San Antonio Area - New Restaurant Openings -and- Restaurant Closings (Houston: steaks, restoration)

[jwebtx]

Originally Posted by HillCountryHotRodMan

Read his post again....

Anyways, I prefer Habanero grill too.

He said McDonald's stole the idea from Freebirds for use with Chipolte. Chipolte was in operation, with the same concept, roughly 5 years before McDonalds invested.

Worse is the news article linked above. They inaccurately wrote, "The first Freebirds opened in 1991 in College Station." That is an absolute myth. The 1st Freebirds opened in Santa Barbara, CA several years earlier. 1 minute of due diligence by the Editor could have prevented that inaccurate statement.

While i'm on a roll, add me to the list of people that don't care for Habanero. [LEFT]
[/LEFT]

[713 to 210]

Originally Posted by jwebtx

Worse is the news article linked above. They inaccurately wrote, "The first Freebirds opened in 1991 in College Station." That is an absolute myth. The 1st Freebirds opened in Santa Barbara, CA several years earlier. 1 minute of due diligence by the Editor could have prevented that inaccurate statement.

Yep, most people don't know the original was in Callie, probably b/c it never expanded like the model that started in College Station. Here is a short history:

From Wikipedia -

The Freebirds concept was created by Mark Orfalea and Pierre Dube in 1987, when they opened the first Freebirds World Burrito in Isla Vista, California, a block from the University of California, Santa Barbara campus.[1] When the partners decided to open a second location, they looked at the twenty largest college towns in the US, eventually choosing College Station, Texas, home of Texas A&M University. They opened the second Freebirds, called El Freebirds Burrito and Taco Bar, in 1991 in the Northgate shopping district, a commercial district located across the street from the campus in a central hub of activity for both students and residents with heavy foot traffic. In 1994, Dube bought out his partner, though Orfalea retained the original Isla Vista location and a license to continue operating under the Freebirds name there. Dube then opened a second location in College Station, then a third. He later expanded the restaurant to multiple locations across Texas, including Dallas, Houston, and Austin.[2]
By 2007, the restaurant chain had 19 locations around Texas. On July 25, 2007, Dube sold the chain to Tavistock Group, though its Tavistock Restaurants division. At the time of the sale, Tavistock stated that it would be opening an additional 40 Freebirds restaurants across the southwestern United States.[3] In addition to adding more Texas locations, Tavistock expanded the restaurant chain into neighboring state Oklahoma with the opening of a location in Norman, Oklahoma in January 2008.[4][5][6] As of April 2010, the chain has expanded to 31 locations, and stated that it would have 52 open by the end of 2010.

[pr57001]

La Gloria in the Pearl is open on the river. Advertised as "Mexican Street Food" we went last night, had a few items all were good (except the ceviche, but I will give them another shot). Excellent Michelada. Big patio, that can open to the inside through large garage doors when the weather permits. Great new spot.

[GEM-Texas]

Some Philly Cheese Steak joint in Huebner Oaks bellied up. It was the 2nd incarnation of that type of restaurant in that location and it's gone.

Given the number of restaurants in that area that seem to work - it must not have been too hot. Never tried it.

[brenty13]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

I might try it for kicks, if I dont like it will blame it on you.

I'll point my chin to the right. Just make it quick

[RGJ]

Originally Posted by pr57001

La Gloria in the Pearl is open on the river. Advertised as "Mexican Street Food" we went last night, had a few items all were good (except the ceviche, but I will give them another shot). Excellent Michelada. Big patio, that can open to the inside through large garage doors when the weather permits. Great new spot.

I think this was the place we were going to eat at last weekend, but it was closed to a private event. We ended up at Sogna. Will try again,,,

[dccvms]

Longhorn Steakhouse on Zarzamora/I-35 opens for business today at 4:00

[GEM-Texas]

There was a small Italian place - Giuseppe's on 1604 near the Ohana's on Hausman. Closed.

Don't know if the Ohana's is open. Just saw the Giuseppe's sign was down. It was a bad location as far as traffic.

[mamatotex97]

ah man...Giuseppes was great! that stinks.

[JNA]

Texas de Brazil is coming to Houston Street.

Federal Realty Begins Restoration of Historic Kress Building and Welcomes Texas de Brazil to Houston... -- ROCKVILLE, Md., May 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --