On my first visit to Fort Worth, a hot August back in the 1980s, I stayed at what was then a Ramada Inn west of the Beach Street exit from I-30.Just east of that location, in what I now know as the Tandy Hills, there was a restaurant on top of a hill, facing west towards downtown Fort Worth.
When I moved to Fort Worth that restaurant was closed and with its rundown appearance it appeared to have been closed for a long time.
I figured that that restaurant pre-dated the building of the Interstate, with the new road blocking easy access to the restaurant. I also speculated that the restaurant might have dated back to the Prohibition era, with its high location giving a view in all directions, so that a Speakeasy could hide the booze when the cops came raiding.
A few weeks ago I was hiking the Tandy Hills and came upon an Old Man with a Cane. I asked him about the restaurant. He said he'd been to it a couple times, back in the 1970s. He thought the name was Calamity Jane's.
So, I Googled for a Calamity Jane's restaurant in Fort Worth. No info. Then I tried "old restaurant hill I-3o fort worth" or something like that. This brought up a restaurant on Ben Avenue called Fort Worth Cattle Drive Restaurant. Clicking on the first of the dozens of results I knew I had the right one, due to the map.
That's the Google Earth satellite view of the restaurant's location in the picture above. The restaurant was to the left of the parking lot at the end of the road.
Now, here's where it gets weird. There are dozens of restaurant listing type websites which list Fort Worth Cattle Drive Restaurant as if it where still in existence, with most of them wanting me to write the first review of this long dead restaurant. And to post a photo of the restaurant.
The only actual info I found about the Fort Worth Cattle Drive Restaurant is that it was built in the 1970s and though it was highly visible to drivers on I-30, people had trouble figuring out how to get to it. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
This restaurant died well before the Internet became the monster it is today. Why would so many websites list this dead restaurant as still being and alive?
And what's the real story about it. Was the Fort Worth Cattle Drive Restaurant really born in the 1970s? Or did it pre-date the Interstate and the Internet? The Old Man with the Cane thought it'd been there a long time due to its old wild west style. But then he also thought it was named Calamity Jane's, so who knows how reliable his memory is.
Ironically, years before I discovered how great the Tandy Hills was for hiking, I found my way to Ben Avenue to check out the site of the then demolished restaurant. The foundation was still in place, so you could figure out the layout. It had a water feature that you walked across via a bridge to enter the place. The Old Man with the Cane told me the restaurant had a large outdoor patio.
If the restaurant were still alive today that large outdoor patio would be looking at a nice view in the distance and a not so great view close-up, because it would be looking down on Chesapeake Energy's notorious Samuels Avenue Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling Site.
So, do any of my one or two readers know anything about the Fort Worth Cattle Drive Restaurant?
Most people don't know, but the original restaurant on this site was called, Luminaria's, one of the first new-wave Mexican restaurants in town. Very cool and ahead of its time. I think it opened in the mid-70's. The sweeping drive-way was lined with mexican luminarias that gave it a very, California kind of look. It really went down hill after that.
ReplyDeleteIt may have been Luminaria, I don't know. I do know that it went through several iterations, so I think your old man w/ the cane as well as your commenter are right. It was the location that made it both unique as well as did it in.
ReplyDeleteit was Luminarias. Decent, but not great food. That is the first restaurant there that I remember. I got here in 67, and Luminarias was sometime in the 70s. it was difficult to get to......I think the memory is worse than reality, because it looks so readily accessible from the freeway, and it's really not. It also was poorly designed. Great idea for the view, but it faced west into the blistering sun. Cool idea.....just not executed too well.
ReplyDeletePeople are right on both counts on this blog. It was Luminaria's first. I used to eat there. Then later on it was Calamity Jane's.
ReplyDeleteThe lobby was rustic. The view overlooking Fort Worth was breathtaking.
Kari Christensen
If you ate there, then you are old like me. I recommend Alleve.
ReplyDeleteI recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
ReplyDeleteSarah
http://laptopseries.net
Lumanarias DOG GONE I MISS THE late seventies and the EIGHTIES..it was owned by a man from california who said he did it for his mother and refused to sell it for other development I am told.
ReplyDelete. salads with table side honey mustard dressing..drinks outside.on the rocks with open fire pits..I had many memorable dinners there..the only way to get there was beach to lancaster then 3 long lonely blocks to ben ave...
Carriage House, Old Swiss House, Luminaries,Macs House, The Back Porch etc...all gone..
I remember Calamities in the late 70's and early 80's. On Friday after noon the bar featured free boiled shrimp on the patio and had a band. Drinks were a little pricey. It seemed like half the people in Tarrant county were there including all the realitors. Below the patio on the side of the hill were walkways and places to sit. I still miss it. JJ
ReplyDeleteWow. Old post I know but I was looking for alumni of the FW Cattledrive Restaurant. I was the GM there for about a year. It was owned by Specialty Restaurants out of CA. They still have restaurants in operation. Pretty rinky-dink from my experience. Anyone that can name the Texas Longhorn that lived out front in the pen or tell me what haunted the restaurant is true alum!
ReplyDeleteI have all the info on the Restaurant oin the Hill. I named the Ft. Worth Cattle Drive. I was General Managewr of Calamity's (subsequently named The Castaway for a short period). It was owned by Specialty Restaurants (David Tallichett). The whole story of this place and the company is a novella in itself. I also ran Shanghai Reds in Houston (a waterfront restaurant) and Baby Doe's Matchless Mine in Atlanta (there were several "Doe's). Greg B
ReplyDeleteSean - The stear was T-Bone. I purchased him and named the restaurant. Watched him neutred - funny story with that one. Was the ugly step-sister in the Specialty Restaurant Empire. I ran several of their restaurants (kept getting sent to Ft Worth to try and fix the place) I even negotiated with Tallichet to buy the place - couldn't come to terms on the 5-acres of land.
ReplyDeleteWow, some 13 years later I run across this feed again. Never saw your response until just now. Anyway, I started as an AM at Baby Doe's Dallas then took over the Cattledrive. Awesome that you purchased T-Bone! I'll tell you the story of his great escape after you tell me the neutering story!
DeleteOh - sorry for all the posts - but if interested I have a picture of me and T-Bone and a great article about the name change from the Star Telegram hanging in my office.
ReplyDeleteI worked there from May of '75 thru spring of 79 when it was Luminarias. Started out as busboy and wound up chef. Or "Loonies" as we called it. Like you say, it was the bastard step child of Specialty. Corporate seldom came by, and they would send managers on their last legs to us as a last stop before being 86'd.
Deletea few stories...
http://srevestories.blogspot.com/search?q=luminarias
Glover, I'd be interested in seeing the picture, as well as any other additional information you have on the place.
ReplyDeleteI worked at calamity's in the mid 80. It was a fun place. There is still a "sister" store in orange county ca. Called orange hill. Same layout.
ReplyDeleteI and my husband ate there twice in the mid 80's It was a high end steak house Calamity Jane's, very good.
ReplyDeleteI remember eating there my self back in the early 90s we used to go up there slot just for the view I have a pic of old t-bone he had a huge rack or horns biggest I have ever seen at that time....I miss them good old days I wonder if you can still hike them trails up there?????
ReplyDeletePhillip, you can still hike them trails to the east of where the restaurant was located, with them trails leading to the complex of trails which make up the Tandy Hills Natural Area.
ReplyDeleteI been in D/FW since 1967. Luminaius opened in 1974. Off Lancaster on Ben St. Had awesome view, huge fireplace in lobby great salad dressing, Outside patio was lit with neat 1970's lighting, went down the hill out back. Parents used to go there about once a month. I rediscovered it as Ft Worth Cattle Drive in early 1990;s. Still great view & same salad dressing on salad bar. Very pricey though. Back in the 1960's this was all farm land. No previous business on that site.
ReplyDeleteI worked at the FWCD from 1990 to 1994 after it was closed after a horrible hail storm and they transferred me to baby doe's in Dallas!I met my husband their when I was a senior in high school at EHHS,he worked there also!We Were actually there during the storm that broke all of the windows out and it was very scary!I miss that place,I use to feed T bone every night! I don't remember a glover.my name is Miriam and my husbands name is Vince, weve been married for 20 years now with children.The lady in charge was Jolene. I have looked every where3
ReplyDeleteor a pic
My Dad took my now husband Mike and I to this restaurant when we got engaged to congratulate us. That was sometime in 1993. It was a very cool place!
ReplyDeleteI was the chef at calamity janes in the mid 80's. I transferred from baby does in Dallas. We did more business in a week at Baby Does then in a month @Calamitys. No one could find the place, it just killed us. Staff couldn't make money, so we had constant turnover. We had a moat around the building, with waterfowl( mostly very aggressive geese that would attack customers. Food was good, ambiance nice, view spectacular. Like Baby Does, the parent company wouldn't pay for upkeepor advertising
ReplyDeleteI was looking for info on Calamity Jane's and found this blog. We ate there a lot in the mid-80s. Loved the place. Also like Baby Does in Atlanta (to Greg B).
ReplyDeleteLoved the $10 little birthday cakes you could order for dessert. I'd order it and "surprise" the other friend at the table. It wasn't their birthday, but the cake was the perfect size to share for dessert for the table!
Good memories.
Hey! Happened upon this post while googling Calamity's. I was at Texas Wesleyan in the mid-80s and spent many nights sweating on the dance floor, annoying the older patrons! I have great memories of that place. Sad it's gone. Wesleyan students were probably the only ones who knew how to find it!
ReplyDelete