The lights are off and the gas station signs have come down from the 4,400-sq.-ft. building formerly home to Doc’s Motorworks Bar & Grill on the corner of Westheimer and Graustark St. The nighttime photo above shows the auto-themed Montrose restaurant before it closed down at the end of last year.
Underneath the restaurant’s sign on Westheimer, the rusted flatbed truck has also hit the road from its long-term parking spot:
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Doc’s took over Wendy’s spot at 1303 Westheimer when it arrived from Austin in 2014. Two other locations still exist back in the chain’s hometown.
A view looking west along Westheimer shows the restaurant’s 100-seat patio empty in front of the Tremont Tower:
A Doc’s rep told the HBJ’s Cara Smith last month that the venue was hoping to partner up with chef Bruce Molzan of Ruggles Black — or possibly some esteemed barbecuer.
- Update: Montrose honky-tonk adds executive chef; changes may be in store for icehouse [HBJ]
- Previously on Swamplot: Delayed Austin Bar & Grill Reworking Former Westheimer Wendy’s Promises August Opening, Houston Decor; Austin Bar Doc’s To Remedy Montrose Wendy’s Wreckage
Photos: MontroseResident (former Doc’s); Doc’s Motorworks Bar & Grill (pickup truck)
I like the sign …. I wonder if they would sell it to me?
Well the South Congress location in Austin closed also, so apparently is was in trouble.
Terrible food, indifferent service – Doc’s won’t be missed.
Urgent question: What’s all that scaffold-y stuff sprouting out of the top of Tremont Tower?? It’s not there in the Before photo.
Goodbye cool chili’s
they’re painting the tremont
The “scaffold-y stuff” is a temporary outrigger system to support a swing-stage, aka a window washing rig. It’s not always used for window washing though, sometimes its used for other exterior work not accessible from the ground. Stuff like exterior coating (“painting”), waterproofing, glazing (windows), or pressure washing.
Most likely scenario is that they are washing the exterior windows that are not accessible from a balcony. It’s probably already moved on to the next drop.
The Austin South Congress Doc’s only closed because the entire strip of property is about to become a high-end VMU project. There are still a few other Doc’s in Austin. None of them are very good either.
@saturnflytrap, maybe they are going to fix the stucco. Ha-ha… I can’t help but laugh at all these places that have stucco. I see too many apartments, and homes having the stucco redone these days… my neighbor across the street had hers done twice in one year! Not so sure it is a good fit for Houston, but I keep seeing it go up… I guess it cost less than other treatments… leave the expense to the poor property owners who will have to redo it, guaranteed.
The photos of the “Once-ppopular US restaurts” was fun to read.
But there several chains that I remember growig up in the Chicagoland area that discappeared including:
Dog n Suds, Cock Robin and Mr. Quick Burger.
In my excitement, I didn’t even notice that half of the Tremont building has turned white. good call ttown (and thanks, others!)