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الاثنين، 15 أكتوبر 2018

Exploring Historic And Affordable Mexican Food Houston

By Ronald Martin


When looking for good Tex Mex cuisine, one place not to miss is that of Last Concert Cafe. For, the location provides historic and affordable Mexican Food Houston. Now offering a full bar, along with Tex Mex and American options, it is one of the best though lesser known establishments in the area.

In most cases, patrons also find the history and traditions of the establishment quite interesting. In one case, legend tells that the cafe or house next door was once a busy bordello. While the house has now been torn down, the white picket fenced property originally hosted 8 bedrooms, one or two bathrooms and no kitchen. As such, most believe the house actually served as the bordello.

Mama Lopez opened the first restaurant in the location in 1949. The name of the business came about when Lopez suggested that it would be her last business endeavor. Still, at 62, the restaurant was a success with Mama Lopez operating it well into her 90s. After which, the cafe was purchased by others whom would preserve the past traditions while creating new ones along with turning into a live music venue.

While controversial, the business survived the largest marijuana bust in Houston history in the 1950s. Then, in the 1960s, it provided a home to the Houston gay community. After which, the business was threatened by the construction of Interstate 10E, though it seems Mama Lopez had connections with local city and state officials, so the freeway now runs along side the busy warehouse district rather than through where Last Concert, artist galleries and other businesses sit today.

With the somewhat interesting yet tainted history of the business, there are also some rather fun traditions which have carried over from owner to owner. These include, knocking on the red door twice for entry and having no sign on the building with regards to name or service. In most cases, it is believed that both these traditions date back to the time the business was believed to have been an operating bordello.

Another tradition is the lack of signage on the building. While there has been a sign posted down the street to assure new customers are on the right track, the owners still refuse to post a sign on the building in order to keep with these long standing traditions.

The cafe has gone through several changes over the years. In one case, it is now a live music venue offering local and touring bands in the area. In the 1990s and 2000s, the Hightailers provided entertainment playing every Thursday for over 28 years. Whereas, Carolyn Wonderland whom now tours internationally would provide entertainment every Tuesday night through most of the 1990s and early 2000s.

Beyond the live music, there are other long standing traditions which have been started over the last few decades. These include, an annual Watermelon Social, a costume contest on Halloween and a New Years Eve party that is often hard to beat when it comes to looking for a great time in Houston.




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