Shorty’s Bar and Grill Closed
Shorty's in Old Town Helotes
On Monday, July 25, 2011, this sign was seen at the entrance to Shorty’s Bar and Grill. I’m not sure when it opened, but I don’t think it’s been open even a year.
This restaurant closure is just another in a string of closures here in Helotes, but this one makes me sad. I was so hoping they would make it. The food was good, the atmosphere was pleasant, the waitstaff were all very sweet, and it couldn’t have been more conveniently located. I was very sorry to see this.
We ate there last Friday night (in fact, I think my husband ate there three times last week while I was out of town), and they were talking about opening another Shorty’s in Austin, so we thought they were doing well. According to Katie, Shorty’s daughter, they just weren’t even clearing enough to break even let alone make a profit.
Their sign does indicate you can book special occasions and events with them by calling 210-383-5800.
It makes me wonder if any new, unique restaurant can survive in Helotes. Those that have managed to stay open are part of different chains of restaurants. That way, the older, more established restaurants can help support the new one until it gets on its feet.
Too bad. We’ll really miss Shorty’s.
We stopped in there right after it opened. I am not surprised it did not last long. The staff was nice enough, but our food took over an hour to get out. There were only 3 of us, ordered 2 burgers and a chicken dish. AND there were only 2 tables besides ours. When it did arrive, it was not good at all, the fries were cold and soaked with grease, the chicken was overcooked and you could not hardly even cut it. Then it took a manager over 20 minutes to come out and speak with us.
It’s too bad, they had a great location and atmosphere. 2 of the 3 ingredianets for a successful restaurant.