Over at Eating Our Words, Katharine Shilcutt has posted photos of the now-vacant longtime home of Las Alamedas Restaurant. As noted in this featured comment from a Swamplot reader, the restaurant packed up and rolled away late last month, after long-extended lease negotiations failed. Restaurant owner Jorge Sneider told the Houston Business Journal the building’s new landlords were demanding a significant rent increase.
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Wherever the restaurant ends up, it likely won’t be in a building that so effortlessly melds two classic Houston sitings: on the freeway feeder road and by the bayou. Throw in the requisite barren parking lot in front and a little ersatz-and-stucco styling that’s had some time to wear, and you’ve got a local icon — one that’s apparently now available for (disarmingly high) rent.
- Las Alamedas: What’s Left Behind [Eating Our Words]
- Comments of the Day: Las Alamedas Packs Up [Swamplot]
- Las Alamedas: Landlord Wants More [Swamplot]
- Las Alamedas: Landlord Wants More [Swamplot]
Photos: Katharine Shilcutt
Tragic. Will probably become a wedding hall.
Or a Quinceanera Pavilion!
I have no idea what the new rent was, but if Las Alamedas couldn’t pay it, I wonder who can? I didn’t eat there often, but whenever I did, the restaurant seemed busy and prosperous. Perhaps they were running the restaurant poorly, but that doesn’t jibe with their long run at that location. So I ask again, if Las Alamedas couldn’t afford the rent, who can? Did the landlord play a self-defeating game of chicken here? Or do they have a tenant who can make that location work at the price the landlord wants? I guess we will find out in the coming months.
The scoop is that the rent was $10K a month. The original owner died and the son inherited. Then the son died. The mother and daughter-in-law both claim ownership of the property and have both tried to rent the property to Jorge claiming any rents paid to the other invalid.
The rent was originally $10K per month. One of the relatives agreed to rent it to Jorge for $20K, then the other one stepped in and demanded $50K, with poor Jorge not knowing who the REAL owner is. Two nutty, greedy women have destroyed this fine restaurant.
Nobody will be renting this place any time soon, or at least until a settlement is reached upon true ownership.
This was THE best place for Mexican food in Houston (or any place else for that matter). I would make it a point to stop there every time I visited the city. There is one fine head chef up for grabs and I hope The SwampLot lets us know where he goes; so that his fans can follow.
I forgot to mention that Jorge owns the building but the landlord rented him the land upon which Jorge built Las Almedas 28 years ago.
This is a classic example of why we have attorneys draw up estate plans. Dying intestate brings out the monster in many families. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this place’s food, but it’s a shame the incompetence and greed of the property owners’ heirs ruined a long running successful restaurant.
Someone left a [rather nasty] tip on my post over at Eating Our Words indicating that he’d seen a truck and laborers parked out front last week doing what looked like renovations. I haven’t seen anything to that effect, though. Anyone else?
This is just crazy! How can you own a restaurant for 28 yrs and not buy the land under it? What a shame!
Most businesses operate this way.
Nothing new here. And this isn’t the first time business stops operating because the landowner has issues.
Yes, it’s sad. No, it’s not unusual.
kjb: What possible enjoyment could you derive from your pathetic attempt at appearing savvy and more knowledgeable than the other posters here? Do you think anyone was impressed by your stupid, egotistical, self-serving attempts at putdowns? Yes, it’s sad; yes, it’s very unusual that such a terrific restaurant closes for such a bizarre and disgustingly psychotic reason; and yes, you’re a BOOB.
Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black.
According to a comment in the Chronicle Whine & Dine, Las ALamedas will be opening at La Centerra in Katy, which is at Grand Parkway and Cinco Ranch Blvd.
“From tempus:
kjb: What possible enjoyment could you derive from your pathetic attempt at appearing savvy and more knowledgeable than the other posters here? Do you think anyone was impressed by your stupid, egotistical, self-serving attempts at putdowns? Yes, it’s sad; yes, it’s very unusual that such a terrific restaurant closes for such a bizarre and disgustingly psychotic reason; and yes, you’re a BOOB.”
WOW – that seems totally uncalled for. I don’t see any attempt at a putdown in kjb’s post. And he is, in fact correct. What Las Alamedas had was a ground lease – they leased the ground that their building sits on. The owner of the land regains control of the land and the building upon expiration of the lease. If they cannot come to agreement on a renewal or if the Owner simply doesn’t want to lease to that particular Tenant anymore for whatever reason, the Tenant vacates, and the Owner does what he wishes with his property. Those are the terms that both parties agree to upon signing a contract.
Now, in October 2010, it’s still empty. I wonder what the land owner (whomever it is) thinks about driving out their tenant now, with the place costing $2700/mo in taxes alone. (In the 20 mo. since this posting, that’s $54,000.)
Probably also eating insurance and utilities; at least, I hope they’re keeping the place minimally air-conditioned, or it’ll never be rentable again.
Lesson: it can hurt to play hardball.
I used to work there back in the 1990’s and it was an awsome place to work Jorge Sneider run a tight ship and his lovely wife with The Chef that I used to have conflicts all the time but overall he’s ok,what I miss about the restaurant is the friendship of my fellow workers we where like family when the work had to get done I miss Las Alamedas and all of the Employees there and Ex-employees most waiters and busboys there where there for years most of them for more than 10 years and some still there I admire thir loyalty mister Jorge Sneider is a lucky man to have staff like that,God bless you and your staff.Ulyses Amar