Charcoal House was a staple in San Angelo until one day customers were met with a closed sign on the door.
It's been 5 years since they closed their doors and now we are hearing from the family about the legacy their restaurant left behind.
I Cannot tell you the recipe to the sauce. The secret is in the sauce.
My grandparents had the original Charcoal house in the 60’s. My parents re-opened Charcoal house and I worked there.
When we were a senior in high school, all of the kids I went to school with they had a pamphlet come out that said what I would be doing in the next 30 years and they had me Toni will still be working at the window of the Charcoal House and sure enough I was…I was.
Gosh it’s really crazy bc back in the 60’s you work for your family. I did not realize it had such an impact on people and wished it was still here.
The customers and I’ve got to tell you, watching my mother with her customers was so inspiring. It was awesome watching her.
I miss everybody. That was the hardest thing was missing my customers. It was hard, hard, hard because I’ll still see some and I almost cry every time. I really miss everybody.
No, I couldn't’t believe it. It was devastating. I couldn't’t believe it.
So, closing Charcoal House was very emotional. As my Mom and Aunt have said. It was one of the hardest thing I have ever done but I knew it had to happen. It was a horrible closing but we needed to do it right away.
Well, it was my Mom’s health and she was getting to the point where she was having problems with her back and the other she was getting sick. And so, she couldn't’t be there like she said. That’s why we had to close at that time and there was no way I could take over at that time. She was the backbone…the heart.
The support was phenomenal and it amazes me now they still want the Charcoal house back, the B-B-Que sauce, the steak fingers and its phenomenal. I just wish we had them all over San Angelo.
I’m going to say it’s only been 5 years. I don’t want to give anybody false hope but it’s always an option.
So, a lot of people think that the BBQ sauce died when the doors closed but I still have the recipe.