Remembering Mobile from the 60s-80s (Chickasaw: groceries, shopping center, bus)

[BstYet2Be]

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Did a "nostalgia" food run through Mobile earlier this week while we were traveling through and tried both of my remembered old-time favorites - the Colonel Dixie's Dixie Dog and a barbeque pork sandwich at the new Ossie's.

Only one Colonel Dixie left in Mobile now, located on the NE corner of Hwy 90 (Govt Blvd) and Pleasant Valley... it appears to be barely in business even in that one location and while the Dixie Dog was loaded with everything as before, it was very small and smashed into an aluminum foil wrapper - definitely needed a hot dog cardboard holder for it like Sonic does - seems like they used to be served that way!

Then we went to Ossie's (going west on Hwy 90, it's located on the south side of Hwy 90 just before you get to Azalea Rd... a few doors farther east from Azalea than where they were originally). Very small, sterile place... much like the inside of a Krystal - certainly nothing special, could have been any small fast-food place where you get your own drink.... much, much smaller than a McDonald's or Burger King and no open barbeque pit like the Airport & Bel Air Blvd location had.

Ordered the bbq pork sandwich and onion rings. One bite into the sandwich and yep, the very same great taste as it was back in the day! But, the onion rings were the small, frozen, uniform-sized, no-taste ones... not the big fresh, nicely-crusted ones of days gone by that made you go YUM!

Didn't have time to try anything else... but I understand why so many are disappointed in this new Ossie's and why the younger generation(s) ?wonder? about all of our "oldtimers" taste and what the big deal was ever about! 'Tis a real shame that the proprietors that opened this one do not seem to have the vision that their grandparents had, because they could have had a real goldmine with just the following that the name "Ossie's" would bring, yet have failed to execute a successful, thriving business with any real personal care, product quality, or ambiance... just my opinion, mind you.

So much for food nostalgia... as the saying goes, it just ain't what it used to be!
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[Passing Through]

What a great thread.

I was born and raised in Mobile, lived there for 34 years. Y'all have brought back a lot of good memories. I've been gone for almost 12 years now, but remember most all of the things you have mentioned.

The Mini-Mall! I had forgotten about that. I can remember buying rum balls from the bakery in there.

Someone mentioned the Christmas walk-through at DH Holmes. I have told my DH and my kids about that a million times. I LOVED that thing. Thank you for bringing that one up.

Bel Air Mall used to have a store on the corner where the Sears corridor met the JC Penney corridor. It was called Bud's. I don't know what is there now, but it was glass on two sides. Seems like it was a clothing store.

Also, next to Sears was a jewelry store called Earth's Treasures. Mother used to buy all of my add-a-bead necklaces from them.

There was a record store next to Sears called The Sound Shop. My BFF and I used to go there all the time because she had a major crush on one of the guys who worked there...who asked her to go to the Diamondback with him. I was too young to get in.

How about Golbro over across from Bel Air?

Does anyone remember the restaurant that Holmes had in it at one time? I only ate there once, on Black Friday, with my middle school girlfriends.

Bottoms Up was a jean/clothing store that was across the hall from McDonald's in Bel Air Mall. They sold Levi's, which were all the rage back in the day. I think it was next to Goldstein's, a jewelry store.

I do believe Olde Dutch Ice Cream is still in business. Daddy used to take me there.

Was there a disco in Springdale Plaza at one time? I was too young to go, but I have a vague recollection of one. Was it called The Met?

I bought my junior prom dress from a little boutique in Springdale Mall in the corridor that led to Montgomery Ward. It was on the left, right next to the stairs. Can't recall the name...teenagers have addled my brain.

I believe there was an Eckerd Drug Store in Bel Air Mall at one time, in front of Woolworths.

There was a fast food type of restaurant (hometown?) on the right about halfway down the corridor to JC Penney. It had orange seats, and I think it sold pizza type items. It had a cigarette machine close to it; my delinquent friends and I used to sneak there and buy a pack or two.

The Festival Centre housed a GREAT pharmacy...PharMor. Loved that place.

There used to be a nail place called The Nail House in Springdale Mall, and it backed up to a candy store. Both were open into the mall.

Good memories.

[luksky]

Wow, you brought up some I had even forgotten about until you mentioned them. Funny, I was just thinking about add-a-beads the other day. They were really popular in the early 80's. I went to a private high school in Mobile and I remember those beads were like a status amongst the girls...the more beads you had the higher status you carried. So dumb, but that's how it was.

You also mentioned the food place near JC Penney with the orange seats. I used to work at that place as a teen. When I worked there it was called "That Pizza Place", but they sold out shortly after I started working there so it may have became "Homeslice".

[Passing Through]

Yes! That Pizza Place! Thank you for refreshing my memory.

My high school was the same way. I had several add-a-bead necklaces, but always coveted the 8mm beads that the IT girls could afford. Those things dented so easily!

In my crowd, if you were lucky enough to have parents to indulge you, you wore Levi's with Ocean Pacific tee shirts with Nike's, or khakis and alligator (Izod) shirts with boat shoes. A pink, blue, or yellow button down was also acceptable. Also, the monogram sweaters were very popular. All of these items were bought from (where else?) Gayfers.

[Linda Stearns]

Originally Posted by luksky

I don't remember exactly....I just remember the vicinity of the slide. I can remember even before the malls were built. My mom and grandmother used to do their shopping in the shops in downtown Mobile.

There was also a skating rink I used to go to near Cottage Hill and Downtowner....I can't remember the name of it anymore......old age. :-)

The skating rink was most likely Wiley's Skatehaven. There was also an older one called Byrd's somewhere near D.I.P. and Halls Mill or maybe it was Holcombe Ave.

[Linda Stearns]

Who remembers The Casbah near the Loop?

[Linda Stearns]

Who remembers these stores?

Bottoms Up
Davy Jones Locker
Father and Son shoe store
Metzgers
Lerner
Bookland
Eckerd Drugs (with soda fountain)
Village Three Cinemas
Woolworths
Whoops!
Sam's Style Shop
Gloria Marshall (fitness/spa)
Eight Kings Restaurant
Parisian
Gadzooks
5.7.9 Shop
The Body Shop (car doors on dressing rooms)
Stride Rite shoes
Thom McAnn shoes
Lillie Rubin
Casual Corner
Stuart's
Life Uniforms
Montgomery Ward
McRaes
Dipper Dan Ice-Cream Parlor
Orange Julius
Goldsteins
The Sound Shop
The Record Bar
World Bazaar
B Dalton Bookseller
Gay Nineties Ice-Cream Parlor
Springdale 6 Theatres
Holly Farms or Hickory Farms
K & B Drugs
Hamid's Sandwich shop
Gayfers
Hammels
Holmes
Kresses
Roses
Gaylords
Woolco
Bellas Hess
Atlanta Mills
MedicalArts Pharmacy
Robert Hall
Weichman's All Seasons
The Fifth Quarter
Mr. Gatti's (Italian)
The Spaghetti Store
Cuco's Mexican Ristorante
Freeman's Waffle Haus
Service Merchandise
S&H Greenstamps Store
The Casbah
Constantines
The Gulf Station
Texaco
Jesse French Pianos
Foshee's Pianos
Broussard's Pianos
PharMor
Shoney's Big Boy
Delchamps
IGA foods
Otasco
TG &Y
5 & 10 Store
A & P
Shoe City
Food Town
Ossie's barbeque
Capri theatre
Airport Twin Cinemas
Bel Air cinemas
Wild, wild west
Studebakers
Bakers shoes
Players Club
The Met
Blue Jay lounge
The Dog House
Tony's
Wiley's SkateHaven
Byrd's Skating rink (or Roller Drum)
Ft. Whiting bowling alley ( & wrestling)
George Hall MIDDLE School
Cornerstone Deli
Sun Ray Foods
Friedman's Microwaves
Bienville Costumes
Singer sewing machine store
Fletcher's barbeque
Rodeway inn
Jarrod's restaurant in Rodeway Inn on Michigan Ave
Hartwell Field when the fair was held there
Prichard Park when it had a zoo
Rhodes furniture
Bagwells Boats
J & B's (or J.B.'s) barbeque
Rexall Drugs
Shopper's World
Shopper's Plaza
Railroad Salvage
Cabo Beach Club
Quality Inn
Darryll's Restaurant
Twickenham Station
Po Folks Restaurant
Duff's Smorgasbord
French Riviera Spa
Show Biz Pizza
Barney's coffee
The Dessert Cart
Sofa Expressions
Coastal Training Institute
Young Country 96 radio station w/ Jim Bosh & Danger Girl
Wabb with Scott O'Brien, lesley and the hounddog
Dave the rave, gary mitchell, Scott Free, Shane Nighttrain McBride
Kirby k. Stevens
Danny Treinor, weatherman who had a show called "Dialing for Dollars"
Harts Fried Chicken
Colonel Dixie
Pak-a-Sack
7-11
Sikes on D.I.P.
The Corner Club
Discovery Zone
Auto show drive-in movies
Air Show drive-in movies
Goofy Golf
Putt-Putt miniature golf
Q-Zar laser tag
House of Chin
Manor House
Steak and Egg
Dobb's House
Village Inn Pancake House
Thoss Sorting Goods
Pasquales Italian restaurant
Amore's Pizza
Wallace Roofing Company
Buster Brown
Paul Brown's Hallmark
Kay bee toys
Earth's Treasures
Regis hair salon
Condon's House of Music on Dauphin St.
Lin O'Gata's Figure Salon
Childrens' Palace
The Caribbean Cowboy
Mustang Sally's
J-9's
Van's Photo
The Pastry Shop in the mini-mall
The Bakery
Merchants National Bank
American National Bank
First Southern Savings & Loan
Korbet's at the Loop
The Christian Life Center at the OLD Dauphin Way Baptist Church by Ann St.
Sadie's Buffet
International Paper Company
The little candy store on Stocking Syreet near Leinkauf Elementary School
Dairy Fresh
Sheffield's Gifts
Rebel Queen on Old Shell Rd
The dinner theatre, can't remember the name...maube called, "The Entertainer".
Burger Chef

I could stay up all night thinking, but I have to work in the morning. PLEASE help me add to this list. Please let me know if I jarred your memory with any of these.

Though not to do with "Mobile", do you remember the shampoo called, Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific"? I loved it and wish They still made it.

[Passing Through]

Linda you brought back a lot of good memories for me! Many places I had not thought of in years, and some kind of fuzzy. You have a great memory. Thanks so much!

I used to use GYHST back in the day. Always loved it...that and Flex Shampoo and Conditioner. Several years ago I looked for some, and guess what! They still make it! It will cost you a fortune, but it smells like it always did.

Amazon.com: Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific: Home & Kitchen

I can't find Flex anywhere, though.

[PortCity]

Some are still open amd running on your list Linda, I was on a trip down memory lane while reading that list.

Show Biz
Putt Putt on hwy 90
Q zar laser tag
DZ Discovery Zone in the Festival Center
Dollar Movie in the Festival Center
Saddys restaurant on Airport
Halls Sea Food buffet on hwy 90
Darryls restaurant that use to be on the belt line near Billards.
Guss ' s restaurant on Dauphin St downtown

[luksky]

That was a great list Linda and I can remember most all of those places. I can add one to your list. Back in the late 70's there was a place called Tony's Pizza in an old historical home on Government Street in the downtown area. I remember it well because it was the only place my dad would eat prepared food other than what mom cooked for him. He loved their spaghetti. I was a young and very picky eater back then but I can still remember how good the food smelled when I would go with her to pick it up. I can also remember it being very dark and not well lighted in there.