Buildings are repurposed all the time in San Antonio, whether it’s an old restaurant getting turned into a new one or a defunct brewery transforming into a culinary hub. Alamo Methodist Church was first built in 1912, but more than 100 years later, the historic building has been everything from a theater to a gourmet hot dog stand.
That hot dog stand was called Frank, and it hailed from Austin in the age of the hipster, a time when gourmandises were obsessed with epic foods. Frank had a rough exit when it vacated the premises, and while the space continues, there are a few ghosts left behind, both figuratively and literally.
Southtown church went from a worship place to haunted theater
Alamo Methodist Church was the primary occupant of the space at 1150 S. Alamo Street from 1912 till about the late 1960s. By 1976, the building was converted into Alamo Street Theater, according to a 2020 special report by the San Antonio Express-News.
Rumor has it that several ghosts have made the theater their home over the years, with the property getting a mention on the History Channel show Haunted History. Ghosts that lingered in the former church were said to include an actor named Miss Margaret, a seamstress named Henrietta, Alvin the parishioner and a boy called Little Eddie.
San Antonio theater transforms into second home for Casbeers
Several restaurants, venues and various combinations of the two took up the mantle at the former Alamo Street Theater, including Casbeers, a legendary music venue and eatery that previously lived on Blanco Road. During its time at 1150 S. Alamo Street, Casbeers took on a different name, San Antone Cafe & Concerts, as a result of litigation that centered on naming rights…