The Classics is an occasional series that spotlights and celebrates Houston’s oldest bars and restaurants.

Houston’s growing food scene is great for trying new things, but nothing compares to the nostalgia that comes from visiting an establishment with decades of history. And one restaurant in the Bayou City that’s a true testament to this is Christie’s Seafood & Steaks, whose white-and-blue, nautical-themed exterior brightens an otherwise drab stretch of Westheimer Road.

The old-school Gulf Coast seafood restaurant is a third-generation, family-owned business with a history that dates back to 1917. According to operator and general manager Maria Christie, when Greek immigrant Theodore Christie first came to America, his plan was to be a court interpreter in Manhattan, but at some point he got involved with hotel and restaurant management, which led to him meeting his wife, Eleftheria. After they got married, the two made the trek to Galveston, where much of his wife’s family lived.

At the time, Galveston was gaining traction as “the playground of the Southwest.” Theodore decided to open a stand where he could sell fried fish sandwiches—anything for a buck—but he didn't find Galveston to be the playground he expected. Around this time, he began to hear about a neighboring city that was being advertised as the next big thing: our very own Houston. Again, he and his wife followed the crowd, though Theodore wasn’t quite ready to give up his fried fish sandwich business, which had gained a good amount of popularity.

In 1934, he found a property on South Main Street across from what is now St. Luke’s Medical Center, and built a restaurant with three dining rooms. Thanks to the following he earned in Galveston, the property was packed from day one, which prompted him to open three more locations on Bellaire Boulevard, South Post Oak, and another on Main Street.

Despite Maria’s last name, her family surprisingly isn’t related to Theodore at all. Maria’s father, James Priovolos, was also from Greece, but didn’t come to America until 1955. He worked at a café, but it wasn’t working well for him, so the man who sold coffee there told him to talk to “old man Christie.” With a family to feed, he knew he had no choice but to listen to this advice.

Not long after, on a Sunday after church, Priovolos showed up to Christie’s. The place was packed, and it was obvious they needed help, so he jumped right in—church clothes and all. He immediately began bussing tables and doing what he could to make the staff’s lives easier. Once things calmed down, Theodore came out of the kitchen and hired him.

Maria says that since Theodore had no kids, no one could take over the business once he was gone. One day in 1967, he expressed this sentiment to her dad. “My dad was sat down by Mr. Christie, and he said ‘OK, I’m not going to be here, but the restaurants need to live on, do you want to buy it?’” Maria says. “My dad said of course.”

There was one condition to this transaction: Priovolos had to change his last name. He didn’t find this to be an issue, especially because it was a common assimilation trend among immigrants in America. When Theodore passed away a year later, Priovolos, now Jim Christie, officially began running the four restaurants. He acquired the location that is still standing today on Westheimer in 1969; the others shut down, including the original outpost, which became part of the Texas Medical Center’s expansion.

And of course, once her father took over the business, it became a family affair. Maria says she has technically been working at the restaurant since she was a little girl—it’s quite literally her life. “Anyone that has a family business knows there’s no such thing as having time off,” Maria says. “Everyone works in the family business.”

Now, she and her brothers, George and Terry, work together to maintain the business—one brother runs the catering and the other serves as the kitchen manager. Her sister Roula, who you all may know as a radio host on 104.1, helps out every once in a while, along with their other sibling Kathy. Their mother, Alexandra, is the owner, a position she took on when Maria’s dad died in 2013.

With this much history and so many decades in business, how does an establishment stay relevant and endure? Maria says the craziest thing to think about is the fact that the restaurant has now survived two pandemics: the Spanish Flu in 1918 and COVID-19 in 2020. The common denominator for the restaurant’s success all boils down to its loyal following.

Over the years, Maria has spoken with customers who tell her about all the memories they have from Christie’s, which has made her realize how ingrained the restaurant is within Houston’s history. One diner told her that the people involved with building the Medical Center would often use Christie’s as their meeting spot.

“People tell me [that] the first time they ever ate a fried shrimp was at Christie’s,” Maria says. “And every single anniversary, birthday, it was always Christie’s—this was their parent’s favorite place, or their grandparent’s favorite place. And now I’m hearing [it was] their great grandparent’s favorite, too. Multiple generations grew up here and continue to celebrate and come enjoy their favorites.”

The quality of the restaurant’s food also plays a factor in its success. Maria says that they only buy a limited amount of seafood, so when things run out, that’s it. And although you might not find an exact replica menu from decades ago, some staples have remained since Theodore’s Galveston days, like the famous fish sandwich.

Folks also flock here for the fried shrimp, the Greek village salad—which is served authentically, so no, there is no lettuce—and the crispy crab balls. The restaurant serves daily catch like Gulf snapper fillet, rainbow trout, a whole bronzini, a stuffed snapper fillet, and tilapia. The “& Steaks” part of the name refers to the menu’s rib eyes and strip sirloins.

Since Christie’s has such a longstanding history in the city, Maria says she has done everything to make sure the restaurant is keeping up with the times, whether that’s updating the point-of-sale system or adding new cocktails to the menu. Maria recommends the Mastiha Picante, which consists of Skinos Mastiha—a Greek liqueur—mint, lime, lemonade, soda, and a dash of Tabasco.

But no matter what the future brings, Maria says Christie’s goal is to keep making people happy while ensuring that the restaurant’s history stays alive.

“There’s no place like Christie’s,” Maria says.