Caligula XXI (Houston, Texas)

This particular scan is from a 1987 Houston tourism guide I scanned in over a decade ago.
Note: While nothing explicit appears on this page, this post discusses an adult entertainment venue.

I used to have on my big Westheimer Road page a few items that were "close enough" to Westheimer to consider them for inclusion on the page, with one of these items being 2618 Winrock Boulevard. While I also had it later listed on the "Houston Outer Loop" page, this is an expanded version of anything that previously appeared on Carbon-izer.

2618 Winrock is today a strip club (these types of things are soft-banned from Google Maps these days) but the earliest reference I can find is what it actually appears to have been built for, a restaurant called "The Spaghetti Store", an Italian restaurant that opened with a 5-cent beer promotion. Within a few years it closed and reopened in 1978 as Five to Five, a restaurant specializing in late hours (dinner served from 5 pm to 1 am, then breakfast from 1 am to 5 am). In 1979, this was replaced with Maceo's, which soon gave way to Gufini's Italian Restaurant, and in 1980 became "The Long Branch Saloon & Steakhouse", with its themed names for menu items.

"Yes, I'll have the Miss Kitty and the Feed Bag for four." (Houston Chronicle, 05/22/1980)
This closed around the end of 1980. In early 1981, it became what it was (mostly) known for over the course of the next twenty years, Caligula XXI. Even to this day, still holds some architectural features of its original tenant (false embedded columns on the side of the building, originally colored bronze), statues, etc.

I originally posted this ad to a HAIF thread about similar establishments, but the fact that it was endorsed by Penthouse suggests a connection to a film Penthouse founder Bob Guccione produced, Caligula, an erotic film on the eponymous Roman Emperor, notorious for both his unmatched hedonism and cruelty (as well as nearly bankrupting the Roman Empire). When the Houston Chronicle first started running ads for Caligula XXI, it mentioned that it featured "authentic Greek delicacies" to "make your lunch a true culinary delight".

In the summer of 1981, they ran a schedule of what was going on all week.

Monday is the toga party. Tuesday is sexy western day and Wednesday is the pajama party (wow, what pajamas). Thursday is oldies but goodies with those naughty but nice costumes of the 50's along with 50's music. Friday is kinky day (just imagine what happens this day). Saturday is the all night go go and Sunday is burlesque night.

In 2002 Caligula XXI was replaced with "The Penthouse Club" (another Penthouse connection!) was here from 2002 to 2012, and Vivid Gentlemen's Club operated from 2012 to 2025. The current operator is "The Vault" since late 2025.