Retttig’s at 1900 Milam Made & Sold Ice Cream on a Wholesale & Retail basis.
The sign above says it all. If you need more of a visual reminder, check out these copyright protected photos of what used to exist at the 1900 block of Milam in downtown Houston from the 1920’s forward for about thirty years. (You may have to cut and paste the following website address to see them.)
http://www.sloanegallery.com/historic_houston_texas_vintage_r.htm
Rettig’s produced some delicious ice cream in several tasty flavors. They eventually got around to opening several neighborhood stores around Houston that they called Rettig’s Heap-O-Cream. Here’s a photo of the one I remember best at 210 Wayside. The old store building remains, but is now all boarded up, as though it were waiting for a comeback that is now never going to happen.
Rettig’s Heap-O-Cream, Once Upon a Time at 210 Wayside.
Things always change, but the great taste of delicious ice cream remains popular to the palate even though it now must battle with new health information, common sense, and the politically correct forces of the Dr. Oz types who want to move all of us hard-core sugar addiction cases to a far healthier, more boring way of life.
Thanks for the memories, Rettigs!
The Pecan Park Eagle 
March 3, 2010 at 12:28 pm |
Rettigs had a store two blocks from my house. It was located on the corner of Eastwood & Canal street. It was a hangout for all the kids in my neighborhood for many years. It closed in the late 1950’s. Brings back a lot of good old times.
Vito
March 3, 2010 at 3:44 pm |
I FREQUENTED THE RETTIGS ON W.GREY WHICH WASN’T FAR FROM ST. THOMAS.
WAS ESPECIALLY GREAT AFTER FOOTBALL PRACTICE. NEVER FOUND ANY PLACE LIKE IT.
MIKE
March 3, 2010 at 6:57 pm |
Judy V. e-mailed me the following. It’s too good not include here as a comment:
“Hi, Bill,
“This is great! We had Rettigs ice cream in Beaumont when I was growing up. From the time I was about 5 ’til I was 9, my dad and I went to Rettigs every Sunday evening for ice cream. We always got pecan crunch which I’ve not seen since. Daddy died when I was 9 and, of course, it was never the same. This is my greatest memory of Rettigs.
“My sister and her friends (she was 10 years older than I) used to hang out at Rettigs after school and I used to walk there from home with my friends. It was about 6 blocks from where I lived. One summer when I was about 12 or 13 we went to Rettigs every day for a strawberry malt — I gained 14 lbs. that summer and never lost it!
“Thanks for sending this.”
– Judy V.
March 3, 2010 at 8:30 pm |
Rettig’s was probably good from comments already voiced, but for having a suppy of good ice cream I must tell you about the Chicken Shack. It was an upscale restaurant on West Gray, not far from River Oaks. I worked at that restaurant thoughout high school. The major perk for me was that I could eat anything that I wanted–FOR FREE! I had my share, probably more than my share, of great tasting malts, sodas, sundaes, etc. I didn’t put on weight until basic training in the army, shortly after graduating from St. Thomas, when I gained 20 pounds without gaining ANY of it in my waist!
March 3, 2010 at 9:06 pm |
What does Dr. Oz know? You could be in perfect health and get hit
by a truck delivering Tofu. Ice Cream Lovers UNITE.
The Ice Cream reminds me of a story about my Dad. He was a
James’ Coney Island freak. My dad, my son, and I went to the
James’ off the Gulf Freeway. We purchased 2 Beers, a Soda, and
five to “THE MAX” hot dogs. The bill came to 25 dollars and change.
My Dad paid the cashier,he couldn’t have been much over 21. He looked
at the Kid and said”Son when I was your age I would have just bought
100 hot dogs. The kid gave him one of those “yea right Old Man looks.”
He just smiled. He always swore by the Downtown James’.
March 4, 2010 at 7:47 pm |
Bill:
I not exactly positive but I thought there was a Rettig’s on Westheimer – just east of Shepherd Dr. (St Anne’s) – it was (one of the main plants) – you could order a “Super Scooper” [26 sccops of ice cream] – as recalled if you could finish one the second one would be free. I remember the location on West Gray – across form Capt. ohn’s and Mrs. Bairds Bakery – AGRED – these were GREAT places…and the ice cream wasn’t bad either!!!
June 18, 2015 at 2:35 pm |
Ate at ones in Houston but also the one in Pt Arthur, TX. BTW guys if you remember their hot fudge it’s a product of Lyon’s lyonsmagnus.com hard to find but at some restaurant houses and suppliers CHEERS.So MANY memories
January 28, 2018 at 3:44 pm |
Can you e-mail me at hhobgood@hotmail.com?
March 14, 2016 at 3:52 am |
Love Rettig’s we would go there on Sundays with my family! Lots of good memories with family sharing ice cream banana split or sunday. We would go to the location on 210 wayside.
June 11, 2016 at 3:01 am |
They had the best banana split ever.
The best hamburger came from the “Burger Bar” originally at corner of W.Alabama and Shepherd, the moved to just behind St. Anne’s on Shepherd. Cost $.35. Had great chili as well. Owned by Cliff Needham.
December 27, 2016 at 8:08 pm |
This is wonderful to see. My grandmother’s uncle owned Rettig’s ice cream. He employed his brother (her father) on and off as he needed it. I’m currently trying to find some remnant of the stores somewhere for her.
January 26, 2018 at 10:30 pm |
Hi!
We have a Porcelain Rettig’s Ice Cream Sign that is a little larger than 5 feet wide and 3 feet tall. Is anyone interested in purchasing it or knows anyone who is interested!
January 27, 2018 at 8:24 am
Some interest yes in the Rettig’s Sign. What’s your asking price?
January 28, 2018 at 5:55 pm
We try to keep The Pecan Park Eagle site free of collectible trade negotiations that could turn our place into another digital flea market. If you have something for sale, please advertise it at any of the large trading sites that are out there and help us keep this space clear for our shared recollections, Thank you.
In the future, all offers or item sales negotiations posted here will be deleted as out of bounds to our interests as a non-commercial local history site.
Signed,
Bill McCurdy
Site Proprietor
The Pecan Park Eagle
October 4, 2017 at 10:28 pm |
Gayle Retttig (son) is 87 and lives in Houston. He has many fond memories of their family business.
October 5, 2017 at 1:32 am |
Gayle Rettig is my grandmother’s cousin!
September 26, 2018 at 2:18 am |
My family.lived in West University when I was in 6th grade. My dad was a civil engineer employed by Brown and Root. That was 1954. I’m 75 years old now.and still remember eating orange or lime.sherbet at Rettig’s! It was so good and my favorites at the time!
May 4, 2019 at 12:09 am |
Just now finding this thread. Born in Houston in 1944, grew up eating banana sky scrapers. The fruit topping still is my favorite of all time. I think it was a mix of cherries, pineapple and maybe strawberries? Went to a lot of different locations, but the one on Telephone Rd. near Dumble was the one most visited. The tables had initials and names carved into them by the kids from Austin High School.
March 14, 2020 at 9:50 pm |
I use to get a “frosted flip” ice cream there after school. Anyone know how it was made? It was sort of like a malt.
January 15, 2022 at 9:35 pm |
Wish my dad could see this. He is gone now but was working for Rettigs when Bordens bought them out. He worked 42 years for Bordens and a neon clock given him by Mr. Rettig hung in his office the whole time. That little piece of history now lights up my kitchen.
May 7, 2022 at 12:43 pm |
GREAT SIGN AGAIN AND OH SUCH GOOD MEMORIES.. TKS PECAN PARK AND ALL PARTICIPANTS TO THIS EFFORT.