February 17, 1987: On this day, the Chronicle reported that the first Bambolino's was scheduled to open in southwest Houston, and the new carry-out or drive-thru only restaurant would be serving pizza, lasagna, spaghetti and other Italian provisions.
Drive thru pizza? That sounds too good to be true. And, sadly for Mama Ninfa and the rest of the Laurenzo family, it was...
There were as many as seventeen Bambolino's until 1993, however, the chain had to declare bankruptcy in 1997. Previously, in 1985, Ninfa's sold their restaurant's naming rights to a restaurant group in a joint venture, but after a series of legal battles, Ninfa's lost those rights forever.
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Tex-Mex vs. Mexican Food
Traditional enchiladas are covered with green or red sauces and crema.
There were once as many as 55 Ninfa's, but they lost them all. In fact, today the Original Ninfa's on Navigation is owned by Legacy Restaurants.
Mama Ninfa and her husband Domenic Laurenzo first opened the Rio Grande Tortilla Company in 1949, where they made tortillas and pizzas which were packaged and sold in grocery stores. After her husband died suddenly in 1969, Mama Ninfa turned the building into the original Ninfa's and introduced fajitas to Texas. The popularity of the restaurant quickly grew and was even well-liked by celebrities such as John Travolta, George and Barbara Bush, and ZZ Top.
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Now, even though the original Ninfa's is no longer owned by the Laurenzo family, you can still eat get great Mexican food inspired by recipes from Mama Ninfa. Ninfa's son Roland started the local El Tiempo Cantina chain in 1998, or if you'd like a slice of pizza, he also reopened a Bambolino's in 2011.
Alright, let's settle this once and for all, where can you find the best Mexican food in Houston? Tweet me @MCallahanTV using #ForgottenDayHOU.
