JOE KENNEY

Joe Kenney, a tough Irish kid from the mean streets of Philadelphia, married Brownsville's Nora Lisa Perez and followed his wife to the border. A welder and pipe fitter by trade, Kenney had dreamed of running his own bar & grill with Philly cheese steaks and cold beer anchoring the menu.

He opened Checker's Café in 1983 on Washington Street, which quickly became a local institution. The Connectors were the de facto house band, but downtown's slow death claimed his joint two years later when he closed the doors on the dilapidated structure.

Disappointed but determined, Kenney embarked on a decade-long apprenticeship. He recommenced his career at South Padre Island's Tequila Frog, returned to Brownsville for a three-year stint at Dan's Social Club, snidely designated as Dan's Social Disease, before leaving to Harlingen and a six-year stint at the Valley Greyhound Park.

While never abandoning his dream of a downtown club, Kenney envisioned a hangout overlooking a resaca. When Trudy's Piano Bar, near the corner of 802 and Central Boulevard, ceased operations, Kenney discovered the perfect locale.

History will record that at the beginning of the 21st century Cobbleheads was Brownsville's "in" spot.

"Cobbleheads is a sanctuary where you can retreat from the pressures of everyday life and truly feel that you have a second home," rhapsodized Kenney over a second margarita and another cigarette. "We are never rushing you and worrying about turning tables like most restaurants. The seats are full of happy regulars."