Trader Eng's, Tallahassee FL

Anybody out in Tiki-land ever hear of this place? I found an old swizzle stick here in Jacksonville and was wondering if I should look for this place on my next trip over that way.

Thanks,
JTD

I've lived in Tallahassee about seven years, and I have never heard of Trader Eng's.

They're not in the 2002 phonebook in either the white or yellow pages.

I did find this plate, though.

And someone refers to it here, but that was in 1994 and they say that it's been a few years then.

Philot,
Thanks so much for finding those references. Jacksonville to Pensacola is a very boring ride - Anything to get me off of I-10, even if it's just to look for a building that's probably a strip mall now.

Let the urban archaeology begin!

-JTD

This is a late reply, but I'm just getting around to finding this site. I've lived in Tallahassee all my life and used to go to Trader Eng's on "special occasions", birthdays, etc. The business is long gone, but the building still stands. When Trader Eng's folded in the 70s, it became Lucy Ho's Chinese Restaurant. At that point they did away with the hibachi-style cooking and it became a more traditional restaurant. Lucy Ho's several years ago and it is now the King House Buffet, yet another low budget all-you-can-gorge Chinese/Pizza/Crab Legs type place. It is at 2814 Apalachee Parkway.

They do a decent lunch business, but not much else. I imagine that with the skyrocketing prices of commercial real estate, it won't be long before this one closes and is torn down.

I have some chop sticks from Trader Eng's. If I get my scanner working, I'll post a picture.

[ Edited by: kep1113 on 2005-01-07 09:26 ]

I just found a menu from Trader Eng's while in Florida a few weeks ago. Though there is no mention of the Jacksonville location ( Atlanta and Myrtle Beach, SC are listed on the inside flap ), perhaps this was a chain ? Here's a few menu pics :

Front and back :

Back of the menu reads: " Before your very eyes... at your Hibachi table... by your own personal chef... gourmet delights are prepared to suit your particular taste. Trader Eng blends the magic of the Orient with the pageantry of a Polynesian Luau. Special Trader Eng spices enhance the flavor of this world-famous cuisine. So, relax, sit back and enjoy your evening at Trader Eng's Hibachi Steak House ! "

Closer view of photo on the back, and it looks like a Witco carving on the wall :

Inside of menu:

Closer view of the tropical drinks offered :

On 2005-01-18 10:07, puamana wrote:
I just found a menu from Trader Eng's while in Florida a few weeks ago. Here's a few menu pics :

Closer view of the tropical drinks offered :

AH yes...."in a nutshell" appeals to my pun-y (not puny!) personality!

Awsome! Those drink names are a riot 'The Beach Boy', 'Moonlight in Kaluha', 'Suzie Wong' (heh, heh...he said 'Wong'). Fabulous!

The name "Trader Eng" sounds SO familiar to me, I wonder where I've heard it before?
Probably on TC, or maybe we have a member with that name? Or maybe I've seen some Trader Eng paraphernalia?(I always thought it was spelt paraphinalia, I guess I've been pronouncing it wrong all these years!)

On 2005-01-18 10:46, Tikiwahine wrote:
The name "Trader Eng" sounds SO familiar to me, I wonder where I've heard it before?
Probably on TC, or maybe we have a member with that name? Or maybe I've seen some Trader Eng paraphernalia?(I always thought it was spelt paraphinalia, I guess I've been pronouncing it wrong all these years!)

par·a·pher·na·lia. I think Hilo Hatties was selling "Trader Eng" mugs a few years ago. Assuming the company wasn't around a few years ago, the mugs were fakes. They were made in China and had fake "age-cracks""crazing" to make them look vintage. I only know of modern mugs being made in China-I don't know of any vintage Chinese mugs ever being made-at least not with a "made in China" label on them.

Interesting mrsmiley!
I may very well have seen some at Hilo Hatties last year. Fake crazing, that kills me! I've seen it on faux victorian vases, it's enough to make me climb the wall!

FWIW, the mugs at Hilo Hatties are labeled Trader Pang's, which I heard was fictitious. Also, crazing isn't necessarily intentional fakery. I don't know much about making ceramics, but I think crazing is sometimes done on purpose for esthetic reasons, and also sometimes occurs unintentionally because of the cooling process or the kind of glaze.

We have some cheap Home Depot flowerpots at home that are crazed like crazy on the inside but not at all on the outside (different glazes). In fact it's weird, this one pot makes a little "tink" sound every once in a while, which we imagine is the sound of a new crazing crack in the making.

-Randy

On 2004-04-05 13:25, Tikiwahine wrote:
I bought a Dental Tiki mug from a retail shop last year. I was so excited to be able to purchase some Tiki Farm mugs in the flesh that the serious crazing inside & out didn't bother me.

On 2004-04-09 23:23, smogbreather wrote:
Is your mug yellow? That is actually a "crazing glaze" and after we found that out, we went to a traditional glaze. I made about probably 100 in that glaze color. If it is it yellow, it's a rarer piece! It crazes but doesn't expose bisque so you're fine with drinking from it!
Holden

P.S. it was the yellow one

[ Edited by: Tikiwahine on 2005-01-18 13:06 ]

On 2005-01-18 12:59, aquarj wrote:
FWIW, the mugs at Hilo Hatties are labeled Trader Pang's, which I heard was fictitious. Also, crazing isn't necessarily intentional fakery. I don't know much about making ceramics, but I think crazing is sometimes done on purpose for esthetic reasons, and also sometimes occurs unintentionally because of the cooling process or the kind of glaze.

-Randy

Thanks for for "engs/Pangs" correction. My memory is a little fuzzy as I am now in my GOlden Years! :) I do believe that they crazed the mugs intentionally to make them look vintage.

I do believe that they crazed the mugs intentionally to make them look vintage.

There are a lot of "crazed" vintage mug collectors out there. Tee hee , I made a funny!

[ Edited by leevigraham on 2024-03-17 14:06:08 ]

Looks like it was a Polynesian Benihana-alike.

I love that menu design! She opens her kimono and shows you the delights within!

:tiki:

Interesting info about the Trader Pang's mugs ! Thanks for posting that, I was always curious about that particular name. That would explain why the mugs are pretty easy to find, but I never found a menu or postcard !

Puamana,
Thanks so much for posting! I think that was my first post ever on TC and I'd gotten resigned to this place remaining a mystery forever. Great menu.

-JTD

A little more background info (mostly unrelated)...from January 2003 Georgia obituaries -

Funeral services for Mr. Walter England HUCKABEE Jr., 83, of
Thomaston will be held Saturday, Jan. 18, 2003 at 2 p.m. at the
First United Methodist Church. Mr. Huckabee died Wednesday,
Jan. 15, 2003 in Tallahassee, Fla. Pasley-Fletcher Funeral Home
is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Huckabee better known as
"Huck", attended Georgia Tech until 1940 when he left for
Aviation Cadet program and was in continuous service until Jan.
1950. He served in the South Pacific in the illustrious Forty-
Ninth Fighter Group flying P-38 on combat missions. After
leaving the Forty-Ninth Fighter Group he was given command of
the 5279th Airborne Fighter Control Squadron which was selected
by Gen. Douglas McArthur to spearhead the airborne entry of
Japan. He came back to Georgia in early 1946 and became chief
of the production inspection section of the maintenance
division at Warner Robins Air Material Area and after that held
many of the exacting jobs on Robins AR Base. After leaving the
service in 1950 he came back to Thomaston and was in business
for several years before opening the Kentucky Fried Chicken
store in Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas. He sold those and
moved to Tallahassee, Fla. where he built, owned and operated
Trader Engs Hibacki Steakhouse from 1969 to 1979. After selling
that business, he moved back to his hometown of Thomaston, Ga.
Mr. Huckabee was a member of First United Methodist Church in
Thomaston. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Doris Blount
Huckabee; a daughter, Jan (Doug) Scott; a grandson, Clayton D.
Scott all of Tallahassee; a sister, Gwen H. Daniel; and a
niece, Luane D. Helms both of Thomaston. The family will
receive visitors from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17 at Pasley-
Fletcher Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the charity of
your choice, or to the First United Methodist Church or Service
Class of First Methodist Church.

A new find. Hard to come by matchbook.

On 2005-01-20 13:43, kep1113 wrote:
"...he was given command of the 5279th Airborne Fighter Control Squadron which was selected
by Gen. Douglas McArthur to spearhead the airborne entry of Japan..."

A Western culture classic!: First bomb the sh#t out of them, then open a restaurant inspired by them! :D

Noth'n like jump'n on the trend band wagon I guess. Drop a bomb and then let em get "bombed" in the lounge.

Took my camera over to the old loction of Trader Engs. It is still open as King House Buffet.

What a great building, thanks.

Here's an exterior shot of Lucy Ho's (Trader Eng's) looks to be the early 80's. Still a bit of Tiki left. At least we have a good idea of the original architecture to add to the thread.


Here's an interior shot.

"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2009-05-09 07:17 ]

The interior photo looks like Bamboo Ben's work. I want to be Bamboo Ben when I grow up. He's my Tiki Idol.

Mahalo

Trav,

Great photos.

DC

Also saw this matchbook on ebay from a Trader Eng's located in Atlanta, Georgia. Anybody ever heard of that one?

DC

Did a little internet archeology for the Trander Eng's in Atlanta. Here are some nice ads I found.

DC

That's some good stuff Dusty. I believe this Atlanta location was in a converted theater and lasted through the 60's. The building was demolished in the 80's. Eng's had at least three locations I think. Would be great to track down the others. Nice work.

As far as I can tell there were locations for Eng's in four states.
Tallahassee FL.
Atlanta GA.
Myrtle Beach SC.
Chicago IL.
Atlanta had three locations Trader Eng's. Eng's Gourmet and House of Eng. All separate addresses.
Here is a postcard for the Atlanta House of Eng. Not very Tiki but other locations may have been.

here are a few omc shot glasses from engs..

https://tikicentral.com/uploads/6644/4a08c31e.jpg

RonTiki,

Nice shot glasses. I never knew Trader Eng's had mugs. I grabbed your photo to post here rather than on a link in case it goes away (RED X)

Here is another Trader Eng's mug from Ooga Mooga.

DC

Check this out, I just scored a postcard from the Trader Eng's in Dallas. Very cool interior scene with the bamboo drop ceiling, waterfalls, tikis and lights.

Some close ups

The back of the card

DC

I really loved seeing the Pictures of the Tallahassee restaurant. After I got out of the army in late 1973 I began an 18 year career as a carpenter and the first place I ever worked on was Trader Eng's. The restaurant had been there since the late 60's and was owned by Walter "Huck" Huckabee who lived in a building behind it. Huck was one of the best bosses and finest men I ever knew. In 1973 and '74 he expanded the place by building the large carport pagoda in the front and the new bar pagoda to the right of that in the pictures. I learned so many interesting construction techniques on that job that I was never able to use again in the ensuing 18 years. I also did all of the decorations in the bar so I really appreciate those pictures too.
tom d

Spotted this Trader Eng's menu on The Bay. A rather unique Tiki on the cover.

Looks like an early Elvis hair-do! Any background on where this style came from?

Some images from the menu.

The hibachi rooms.

Drinks

Back cover hula girl.

A "Tiki Reviver" post.

DC

Trader Eng's had a plate (seen on ebay).

Now all we need is a swizzle!

DC

Trader Eng's in Tallahassee in 1964 from the Florida Archives

Trader Eng's Hibachi Steak House at 2814 Apalachee Parkway in Tallahassee, Florida.

Owned and operated by Walter England Huckabee Jr., the restaurant was later sold and became Lucy Ho's. After that it was named King Buffet.

Strangely, there's two other entries with Lucy Ho's at 2813 Apalachee Parkway. ?!

There's also a couple of Mai Kai photos in the Florida Archives site. Not sure if they're available elsewhere.

[ Edited by: Philot 2013-04-29 20:09 ]

The old Trader Eng's building in Tallahassee burned down last night. :(
Blindy The Pirate took this photo today.

The building had been abandoned for quite a while. :(

A news report and more pictures...

http://www.wtxl.com/news/fire-damages-abandoned-tallahassee-restaurant/article_513d01ce-389c-11e4-8645-0017a43b2370.html?mode=image&photo=9