Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Dallas: accident, increased)

[Basse Bud]

Rancho,

Chicago Jewelry and Loan was about mid-block on Houston, one door west of the river bridge, across from
The Tiffany Lounge.

The Buckhorn Saloon was West of Wolfe & Marx. After the Buckhorn closed, the property became a solo-serve womens store?

Now, the Green Gate was on St. Mary's, next door to the original Fun N' Magic shop. The 'Gate was directly across
the street from the (then still open) Bluebonnet Hotel, just south of the Greyhound Bus Terminal. In retrospect, I wish
I had "liberated" one of Candy Barr's 8X10 black & white photos from the sandwich board in front of the Green Gate !

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by Boss Rider

Rancho Drive is right : "Sommer's Rexall & Walgreen's Pharmacy were everywhere. These pharmacies made the best ice cream malts in town. No one today can make them that good anymore."

Another thing I used to love in the mid 50's was the BBQ sandwiches they made. They'd take a soft roll and cut one side and put to over a steel sleeve that was connected to a hot air blower. It blew hot air into the bun. Then they'd stuff some chopped meat BBQ in the warm pocket along with a squirt of Kraft BBQ sauce and couple of pickle rounds, and serve with a few potato chips or Fritos. The bill, with a cold RC or Coke, was 25 cents. Next best was a Cheese Steak sandwich. A square chopped meat patty cooked in a metal tray by a very early microwave oven, topped with melted Velveta, and served on a square bun, also heated in the microwave. "Cooked by Radar !" the sign said. My Mom was a bowler and there was a Rexall across the street from the Highlands Bowl, and the Cheese Steak was a block from the Texas lanes.

I'm reading & relating to what you wrote.
And I'm thinking...
why... if we still have most of the items you mentioned,
they just don't taste the same as they did back then.

Have my taste buds changed over the years? Perhaps.

Or is it also the fact that the ingredients have changed ?
Probably !

One thing...a cold RC Or Coke or any soda in glass bottles
sure tasted 100 % better than the fountain soda which is at
times just sweet liquid with hardly any kick or carbonation.

Perhaps it's combination of good stuff at very low prices that I
took it for granted until now I realize...

"It's Gone But Not Forgotten"

Btw:
Basse Bud,
Your mention of the the Buckhorn near Wolfe & Marx reminded me of the State Theater
which was not too far from Houston St. on Main Ave.
As a courtesy to the audience.
There was rooms with (glass or plastic) windows at the rear of the theater
where parents would sit with their babies who were crying. Rooms were sealed
so that the rest of the audience would not have to hear the noise.
I believe these babies were our first movie critics or perhaps they were just hungry.
My mother would fill a large glass bottle of Hippo soda with milk & somehow would
attach the plastic or rubber nipple ( I called them "mamon" in Spanish)

Next door was a furniture store (Stowers) I believe.
Further north on Main was the James Bicycle Shop which has moved to Broadway.

[Basse Bud]

Rancho,

Yep, remember the "Cry Rooms" well, they were also good make out areas when the moms and crying kids were not around.

The taste of soft drinks changed when the bottlers began using synthetic sweetener instead of sugar.

Today Coke, in the small glass bottles from Mexico still taste like Coke from the old days...they still use cane sugar, rather than chemical sweetner!

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by Basse Bud

Rancho,

Yep, remember the "Cry Rooms" well, they were also good make out areas when the moms and crying kids were not around.

The taste of soft drinks changed when the bottlers began using synthetic sweetener instead of sugar.

Today Coke, in the small glass bottles from Mexico still taste like Coke from the old days...they still use cane sugar, rather than chemical sweetner!

Basse...
El Charro, Kelly, & Mission Drive-In theaters were some of the spots
where I went "wrestling" with my girlfriends. I rarely got to first base

And besides Coke from "el otro lado". I Recently found Dr. Pepper in
glass bottles using "cane sugar".
The bottles are small that I usually finish one before I'm done with
meal. And they are $$$ today.

I ask my dad about this.
He told me that back then, they sold for a nickel. So he was able to enjoy
his meal with several cokes.

I remember the Hippo size soda water that came in different colors.

My favorite was Dr. Pepper in glass bottle.
Also Hires & Grapette .

With coke I would put peanuts inside the bottle !

[TrapperL]

FWIW, you can still get the old formula Dr Pepper but there are limits. I have a friend that his hobby is restoring old soda vending machines and Dr Pepper is his favorite. I have no clue where he buys his 8oz bottles but the plant in Waco will make old Formula DR Pepper several times a year and will package it in your bottles. I haven't asked if there is a volume requirement or how many times a year they do this but it is a good drink. At one time recently you could buy Dr Pepper in a green can that was the old formula but it's been at least a year since I've seen any. Never did see it in SA. My main source of supply was the convenience store in Sabinal.
You can buy Grapette at Walmart but it doesn't taste the same to me. Grapette was my favorite when I was a kid. We got to have one once a week, on a Thurday night. That was our special night as kids. Generally we went to The Ice Pic on Goliad for it. That was just north of the Frontier.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by TrapperL

FWIW, you can still get the old formula Dr Pepper but there are limits. I have a friend that his hobby is restoring old soda vending machines and Dr Pepper is his favorite. I have no clue where he buys his 8oz bottles but the plant in Waco will make old Formula DR Pepper several times a year and will package it in your bottles. I haven't asked if there is a volume requirement or how many times a year they do this but it is a good drink. At one time recently you could buy Dr Pepper in a green can that was the old formula but it's been at least a year since I've seen any. Never did see it in SA. My main source of supply was the convenience store in Sabinal.
You can buy Grapette at Walmart but it doesn't taste the same to me. Grapette was my favorite when I was a kid. We got to have one once a week, on a Thurday night. That was our special night as kids. Generally we went to The Ice Pic on Goliad for it. That was just north of the Frontier.

I miss the Dublin Dr Pepper. Too bad Dr Pepper Waco made a such big fuss of them making it.

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by Azure110

I miss the Dublin Dr Pepper. Too bad Dr Pepper Waco made a such big fuss of them making it.

Still available in stores is Dr. Pepper with sugar cane from Plano, Tx.

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by Azure110

I miss the Dublin Dr Pepper. Too bad Dr Pepper Waco made a such big fuss of them making it.

Still available in stores is Dr. Pepper with sugar cane from Plano, Tx.

[Basse Bud]

Originally Posted by ranchodrive

Basse...
El Charro, Kelly, & Mission Drive-In theaters were some of the spots
where I went "wrestling" with my girlfriends. I rarely got to first base

And besides Coke from "el otro lado". I Recently found Dr. Pepper in
glass bottles using "cane sugar".
The bottles are small that I usually finish one before I'm done with
meal. And they are $$$ today.

I ask my dad about this.
He told me that back then, they sold for a nickel. So he was able to enjoy
his meal with several cokes.

I remember the Hippo size soda water that came in different colors.

My favorite was Dr. Pepper in glass bottle.
Also Hires & Grapette .

With coke I would put peanuts inside the bottle !

Ah, the soft drinks of our youth! (and the prices, also!) Apparently, judging from the additional postings,
there is still a sizable demand for "old recipe" soft drinks.

Another "G,BNF" entry... Beemans chewing gum. Clove, Blackjack, etc. There is still a Beemans brand
sold at The Cracker Barrel stores, but it's made in Mexico, and not as flavorful as the original

Seems like the "old" stuff that is still available simply capitalizes on the original brand, but seldom
delivers the quality of the original... maybe the small bottles of Coke from Mexico comes closest of all.

[huckster]

Supposedly, the first Frito corn chip was packaged in San Antonio.