A Flash from the Past

I was visiting the warehouse where Jim Jard works on his hot rods the other day. Jard has a bunch of restored neon signs hanging around the place. I asked him if he had any Tex-Mex stuff. He said, Yeah, look around the other side.” And there it was. The neon sign form the late, great Leo’s. Sadly, Jard isn’t interested in selling it. It’s one of his prize possessions. He said Don Jones at Industrial Neon could easily make a replica though. Bill Floyd, Bryan Caswell and I have been scouting around for Tex-Mex memorabilia for our new and as yet unnamed restaurant. So far, we bought some chairs and memorabilia from Felix, but we are looking for a lot more. If you have some Tex-Mex junk you want to rid of–let me know.

10 thoughts on “A Flash from the Past

  1. Frank M

    I have a Leo’s calandar, with the pic of he(as a teen) & Pancho Villa, that I got Leo to autograph years ago I’d be happy to donate.
    Memories of parmesean cheese on my enchiladas-only at Leo’s!

  2. City of Dallas

    Tex-Mex junk we’d like to get rid of? We have about twenty locations of El Fenix we could spare.

  3. robbwalsh Post author

    Thanks Frank!
    Very Cool! You will have full visitation rights!

    City of D-

    Love El Fenix! When can we come and get them?

  4. Kerr

    Robb,
    I’ve contacted the owner, but no response yet. I’m trying to buy for myself. If you want some absolutely GREAT pics, go to Pedro’s Tire Shop on N.Main, just north of Poppa Burger a few blocks. Inside (and also outside but outside is more weathered) are some incredibly tacky/beautiful paintings of old-school Mexican singers, actresses, etc. You would absolutely love ’em.
    They’re kinda big & would look terrific on a restaurant wall.
    If you can purchase them – please save one for me as payback for this info!!

  5. eddie wilson

    Robb,
    I’ve got all the stuff gathered for the Cedar Park disaster;decor and walk-ins for three places(still in the shrink wrap, one with a freezer inside the reefer box) and a lot of it is applicable to Tex-Mex. The Rojo Mojo cantina was to fuse Tex-Mex and Creole. Alas,a very rare Farrah Fawcet Superior Beer poster and a pix of her with the poster.
    edwin o.

  6. brucesw

    I know where there’s a Loma Linda Mexican Restaurant sign but I don’t know of its availability.

    I can forward a picture and address if you’re interested. It’s rather large.

  7. RWS

    There is a mostly intact Felix’s sign hanging on a fence in their old parking lot, you can see it from Little Big’s. Its yours if you can get there before I talk my wife into letting me hang it on our back fence next to the washer pit.

  8. Will H

    Robb, don’t have any Tex-Mex junk to get rid of, but what memories that sign brings! I would kill for the old ZZ Top Limousine Falg (yes, the label was misspelled) that used to hang on the wall in there, as well as the velvet Elvis painting. The Leo’s DeLuxe is still the gold standard for Tex-Mex combo platters, IMHO.

  9. george davis

    if you really are going to do tex-mex, let me know when you open, than i get to critique your joint. as always, george.

  10. RG

    Leo’s what great memorys. I had to have my fix one sunday afternoon. Went in about 3pm and was the only customer, but Leo was sitting near the kitchen, a very old a frail looking Leo. While I ate some young guys were cleaning and sweeping up. They weren’t doing a good enough job for Leo’s taste and he got up was getting on them. From the spanish I know they were apparently grand or great grandsons. They were laughing and giving him a hard time while he was chewing them out. When they laughed he started hitting them with his cane. Which made them laugh all the harder. Couple of more well chosen phrases from Leo and they all went back to work cleaning up and Leo hobbled back to his chair with his cane. Priceless entertainment. Watching Leo I can see how he would of been a tough bird back as a young man riding with Pancho Villa.

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