Eight years ago, 59 Diner shut down after a 29-year run; now, the building sits waiting for a return to use. During the very end, I sat tableside and watched Rome burn. The diner’s start occurred in 1987 when a group of restaurants from Dallas took over a building from the 50s that was most recently known as Phil’s Restaurant. Phil’s had been a perennial favorite since the 50s, moving West as the town grew, but it was feeling old by the end of the 80s. The change from Phil’s to 59 Diner was either an upgrade or downgrade, considering who you were talking to. The Greatest Generation was prone to love the shag carpet and smoking section that Phil’s offered their children. However, their children, mostly baby boomers, seemed to buy into the 50s nostalgia. The name 59 Diner was both a nod to the nearby highway and a way to bridge the decade gap between the Fonzies and Archie Bunkers of the world. You could have your post roast and hit the Jukebox, too! 59 Diner did a darn good job updating the look and feel but keeping enough of the old menu intact not to alienate older diners. While 59 was not the only attempt at a throwback diner in Houston, it was arguably one of the most prominent diners in a city mostly known for cafeterias. 59 Diner was so in tune with its citizens that they offered a job to Phil Bongio, the former owner of Phil’s, as their greeter. 59 Diner’s early years often included Houstonians bringing out-of-town guests to the 24-Hour restaurant. Nestled at 3801 Farnham Street, it sat between many other restaurants, and was often an after-dark beacon for those enjoying the night. The owners of 59 Diner had so much success that in 1995, they opened a second location on I-10 near Chimney Rock. This new location featured a striking building design by Sharon Tyler Hoover, which would unfortunately be demolished during I-10’s expansion around 2006. A similarly designed location, also by Sharon Tyler Hoover, was opened on 249 in the Willowbrook Area in 2000.
These three original locations would switch hands in the 2000s. The new owner’s goal seemed to be to expand the chain, with a new location in Stafford and one in the Town & Country area to replace the original I-10 branch. The chain would change hands again, finding another owner who also wanted to expand the chain, bringing new locations to Westheimer, Rosenberg, and The Woodlands. From what I can tell during this time, the final owner franchised out some of the locations or at least used new partners, though I can’t confirm it for sure. This would be the start of the decline, in my opinion. From what I recall, the food at these newest branches was not great, and these locations were the first to close. The Woodlands location only seemed to last a few months before it went under, and others quickly followed the same path until 59 Diner was down to the original three locations that this owner had purchased. My final successful visit to 59 Diner was in the Winter of 2015. I had been quite friendly with the overnight staff. I established this rapport along with a few coworkers while working in a restaurant during college. 59 Diner was a place we’d go to after ending our shift. During this final visit, I saw a staff that was suffering. There was one waiter for the overnight weekend, two chefs, and that was it. No bus boy, no manager to be found. Our waiter, who was very candid, explained what was going on. People weren’t being paid, so they had stopped showing up. When the final locations shut down, it came to light that employees were owed back wages, and the company had been behind on taxes, supplier payments, etc. A Tex-Mex restaurant featuring a 24-hour breakfast named El Beso Cantina opened in late 2016 after a light remodel. This lasted only about two months before El Beso dropped the Tex-Mex, becoming a franchisee of Another Broken Yolk Cafe. This last attempt was even shorter than El Beso, closing up in early 2017 for a supposed remodel, which never happened. Pinkterons BBQ announced that they plan to open a new location in the old building earlier this year. As of this article, the building remains untouched, but permits show construction starting later this year. Here’s to hoping they keep some of that 59 Diner charm.
