The Diner Kings

By theadmin

Remember the à la mode?

As much as we Texans like to pride ourselves on embracing the heritage of our great state, we also really like to eat. So when we plan on going out of town, exactly where we will be dining is just as important to know as whether there’s a Buc-ee’s to stop at along the way. Priorities.

Heck, we’ll even go miles and miles out of our way to try restaurants that have become Texas icons in their own right. They’re easy to spot, if not necessarily easy to find. They’re usually not much to look at from the outside. And they typically have a line outside the front door, which pretty much tells you all you need to know.

It would be difficult to round up all of these places that should be top of mind at chow time, but here are a few that should be included on any Texan’s must- dine list. Start calculating that mileage to get there from wherever you live.

Royers Round Top Café, Round Top

Eclectic owner Bud Royer signs his name “Bud the pieman.” And when he ships out his famous crusted desserts, the labels offer a warning for diabetics and a recommendation from dentists, showing just how much personality and sense of humor Royer has. And the pies are as advertised — to die for. But Royer’s Round Top Café, which opened in 1987, is more than just pies, offering a full menu with a wide variety of entrées.

“It’s an experience,” Royer says. “Round Top is 90 miles from Austin and 90 miles from Houston. And 90 percent of our business comes from Houston and Austin. It’s pretty special. It’s all about relationships.”

In fact, Royer has been a Texas Farm Bureau member for quite some time.

Of course, the unbelievably rich pies, which include “Bud’s Chocolate Chip Pie,” “Ann’s Pie,” and “Buttermilk Delight,” make it easy to see why somebody would be willing to drive an hour and a half to sink their teeth into one.

The facade of the restaurant is also amazing. It’s about as Americana as it gets, with a Coca-Cola sign and red, white, and blue bunting. You could spend several minutes just soaking all of it in before indulging in an incredible meal.

Blue Bonnet Café, Marble Falls

Pie happy hour.

That pretty much sums up just how much folks love the pies the Blue Bonnet Café dishes up. Every Monday through Friday, the iconic eatery devotes two hours specifically to satisfying many a sweet tooth.

“It brings in a lot of folks in the afternoon,” owner John Kempner says. “It’s been pretty catchy for us from the standpoint of, how many people have ever heard of a pie happy hour?”

Kempner purchased the restaurant, which is named for a hat not the state flower, in 1981 after he was a regular breakfast customer. His wife, Belinda, is the one responsible for those delectable pies, which have made Marble Falls a must-stop for dessert enthusiasts.

“It’s just a true Texas café,” Kempner said. “It’s not one of these wannabe cafés. We have generations of families who are customers. It’s not unusual for customers to come in and the waitress knows what they want to order. They know if they want tea, coffee, or a soft drink. They sit down, and they know what they want. It’s kind of a family atmosphere.”

The Blue Bonnet, located on Highway 281 near Austin, is also renowned for its breakfast menu, which is served all day. And whether customers are there for bacon and eggs or a slice of apple pie, there are usually plenty of them on hand.

“Highway 281 is an alternate route to I-35, so a lot of people actually plan a trip to get here around one o’clock,” Kempner said. “We get them going north and south.”

“It’s a place everybody can come, sit and relax, and have them a hot burger and a cold drink. We treat everybody the same when they come in the front door. ”

Coyote Bluff, Amarillo

Although it might not be as famous as its cross-town neighbor with the 72-ounce steak, folks in the Panhandle know where to go when they want a “Burger from Hell.”

The signature dish at Coyote Bluff, which includes fresh sautéed jalapeños, Coyote Hell Sauce, Tabasco sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and grilled onions, was something owner Rob Haas came up with for his own delight.

“I liked sautéed jalapeños on my burger,” Haas says, “so I put it on the menu. One of my buddies came over, and I fixed him one. He said, ‘Man, that’s hotter than Hell.’ So, that’s what it’s going to be — the Hell burger. I didn’t think I’d sell one. I just put it on the menu because I liked them.”

He’s sold a lot more than one. So much so that Coyote Bluff, which opened in 1994, was featured on the inaugural episode of the Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food.”

“We try to make it extremely casual,” Haas says. “It’s a place everybody can come, sit and relax, and have them a hot burger and a cold drink. We treat everybody the same when they come in the front door. The guy that’s the mechanic down the street and the guy who’s the banker on the other side of the building — they all come in, sit down, and have a good time.”

That is, of course, if they can get past the rugged exterior of the restaurant, which is definitely a reflection of Coyote Bluff’s casual attitude.

“Some people look at the place and say, ‘Man, I’m not going in there. That looks like a some old dang biker bar or something,’” Haas says. “We’ve got a really good staff that has everybody pretty well taken care of. They’re friendly and outgoing.”

Country Tavern, Kilgore

How do you get two Texans to get into an argument with each other?

Ask them who has the best barbecue in the Lone Star State. And while that debate rages daily from the Red River to the Rio Grande, the Country Tavern has firmly established itself as being in the competition with the big boys.

When you go into the Country Tavern, you won’t be handed a menu. But when you’re full of some of the best ribs you’ve ever had and loosening your belt, you’ll be given the traditional hot towel to cap off the meal.

Toby Pilgrim and his family have owned the legendary restaurant since the 1970s. In fact, his mother and grandmother both worked there as waitresses.

Country Tavern has had tons of celebrities and politicians, including presidents, get a taste of their heavenly barbecue. Many of them have also had Country Tavern’s famous ribs shipped to them after experiencing them first hand.

“It is [cool], but I guess I’m kind of desensitized to it,” Pilgrim says. “I’ve been around it so long, I don’t see it like everybody else does.”

For years, Country Tavern had ribs, brisket, and potato salad — and that’s all. Now, there are a few more options for both barbecues and sides, but the ribs are what keep people coming back for more.

“We tried a menu for a little while because people kept asking, but we had more people complain about us having a menu,” Pilgrim says. “People like to bring their friends in to Kilgore and think that’s neat.”