Lek’s Little Thailand is one of the many forgotten restaurants of Austin and Travis County. Not many people remember Lek’s Little Thailand. Soldiers stationed at Bergstrom Air Force Base knew about the restaurant. It had a sizable reputation among Air Force members of Bergstrom Air Force Base.
Lek’s Little Thailand was Thai food restaurant that first opened in 1982 and operated out of a trailer on 10800 Pearce Lance in Del Valle, Texas. Lek’s Little Thailand was located where FM 973 & Pearce Lance intersect into crossroads. The owner and chef was Noopin Simcoe who had an American husband named Leland R. Simcoe.
Beginning in 1983, the restaurant was open every day accept Monday. The 1982-1983 fiscal year was their first full fiscal year ever. Gretchen McDade Ross owned the land where Lek’s Little Thailand restaurant was located.
What was unique about Lek's Little Thailand was their unusually spiced southeast Asian specialties included in their Thai food. Their pot Thai stood and pot nua out the most from everything else on the menu. Leland was known for his spicy, authentic Thai food. Especially his own concoction of Thai Bloody Marys. (Ref: Leland R. “Dick” Simcoe Obituary on legacy.com)
Notable items on the menu were pot nua (peppery beef on rice), pot Thai (which consists of stir-fried noodles, bean sprouts, cabbage, and sliced scrambled egg, served with fresh lime to cut the oil), and lemon grass soup. Pot Thai was stir-fried noodles. Side dishes for Pot Thai were bean sprouts, cabbage, and sliced scrambled egg. It was served with fresh lime to cut the oil taste. Their lemon grass soup was sweet and sour altogether at the same time.
Lek's trailer had an Arkansas Razorbacks license plate and portraits of the royal couple of Thailand on the wall. Country & Western played on the sound system. “Thai it-you'll like it.” was their business slogan.
Noopin Simcoe and Leland R. Simcoe would not fully own the property until 1990. Gretchen McDade Ross and Gretchen McDade Ross Management sold the land to the couple on a warranty deed as part of correction deed on the date of 11/12/1990.
At the very end of 1994, City of Austin grabbed their land via eminent domain as part of the Airport Noise Mitigation Program. It was on a warranty deed at an appraisal value of $10,625 dollars. The City of Austin bought out nearly all residencies located less than 2 miles within the flightpath as what the Airport Noise Mitigation Program required.
Noopin Simcoe and Leland Simcoe relocated in 1995 to Garfield, Texas. A small town east of Del Valle. They would reopen at the address of 4316 Caldwell Lane, Del Valle, Texas, US 78617. Little Thailand still operates under a new employment team to this day.
At the end of 1996, the trailer was auctioned off and moved elsewhere. Lek’s Little Thailand was located in the flight path of Austin Bergstrom International Airport. By 1997 is when everything was paved over with gravel. Grass soon grew where the trailer once was located at. (Ref: Austin American-Statesman, November 4, 1996)
Today all that remains was the metal gate that closed Pearce Lane & Fincher Lane (FM 973) during flooding and chain link surrounding the property. Nothing else remains.
Lek's Little Thailand was located at 10800 Pearce Lane, Del Valle, Texas, US 78617. Their telephone number was 512-247-3855.
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