We never thought about it much in the 60's with so many other things on our minds, but the disparity between the two countries currencies allowed us to wine and dine like royalty in Matamoros even though most of us made servant's wages. Several establishments in the heroic city offered full service, luxurious dining at hamburger prices. Everyone knew that my place was the Texas Bar, a wonderful restaurant on the square. Nena and I had our first dressup date there, although we had lunch once before that at Papagayo's. Many preferred the Drive Inn, right across the border. I got drunk there once while engaged in a huge discussion about the Viet Nam War with several patrons.
My brother-in-law Charlie liked the U.S. Bar, across the street diagonally from the Texas Bar. I have no idea why. Nena loved El Senorial because of a three layered after dinner drink. There was also a good Chinese restaurant called the Santa Fe. 
For lunch we liked Papagayo's but absolutely loved La Linterna Verde, a taco place with bird cages on the ceiling. Alex Guerrero and Martin Sarkis are the only Brownsvillians I've spoken to who remember La Linterna Verde. They featured tacos with mole' chicken and chopped cabbage that I've never seen anyone duplicate.
I won't talk about the prices although I very well remember them. Old people do that. You can look at the menu of the U.S. Bar i'm posting. Please note that the dinner price includes TWO entrees. Usually we split a dinner.
Jim, I don't know if you recall a place called Popeye's it use to be a disco type dance hall. Right across the bridge. I remember rum and coke was $.50 American cents. They had a Dj, I still remember the announcer saying, they had purchased a huge strobe light, ordered from San Francisco. C.C. Top music was all over the place.
ReplyDeleteThere was also another disco place called Daisy's. They had live music.
I remember the waiter's at Popeyes were dressed in sailor uniforms, and the ash trays were shells.
There were a couple of other places for the younger crowd, the restaraunt you have hi-lited were for the older crowd. Didn't Garcia's also served food and drinks??
I remember a Paradise Lounge and Charlie's Place featuring the Charlie's Special(lemonade with vodka or gin). Actually, there was a place that advertised Norteno Beer for a peso(.08), but I was afraid to venture in. We normally went to the Texas Bar or Las Dos Republicas for drinks.
ReplyDeleteJim
Las dos Republicas was nice, at that place when you ordered Rum and Coke, it was Rum and Coke, not a lot of coke, heavy on the ice, and easy on the Rum.
ReplyDeleteYea, I visited Charlies place a couple of times, most of the time it was Daisy's and Popeye's. There was a place in Reynosa called the Alaskan, nice, kind of prepi.
Hey, thanks for the good Memories, Good post.
How the Matamoros-Brownsville area has changed thanks to CARTEL violence, 9-11, "growth" and unemployment.
ReplyDeleteI was in Matamoros on Monday; the Mercado is half dead, where the US BAR once stood, now stands a long line of regular folks trying to go into a bank to pay their electricity bill. In the Mercado area, Las Dos Republicas all borded up, Los Nortenos, empty with no patrons and an open door asking to please come in and no Cabrito on the window; Matamoros vendors trying to survive. Life goes on.
I feel for the people, Matamoro's people are good descent hard working people, the killings keep families indoors. It is one miracle, how people survive.
ReplyDeleteExcellent article! Brought back many memories of fine dining in Matamoros during the 60’s and 70’s. You omitted “La Siberia” a famous restaurant located on 6th Street and noted for it’s humongous shredded chicken maiz tortilla tacos and chalupas topped with sour cream. Consumption of one taco or chalupa was enough to carry one through to the next meal.
ReplyDeleteLocated adjacent to “La Siberia” was “Matias”, a bar noted for having the best botana served with every beer ordered. The botana would vary with each beer brought. It would either consist of finger-sized taquitos, the next time the waiter would bring a small bowl of homemade soup or menudo, followed by miniature nachos covered with refried beans and delicious white queso and so on.
Across the street was one of the cleanest bar called “Gambrino’s” noted for the famous “globos” which consisted of a 12-ounce glass goblet, similar to the ones margaritas are served in, and filled with the coldest draft beer in town, all for the ridiculous price of 13¢. Gambrino’s clientele consisted mostly of middle-aged men who would frequent the place to play a game of dominos throughout the day or evening hours.
Let’s not forget “Mariscos Golfo”, noted for having the freshest seafood in town. Where else could one go where a male carrying a small water bucket and a rag would wash the car in the parking lot for $2.00 to $3.00. Amazing how clean the vehicle was left with the use of these two items. While inside the waiter would summon a young man who would shine your shoes while the ceviche or shrimp cocktail was being served accompanied by a cold Tecate aluminum can. The menu consisted of many fine dishes reasonably priced. Where else could one take a date and partake of all these great service for approximately $25.00.
Who could forget “El Cubano” who would park his food wagon in between the “Chilo’s” and “El Rendezvous Bar” parking lot and sell his “bolillos” (small french loaves) filled with avocado, chorizo, or egg amongst other delicacies. This meal on wheels was regularly frequented after a heavy night of partying and after all the other regular dining places were closed.
I know I’ve left out many fine establishments i.e., Las Dos Republicas, Tio Nachos, Los Nortenos, Los Portales, etc. Unfortunately many of these fine places have either closed or gone out of business for one reason or other however; the memories are fond and still remain.
I so remember my dad taking the family to La Linterna Verde. Those tacos were really good but in my opinion not as good as Taqueria Bravo near the Ellias store. The Chinese restaurant Santa Fe used to be about a block from the plaza but the restaurant burned down and that's when they moved it behind Garcias.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the name of the bar in Matamoros that had a black light in the entry way, which looked like a cave. They had a band that played there.
ReplyDeleteMike:
ReplyDeleteThat was the Paradise Club aka Paradise Intime Lounge. I t was down the street from Jesse's which was the hangout for us high schoolers in the mid 60's
Wow! Stationed in Brownsville in 1962. A buddy, a Texan named Leo who appreciated good food, took me to The Texas Bar with the offer that if I didn't love the Filet Mignon he would pay for it himself. I paid. $5 was steep as we were making 70 some bucks a month but I think I held out for a while just to give him some heartburn after his meal.
ReplyDeleteSome poster mentioned Charlie's Bar! Charlie's Specials were served in tall tumblers poured from a gallon jug under the counter. I recall one evening downing 3 of them and some Singapore Slings before moving on to the Paradise, a regular in town for us, with its black lighted entranceway. As I recall they had a circular dance floor, which even though a bumpkin, I was smart enough not to try to dance on with the locals who had some spectacular dance moves.
Thanks for the memories which still bring a tear to an old man.
Does anyone know the name of the restaurant in Matamoros (1960s) that had an enclosure of living birds? I think I recall flamingos, but maybe not, we only went there a few times, driving down from Harlingen. Even I was a child, I seem to recall the place was sort of "posh"!
ReplyDelete