started attracting loyal customers to "Brenner's Cafe" in 1936.  It's clear that the restaurant still has a large following. What's not clear, is how long this building has been around.

​The Original
​

​Don and I arrived and valet parked for lunch in mid December. As we headed on the walkway towards the entrance, I tried to figure out the building. The flagstone and wood shingled exterior looked a little mid-century modern.  
Picture
But once inside, I studied an old photo.  The hostess said the original building pictured, had been located down the road a bit. When they began construction of the Katy Freeway, the Brenners had the building moved to this location. 

2 Windows

​
She pointed to the two windows in the old photo and showed me where we had just passed them outside​
     
Picture
That's odd, because all the internet write-ups say the old building was torn down.Maybe just a portion of the old building was saved. I'm confused.

Festive Retro
​

​When we moved into the main dining room, it felt very 1960's to me. The vaulted ceiling, picture windows, wood paneling and flagstone fireplace took me back to my childhood. 
Picture
It even had that smokey, comfy aroma... not as in cigarettes.

White Cloth Lunch
​

​The white tablecloths and men dressed in jackets for lunch, also gave the place a retro feel. 
Picture
But mostly my eyes were drawn past all that, through the wall of glass to the garden beyond. I'm a big fan of a table with a view and pretty much all tables had one. 

Looking Up
​

​Surely this light fixture was not from 1936.  I imagine it was a pretty grand feature when they added it. 

Picture
The clock hiding behind, also made an impressive decorative statement! 

Champagne at Lunch
​

​Don and I don't usually have champagne at lunch, but we were celebrating.  It was December 13th and I had just completed my final radiation treatment an hour earlier.
Picture
We were toasting the end of a long 7 months, which included surgery, chemo and radiation. But actually, the bread in the basket was enough to make me offer a toast! It was fabulous!

Prime Rib
​
​
Neither Don nor I are big prime rib people, especially at lunch.  But it was PRIMETIME TUESDAY, with 3 courses that ended with Lorene's warm apple strudel! Why not?  ​
Picture
Don was a good sport and paused a moment to let me snap a shot. 

​The Food!
​

​Someone had to order steak, since we were at Houston's oldest steakhouse. I let Don order the prime rib, since I knew we'd end up sharing.
Picture
Picture
 I ordered the Texas Fried Chicken with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and smoked bacon gravy. It felt as decadent as dessert and I loved every bite. It was about as healthy as dessert, too.

Through the Bar
​

​The cozy bar was actually packed with lunching customers by the time we finished eating. 
Picture
We took a walk through it, to take a closer peek at the garden we'd been enjoying from our table. 

Curious
​

​There was a sort of corny "stage set" feel to the buildings, which created a wall around the garden. 
Picture
The Brenners supposedly created the garden to remind Lorene of the gardens she remembered from her childhood in Germany.

Outside Dining
​

There were a few tables beside the koi pond and waterfall. The water sounds helped mask the noise of the nearby Katy Freeway. 
Picture
The wall of cottage images masked the view of the freeway and some not so lovely buildings.

Walking the Path
​

​We wandered the path over the pond and checked out the well and waterwheel. The garden was just the place to ponder the news we had just learned about the restaurant's new ownership. 
Picture
Picture
Landry's owner, Tilman Fertitta now owns Brenner's! Don and I rolled our eyes at that news. He seems to be taking over all of Texas and beyond. But Mrs. Brenner needed to retire a few years ago. 

And...
​

​It was nice to learn that Fertitta had more of a connection to Brenner's than money. He evidently has fond memories of coming as a child, with his family. He was able to work with Mrs. Brenner (who shared family recipes) to help preserve the history and character. 
Picture
In this day and age of tear-downs, I'm sure this oddly located landmark would have disappeared had Fertitta not jumped in.  So I guess I'll toast to that!
​
1 Comment

Paul's Boat Restaurant in Houston

12/1/2016

0 Comments

 

At Last
​
I've driven by this curious boat-shaped restaurant on Highway 6, since we moved to Texas 18 years ago.
 



Picture
Don and I decided to take on the adventure the other day!

​
Facing Highway 6
​

​The boat shape of this crazy looking place, is hidden behind lots of wood and metal. I'm not sure when they added the outdoor deck, but it hides the image that I remember. 
Picture
Now it looks more like an old Florida seafood joint. The "fishy" words have the job of luring guests, instead of the boat shape. 

Two Bows
​

​There were no cars in the lot when we arrived yesterday, but we heard music playing and the neon was lit. We parked and took some time studying the cluttered image. 
Picture
The bow of the original boat-building was behind the green speed boat. The green boat held a picnic table and opened up to the bar deck. 

From the Back
​

​From the back, the boat shape was a little more visible.  The tall palm tree added a tropical touch to the upper bow deck.  
Picture
Don was having a good time recalling this place, since he ate here in the early 80's when visiting Houston on a business trip.

In the Boat
​

​Amanda greeted us from behind the bar and welcomed us to sit anywhere.
Picture
We seemed to be the only early diners, although she assured us they were coming. 

Windows  
​

​I was pretty intrigued by the boat decor and the curious windows.  The line-up of windows in the front, looked out on the patio and Highway 6. 
Picture
Picture
A back room had a porthole with a view of the parking lot and the levee. No ocean, but there might have been a little water out there somewhere.

Stairs
​

​Amanda told us to feel free to take a peek at the upper level, even though it wasn't "set up".  
Picture
We walked by the strange monkey statue and headed up the stairs.  

Upstairs Decor
​

​At the top of the stairs we found an intriguing display of boat motors. Inside the "party room" we found some scattered tables and a lovely mannequin.  
Picture
Picture
I would have had Don pose with her, but there was a sign reminding us not to touch. We didn't venture out on the bow deck. It looked a little weary and worn in broad daylight.
​
History

Amanda told us the restaurant opened in 1979, but the place actually looked a lot older.  I could find little on the internet.  ​



Picture
Don studied an autographed photo of musician, Stevie Ray Vaughan on the wall. We wondered later if he could have had a beer or two in this place.

​Old Wood
​

​The rounded walls and well worn floors did make us feel like we were on some kind of ship. 
Picture
Picture
When we asked Amanda if any of this really was part of an old boat, she just laughed. Evidently the owner always answers, "Of course." to that question. 

Time to Eat
​

​We didn't get to experience Paul's at night, when I'm sure there's a lively crowd. But we did have a little seafood that was pretty tasty.
Picture


This is the kind of place you'd sort of expect the bartender to ignore you, but Amanda was actually very chatty, answering our random questions. Of course we were the only customers.

​Fried Shrimp
​
​
My shrimp, fries and hushpuppies were very decent. 
Picture
Don had his shrimp with fried oysters and slaw.  He was pleased with the oysters expecially.  

Heading Out
​

​By the time we finished up, it was clearly lunchtime. We wandered through the outdoor Pirate Bar and tried to imagine the place on a crowded Friday night.  
Picture
 
I forget how you can sometimes judge a place by the customers. I wonder if we would have liked the place more or less, if we'd been surrounded by others?
​
0 Comments
    Picture
       The Dining Blog

    This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food.  Below, you can read how this started.


    On
    July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year!  (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to  join me, on some unusual dining adventures.  I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise.  Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining.  I have continued  blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned  along the way!
    ​

    Locations and types of dining adventures,  are listed further down.

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    August 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    000 The Beginning!
    00 BBQ
    00 Cookbook Adventures
    00 Drive Ins
    00 Drive Ins Diners Cafes
    00 Houston Area
    00 Saloons & Taverns
    00 Themed Restaurant
    00 Tiki Time
    0 Alabama
    0 Arizona
    0 Arkansas
    0 California
    0 Colorado
    0 Florida
    0 Georgia
    0 Idaho
    0 Illinois
    0 Iowa
    0 Louisiana
    0 Michigan
    0 Mississippi
    0 Missouri
    0 Montana
    0 Nevada
    0 New Mexico
    0 New York
    0 North Carolina
    0 Oklahoma
    0 Oregon
    0 South Carolina
    0 South Dakota
    0 Tennessee
    0 Texas
    0 Utah
    0 Vermont
    0 Virginia
    0 Washington
    0 Washington D.C.
    0 Wyoming
    1 In Belize
    1 In Canada
    1 In Chile
    1 In Curacao
    1 In France
    1 In Guatemala
    1 In Italy
    1 In Mexico
    1 In Roatan
    1 In Thailand
    Afghani
    Argentine
    Basque
    Belgian
    Belizean
    Bengali
    Bermudian
    Bosnian
    Brazilian
    Cafes
    Canadian
    Chile
    Chinese
    Columbian
    Cornish
    Costa Rican
    Cuban
    Curacao Island
    Czech
    Danish
    Diners
    Dominican
    English
    Ethiopian
    Filipino
    French
    French Basque
    French Creole
    German
    Greek
    Guatemalan
    Honduran
    Hopi
    Houston Area
    Hungarian
    Indian
    Indonesian
    Iranian
    Iraqi
    Irish
    Italian
    Italy
    Jamaican
    Japanese
    Korean
    Lebanese
    Malaysian
    Mexican
    Mongolian
    Moroccan
    Nepali
    New Hampshire
    New York
    Nigerian
    O
    Pakistani
    Palestinian
    Peruvian
    Polish
    Portuguese
    Puerto Rican
    Russian
    Salvadoran
    Scottish
    Spanish
    Swedish
    Swiss
    Taiwanese
    Thai
    Turkish
    Uruguay
    Venezuelan
    Vietnamese

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Homepage
  • Little Bear's Adventures
  • Diverse Dining List
  • 90 Notable Nights
  • Happy List
  • Quilt Adventure Blog
  • Not So Happy List
  • The Texas Twenty List
  • Mom's Picnic List
  • 18+ Dance Adventures
  • 55 Strangers
  • The Barbie Bucket List
  • 60 Celebrations
  • 57 Celebrations of the Fifties!