Tiger Cafe
Reader Develyn Sperling left this comment on the "things that aren't here anymore" thread, but let's put it here for you nattering nabobs of nostalgia:
"Does anyone remember a little place called the Tiger Cafe on Holt Blvd in Ontario? My Uncle Tommy owned it. It stayed open after all the Blvd. bars closed. People lined up to get his Sober You Up Chili before driving home.
"What was the name of the tiny diner across the street from it? How's this: On the corner of Holt and Campus. The Bamboo Hut.
"Next door was a liquor store with great penny candy. Next to that was Goldie's variety store. It had great, cheap toys. But she was a mean old bird and kids were actually afraid to go in there.
"Or, the Dairy Queen on Holt, just east of Campus."
Ah, memories. I like the idea of hangover-prevention chili. Anyone want to add details about any of these places?
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A journalist for more than two decades, David Allen has been writing a column for the Daily Bulletin since 1997 and blogging since 2007.He lives in Claremont.
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I think the original Bamboo Hut was on the north side of Holt, west of San Antonio. This would have been in the late '40s. My uncle worked there for awhile.
[I should also note that the spelling on the latter-day sign was Bambu Hut. It had a small neon palm tree. -- DA]
I remember it as "A" Street and Campus. We lived north on Campus, between "E" and "F". Anyway, the liguor store was owned by Ben Swerdloff, a couple of stores west was a bowling alley that had one lane reserved for "ten pins." Across the street was also a barber shop (boy's haircut 10 cents) and DiPiazza's shoe shop. A thriving corner in its day, even during the "great" depression.
I remember the Dairy Queen on Holt...now it's somebody's burger place...it has changed hands a lot. I remember you used to be able to get a chocolate chip milk shake there...and hand dipped soft serve...the food was great too...(wasn't everything back in the day?) Was great after a long hot trip back from Newport Beach!
[It's now Posh Burgers & More. I haven't tried the burgers but they make a very good chargrilled chicken bowl. -- DA]
I remember Goldie's from about 1961. I was 8 years old then. My mom and sister and I would walk from our house on State Street over to the Safeway, which is now the Cardenas store on Campus and Holt. Sometimes we walked into Goldie's too.
From Goldie's I had a black squirt gun that resembled a Luger auto pistol. Best squirt gun I ever owned. Got me through many tight spots -- saved the day for good over evil forces.
I remember the Tiger Cafe. Good shrimp dinner.
My favorite store was House of a Million Items.
[We express our deepest gratitude to you for saving Ontario from evil forces in 1961. -- DA]
I was at the Tiger Cafe late one night with my dad when someone found a big green caterpillar in their green side salad! Yuk! I think it was planted there to get some free fried shrimp!