San Jacinto Inn 1916-1987 Vintage Postcard

Title

San Jacinto Inn 1916-1987 Vintage Postcard

Artist

Connie Fox

Medium

Photograph - Outdoor Bw Sepia Photo

Description

Vintage postcard from the nationally famous San Jacinto Inn, an all-you-can eat restaurant established by Jack and Bertha Sanders in 1916 near the Lynchburg Ferry on the Houston Ship Channel.

The San Jacinto Inn, which closed more than 25 years ago, was renowned not only for its fabulous food and impossibly generous portions, but for the dining experience alone. I remember heaping platters of food passed from one diner to another: fresh shrimp, fried chicken, homemade biscuits and preserves. More than anyone could possibly eat. I had never seen anything like it.

Sadly the San Jacinto Inn was plagued with natural calamities. In 1926, fire destroyed the original building. Hurricanes and sinking land beneath its replacement building, which survived until 1977, required that a second replacement be constructed just one hundred yards away from the building that had to be demolished. Few patrons could tell the difference. They just thought the restaurant had been updated or refurbished.

The San Jacinto Inn was sold in 1967 by Bertha Sanders niece, Gladys Poe, to the Battleground Corporation. Finally, in 1987, with just two weeks notice, the San Jacinto Inn closed its doors after seven decades in business, citing declining revenue. The Eighties had brought harsh financial times to Houston. The San Jacinto Inn was located far to the east of the city, and eating habits were changing. During this difficult era, known to Houstonians as The Oil Bust, many other well-known, established restaurants were also forced to close their doors. Few survived.

Today, down the road, one will find the Monument Inn, a modern restaurant overlooking the Houston Ship Channel that features a San Jacinto Inn All-You-Can-Eat Special. Patrons who remember the San Jacinto Inn, with its monumental portions, find it comforting to see that on the menu. The two restaurants are not related, but memories live on.

FEATURED on the homepages of 3-A-Day Waiting Room ART and Beauty, July 2014; USA Photographers, Just Perfect, and Images That Excite You, June 2020. My thanks!

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July 25th, 2014

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