The Raw Deal Mural
26 Thursday Jun 2014
Posted 1 - The Raw Deal #1
in26 Thursday Jun 2014
Posted 1 - The Raw Deal #1
in10 Tuesday Jun 2014
Posted by Random Evocateur | Filed under 1 - The Raw Deal #1, 6 - Photos / Visuals
28 Wednesday May 2014
Posted 1 - The Raw Deal #1, 9 - Print
inHaute Spots
by Patti Ricker
This fall UTmost will begin a regular feature on Austin’s nightspots – designed with the comfort-seeker in mind. Each month UTmost will spotlight a different club and provide information on a variety of the city’s tantalizing discos, restaurants, dance halls and other haunts. So lean back, enjoy and get ready to do some exploring.
In the beginning of the never-ending saga of Austin nightlife, there toiled a man named Eddie Wilson. He and a handful of enterprising friends converted a dilapidated National Reserve Armory on Barton Springs Road into Austin’s most enduring club – and a nationally praised showplace to boot. After launching the fledgling Armadillo World Headquarters into permanent orbit, Eddie Wilson sneaked off to a crackerbox building at 605 Sabine Street and opened the Raw Deal – for himself. The laid-back Armadillo-brand of hospitality moved with him.
From the first day, the club has existed for “the kind of folks you’d like to have in your own living room,” says Fletcher Boone, one of the original Raw Deal-ers. Fletcher and two or three buddies pitched in some enthusiasm and elbow grease and found themselves owners after Eddie moved on. A homey intimacy around the place makes you feel that you can lean over and chat with a stranger at the next table. The Raw Deal helps people make memories, and the staff swears never to dish out fancy service or serve anything on a silver platter.
And they mean what they say. At the Deal you learn fast – if you’re hungry. Don’t arrive too famished to fetch your own silverware, or you’ll find yourself roughing it with your hands. A little table by the front door offers forks, knives, spoons, napkins and steak sauces. While you’re getting your silverware, order your food from the menu scrawled on the blackboard across the room, and pick up the beverage of your choice.
Steaks include 8-oz. sirloins, 6- and 8-oz. filets, chopped steaks and 16-oz. Porterhouse cuts, served with spicy red beans and crisp strips of carrot and bell pepper. Other alternatives include are the 6- or 8-oz. pork chops (served with beans), and a chicken breast, which comes with a beautiful salad – bright lettuce greens piled high, topped with carrots, ripe olives and egg slices. Prices for these dinners range from $3.25 to $5.75. The Deal here is the superior quality of the meat, cooked exactly as you desire; and no money is squandered on parsley flourishes or orange pinwheels.
Extra special items, which range from $.75 to $1, include home-style fries (the real thing – huge chunks of potato, fried to a delicate brown, and enough for two people), dinner salads in round ceramic bowls and wedges of pecan or apple pie.
To wash this down, choose from the usual coffee, tea and soft drinks, or opt for one (or two) of a tempting variety of domestic and imported beers. Included are Tecate ($.95 – the best price in town), Bohemia, Heineken, Pearl, Lone Star and many others. The Deal also pours a big juice glass of wine and provides set-ups for the bottle of your choice – which you bring in with you.
While you sit at a table, soothed by the breeze from ceiling fans and sipping a jumbo glass of something cool, you can watch the cooks take your dinner from the refrigerator to the grill to your plate. If you’re a novice to culinary mysteries, this process should entertain you. If not, it will be hard to take your eyes off the reclining, cardboard naked lady, swinging over the preparation table. Her back is turned to the customers and tennis balls hang by string from her feet, shoulders and derriere (this arrangement must be seen to be fully appreciated). Her toes point to red chili peppers dangling from the ceiling, basking in the greasy glow and blistering from the heat of the grill.
Before you’ve fully whetted your appetite on the scenery, a cook will put your dinner in front of you and it’s time to dig in. After one whiff of intoxicating aroma, you’ll devour your meal.
You may be a little stuffed, too, but the pie is ambrosial and the deal provides plenty of attractions with which to amuse yourself while waiting for your stomach to make room.
You might stroll over to the bar and take a look at the Raw Deal’s Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Complete with reading glass (the print is microscopic), the two gigantic volumes sit to the left of the jukebox, with the world of words at your fingertips.
I you can tear yourself away from this temptation, the record machine boasts a well-rounded selection of old favorites. Choose from greats like “Misty,” “For What It’s Worth” and “The Last Time I Saw Paris.” Or, take a chance and try “Stars and Stripes Forever” by Herbie Mann and the Carnival Band. After you’ve topped these entertainments off with a big slice of Raw Deal pie, you’ll be lulled into a state of bliss which words cannot describe.
The Deal is a delightful, palatable place to be. Its smoky, cozy atmosphere is ideal for chowing down, reminiscing and bridging the generation gap. Somehow, in that tiny building, each person – of any age, profession or reputation imaginable – can find a little nostalgia. The place is a genuine time machine, perpetually coaxing in “victims” (as one owner fondly calls the customers) off the street. The shoe-shine boy who once set up shop by the front door is gone – too many folks wearing sandals and tennis shoes. But the Deal rolls on and the motto over the door always seems to hold true: “It’ll be better next time.”
28 Wednesday May 2014
February, 1980
By Randy Greenberg and Doug Hagedorn
A few months ago over a couple of Lone Stars at Taco Flats, we decided to search for our version of the American Dream – the best jukebox in town. An hour later and a little drunker, we laid the groundwork for our momentous quest. We planned to hit every bowling alley, bar, hamburger joint and cue club from as far south as the Wagon Wheel to as far north as Soap Creek Saloon, every place that would conceivably have one of those sublime boxes of sound.
…
…we were in agreement that the most important factor in our decision – the proverbial bottom line – was the music itself. Variety is the key. A jukebox with only one type of music, such as country or Top 40, is (let’s face it) boring. A good mixture of all types of music that can satisfy any mood is what we like. An ideal jukebox would have everything from Dean Martin to Ernest Tubb, from the Bee Gees all the way to Terminal Mind.
…
9. Raw Deal: In the newspaper ad, this place claims to have the best jukebox in town – don’t believe it. They serve ice-cold beer and great pecan pie, but the jukebox ain’t the best in town. They have a good selection of obscure ’40s and ’50s hits along with a truckload of ’60s oldies. The jukebox is as old as its songs, and the Raw Deal has a good Austin-style, beer-drinking atmosphere, making it a place definitely worth checking out.
1. Another Raw Deal: This is it. We’ve found THE BEST JUKEBOX IN TOWN. Everything comes together at this place. The music covers the spectrum – there’s swing, jazz, blues, rock, oldies – and every song is top-notch. This place is a little classier than The Stallion or The Raw Deal, but it still retains that special Austin aura. The music, however, is what carries this place to its lofty status. We could rattle off hit after hit, but you’d get a lot more out of it by going to see for yourself.
28 Wednesday May 2014
Posted 1 - The Raw Deal #1, 9 - Print
inAustin American-Statesman
Saturday, August 22, 1981
by David McCrarey
Sixth Street. It sort of Austin’s answer to Bourbon Street in New Orleans … only in smaller scale. You can find just about everything on Sixth Street – fine restaurants, food bars, pool halls, porn shops, novelty stores and theaters.
And it’s a good place to park your car and take a stroll. There is enough there that you won’t have to drive to find what you’re looking for.
Start your walking tour at the east end of the street at The Raw Deal; the address is listed as 605 Sabine, but it really faces the 300 block of Sixth Street.
Raw Deal – as opposed to Another Raw Deal about 15 blocks further west on Sixth Street carelessly achieves the ambiance desired by so many other restaurants. It doesn’t offer ferns. It doesn’t offer a pretty setting. It does offer reasonable prices and a down-homeness.
Don’t ask to see a menu; there isn’t one. A chalkboard offers the choices: frog legs, chicken-fried steak, lamb chops, chicken, steak, oysters, fried okra, artichokes … A little bit of everything. And red beans are served as a staple with just about every main dish.
As the chalkboard notes, you have to ask for bread – two slices of wheat bread served cold on a plate.
Ceiling fans circle overhead and you can hear cowboy boots and tennis shoes thudding on the hardwood floor. The buzz of conversations from surrounding tables is loud enough to provide plenty of background noise, but not so loud as to interfere with your own conversations. The green and white walls are trimmed with a black stripe and with black and white photos.
…
26 Monday May 2014
Posted 1 - The Raw Deal #1, 9 - Print
inWayne Oakes and Bob Hoover Invite you to attend the
10th Reunion of the 1st Annual Country Music Festival
Raw Deal Office Tower Parking Lot, 605 Sabine * ** *** ****
Saturday, May 27, 9:30 AM til sunrise Sunday
Starring
Stan Alexander
Charles Gardner
Bill Malone
Bob Armstrong
Bill Neely
Kenneth Threadgill
Pat Thornton
Susanna Sheffield
and, of course
Bob Hoover and
Wayne Oakes
* Professionals – i.e., Willie and Waylon, etc. – will be told to leave their guitars in the car.
** Loud talkers – such as James Stanley Walker – will be ordered to remain 75 yards away from the picking and singing.
*** Amplified instruments will not be permitted. Sound equipment for the moderate amplification of voices will be provided. Bring no sound equipment!
**** All rules will be strictly enforced!
BRING FOLDING CHAIRS
Contributions accepted for the benefit of the Texas Civil Liberties Union and The Texas Observer
25 Sunday May 2014
Posted 1 - The Raw Deal #1, 9 - Print
inI was at your restaurant the other night, and understand your prices because “people have to eat somewhere” during lunch downtown, however I ordered your chicken breast $4.75 and a spinach salad $2.70 or whatever it was. Since I did not have the regular salad which comes with the chicken plate, I would assume the $4.75 would be reduced to a reasonable price. The chicken was quite good, but I could have bought 2 whole chickens for that price. I would think for $4.75 rice would come with it, which is very inexpensive to prepare in a restaurant.
RAW DEAL – the name fits
Response from management – Rice? What an asshole!
25 Sunday May 2014
Posted 1 - The Raw Deal #1, 9 - Print
inMethinks this popular watering hole doth begin to live up to its name. Steaks and chops are still a bargain at the price, but on the last several visits to both locations the chicken has been dry, the fish overcooked (you could have driven a nail with it), the large, potentially excellent home fries dark (as though cooked in old oil), and the fried okra cold beneath a hard crusty breading that immediately disintegrated. Has success spoiled the Deal?
17 Saturday May 2014
Posted 1 - The Raw Deal #1, 9 - Print, Eddie Wilson
inHello There Fellow Constituents
This is an introduction to the Raw Deal. You probably don’t need much of an introduction to the concept. Everybody has one. My name is Edwin O. Wilson and mine is at 605 Sabine St. A combination greasy spoon and juke joint, 605 Sabine was one of the forerunners of the tri-ethnic honky-tonk tradition in Austin. For many years The Soldier’s Inn, then Chico’s and later La Rachael’s, it is now the home of the Raw Deal Report. Using the prices of 1977 for effect, The Raw Deal is dedicated to the memory of the depression. Not the Great Depression but the general depression.
The Raw Deal #1 features honky soul food (steaks, pork chops, burgers, beans, pecan pie, beer and huge breakfasts all day Sunday), a juke box which is instrumental to its core and which provides a unique opportunity for conversation and a collection of newspapers and magazines dating back to the twenties, offering a chronicle of the best of the worst raw deals. On slow afternoons, this Historic News Service has caused more reading than the Tarrytown Library annex and stirred the observation that the Raw Deal is a great place to forget.
ONE PERSON’S RAW DEAL IS ANOTHER PERSON’S FAT CHANCE
… and thanks to the patronage of a few regulars, The Raw Deal is now paid for and can enter Phase II. For the remainder of this Spring, Genie and I will be an officially semi-retired couple on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Therefore, The Raw Deal will be closed on those days until sometime in the Summer. Although we plan to wallow in underachievement on these days, arrangements may be may to use the facility for special events. We specialize in fund raisers for unpopular causes, anniversaries and birthday parties for the elderly.
During our short period of operation (a preview party on Pearl Harbor Day and a Grand Opening on Xmas) we have recognized a need common to our clientele that has yet been unmet by the problem solvers in the community. There seems to be a raw deal blind spot. Most people cause their own hard luck yet they seldom see it coming. It is a terrible thing to spend weeks tripping blissfully along thinking that everything in your world is pretty much O.K. and then be rudely awaken by a piece of miserable news to the fact that things are very much a mess. Our answer to this problem is THE RAW DEAL REPORT. The RDR hopes to keep you from being brought down too much at one time. You never know when you’ll get it, even if you subscribe, but at least you’ll have a receipt for it, a reminder that all is not well.
A LITTLE BIT OF ROTTEN NEWS IS A FAR, FAR BETTER THING THAN TOO MUCH TRUTH AT ONCE…
Fairly certain that things are pretty much what they seem, the RDR is a mite anxious about conditions but not even slightly worried about appearances. If you suspect that the RDR is too expensive for you, fear not, you can get a very small one. If you would care to occasionally receive the RDR at your home of office, send an amount commensurate with the size of the subscription you desire. Insure your uneasiness. Know in your own wallet that you have a piece of the Raw Deal. If you don’t send enough to allow us to mail Reports to you, we’ll hold it for you here.
Among other possibilities, the RDR will probably feature commentary on such things as Food on Sixth Street, Music, Media, a Pedestrian’s Guide to Downtown and an easily corruptible Hot Tips on Best Buys on the Block. The first Hot Tips column focuses on automobile tires.
One of our most popular promises is a full blown Letters to the Editor service. Unlike most publications, we will respond to any reasonable inquiries by large subscribers with our most considered and humble opinions. You may save postage and deliver your letter in person when you come by to eat some chops.
In closing, let me remind you that the Raw Deal Special Events Series will begin on Sunday, March 27. At seven o’clock we will begin officiating the Austin Kazoo Eliminations and Whistle Off. Class competition will include solo accompaniment to any tune on the Raw Deal juke box, Free Form and Duets, Trios and Quartets. Any of the above categories may also apply to comb players as well. (ACE combs and Cut-Rite wax paper only.) Prizes will include a gift certificate for twenty Raw Deal Cheeseburgers, A Free Night at Spellman’s, a recording contract with Raw Deal Records and Tapes worth at least $3.98, and kazoos, whistles and combs galore. Drop by, fill out an entry form when you pick your tune from the juke box, and get details on next month’s Spoons and Jugs Contest.
Rub a Dub Dub …
Copyright, 2014, Edwin O. Wilson
05 Wednesday Mar 2014
Posted 1 - The Raw Deal #1, 9 - Print
inGreat article–I wish Fletcher and Smithum had survived to bask in its fond kudos. My favorite memory of TRD was one night I got into a discussion about Mexican truckers driving on highways this side of the border with some guy who started berating me for expressing opposition to it.
I had driven in Mexico and the rules of the road there were startlingly different than here. When they pass on the highway at night, for example, the truck doing the passing turns off its lights–the road where I had observed this was a two lane!
None other than John Henry Faulk came to my defense.
“She’s entitled to her opinion,” he told the guy in no uncertain terms that ended the guy’s vehement tirade. So much the gentleman Faulk seemed somewhat out of place there.
The Whitliff Collection is a perfect place for the found photos. I wish the Maidens v. the Indians mural could have made it. I hope the sign declaring, “Beware of Single Women and Pickpockets” remains “lost”. I do know where it is but I’m not telling.
I took issue with the implication, being a newly single woman, and I resented the sexism of being categorized with pickpockets. I feel sure that drawing such offense was every intent of the proprietors.
Best,
Frances