As far as I can remember, My parents took me to eat at places they ate at as kids. They were mostly neighborhood Mom and Pop places. Very inexpensive menus, and very popular. Among the many places we ate at, The Malthouse on Zarzamora and Buena Vista in the deep Westside of my hometown of San Antonio was my favorite. The menu had something for everyone. The Malthouse was known for a great number of reasons. It was founded in 1949 by German immigrants. A worker bought the drive in years later. It was the neighborhood eatery of the Westside. They had mouthwatering burgers, awesome onion rings, meaty fried chicken that looked like it was on steroids, and of course their malts. One of my favorite items on the menu was a Westside staple called the crispy dog. A crispy dog is an all beef hot dog deep fried in a corn tortilla. I still make them to this day. My family and I went to the Malthouse every week. It was on the way to my Grandma Rosa's house, so it was easy to convince my Dad to stop there. As I got older, I went there more often. I tried some of their other menu items. I loved there large Mexican food plates. But I still went for their awesome burgers. It was my go to place. My friends loved it. I was its biggest fan.
In January of 2016, The Malthouse closed its doors temporarily for remodeling. The remodeling never came to pass. The last thing I ordered was a double cheeseburger with onion rings, a large Big Red, and my usual large strawberry malt. My entire family used to go there. We celebrated birthdays, promotions, and little triumphs there on many occasions. Many of its patrons were brought to tears upon the news of its closing for good. And like them, I feel cheated. They were supposed to build a 7-11 in it's place. But, the empty Malthouse is still there. Memories surface when ever I pass by it. Like the time my friend Albert consumed enough fried chicken, fajita tacos, and cheeseburgers to feed a family of five. I cherish the time my uncle John and I put our resources together to give my cousin Maggie the best birthday dinner ever. My favorite memories are when I would bring my grandma Rosa Malthouse onion rings. Her favorite.
No other eatery can ever replace the Malthouse. There was no place like it. I go to BURGER BOY on ST. Mary's street just because their burgers taste like the ones from the Malthouse. It saddens me that it is not around anymore, but life goes on. I really don't have a favorite place to eat. I'm a foodie, I eat everywhere. But occasionally, someone will ask me, where did I have the best burger I ever tasted. The Malthouse , "The Pride Of The Westside."
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