The always-open pink-and-purple site of adult accessories shop Zone d’Erotica, which has long served as a retina-searing guidepost to westward-bound Galleria traffic, is currently listed as for lease on the website of retail real estate brokerage The Retail Connection, a keen-eyed reader noted this morning. The trapezoid-heavy building is tucked on a trapezoidal plot of land between the yellow-bedecked corner Shell station and the austere gray facade of Dillard’s, and served as a Luke’s Hamburgers in a past life before making the Zone transition well over a decade ago (presumably with the aid of Houston’s lack of zoning laws). Just down the road along the Galleria’s Westheimer Rd. edge, a younger, prettier pad site (built recently as part of the Galleria’s ongoing makeover and reconstruction) has now been filled in with the likes of Michelin-starred dim sum joint Yauatcha, which opened last week.
- SWC LOOP 610 & WESTHEIMERÂ [The Retail Connection]
Photo: The Retail Connection
It originally opened at a Roy Roger’s restaurant in the 70’s – my family went there regularly after Galleria visits when it was new. Their menu was similar to Arby’s if I remember correctly.
The reason it stopped being Luke’s is because it caught fire back in the late 90s.
Good riddance, old eyesore. Raze it and replace it with green space.
That would be a perfect spot for the first In N Out Burger in Houston!
Bring back Luke’s!!
I remember meeting fellow co-workers at Luke’s by the Galleria for lunch in the 90s. I worked at the Shell Woodcreek facility and my co-workers worked at the Bellaire Research Center, later renamed Bellaire Technology Center. Luke’s had another location on Westheimer near Wilcrest as I recall.
I’m no expert, but I don’t think razing the structure to the ground and allowing grass to grow from its ashes is typically allowed in lease agreements.
Probably would spontaneously combust if you put turn a black-light on inside the shop
Finally! What a blot on the landscape and an embarrassment to the city’s biggest tourist locatgion. Bring back the hamburger joint, anything but this red district beacon of tacky.
Second the In N Out idea!
Who’s Mitch, and how can we get a copy of his starred restaurants? Or did you mean Michelin?
That’s the one, rata! Thanks!
Chuck: You should totally buy that land and turn it into green space. That would be great. Good idea.
For those suggesting green space, I personally don’t think a such a space next to one of Texas’ busiest freeways and Houston’s busiest thoroughfare (over 60K ADT in spots just west of here) would be terribly attractive for public use, given the pollution and noise exposure. Perhaps a decorative planting would be OK, such as what Uptown and others have done along some area highways.
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Of course, my opinion may be very much in the minority, given how often one sees restaurant patios, parks, playgrounds, and athletic fields with similar adjacent environments.
@Local Planner, I agree with you, and I’d go one step further and say to forget about anything green here! Not that I am against green, but unfortunately, I suspect it would be inhabited by the homeless, transients, reek of urine, and probably human feces, aside from the litter of bottles, cans, needles and used packets of bath salts.
A better use would be some sort of Texas themed Ice House, some place to hang out while other family members enjoyed their shopping inside the stores. No Starbucks, please.
Should totally be torn down and become a mid-rise gun shop with a freeway level gun range on top. That’s the only thing that would make it more houston.
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Anyone know if someone’s already cornered the whole bedazzled & LV/gucci grip handguns? There’s gotta be a huge luxury gun market in this town.
Tear it down and build an upscale sex shop. We have enough hamburgers in the area.
It was a Roy Rogers for yeeerrrrs.
I’m gonna miss it. So shamelessly Houston. Dallas would never dare.
In and out? Hell no! You realize how much worse the traffic in the area will be if that was an in and out?
But where will I buy my poppers on my way to meet a Grindr trick at the Galleria!?
@MontroseResident: A Texas-themed ice house? Seems like it’ll attract what you were describing. Budweiser, Busch, Miller Light, cigarettes, litter, trucks, and cowboy boots. The Galleria is a luxury area, so why not opt for a high-end bar instead? With more money involved, you’ll see a reduction in litter and a higher standard of patrons.