Calamity Café Celebrates A Decade of Business
By Duke Landers



“A woman once drove me to drink and I never even had the courtesy to thank her.” - W. C. Fields

For a decade now, the Calamity Café has continued a lasting tradition of live entertainment and fine hospitality in the city of Huntington. Beyond the food and drinks, the Café has also served as a stomping ground for virtually all walks of life. Many great stories exist within the walls of the nearly century old building at 1555 3rd Avenue. Such legends as Jesco White (the dancing outlaw), singer/songwriter John Hiatt ( host of Sessions at West 54), MOE (of jam band fame), and early 90’s folksinger Wally Pleasant have graced its festive halls. Many businesses’ have come and gone in their building, yet the Calamity has remained there for a decade now, with no signs of slowing down. Owners Roy Clark and Terre Thomas are humble in their accomplishments. After opening yet another establishment, St. Zita’s Grill, located at 322 10th street, the two continue to establish a notable reputation for casual dining.

Saturday marked the close of the weeklong 10th anniversary celebration. The week’s festivities included a poetry slam, street fairs, live entertainment, and, of course, fine Tex Mex cuisine.

The closing events took place to a packed house on Saturday evening. It was also a reunion of former employees of the restaurant, as familiar faces were scattered throughout the crowd. The evening’s entertainment was a reunion of sorts as well, which included members from various former local bands, such as Paraphernalia, Fuzzbucket, Black Mingo, and The Wonderful Pills.

The crowd was growing by the minute. The heat began to cloud the windows with a thick coat of condensation and continued to stew at a steady boil throughout the evening. Suddenly, the room tore into a violent shifting motion as I held on to the bar to avoid a face plant. I was dizzy and disoriented, about to engage myself in a savage blackout and a trip to the emergency room for dressing and stitches for a busted skull. Or so I thought anyway.

Fortunately, I had already performed my journalistic duties by the time my wife had found me next to the bar, ready to collapse in a drenched stupor trying to navigate my battered sails in a sea of people. We were jammed in this place. Every inch consumed by rowdies. They were dancing on the bar beneath the head of a blue neon steer, crammed in the aisles and clutching cocktails, toasting to the old times and remembering those dear souls lost that were more than just patrons, but a part of the Café family.

From everything to weddings, funerals, art exhibitions, poetry slams, children’s night, and countless other events, the Calamity Café has established an eccentric platform for fine cuisine and community spirit. With a decade of success under their belts, Clark and Thomas have pioneered a lasting tradition of fine Southern hospitality, and a long list of patrons, friends, and family.