A recent postcard I picked up off of eBay:
This is one of the new bright lights for dining out, if you happen to be in the Windsor area. Tourists are treated to the finest in Chinese atmosphere and fine food. Your host Chuck Gan will be more than pleased to show you an evening you’ll long remember. Fully licensed.
A big thanks goes out to Ric, who dug up a little information on the place. The Mai-Mai was located at 754 Ouellette Avenue.
Image from Google Streetview
Above is 754 Ouellette Avenue today. Better known as Woody’s Outhouse, the building bears little resemblance to the 1970’s version. I’m so glad Streetview is fianlly live for Windsor.
The Mai-Mai was opened by Joe Gan, who had a long history as a Windsor Restaurateur, having operated the Mandarin on Ouellette and the Windsor Castle Cafe on Chatham St.
It looks like the Mai-Mai operated from about 1968 through 1986. The Gan family also rand the Chinee Villa on Tecumseh Rd. E.
Anyone out there with any memories of the place?
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was that facade still up for a while into the 90's? i remember as a little kid seeing a building downtown that sure looked like (thru the eyes of a child)a steel cage from the road.....this has got to be it.
both my parents worked at Peachey's roadhouse, which is now the beach a block north and spent alot of time in that area.
I remember this restaurant, and a few others in the downtown core as well. There was also a popular spot in Windsor (exact location slips my mind) called Gan's Restaurant. Great postcard find Andrew.
you know..dispite the strike, i think Windsor comes off looking pretty damn spiffy on streetveiw. aside from the lack of people (even though freedom fest was happening)it looks great when the sun is out. unfortunatly for someone, in addition to blacking out license plates and faces; the unfortunate soul had to blank out allllllll the "arrbitration will get rid of this" lawn signs thruout the city!
your house looks great Andrew!
I remember that place but I don't think I was ever in it.
Chinee Villa was very good whne I was a kid but I haven't eat there in 20 years.
I remember the Mai-Mai, I often went there with my parents on the weekends and we always sat in one of the booths along the side.
Chinee Villa closed about 5 years ago and is currently abandoned/derelict...exterior decor and signage is still intact.
My parents took me and my brother there when we were both young children (mid to late 60's). I think the steamed white rice was the highlight of eating there for two kids as that was considered pretty exotic by standards back then! That and the fortune cookies.
At least Woody's has some windows facing the street, I was reading how many buildings on Ouellette and Pelisher had no Windows at all. I guess that was a big 70's fad..
In a previous post I recall regular contributor "RWS" saying something about Ontario liquor laws in the '60s-70s prohibited establishments from having street-facing windows if they served alcohol, which resulted in many of the cavern-like restaurants we have come to know over the years.
One of my fav's when I was a kid! My grandparents liked to take us there on special occasions once in a while. I believe that facade was still there through a good part of the 90's.