Trader Vics - Houston (restaurant)

Name:Trader Vic's
Type:restaurant
Street:Main at Holcombe Blvd
City:Houston
State:TX
Zip:77001
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Seeing as how the Dallas Trader Vics is due to reopen soon, thought everyone might be interested to see what used to be in Houston. No chance of it (the original) re-opening though - it's gone as it was in the famous old Shamrock Hotel that was torn down. I was at the Shamrock for a New Year's party a year or two before it was torn down but, sadly, never went to Trader Vics.

Here's the link to the original topic on the Houston Trader Vics a couple of years back and the message itself.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=1619&forum=5&vpost=30873&hilite=trader

Posted: 2003-04-19 12:52 pm

Quote:

On 2002-11-08 17:49, Reever wrote:Don't know the fate of the Trader Vic's in Houston, but here in Dallas it still exists, except the name has been stripped from the restaurant, the guardian tiki out front stolen, the hotel was sold off by Hilton, and it's now a dusty rental space for parties. However, it's pretty darn intact... lots of original tikis.

---

Hey Reever-

The sad news is that our Trader Vics here in Houston went with the tearing down of the old Shamrock Hilton Hotel. My mom took my sister and me there when we were kids. We thought it was VERY exotic; imagine - chunks of pineapple in with the HAM! Wasn't old enough to get an alcoholic drink then, so I can't claim to have tasted theirs, but I did get something with paper umbrellas, etc. in it.

sigh no more. It was torn down a few years ago while I was living in Georgia, so I didn't even get to say goodbye.

[ Edited by: formikahini on 2004-03-07 18:40 ]

The Shamrock Hotel was the site of the Houston Trader Vics. Later became the Shamrock Hilton. The hotel was torn down in 1987. It is currently a parking lot for the Houston Medical Center. :(

Here's what the interior looked like:

Matches

Drink Menu (hmm... these last few pics should be larger. anyone know how to fix that?)

A 1969 Ad/Menu

A 1970 Ad/Menu

[ Edited by: Humuhumu - add Locating Tiki header format - 2006-03-15 20:30 ]

I came across this search over 48 hrs ago and noticed the vintage postcard - Trader Vic's Houston shut down in 1980 (same year when Hawaii Five-O went off the air) where the restaurant was replaced by the Terrace. My late mom was a waitress @ TV Houston and my dad (prior to 1976) a bartender. Also, my godfather was one of the on-duty chefs although some of the restaurant staff (who were Asian American) were splintered - a few like my dad ended up employed with the Westin Galleria/Westin Oaks and a few settled in the Southwest New Chinatown (Bellaire Blvd west of Sharpstown Mall)...

I ended up searchin 4 TV Houston archival footage since CBS aired the rebooted Hawaii Five-0 (2010 version) - im havin them flashbacks although there are pix from the era when my late mom was the waitress. TV was a different era when the waitstaff did not have modeling experience prior to 1983 when a Clearwater, Florida franchise which im the contributin photographer now exist - Hooters of America...

On 2006-03-15 20:21, TheBigT wrote:
Name:Trader Vic's
Type:restaurant
Street:Main at Holcombe Blvd
City:Houston
State:TX
Zip:77001
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Seeing as how the Dallas Trader Vics is due to reopen soon, thought everyone might be interested to see what used to be in Houston. No chance of it (the original) re-opening though - it's gone as it was in the famous old Shamrock Hotel that was torn down. I was at the Shamrock for a New Year's party a year or two before it was torn down but, sadly, never went to Trader Vics.

Here's the link to the original topic on the Houston Trader Vics a couple of years back and the message itself.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=1619&forum=5&vpost=30873&hilite=trader

Posted: 2003-04-19 12:52 pm

Quote:

On 2002-11-08 17:49, Reever wrote:Don't know the fate of the Trader Vic's in Houston, but here in Dallas it still exists, except the name has been stripped from the restaurant, the guardian tiki out front stolen, the hotel was sold off by Hilton, and it's now a dusty rental space for parties. However, it's pretty darn intact... lots of original tikis.

---

Hey Reever-

The sad news is that our Trader Vics here in Houston went with the tearing down of the old Shamrock Hilton Hotel. My mom took my sister and me there when we were kids. We thought it was VERY exotic; imagine - chunks of pineapple in with the HAM! Wasn't old enough to get an alcoholic drink then, so I can't claim to have tasted theirs, but I did get something with paper umbrellas, etc. in it.

sigh no more. It was torn down a few years ago while I was living in Georgia, so I didn't even get to say goodbye.

[ Edited by: formikahini on 2004-03-07 18:40 ]

The Shamrock Hotel was the site of the Houston Trader Vics. Later became the Shamrock Hilton. The hotel was torn down in 1987. It is currently a parking lot for the Houston Medical Center. :(

Here's what the interior looked like:

Matches

Drink Menu (hmm... these last few pics should be larger. anyone know how to fix that?)

A 1969 Ad/Menu

A 1970 Ad/Menu

[ Edited by: Humuhumu - add Locating Tiki header format - 2006-03-15 20:30 ]

Funny photo of lady debutants drinking from a giant clam shell at the Trader Vic's in Houston.

DC

the Retro Houston Facebook account has this post regarding the Trader Vic's located in the Shamrock.

"TRADER VIC'S have all but disappeared from the United States. Many a Houstonian had his or her first tropical adult beverage at this atmospheric, Polynesian eatery located by the Shamrock Hilton Hotel. The colorful restaurant opened here in 1955 and closed around 1985."