This is part two in a series of Seattle restaurant matchbooks.
1. Les Brainard’s New Grove Restaurant
Les Brainard welcomes you to Seattle’s New Grove Restaurant, Renowned in the West for its excellent cuisine and friendly atmosphere. Charcoal broiled foods our specialty . Luncheons – Dinners – Banquet Rooms for Private Parties – Cocktails – Music – AAA Approved – dinner reservations appreciated.
Les Brainard was born and raised in Bozeman, Montana and came to Seattle during the Great Depression. He started working in a restaurant, washing dishes and finally earned enough to purchase the restaurant in which he was working. The restaurant,now called Les Brainard’s was located at Secena Street and 2nd Avenue in Seattle. It was a fairly small place but he built it up to be something over the years.
The Grove was started in the early 1950s at 522 Wall Street and struggled to gain a foothold. Les Brainard would eventually purchase the restaurant in 1956. Brainard would sell his eponymous restaurant shortly after to focus his energy on the Grove. Renovations were done and a new decor, complete with indoor trees and waitress dressed in kimonos, brought new life and success to the restaurant. The New Grove was born.
For the next 25 years, the New Grove was a happening place to eat. Brainard sold the restaurant in 1977. It closed sometime after that. Les Brainard passed away in 1990 at the age of 81.
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2. Kirkpatrick’s
Kirkpatrick’s, located at 416 Union, was an Irish themed restaurant that either before or during World War II. Featuring the full-Irish theme of leprechauns, shamrocks, harps, fairies; the restaurant served Irish-style food and drinks in The Blarney Room. You can see the menu above for their complete menu ca. 1944. I can’t tell how long the restaurant stayed in business but it doesn’t appear that it made it to the 1960s.
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3. Roland’s Market Restaurant
Now this one is an absolute doozy. I cannot find anything. There is nothing on any search engine, in any newspaper archive or anything else. The location, at 8071 S. Tacoma Way, is a strip mall so that doesn’t help. I am guessing from the design and font on this 30-strike matchbook that it was around in 1980s/early 1990s. Let me know if you know anything about Roland’s.
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4. Leo’s Fountain Cafe
“Meet Me at Leo’s” was the slogan of this small fountain cafe started by a man named Leo Cruise. Located at 45th and University Way, Leo’s appears to have been a 24-hour restaurant or at least open very late.
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5. King’s Row Restaurant and Jester’s Room
The King’s Row Restaurant Jester’s Room were located at 3935 Stoneway in Seattle. I have not be able to find much of anything about this place. Looking at the map, the building has been torn down and replaced with apartments/condos. The restaurant appears to have been open from the late 50s/early 60s until the 1980s. Again, if you have any information leave a comment.
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6. Terry’s Coffee Shop
Terry’s was located at 3401 4th Ave. South in Seattle. They advertised the best hotcake in town, I wonder if that was even remotely true. I mean, sometime’s these hole-in-the-wall type places have the best food. The proprietorswere Terry and Midlred Martinez. It’s gone now
Great Leo’s was a Cruise family Cafe’s best Hamburger in town 1950-1967
Michael A Cruise Leo’s was my Dad’s place, On the Ave and customers from University Book Stop coffee 12 cents, I was the bus boy 1965 -69, all the family worked there, Thank for that match book cover, real 50’s art, was Norm’s before My Dad bought it,
I have a toothpick in original wrapper from Kirkpatrick’s. Matches too..pretty sure