MEMORIES OF THE OPENING OF THE “KANGAROO COURT”

The Kangaroo Court Restaurant as it was….photo Craig Hartley

Today we remember the San Antonio Riverwalk restaurant the Kangaroo Court, which opened on August 8th, 1968….55 years ago.

It all began when Robert “Bob” Buchanan ( also affectionately known as “Mr B”) was finishing his final year of college at Duke. His mother sent him a newspaper clipping of a new development being planned for the San Antonio Riverwalk.

Bob Buchanan…..Author photo

After completing his studies, and then serving in Vietnam, Mr. B came back to San Antonio late in 1967, and contacted an old family friend, Arthur Patrick “Hap” Veltman, with the idea of opening a restaurant and oyster bar on the Riverwalk, based on the concept of an English pub.

Arthur Patrick “Hap” Veltman……hapveltman.com

As Mr B recalls, Hap ( short for “Happy” a nickname he earned as a youngster ) was a little apprehensive because he felt that nobody was going to visit the Riverwalk in those days. Hap told Bob Buchanan that he actually had preliminary plans for a development there, but couldn’t get financing for the project. Bob mentioned some inherited Texaco shares, and the next day they formed a partnership for their venture. Such were the beginnings of the “Kangaroo Court.”

The Kangaroo Court restaurant eventually opened on August 8th, 1968 and became one of the major attractions on the revitalized San Antonio Riverwalk.

Photo….San Antonio Light

It was located on the river where the Five and Dime store now stands. In those days, there wasn’t much commercial activity down by the river, and with the inspiration of David Straus, who was encouraging the city to draw visitors to the Riverwalk at the same time as Hemisfair was happening, Bob Buchanan and Hap Veltman took the plunge, and acquired this property for their new venture.

Kangaroo Court site today…..Author photo

Along with other eateries in that area then such as Villa de Pancho, La Sirena, and The Stockman Restaurant, the Kangaroo Court was one of the magnets to attract patrons back to the Riverwalk, and essentially to help bring life back to downtown San Antonio.

The Kangaroo Court featured oysters on the half shell, shrimp, crab sandwiches, and a dozen different tap beers.

Photo….San Antonio Express

Photo….San Antonio Express

Photo…..San Antonio Light

…..and the Kangaroo Court was always looking at new ways to attract hungry patrons.

Photo…..San Antonio Express And News

The Kangaroo Court quickly earned a reputation for its food and fun. The restaurant would hold mock trials for customers who were celebrating special events like birthdays and anniversaries. The decor featured old witness stands salvaged from the Galveston Courthouse, and those “on trial” would sit in those stands while false “charges” were leveled at them. Guests would be the jury and then determine the fate of the accused, which usually involved a discount. In keeping with the “legal” atmosphere of the restaurant, beer could be ordered by “the gavel.”

As one of only about six businesses on the Riverwalk in those days, the “Kangaroo Court” was a pioneer establishment. Back then, most restaurants served Pearl, Lone Star or Schlitz beers. Bob Buchanan remembered, “Kangaroo Court had 12 tap beers and 24 imports available.” 

Kangaroo Court also hired mostly college students and military personnel to serve as wait staff, something that was quite unique in those days.

Mr. B told me, “ If it was an employee’s birthday or last voluntary day of work…into the river they were thrown.” Then he added, “Such behavior today would probably warrant a hefty fine from the park police.”

He and Hap Veltman went on to open another restaurant in the same vicinity called, “The Greenhouse,” which served fresh organic vegetables, fruit juices and cheeses, and sandwiches made with home-made bread. This focus on healthy food really set The Greenhouse apart from other restaurants.

When interviewed about their new venture, Hap Veltman stressed that the Greenhouse Restaurant was not a health food restaurant, but a place where food used in the recipes were fresh, and raised naturally.

The Kangaroo Court closed in 2003, however, along the way, in 1971, Hap and Mr. B opened another Kangaroo Court restaurant, based on the Riverwalk establishment, at 7075 San Pedro Ave.

These days Mr. B can still be found greeting customers from behind the bar at The Original Mexican Restaurant with his signature reply when asked how he is: “Oh, I’m just super-duper, hunky-dory, and peachy-keen!”

Bob Buchanan behind the bar……San Antonio Report

Hap Veltman passed away in 1988, but is remembered on the Riverwalk with a plaque to honor his contributions to this vital part of San Antonio.

Hap Veltman’s plaque on the San Antonio Riverwalk…..Author’s photo

If you have memories of the Kangaroo Court or the Greenhouse restaurants, please feel free to share them.

Additional Stories:

• Both the Kangaroo Court and the Greenhouse restaurants attracted celebrities visiting San Antonio back in those days with Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw frequenting the Kangaroo Court during the filming of the movie “The Getaway.” As reported in newspapers in 1973, Goldie Hawn made a habit of dining at the Greenhouse restaurant ( followed by a stroll along the Riverwalk).
• The site where Dick’s Last Resort currently sits on the Riverwalk was formally the Paseo del Rio Hotel. In September 1971, Hap Veltman revealed he had plans to convert the building into a six story complex with a two story American Cuisine restaurant at River level and condos above it. It would have been the first condo development on the Riverwalk and was to be called “The Barefoot Eagle” Although engineering and architectural plans were completed, the development never eventuated. However, Hap Veltman did go on to establish the San Antonio Country and the Bonham Exchange nightclubs, and was instrumental with the beginnings of the Blue Star Arts Complex.

Credits:

San Antonio Express

San Antonio Light

sanantonioreport.com

guides.mysapl.com

hapveltman.com

Author interview with Bob Buchanan

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