Emery: More memories along Poway Road

By Bob Emery

Boy, talk about reaction to my columns, my Oct. 24 one on former Poway Road businesses takes the cake, and, all positive.

People stopped me in stores, called, emailed and otherwise extolled their knowledge of “Poway Road back when.”

“Hey Bob, great column but you forgot KFC, or Picnic’n Chicken” or any number of other former “haunts” of early Powegians. And they were right, I even skipped a couple that were in my notes. My bad, but I will try to rectify my oversights.

I concentrated on buildings that were still standing not just former businesses along Poway Road. Maybe someday I will reminisce about establishments of old, but for now let’s stick to existing structures.

Of note first is the Chevron Station on the northeast corner of Poway and Pomerado roads. This is not the same building, but it has been a Chevron station since the 1920s, and at one time was called the “Meadow Brook Inn.” Its picture can be seen next door in the Jack in the Box. Right next door to that station on Pomerado Road was the first Kentucky Fried Chicken, now occupied by Liberty Tax and a dentist’s office. Overlooking both of these locations was a home formerly owned by the Rauch family which later became Galileo’s Italian Restaurant and later House on the Hill and now Newman’s Sports Bar.

Moving east to 12648 Poway Road, LA Fitness is housed in the former Food Basket Market. At 12674, the Cricket phone store is in the old San Diego Federal building which used to have the signature blue tile roof still seen all over San Diego County. I tried to save the blue tiles for Poway when the bank closed but lost out to a planning director with other ideas.

Directly across the street at 12711 was the original Taco Bell, now Oscar’s Mexican Food. Car Quest at 12764 originally housed Poway’s first 7-Eleven or “Speedee Mart.” A reader reminded me that the vacuum shop at 12813 was a former Shakey’s Pizza. The Beach Grass Café, at 12845, was originally the Sizzler Steak House, site of an indiscretion that titillated all of Poway.

The familiar “barn-like” structure at 13095, now painted bright red and yellow, was one of the La Mesa-based Picnic’n Chicken franchises. They can be seen all over San Diego County housing a multitude of uses, but mostly restaurants.

I can’t believe I omitted this next one at 13025, now Evan’s Tire. This was the site of the Poway Dairy drive-thru store owned by Ralph and Delora Powers. We used to drive through and buy milk, eggs and ice cream. I believe the Powers family still owns the property, and the guys at the tire shop get a kick out of being told they work in a former drive-thru ice cream stand.

When Suzanne and I first moved to town, we used to do our laundry at the laundromat located about where Five Guys Burgers now stands. We would put in our quarters and then head across Poway Road to the Hitch’n Post for a beer. Patrick’s Pub is located there now. The Hitch’n Post was one of many former watering holes that lined Poway Road including the Shindig, the Red Bird Tavern, Debbie Jo’s, The Three Sisters (Totem Pole), The Ivanhoe, and some I’m certain I missed.

Finally, Steinmart was a K-Mart, our first “department store,” that lasted less than a year after the Walmart juggernaut rolled into town. It is always fun to reminisce about the past, and apparently, many of you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Reach Emery at Powaybob@cox.net.