Sunday, November 22, 2009
Mysteries Anybody Recognize This Place?
Posted by Vance Lauderdale on Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 6:48 PM
Does anyone recognize the place?
My first thought was that — finally! — I had turned up an interior shot of the Luau, but I've already had a few people (those lucky souls invited to the Lauderdale Mansion on the weekends for our badminton tournaments) who said this was NOT the Luau.
I'm not entirely sure it was even taken in Memphis, though everything else at this particular sale was Memphis-related. Was there another Polynesian/Tropical-themed restaurant in this area?
Inquiring minds want to know. And so do I.
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It looks like one of the rooms at the old catfish restaurant out on Summer Avenue past Sycamore, and right before the sheriff's substation. You had to walk through it to get to the back rooms. The restaurant burned many years ago
JIM
Jim, you're not talking about the old Shelby Restaurant and Motel out on Summer are you? It's hard to believe such a place ever looked like this, but I've been wrong before. At least once, I think.
Not the shelby, this restaurant was further out, and right on Summer avenue. I will have to look at a map and get back with you
It was, I think called the Catfish Cabin, at the corner of Elmore and Summer avenue. This was the '70s and the place had a rustic exterior, and multiple rooms inside, each with a different decor. It had a fire, then closed for good. The building was later torn down a year or two later
Jim
Isn't there a Catfish Cabin on Airways? Maybe the same people?
The catfish restaurant at the corner of Summer and Elmore was not a "Catfish Cabin"; that's the one on Airways. This one had a different name and even had a TV commercial that ran locally where a young-looking cook rang a dinner bell and said, "Hot Fish!" as he brought more fish to the buffet. I went to the restaurant during the late '80s and I cannot remember the name. It did catch fire and burn to the ground. I'm sure the fire is on record with the Memphis or Shelby County FD.
I can clearly remember those "Hot Fish!" commercials, but danged if I can remember the name of that restaurant. At any rate, this just doesn't look like a catfish place to me. At the same time, it's not as cluttery-looking as I remember the Luau to be, though maybe this was taken when it first opened, and all that clutter came later. Plus, the Luau was always dark inside, so maybe this is indeed how it looked in good light.
You're probably right Vance, the "Hot Fish!" catfish restaurant had a more rustic atmosphere (ambience didn't seem appropriate here) as did the tables and chairs. Heavy wood furniture to support the heavy and loaded down plates of food.....it was after all an all-you-can-eat "booffey".
In answer to your question: Was there another Polynesian/Tropical-themed restaurant in this area? The answer is yes. The years have erased its name from my memory but in the late fifties and early sixties, there was a Polynesian restaurant on the south side of Union Avenue that was torn down to make way for the I-240 interchange. Dark rooms all done in tiki decor. It was just west of a funeral home and florist.
ttrots, you are thinking about Fortune's Jungle Garden — not necessarily a Polynesian-themed restaurant, but more of a jungle-themed drive-in. It opened in the 1940s and was indeed demolished to make way for I-240. But I don't think that's the place shown in this photo (above), which looks more like a regular restaurant (if you take away some of the odd decorations).
I believe the restaurant on Summer Ave. near Sycamore was named Fish Farmers and that is where they yelled out "Hot Fish!". Another fish place on Shelby Oaks Dr. was the Hungry Fisherman.
This looks like Colettta's Pizza to me although I haven't been in this spot for 35 years!
the catfish place on summer ave and elmore was called hushpuppy. I think.
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