Will King Biscuit Bounce Back?

Woodland Heights hangout King Biscuit Patio Cafe closed its doors on Saturday night. Sources tell Swamplot that cafe owner Roger Aggoun’s lease was not renewed. Now b4-u-eat is reporting that building owner Pat Quinn — who opened the place at 1606 White Oak in 1982 but later sold it — plans to team up with the former owner of Fitzgerald’s to reopen the restaurant. Sara Fitzgerald retired last year from running the live-music venue at the other end of White Oak; she opened Fitzgerald’s in 1977.

Photo: Renny Glover

32 Comment

  • A real bummer, such an awesome location, and most certainly the coldest draft beer in the Heights. It was really going downhill though, on days like today the patio should have been packed, but it was typically covered with burnout H-town contractors with a penchant for vodka at 3PM who googled at my daughter with sad drunk-grandpa eyes. I will miss the turkey burger ___ : (

  • Not surprised. The food was bleh. The best thing there was the exterior paint job.

  • I did like the vibe of the neighborhood place but the food was never much good and I always felt like I was a 3rd class citizen since I wasn’t a “regular”. I hope it is revitalized and will be a bit better.

  • I revisited KB a couple months ago for the first time in 2-3 years and it was not the same. The food was bland and expensive and the service was painfully slow. The place had definitely lost its vibe.

  • um, i hope it re-opens. where else on earth are we going to grab potato enchiladas? (that are good.)

  • The place was a lackluster dump. Better to open a sophisticated but low-key wine bar a la 13 Celsius. Want the Heights to grow up and start wearing its Big Girl Panties. Could Beer Island be next?

  • Sad. The new potato enchiladas were amazing lsat time I had them. Hope it gets revitalized instead of bulldozed…I love that little funky building.

  • Whomever takes over this dump needs to address (a) parking and (b) the stench of the dumpster, located right next to a historic home.

  • I drove by last night and saw some activity on it. Looks like the new owners aren’t wasting any time in getting this thing turned around.

  • Good news. The place was decent in the 90’s but when the new ownership took over in, I think, 2005 it went downhill fast. Drinking, fine. Eating, not so much.

  • Great maybe like the old fitzgeralds they can have a nice giant hole in the wall in the mens restroom that so lovingly overlooks a busy street. Nothing says class like urinals and people watching..

  • I agree about the food – they used to have the best pulled pork quesadillas ever! Went in there for them one night several years ago and they were no longer on the menu. When I said I was disappointed that they were no longer on the menu the asshat of a waiter (which I had never seen before)told me that I must have been the only person that ordered them. Never went back.

  • I love this website!!! Whenever i’m feeling too happy, or having a great day….you know, enjoying life….I can always come here to remember how much everything and everyone sucks.

    Thanks Swamplot. Keep providing a medium for sad people to talk shit about others to make themselves feel relevant. Society needs outlets.

  • Looks like the former owners read this website…

    The comments are honest (i’ve been there TWICE). Everything said so far has been damn near been right on the money. Theres a reason other places in the hood are jammed packed and this one wasnt.

  • Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

  • Sarah and Roger,

    If you are reading this… please, pretty please, paint the exterior, kill the weeds growing in and around the property, replant the mint and flowers that once grew in the planters, fence-in that damned dumpster and brighten the interior with some more lighting/windows!

    Thank you!

  • Here’s hoping that whoever ends up running the joint has a clue about what they’re doing. Also, that they realize that a combination of Pepto Bismol Pink walls, grime, an unobstructed view of the peeling paint and mold in the dish room, and old David Adickes prints for sale are not very appetizing. It’s been a great place before, and can be again.

  • Just walked over and talked to Sarah. Here’s the scoop: Sarah and Pat (the original KB owner and still current owner) are joint on this project. Roger was leasing the space and the name with it but his lease was not renewed.
    The place will still be called the King Biscuit when it reopens mid June. New paint, a tiered deck, new parking, and possibly a rooftop deck is all coming. The menu will change as well: burgers, appetizers, and hopefully an outdoor grill for those that like their burgers cooked outside. Decent selection of beers on tap will be forthcoming. Bathroom is being redone. Live music (jazz tuesdays etc) will continue on. Sounds like all positive moves to me.

  • Just please, CLEAN! SCRUB! I went in recently for a quick glass of wine and the bar was so filthy I left without taking a sip! So sad, it once had the best Thai chicken salad and a really decent wine list …

  • Please keep the jazz on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

  • Tanith, you just made my day – thanks for the comment!!

  • Really glad to hear it will rise again, but I agree with some of the others…that place for the past year or so was filthy. The walls, the greasy tables and menus and seats…all torn and grimy…
    I think KB has quite a few patrons that go way back who would come back and come often if it appeared clean and not a health hazard. Add some good simple food and keep up the friendly staff…King Biscuit could be King again!

  • I used to frequent the Biscuit approx once every 3 weeks on Saturdays with a group of 6-10 for a late lunch. We liked the laid back atmosphere. However about after the quality of the food consistently got worse, we eventually wiped it from our Saturday late lunch rotation. The foul smell of the dumpster is rediculous. I drive by here everyday, and can smell it in my vehicle as I pass. Clean it up, enhance the patio (tiered deck sounds nice)and work on the parking situation and bring the food quality back up to what it was, and it will make it back into our rotation.

  • As long as they clean it up (both inside and outside), keep the outside quiet for the residential neighborhood, and get a proper parking lot so that they won’t have to park in front of people’s houses, everything should be great! If not then it will be more of the same mediocrity. Changing the name wouldn’t hurt, either.

  • keep Bluegrass Thursdays too, please ;o)

  • King Biscuit is an awesome name. Why would you change that?

  • Bluegrass Thursdays? That sounds great. Can’t wait for the reopening.

  • From Ian V:
    “King Biscuit is an awesome name. Why would you change that?”

    Have you read most of the comments here? Association of that name with the memories of trash, drunks, and general dumpiness will carry negativity for a long time. Every perennial club owner knows that the best way to boost business is to close temporarily, remodel then reopen as a “new” place.

  • Can’t argue with that UG. It’s still a cool name in of itself though.

  • Very 60’s sounding name, or a bad beta band spin off your call..

  • At 9 this morning the entire site was tented and the fumigation was about to begin…

  • just open a starbucks and get it over with