Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Houston: casino, camp)

[1313]

Back to Ringo's.. what I've never known is why it was "Johnny Ringo's" if I recall correctly.. Nobody in the family is named "Johnny".. Does anybody else remember it being "Johnny" Ringo's?

[hhwolfman]

Maybe they just used it because, it is a cool name. Johnny Ringo was a gunfighter, outlaw, The Earp's Killed at the O K Corral, If memory serves me correctly. HHW

[RGJ]

Originally Posted by 1313

Ringo's was a business my grandparents began. They owned both the one across from Nimitz and the other one on West Ave near Basse and ended up selling them a couple of years later. What's the Ringo's name about? I asked my father about it and he said it was just a nickname his father went by- his real name was Harry. They lived in a house on W. Mandalay until they both died several years ago. There are also several posts with more info in the original GBNF thread.

Apparently it was only Ringo's, I never knew it as Johnny Ringo's

[1313]

Hmmm.. maybe I'm not thinking correctly... I'll ask my father about it..

[Dwangle]

Yes it was called Johnny Ringo's if I remember right. They had a "Bean Burger" if I remember . It was a Hamburger with onions and pickles and refried beans and cheese and "PACE " picante sauce--oh yes fritos too. I don't know who did them first. Mama's sold them and I was there when Michael Murphy ( remember him? ) ordered one. Quarter House sold them too ( down near SAC). Do you remember when Picante sauce was bigger than Ketchup and everyone was making it? Do you remember when the PACE plant was was off I10 north of downtown and if you worked down there the whole place smelled like hot sauce when they were making it?

[*mud*]

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Originally Posted by RGJ

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Apparently it was only Ringo's, I never knew it as Johnny Ringo's

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Originally Posted by 1313

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Hmmm.. maybe I'm not thinking correctly... I'll ask my father about it..

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In my 1976 City Directory,
There is a Ringo's listed at 3219 Blanco Rd. Ringo III Food To Go.
Also Johnny Ringo (Hamburgers) at 923 Jackson Keller.
And Johnny Ringo (Restaurant) at 202 Fredricksburg Rd.
All three of these list different owners.

In my 1962 Directory, 923 Jackson Keller was listed as Mel's Drive In.

I lived a few blocks from the 923 JK location in the 50s and the 60s.
Raised hell (and ate hamburgers) at Mel's and Ringo's.

Now that I think about it,
we stomped through the cactus and mesquite when that plot
was part of Old Man Uhr's farm.

One thing often heard across the street at Nimitz was - "meet me at Mel's/Ringo's".
Lotsa fights out back and refreshments up front.
Mr. M's was next door.
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The last Ringo's was at West Ave and La Manda (to the best of my knowledge).
I ate in there a lot. Great burgers, had a steak *once*. It was terrible.
Ringo and his wife retired 6-8 years ago, no more Ringos.
One day he told me the whole Ringo history,
but I don't remember all the details.
Part of the story was that he was going to buy Luther's Cafe,
from Luther, for his son.
His son was killed, so he did not buy Luther out.

Luther's Cafe was still at 109 E Locust in the 76 Directory.
My friend Ted had bought it from Luther.
A hole in the wall with about six stools, no tables.
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[1313]

I need to talk to my father again and show him this stuff.. maybe he can provide more details.. none of the owner's names are familiar to me. His father's name was Harry Mills and his wife was Louise.

[RGJ]

I thought the bean burger was originally from Sill's snack shack on Austin Hwy. and it didn't have pickles

[Dwangle]

You are probably right...I think it didn't have pickles. It is possible that the Bean Burger is way older than I remember it. Does anybody still make it? Probably way too many calories now.

[RGJ]

Several places make it. Bob's Big Burgers(on Harry Wurzbach) is one of the places that makes it about as close to the original, I think. Only exception being the lack of "Cheese Whiz" which was in the original Sill's bean burger. If it has tortilla chips instead of Fritos then I'll pass. And you're right about the calories, probably off the scale, but then......