Lower Greenville Thrives!

TRAVEL HERE: LOWER GREENVILLE AVENUE IS STILL THRIVING

Several decades ago, when I was a twenty-something, Lower Greenville was a funky, cool, happening sort of place. It’s waxed and waned in the ensuing years, but according to my visit a few weekends ago, it’s certainly happening now.

Ye Olde Stand-bys

I remember Greenville Avenue.  I used to hang at Jenny Bear’s, eat burgers at Rosa’s and misbehave at Milo Butterfingers.  Cardinal Puff’s was the coolest beer garden in town.  Desperado’s was the place for Tex-Mex.  Happy Hour at TGIFriday’s in Old Town was de riguer.  Then we’d move on to Daddy’s Money or find a member who’d get us into Elan.

But if you were really cool you hung out on Lower Greenville.  I learned Ranch Dressing was good on french fries at Greenville Avenue Bar and Grill, met friends for drinks after work at San Francisco Rose, danced to the sounds of Robert Lee Kolb when Dick’s Last Resort hadn’t moved downtown yet and had lunch at least once a week at Gus’s.  The original Snuffer’s was down there too, next to the Granada when the old movie house was the place to go for art films.

Even after Greenville Avenue was no longer the cool place to hang out, I made frequent visits, because The New Big Wong was one of the best places for late night Chinese food.  There was also that place with the crazy waitress over on Shadybrook, but we saved that for special occassions.

Bye Bye Stand-bys

Though some of those names still resonate, take it from me, they’re not what they used to be.  How could Butterfinger’s be the same after  Bowley & Wilson left and took their Javalina Hog with them?  What challenge is it to find Tacos Al Carbon if Deperado’s can actually be seen from the street?  And what is Robert Lee Kolb doing in a cowboy hat? What is the world coming to?

New Standards

Well, let me tell you something, the kids on Lower Greenville may not remember where the big Sears used to be, but they’re having a blast down there.  After a vist to the Arboretum on a recent Friday night, my hubby and bestie and I decided to go over to Lower Greenville to see if anything was there.  Let me tell you – there’s something there!  I had flashbacks to the good old days as we inched along in bumper to bumper traffic.  I don’t recognize a fraction of the signs and we certainly didn’t have any Taco Cabanas back in the day.

We sort of landed at Kush, because they had some vacant seating on their patio.  We settled into the comfy sofas to try out their cusine and smoke a little hookah.  (Bill and Debbie smoked.  I don’t do sheesha.)  It was not the finest of Middle Eastern cuisine.  In fact, the pita and hummas plate was supposed to come with tahini, but instead it had chimmichuri.  That didn’t stop us from having a great time.  You should go check it out yourself!