Does anyone remember the restaurant called Sambo's? It was on Texas Ave. The restaurant was similar to a Denny's. But the artwork, wow, I'll never forget it. It was literally Little Black Sambo. This must have been sometime between 75-80. Can you believe that?
Remember this restaurant?
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Last: 15 yr ago by DaT.Ag
Don't remember the one here, but it sounds like the national chain that started in California. I remember them from when I was a kid being pretty common on the west coast.
Was this place in Bryan, on Texas? I seem to remember a similar place in the area roughly around the Churches Chicken area, in north Bryan, but on the opposite side of the street. It became Gaths Chicken for a while in the late 80's and then it was some sort of gas business.
It was near Villa Maria on Texas Ave, IIRC.
My wife and I spent many hours studying there. It was on Texas Avenue where Cain's is now.
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It's your money, not theIRS! (At least for a little while longer.)
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It's your money, not theIRS! (At least for a little while longer.)
Yep, I remember it from mid 76 on for a couple of years. It was basically a Denny's.
But the 'artwork' I recall was a little Indian boy and a tiger like from Jungle Book. I do not recall any black sambo garbage.
But the 'artwork' I recall was a little Indian boy and a tiger like from Jungle Book. I do not recall any black sambo garbage.
Taxpreparer is right. It was in the building that used to be Wngs and More, which was torn down I think to build Cane's.
Now that is a cool looking place.
Yes, cfs12 is right, I remember eathing there right after starting school back in 78.
Wait a minute--Little Black Sambo is about a Tamil boy who chases a tiger until it becomes butter. Tamil is one of the southern Indian provinces where the native have darker skin.
Nothing about Little Black Sambo is racist. Except that people misunderstood it to be.
Nothing about Little Black Sambo is racist. Except that people misunderstood it to be.
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Taxpreparer is right. It was in the building that used to be Wngs and More, which was torn down I think to build Cane's.
Yes, and it was Kerri's Stacked Enchiladas before the building was torn down for Raising Cane's.
I could have sworn it was actually called "Little Black Sambo's" at one point early on. Perhaps that is just what my father called it but I remember him commenting on the "different" name at some point.
As an aside, I recently was writing a paper and used the phrase "tar baby" in reference to a "sticky situation." A colleague who proof read the letter chastised me for being racially insensitive and strongly suggested I remove the phrase. I did.
Over the Holidays, I made the comment to my teenage daughter when she was trying to "threaten" me with something she thought I didn't want to do. My response was "please don't thrown me in the brier patch" She looked at me with a puzzled look so I explained the Burr Rabbit story as well as told her about the other Uncle Remus tales. She seemed shocked about the stories and had never heard of them. She is a Sr. in High School graduating with honors!
I have become my father. It never occurred to me that these phrases or great stories would be taken in a racist way. These tales as well as the Sambo tale are great lessons that were used to teach children values. Now they are all but gone and anything (like the restaurant) that was associated with them has passed away too. No one longs for the racist ways of earlier years but it is sad to see such culture thrown out with the bath water.
Stepping down off of box now.
[This message has been edited by litig8r187 (edited 1/4/2011 11:10a).]
As an aside, I recently was writing a paper and used the phrase "tar baby" in reference to a "sticky situation." A colleague who proof read the letter chastised me for being racially insensitive and strongly suggested I remove the phrase. I did.
Over the Holidays, I made the comment to my teenage daughter when she was trying to "threaten" me with something she thought I didn't want to do. My response was "please don't thrown me in the brier patch" She looked at me with a puzzled look so I explained the Burr Rabbit story as well as told her about the other Uncle Remus tales. She seemed shocked about the stories and had never heard of them. She is a Sr. in High School graduating with honors!
I have become my father. It never occurred to me that these phrases or great stories would be taken in a racist way. These tales as well as the Sambo tale are great lessons that were used to teach children values. Now they are all but gone and anything (like the restaurant) that was associated with them has passed away too. No one longs for the racist ways of earlier years but it is sad to see such culture thrown out with the bath water.
Stepping down off of box now.
[This message has been edited by litig8r187 (edited 1/4/2011 11:10a).]
I remember it. My Dad won a bicycle there one time for a giveaway.
I think it is a shame that the Uncle Remus stories have been lost, especially since Uncle Remus is the real hero...the one who shows great wisdom in teaching the children about life.
quote:
Burr Rabbit
Br'er Rabbit (contraction of "brother" )
[This message has been edited by Newbomb_Turk (edited 1/4/2011 11:32a).]
Found a link to the original Sambo's in Santa Barbara, CA. Looked at one of the old menus. Filet Mignon for $2.65.
http://www.sambosrestaurant.com/610/510drivein.htm
http://www.sambosrestaurant.com/610/510drivein.htm
Guess I had the wrong place come to mind. I remember the old Wings n More, but whatever was there before that is well before my time!
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Br'er Rabbit (contraction of "brother" )
Didn't really know that.
I know I read the tales but mostly remember them being read to me or told to me by my mom and her older siblings.
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I remember the old Wings n More, but whatever was there before that is well before my time!
That one was called Wings... The one on Deacon is New Wings...
It was Sambo's and not Little Black Sambo but there was a book written called Little Black Sambo and has not been seen in a long time. I have a copy of the original book that was given to my son by Mrs.Hazel Richardson back when she was the head librarian at the Carnegie Library. I bet that book is worth a mint now.
Actually, it had nothing to do with Little Black Sambo, and it wasn't racist at all, but the name came from the two owners...(Sa)m Battistone and Newell (Bo)hnett.
I remember it well, right across from TAMU Golf Course, and I had many breakfasts there. This was part of a chain, and they had many problems in the late 70's because of their name and eventually went belly up.
It was very similar to Denny's or The Kettle and always had a crowd. Nothing tremendously special, good or bad about it, they just had the wrong name at the wrong time.
Apparently the original is still open and was not a part of the chain.
And, please don't throw me in the "briar" patch, as in briars and brambles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo's
[This message has been edited by justcallmeharry (edited 1/4/2011 5:13p).]
It was very similar to Denny's or The Kettle and always had a crowd. Nothing tremendously special, good or bad about it, they just had the wrong name at the wrong time.
Apparently the original is still open and was not a part of the chain.
And, please don't throw me in the "briar" patch, as in briars and brambles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo's
[This message has been edited by justcallmeharry (edited 1/4/2011 5:13p).]
We ate there most every Saturday morning. They did have near-homemade bisquits.
If anyone is interested in reading it, the Carnegie library has several copies of Little Black Sambo available for viewing (not for check out) and the Bryan library has 1 copy to check out.
quote:I'm 26 years old and have a degree from A&M and have never heard of Uncle Remus either. And I actually know about a lot of random things from before my time.
My response was "please don't thrown me in the brier patch" She looked at me with a puzzled look so I explained the Burr Rabbit story as well as told her about the other Uncle Remus tales. She seemed shocked about the stories and had never heard of them. She is a Sr. in High School graduating with honors!
Okay, I don't know how to provide this as an actual link, however, if you want to read the Uncle Remus and Br'er Rabbit stories, the Gutenberg Project has a collection of them. Follow the address below. The author is Joel Chandler Harris.
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/h#a868
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/h#a868
Uncle Remus....I guess some of you don't remember that old Walt Disney made millions with a animated/real movie 60 years ago or so with the story.....
[This message has been edited by PBR (edited 1/4/2011 9:34p).]
[This message has been edited by PBR (edited 1/4/2011 9:34p).]
Thanks for the picture, cstxag90! I ate a Denny's (I think) in Lubbock that has this decor--clearly a holdover from the Sambo's chain. Amazingly enough, there is this place: http://www.sambosrestaurant.com/610/510menu1.htm
I wish diners still looked like this on the inside.
I wish diners still looked like this on the inside.
[This message has been edited by Newbomb_Turk (edited 1/5/2011 12:09a).]
Now one of my favorite songs makes even more sense:
"When I was a kid Uncle Remus he put me to bed", from Don Williams' "Good Ole Boys Like Me".
"When I was a kid Uncle Remus he put me to bed", from Don Williams' "Good Ole Boys Like Me".
I'm 27 and familiar with Uncle Remus. When I was little, my mom would sing an Uncle Remus song to me every night. Still know that one by heart.
I had a few books and a Walt Disney Uncle Remus record.
I had a few books and a Walt Disney Uncle Remus record.
I am not, however, familiar with "Sambo" being a racist term...
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Uncle Remus....I guess some of you don't remember that old Walt Disney made millions with a animated/real movie 60 years ago or so with the story.
Song of the South, with the wonderful James Baskett:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqvBIR0k1_o
There are lots of clips of Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear on YouTube, including the briar patch incident.
quote:
I made the comment to my teenage daughter when she was trying to "threaten" me with something she thought I didn't want to do. My response was "please don't thrown me in the brier patch"
My older brother's frequent quote of choice was a mock-serious rendition of Br'er Bear's "Imma gonna knock yo head cleeeean off."
[This message has been edited by imissstark (edited 1/5/2011 12:06a).]
I know a couple Disney collectors and they say it's hard to find a DVD of Song of the South. Evidently Disney has never released it in DVD over here but did in England a few years back. So to get a copy they have to buy it from Amazon Europe or something.
Autosuggestion is a powerful thing. As evidenced by the fact that this place was only named Sambo's and some people actually remember it being named Black Sambo's, based on the children's book.