Texas Barbeque Show Down with California

It seems like a Barbeque show down is brewing on the Texas and California news legal front! A long time local favorite Texas restaurant, located at 3818 FM359, Richmond, Texas, appears to be up in arms and attorneys. The original Swinging Door was established in 1973 by Ward Onstad and his son, Steve. This tiny restaurant sat only twelve people and served Barbeque only on the weekends. In 1974, the small restaurant suffered a devastating fire and was burned to the ground. The shock of the fire was something that everyone in this rural community was saddened by, as well my family that lived just around the corner. Fortunately, in 1975 they were able to open a restaurant that seated around 75 people. Happily in 1979, Steve Onstad and his team enter the famous "Bar-B-Q cook-off at The Houston Live Stock and Rodeo Show" and they won! What an honor! You can view their website here.

Remembering this childhood treat, I wanted to go there with my family for Mother's Day. I went in search of a coupon for the local restaurant. To my surprise I discovered "another" Swinging Door located at 11018 Vanowen St., in North Hollywood, Ca. I was so shocked to see this I had to look at the "About Us" and was even more shocked to find out that a previous teenage employee of the "original" Swinging Door was the founder of the restaurant in North Hollywood. According to there website, "Swinging Door is named as a salute to but is not affiliated with a landmark restaurant in Richmond, Texas, where Stephenson worked as a teenager and, in a proud professional moment, was elevated to pit master at a young age." This restaurant has a huge following and has won many awards as well, including the Restaurant of the Year Award in 2007 according to the Los Angles Magazine. You can view their website here.

On leaving the Swinging Door today, May 13, 2007, in Richmond, Texas, after a wonderful lunch, I mentioned "off the cuff" to an employee if they had heard about the restaurant in Hollywood. I was more than surprised by the employee's response. She stated "Yes, and he is being sued". She turned to ask another employee if she knew where the law suit stood and the other employee confirmed her response.

In true Texas terms, let the "Cook Off Begin". We shall see how Hollywood responds.