His granddaughter, Bo, grew up spending long hours in the back rooms of the Golden Star Cafe and now owns the restaurant with her brother, Kwok Min “Alex” Lim, and five other siblings.īo Lim remembers the times when her grandfather butchered meat in the kitchen and when her parents tag-teamed to keep the restaurant open around the clock.
Papa Lim worked at the restaurant up until the day he died in the late 1970s. Behind the tiled roof entrance, decorative iron gate and red pillars flanking the doors is a typical cafe except for the golden dragons encircling ornately carved posts. On the South Frio Street corner where Golden Star has been since 1983, the restaurant stands out among the office buildings and convenience stores in the area. The establishment twice moved to different locations on West Commerce Street, but the menu remained largely the same and the restaurant is still run by family members. Open Mondays through Saturdays, Golden Star closes each Sunday, along with Thanksgiving and Christmas. Patrons dine at Golden Star Cafe as the Westside staple celebrates 90 years of business this year. A black-and-white photo of the original cafe hangs on the wall in the entryway across from the posted specials and T-shirts for sale. In those early days, a sign above the restaurant in a busy commercial district advertised its “chop suey” and American Chinese food. Later, they had help from their daughter Cheung Mee (Lim) Hui, her husband Chi Tai Hui, and son Shew Gai Lim, who went by Raymond, and his wife Yuen Lim, known as Mama Lim.
Lim ran the restaurant with his wife, Nu Lee Wong Lim. Owner Koon Yen Lim, known as Papa Lim, was 13 years old when, chasing the American dream, he emigrated with two brothers from what was then known as the Chinese city of Canton, now Guangzhou, to California, and then San Antonio. The cafe opened in 1932 just blocks from its current location at 821 W. It was a milestone third-generation owner Bo Jean Lim wasn’t sure they would see. “Many things have come and gone since 1932, but throughout that time, one entity has become a fixture … on the landscape of San Antonio and that is the Golden Star Cafe,” said former mayor Henry Cisneros, who grew up on the West Side. The restaurant marked its 90th anniversary recently with local officials, loyal customers and longtime workers on hand - and a lion dance to bring good luck and fortune. Golden Star Cafe, a Westside institution for nearly a century, is unique for its longevity in a fast-burn industry and its blended diner-style menu of traditional Chinese, American and Mexican fare.
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