You can see the “SORRY WE’RE CLOSED” sign on the door at Prince’s Hamburgers at the end of the feeder-road-facing shopping center at 3899 Southwest Fwy. in the photo at the top, sent to Swamplot by a reader. This Prince’s near Weslayan hasn’t been open for about a month, but the local chain still lists the location on its website, and at least one employee at another location was told by a manager that the site will reopen soon. Meanwhile, the Chronicle‘s Syd Kearney appears still to be waiting for a call back from the company’s management for info on the closure. All equipment inside appears to have been removed, a passer-by tells Swamplot.
- Prince’s Hamburgers closes Greenway Plaza-area store [Houston Chronicle]
- Previously on Swamplot: Old Prince’s Hamburger Sign Is Leaving North Shepherd for Points Even Further North
Photos: Joe Carl White (door); Prince’s Hamburgers (store)
Toast
It’s kind of a shame, Prince’s seems to be getting lost in Houston’s burger wars. You really have to go looking for their locations these days- they all seem to have gravitated from high-visibility storefronts to tucked-away side street locations.
It certainly doesn’t raise the bar very much, but Fuddrucker’s next door always packs ’em in. The power of branding.
The slow demise of Prince’s is one thing that weakens my faith in Houston. Same with Antone’s.
Not the least bit surprised. Prince’s is terrible.
Rumor is that it started as a water leak in the premises and at some point Prince’s stopped paying rent. Landlords no likey.
Sadly, they used to be great…..but last time I went in there about two years ago everything felt dirty and sticky. Have not been back since.
Always wondered how long Prince’s could last…seems the combination of prime RE and $8 meal tabs is a questionable biz model….Too bad, I loved Peggy Sue’s favorite…bacon, fried chicken, and honey mustard…nom nom.
Sad to see. Too many of these older/local chains try to keep-up with other fast food, and end-up losing their character.
I decided about a month ago that I was going to drive over to Prince’s and when I got to the restaurant there was a sign on the door saying it was closed due to a water leak. While I was there a befuddled Prince’s employee was standing outside wondering when someone was going to show up to let her inside for her shift.
Ladies and Germs, I agree with Olt. This place always felt really dirty. I am writing you with a heavy heart and bad case of himroids. While some may at its a shame that places like princes and Phil’s BBQ close down, it’s just a sign of the times. People won’t support dirty places. They closed the jukebox down over on almeda. Anyways, the rockets had a decent run.
Does anyone know how buffalo bayou got its name. Buffalo tatanka or buffalo carp? Lemme know.
Thanks
I am not cerian about the validity of a retail establishment closing without communicating the status to it’s loyal customer base. Who does that? If you are closing, tell your customers so they can get bacj to buying your shit as quickly as possible. Not communicating and posting shady messages to the door implies you are going out of business. At least post something stating what is going in so they can plan accordingly and get you to come back.
meh. sure, it’s a piece of Houston history, but it’s history we can relegate to the history books.
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I ate there from time to time when I worked in the area 15 years ago, but they never inspired me.
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My mom had some fun stories of going to the original back in her youth, but it’s a different place now than it was then, and what it was most recently, no need for it to stick around.
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We’ve still got plenty of unique culture in this city without needing a relic that its only claim is that it has history in Houston.
@JerryThePizzer-The earlies maps of Buffalo Bayou refer to it as Cibolo Creek. Cibolo translates from the Lakota Indians to Buffalo. It is also thought that the name is from the Buffalo fish. No matter the true origin, we are all probably being buffaloed.
speaking of restaurants on 59 that say they are only temporarily closed, the Guadalajara’s next to Discount Tire had bern closed for 2 years with no activity (except a brief period of exterior wall work). How can they afford to sit empty for so long?
Tried to go there for lunch today with a friend and supprised to see it closed. The one on Westhimer burned down about 13 years ago and never reopened. So this has been the location I went to most since then. Everything has been removed from inside. I would have bid on many of those items if they are closed for good. Which I expect will be the case. Never really enjoyed Fudruckers burgers and that Prince’s was always packed at lunch. There are only two left that I know about in town. One on Memorial outside the beltway, but I haven’t been there in about 5 years so it maybe closed. The one downtown in the tunnel. Its a same. Most burger joints don’t have the extensive menu that Price’s has for sure. I remember going to Price’s as a kid with teh car hops, etc. ;-(