Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Discovering Historic And Affordable Mexican Food Houston

By Ronald Martin


While there are many historic sites to visit when visiting Houston, when it comes to food, there is good and bad. Some of the best and most historic and Affordable Mexican Food Houston can be found at Last Concert Cafe. While it can often be a challenge to find, this establishment is full of history while serving some of the best Tex Mex and American food in the area.

For those interested in living legacies, the cafe definitely fits this description. For, there has long been a legend that once upon a time either the building which houses the cafe, or the house next door served as a bordello. While the house which sat next door to the cafe has now been torn down, a number of patrons often wondered while a house would host eight bedrooms, one bath and no kitchen. As such, rumors spread that the house was most likely 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.

Having survived what is believed to have been the largest marijuana busts in Houston in the 1950s, paying homage to the gay community in the 1960s, and having overcome construction of the I10E, it appears the cafe will remain in the current location for quite some time. While no longer specified as a gay bar, the restaurant and bar are open to all people. As for the marijuana bust in the 1950s, times were very different back then. At the same time, it is important that patrons understand possessing, distributing or smoking is still against local and national law.

Along with the legends surrounding the business, there are also some well known traditions. One such tradition, is that patrons are to knock twice on the red door to gain admittance. It is said that this tradition came about when the cafe or house served as a bordello. For, there was a judge whom lived nearby whom liked to frequent the business. As such, those seeking entrance had to knock so the judge would have time to wrap up any business and head out the back door.

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.

Now, under new management, the lot next door left after the house was torn down now provides ample parking where before street parking was the only available option. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the cafe was turned into a live music venue, which hosted a number of house bands. In fact, some of these bands can still be found playing at the cafe on a regular basis or at special events.

Like knocking on the door or the absence of signage, there are newer traditions which have been added. Some of these include, the annual Watermelon Festival which occurs in July, the annual Halloween show and costume contest on Halloween and what is considered one of the best New Years Eve parties in the area.




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