The owners of the hamburger, Mexican food, barbecue, and fish restaurant on the northwest corner of Taft and Peden — dubbed “Greased Lightning Pit Stop” by the sign hanging on it for over a decade — have listed it for sale at $750,000. Also included in the offer: the storefront adjacent to it and a run-down bungalow diagonally behind the restaurant.
The bungalow sits on a separate, 5,000-sq.-ft. lot beyond the fence shown below:
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Looking from Peden, you can catch a glimpse of its west side through the trees:
Together, the properties total 10,978 sq.-ft. The restaurant at 1720 Taft has been in the hands of the same owner since at least the early ’80s.
- 1720 Taft St. [HAR]
Taft and Peden
I always wondered what those burgers may have tasted like! Not sure I would have eaten there, but I would have tried one just because. I think it used to feed patients of the free clinic that used to be across the street years ago.
I’ve seen that place closed up for five years, I’m looking forward to seeing the land be put to use.
Any speculation of what it may become? Housing? Restaurant?
I lived a block form that place on Taft in the mid 80s. Ate many a hamburger and fries from there. You could get a large styrofoam cup filled with rice and beans and a fresh flour tortilla for 99 cents. The owners would stock the place by driving to the border and buying Mexcian products. Those were the days !
Sort’a reminds me of Z. Z. Zamora’s on Fairview/Commonwealth.
YES! I’ve lived down the street for a while. Im glad to see something finally happening with this place.
I’m not fully up to date on current Montrose land prices, but this seems like a fairly good deal. ~$68/sf for a nearly 11,000 sf corner. Is that in-line? Anyone with recent comps for those inner blocks bounded by Montrose, W Gray, Taft, Westheimer?
@Highest and Best – The building has been abandoned so long it’s probably being sold as lot value only. The only comp redfin has is over in 4th ward, at $40/sf for an interior lot. So $68 isn’t too bad, but doesn’t seem exceptionally low.
Misleading realtor posting. The “storefront adjacent to it and a run-down bungalow…” is an extra $350k, for a total of $1.1M. Which works out to slightly more than $100/sf. You have to look at both 1720 Taft and 308 Peden.
But someone went for it, took only 5 days to go under contract.
More townhouses now doubt.
Around ten years ago, I did a photo shoot with family
Members at this abandoned establishment. It still is I. The same condition. Does anyone know why ? Was anyone living in this home ? Such a charming place – hate to see it go but know that it’s time to get use out of it. Would love to know any history on this place.
Does anyone know who bought this or what it’s going to be used for?
Did some searching on HCAD. It’s public info but I wont put their name. They have been buying a lot of properties near here and in 3rd ward.
Building has been torn down now. More tacky, prefab townhouses? Or yet another overpriced “gastropub?”
Either of which is better than the abandon building that was there.
I’d take an abandoned building over more cheaply built, tacky townhouses that will sit empty while driving up property taxes.