Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – The Big Bend Brewing Company in Alpine

by

ALPINE, Texas – Whenever we’re on the road, every so often we need to find an oasis.  While in West Texas, we found one in Alpine at the Big Bend Brewing Company.

The wild but peaceful wilderness of West Texas is like no other place on planet Earth.

With majestic mountains, prickly plants, and a dry whipping wind it’s safe to say you might get a little parched in these parts, particularly during the summer months.

But fear not, if you find yourself in Alpine there’s a watering hole dedicated to this beautiful piece of Texas.

Jan Matysiak ain’t exactly got the accent you’d expect to hear here.  The native German is the brew master at the Big Bend Brewing Company, a brewery with a unique distinction.

“It’s the most remote brewery in the continental United States,” Jan informed us.

But then again, being isolated with an IPA in your hand is never a bad thing.

“I mean sometimes it’s challenging because every time everything takes like three times as long,” Jan says. “ When you’re waiting for delivery you always have to plan ahead because sometimes the delivery services are like, ‘Ah, sorry. We decided to not show up today.’”

The unusual working conditions also make for a unique sort of beer.  In a world where craft beer has big bold flavors, it’s hard to imagine those types of beers quenching your thirst out in the hot desert.  Somehow, Big Bend Brewing found a way.

“We are not living somewhere there in the ice desert,” Jan informed us. “We’re trying to quote on quote engineer our beers, even the ones with a little more umph, with a little more alcohol, in a way that they are still refreshing as much of course as that is possible.”

Now a Mexican style lager will always fit the bill when it’s time to fiesta in these fiery temperatures, but don’t forget about the chilly evenings out in the desert that serve as a perfect time for a porter.

“So, we call it a robust porter, 6.4 percent alcohol, and now you have really full-bodied mouth feel the chocolate, toffee, hazel nut,” Jan said. “A beer that is to be enjoyed a little bit slower, but it’s definitely one that can be enjoyed.”

With several different styles to choose from, Jan is a busy brewer.

“It’s like asking a mother what’s her favorite child,” Jan says. “I love them all equally.”

With its unparalleled location and lovely assortment of lager libations, the Big Bend Brewing Company is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“We are very pleased with what we have been able to create out here,” Jan said. “We just want to share it with the people, and I think that is a good reason to come out here and have a few beers with us.”

The Texas Bucket List – Central Texas BBQ Tour featuring Valentina’s, Kreuz, Snow’s and Louie Mueller

by

It’s always fun to try the different cuisine from all over the lone star state. When our friends from the Texas Tourism department called us up to see if we wanted to take a BBQ tour we, emphatically said, uhm yeah.  Our two day central Texas BBQ tour featuring four BBQ joints is one you have to check off The Texas Bucket List!

It all started in Austin, southwest of the city and just north of Manchaca.  Looks weird and sounds weird, right?  Well wait till you hear about the BBQ you’ll find here at Valentina’s.

Elias Vidal along with his brother, Miguel, and sister-in-law, Modesty, started Valetina’s as a food truck in 2013.  Now they have more a permanent set up for their magical mix of Mexican food and BBQ.

“This is kind of the blend of food that we grew up eating,” Elias explained.  “We pare it with the tortilla, and there you go. That’s Tex-Mex barbeque right there.”

One of their most popular items, and a favorite of mine, is the smoked brisket taco.

“So our brisket, we smoke 14 to 16 hours,” Elias said. “It’s our house dry rub that we do on there with a little salt and pepper. That’s it, and then after it comes off the pit we chop it up or we slice it on a fresh flower tortilla. Then we top it off with a little bit of sea salt lime guacamole topped off with tomato and Serrano salsa.”

After falling in love with Valentina’s barbeque, it was time to get something a bit more traditional.  So, we headed to the BBQ Capital of Texas and for this round we decided to try Kreiz.

Roy Perez is the pit master at this barbeque joint that can trace it’s history back all the way to 1900, when Charles Kreuz Sr. opened a meat market and grocery store.  Today the traditional barbeque taste can be attributed to the man that looks like the King and is Texas barbeque nobility.

There are three things you need to know about eating at Kreuz; one there is no sauce, two there aren’t any forks, and three they’re not kidding.

And is it good?  Well are cows made out of meat?

On to Snow’s in Lexington, another first family of barbeque royalty. If you want a taste of this heavenly barbeque, you better show up early.

Named the best barbeque in Texas, twice, Snow’s line is usually long but well worth the wait!

Mrs. Tootsie is a Texas legend that God has graced the Lone Star State with.  In 1966, she got a job at the Giddings Meat Market and has been doing something with barbeque ever since.

“You can’t come in and throw it together and put a bunch of fire under it and expect to turn out a good product,” Mrs. Tootsie said.  “It takes time, patients, and love for your work.”

Since 2003, she’s been showing up every Saturday at 2 in the morning to get the brisket where it needs to be to be the best.

“Saturday barbeque is a tradition since I was a little bitty girl, and before that,” Mrs. Tootsie explained.

Owner Kerry Bexley is still amazed by the stature his small BBQ store (that’s only open once a week) has garnered.

“It’s a blessing that we’re thankful for, but I guess the worst part is people waiting in a longer line.”

Perhaps Mrs. Tootsie puts it best.

“It is really unbelievable that good food can set the world on fire like it has done here in Lexington,” Mrs. Tootsie said.

For our final stop we visit the cathedral of smoke in Taylor known as Louie Mueller Barbecue.

Wayne Mueller is the third generation of Mueller men making sure this method of cooking meat stays true to form.

“What we do is very traditional,” Wayne explained. “It’s very authentic. We use pits that are well older than me. We use processes that out date me. My job is to sort of continue on those traditions and processes and to teach others to do the same sorts of thing.”

This man takes barbeque to a whole new scientific level.  I’m talking out of this world!

“Think of it as a space shuttle,” Wayne said. “You know when a space shuttle re-enters the atmosphere you’ve got friction on the nose cone, and the nose cone glows red but the tail section does not, briskets the same way.”

The brisket melts in your mouth while the beef rib can only be described one way, legendary.

“It’s more like a theater,” says Wayne. “People now travel around the world to have and experience small town Texas BBQ. It’s our job to live up to that expectation.”

After stuffing ourselves with tasty Texas BBQ it was time for a siesta but each and every one of these meat mastery marvels is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

Season 9 of The Texas Bucket is List Premieres September 9th

by

The show dedicated to EVERYTHING there is to see, do, and experience in the Lone Star State is gearing up for its ninth season! Entering out 5th year on the air, The Texas Bucket List has been bringing exciting Texas stories, fantastic food finds, hidden gems, and amazing annual events into the homes of viewers since 2013 and will continue to do so on Sept. 9 during the first episode of the fall season.

TBL fans can expect to see an expanded palate on the show this year, including a tour of Central Texas BBQ stops in the season opener. The Texas Bucket List Burger of the Week segment will be returning this season as host Shane McAuliffe continues to find meaty treats almost as unique as the state they are made in.

The show will also feature interesting things to do in the state where everything is bigger and better that may inspire a few tall tales. Among these experiences are a Prairie Dog Park, a long standing Christmas ball, and Canton Trade Days, to name a few.

With more excitement, food, and action than ever before, the ninth season of TBL is one you won’t want to miss. It’s no secret that Texans are proud of the state they call home.  Shane McAuliffe’s interactions with people all over the Lone Star State make it easy to see why Texans are so proud of this great state.

The Texas Bucket List airs on 23 markets television markets and has won seven Telly Awards.  TBL has also been nominated for seven Lone Star Emmy Awards.

For more information on The Texas Bucket List, visit TheTexasBucketList.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pintrist.

TO TEXAS!

The Texas Bucket List – The Crawfish Place in Anahuac

by

ANAHUAC, Texas – When we came across this shack out in the woods of southeast Texas, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. But when you see folks taking every method of transportation possible to get here, you know it’s going to be good.

John and Liz Kemp own this jumping joint and they actually got jolted by the love bug here in the bayou.

As you might be able to claw at, The Crawfish Place is known for, well their crawfish, so it’s only natural that they put it on a burger. But this burger got its start when a customer ordered it for the first time and christened it with a unique name.

“A customer come in here and ordered it. He said, ‘this is what I want. I want crawfish tails, bacon, jalapenos, onions,’ and he said, ‘yeah we’re going to call it the pimping burger,’” John told us.

Why the pimping burger you might ask. Well, that remains a mystery, but Liz has a theory.

“I think that’s what he calls everyone,” Liz said. “So, you know, the whole handshake. You’re like, ‘hey pimp. What’s up pimp.”

Well we got our pimp walk right into the kitchen to meet head cook Sierra.

“There amazing,” Sierra said. “I do. I love them. I can’t eat a whole one though.”

Sierra’s not alone. A lot of folks don’t chow down on a whole burger here because the meat patties are monstrous. Each patty is made with one pound of beef.

As the big beef cooks, onions and jalapenos are grilled up with butter. Five pieces of bacon are cooked to crispy perfection in the fryer, and then it’s the crawfish turn to take a dip in the golden oil.

Once all the fixings are prepared, the wait for the patty to finish cooking begins. After all, when you’ve got a pound of beef in just one patty it takes a while.

Finally the buttered bun, gets mayo mustard and all the garnishments, while the burger gets topped with cheese, onions, and jalapenos and bacon. Crawfish goes on the bottom bun and our burger is stacked.

Well frying up that bacon really brings out the flavor of the pork, and then the crawfish. You can’t go wrong with that especially in this part of the state. Jalapenos mix in well. Not too spicy, and the beef, so much beef.

As Matt, a Crawfish Place regular, said, “You don’t want to come in here and order a double meat.”

With great size, amazing crawfish, deep fired bacon, jalapenos and onions gilled in butter the pimping burger at The Crawfish Place in Anahuac, Texas is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“I love to cook, and I love to cook crawfish,” The Crawfish Place regular Darren said. “So I love to cook anything and it’s hard for me to like somebody else doing something, and I can honestly say that I’ve eaten the best here.”

 

The Texas Bucket List – Hotel Blessing in Blessing

by

BLESSING, Texas – Every morning, before the rooster has chance to crow, Lee Hall Pierce is up and at’em. After opening the door to the café at the historic Hotel Blessing, Lee Hall gets the coffee started, works on the latest crossword in the local paper, and waits for the morning rush.

This routine is so regular, the entire town of Blessing practically runs on it.

“Just a habit I got into, because back in the old days we’d get up and feed the cows early,” Lee said. “And so I’d get up early and we’d come here and drink coffee and go feed the cows.”

Not long after Lee Hall’s arrival Helen Feldhousen makes her way to the kitchen to start breakfast. This too is her way of life, something she’s been a part of since 1969.

“This is like home to me,” Helen said. “I know all the ins and outs about it.”

These two have a special connection to the Blessing Hotel and make the building built in 1906 what it is today.

Ona Lea Pierce is Lee Hall’s other half, she helps maintain the history of the Blessing Hotel.

“It is the centerpiece of the town,” Ona Lee said.

The first building in Matagorda County ever listed on the National Register of Historic Places; something Ona Lee claimed to always brags about.

The 14 room inn was built to help settle the lands of southeast Texas by Jonathan Edwards Pierce.   Lee Hall’s great grandfather.

“This is a wonderful old building and I’ve just been here all my life is all I can tell you,” Lee said.

The Hotel Blessing is a hot spot for two reasons.  The fact you can stay at this antiquity of Texas and Mrs. Helen’s hotcakes.

“You ought to see this place at breakfast on duck hunting, because there’s all these trucks and boats and everything around here,” Ona Lea told us. “They want Helen’s good breakfast.”

Bountiful breakfasts and her famous $10 lunch buffet keep Helen busy 7 days a week and she’s only closed on Christmas. Helen said there’s no reason for her to take another day off because she wouldn’t know what to do.

“Well what would I do? Stay home? I’d miss all my friends because, this place is known far and wide,” Helen said. “Oh I love it, because I love the people. And you never know who’s gonna come.”

Local Pat Brown has been coming here for a long time for a young buck.

“Used to be a bunch of us back in the ‘80’s come up here and eat,” Pat said. “Farmer’d pay for lunch we were working for, so we’d all compact up through here and raid the place. Act like we owned it.”

But time is taking its toll on this old building and these familiar faces.  The creaky wood and old fixtures can be fixed but the people that make the Hotel Blessing what it is won’t be able to grace us with their presence forever.

“I’m sure later on I’m not going to be getting here quite as early, ‘cause I am getting slower,” Lee said. “Until I can’t come down here I’ll be doing it.”

So get down to Blessing to count your blessings. We live in Texas, and at the Blessing Hotel you can hear the stories of some of the folks who have made and continue to make our state what it is.

“We feel like it’s a great place,” Ona Lee said. “And we wanted to it to keep it going like that, because we knew that my husband’s grandfather wanted this building to stay as it is. We feel like we’ve done a good job.”

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Rao’s Bakery in Beaumont

by

BEAUMONT, Texas – Over in the southeast side of our state, you’ll find a melting pot of people that not only have Texan traits but also a sprinkle or two of creole seasoning.  It’s also a great place to find these two cultures represented in local cuisine.  That’s why we stopped by a bakery known for their king of cakes.

Every night for over 20 years, Pancho Rodriguez punches in at 11 p.m., but it’s not a time clock he’s worried about. It’s the amount of dough he has to dish out.

Throughout the night, Pancho prepares a smorgasbord of sweet treats that will delight as their devoured here at Rao’s Bakery in Beaumont. But there’s only one cake that rules them all in this neck of the woods, the King Cake.

Jake Tortorice took over Rao’s in the late 90’s but the man who was born and bred in Beaumont remembers coming by the bakery that’s been open since 1941 during his childhood.

“There was some days I would walk home and I would walk here first and if I had 10 or 15 cents I could buy me a brownie,” Jake said. “And then I’d continue walking home. And that was kind of the way it went. And that’s how I became a fan of Rao’s.”

Today, Jake and his son Josh run a few of these golden triangle traditions. The original location in downtown is still near and dear to their hearts but it’s not just the history that warms up their old oven, it’s the sweet and simple fact that people come here to sprinkle some sweetness into their lives.

“I’ve never once seen anybody eating a desert, whether it be gelato, whether it be cookies, a cake, or whatever, that was mad,” Jake said. “It takes you away from that moment of maybe you’ve been thinking about something. It’s heavy on you, and now you’re having a desert and all that’s out the window.”

And nothing is more synonymous with this confectionery then King Cake.  A Mardi Gras tradition that’s available all year round at Rao’s.

“Widely regarded in Texas as the king of the king cakes,” Josh said.

Dating back nearly 300 years, the King Cake is usually enjoyed around Mardi Gras and celebrates the three wise men.  Purple is for justice gold depicts power while green represents faith.  As for the baby hidden inside the cake, well that represents baby Jesus.

“If you get the baby your king for the day, but you’re also required to buy the next king cake,” Jake said.

Traditionally king cakes are flavored with cinnamon, but at Rao’s their baking all kinds of different flavors ranging from strawberry cream to voodoo (their special chocolate king cake).

The traditional king cake is still Rao’s best seller, and is out of this world.

“It’s not cinnamon seasoning it’s a cinnamon smear,” Josh said. “It’s real thick, real gooey, you know. It’s got the cake and butter and all that just mixed up together with a little cinnamon.”

The cake is really flaky and soft, and no matter what flavor you try you’re sure to find Rao’s is well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List.

So the next time you want to Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler right here in the Lone Star State a King Cake from Rao’s in Beaumont is a tres bien way to celebrate Fat Tuesday any day of the year.

The Texas Bucket List – Willy Burger in Beaumont Christmas Edition

by

BEAUMONT, Texas – Back in our second season we crowned Willy Burger our Burger of the Season with the incredibly delicious Hee Haw Burger. Colburn McClelland was the man behind this masterful mess of meat, and is the concoctor of The Texas Bucket List Burger of the Week Christmas Edition this season with his newest Christmas creation.

“He’s been cooking up a little something special for Christmas preparation, getting ready for our big, you know, big holiday. Getting our hearts right, we’ve got to get our food right,” Colburn’s wife Angie informed us.

So what does a Christmas burger that captures the holiday spirit in our hearts look and taste like? According to Angie it’s a flavorful creation that captures the depth of the holiday season with a unique flavor profile.

“It is Colburn’s Christmas Carol. Of course, the ‘CCC.’ So, burger is, got some cornbread dressing on it, it’s got some fresh cranberries, it’s got a secret red pepper jelly, goat cheese and fresh spinach, yeah. I think it’s an interesting burger. It’s got a lot of flavor profile when you bite into it altogether,” Colburn’s wife Angie said.

Cooking the burger starts by forming a half pound patty made fresh every day. The patty is seasoned up for the holiday season, and cooked to beefy perfection. A bun is buttered and topped with the patty that is then sprinkled with goat cheese. The CCC burger is finished off with the rest of Christmas dinner, including the stuffing.

As a rich mixture of everything that puts you in the holiday spirit, this burger is sure to put the holidays in your heart.

“Kind of like an advent season. Get your heart right, get your food right. You get all the good stuff ready and so that’s what the CCC burger is. It’s all the good stuff. All the good ingredients for a good ole’ burger,” Angie said.

The Texas Bucket List – Evie Mae’s BBQ in Lubbock

by

WOLFFORTH, Texas – Thursday through Saturday are three important days if you live in the plains of the panhandle because these three short days, these 72 hours – well, less than that actually – are the only days you can wrap your lips around some of the most sought after ribs of Lubbock county.

We’re at Evie Mae’s BBQ, and all of this was started by a man from New Mexico named Arnis. While he grew up just on the other side of the state border, he prides himself on his meticulous method of making Texas BBQ.

“Patience and having the desire to learn and a passion for it,” said Arnis. “It’s a long process.”

Despite being a relative newcomer to the Game of Bones, Arnis’s reputation as the brisket slayer has him blazing his own trail.

“The first day we opened, I hand-painted that [sign] and set it out by the road and that was, that was our sign,” Arnis said. “BBQ, yep. It paid for itself a couple of times by now.”

Arnis started making BBQ out of necessity, after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2012.

“It’s an autoimmune disorder. I’m basically allergic to wheat, barley, and rye. My body doesn’t know how to process the protein associated with those grains,” said Arnis. “There’s no medication. It’s strictly dietary change. I got to the point to where I could not function. Like I was having panic attacks.”

Arnis completely changed his diet and started cooking beef with an electric smoker.  But soon he longed for something bigger, something more substantial.  So he built his own pit.

“I grew up on a farm and I always liked tinkering with stuff and I enjoy welding and metal fabrication and all that, and I had always wanted to build a smoker,” Arnis said. “I didn’t know anything about smokers or barbequing, but I always thought, I want to buy an old propane tank and build a smoker.

Day and night, he worked with his grill, perfecting, learning, and trying to make the most magnificent meat possible. Once he felt his brisket was the best, he set up a roadside shack.

“It was really easy to blow people’s minds whenever they were just going down the highway and saw a random food trailer on the side of the road and then like nobody around, and, you know, they’d get a sandwich and they’d think, ‘Man, that’s a really good barbeque sandwich coming from a trailer on the side of the road in Wolfforth, Texas,” said Arnis.

Now he’s got a brand-new brick and mortar meat house, complete with two massive pits and a long line everyday he’s open. Richard Farkas is usually the first in line.

“I get here first thing Thursdays and usually Saturday mornings as well,” Farkas said. “Good barbeque makes everybody feel better doesn’t it?”

Originally from central Texas, Richard feels he’s found BBQ he can believe in.

“I took a bite and I said, we have a new winner,” said Farkas.

Texans from all over the state agree that Evie Mae’s may just be one of the Lone Star State’s greatest. Listy Dowell from Dallas ranks it right up near the top of the list.

“It’s up there with Franklin’s, with Pecan Lodge, all of the popular spots in Texas,” Dowell said.

Not a bad comparison to have, considering Arnis just started selling Texas’s favorite fine food in February of 2015.

“The only way I can describe our success here is fortunate and we’ve been extremely blessed and probably a little bit lucky too,” said Arnis. “I feel a real sense of responsibility to make sure that every day is consistent with the day before, and that’s the challenge.”

A sense of responsibility and commitment to excellence that makes Evie Mae’s well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“Texas barbeque is the best, therefore the best in the world and, in my opinion, this is the best of the best,” Farkas said.

The Texas Bucket List – Val Verde Winery in Del Rio

by

DEL RIO, Texas – In the fertile soil of Val Verde Country just a few miles from Mexico, Del Rio has the distinction of having undoubtedly the oldest winery in the Lone Star State.

Thomas Qualia is the third generation of wine makers at the Val Verde Winery, a vineyard whose roots got planted in 1883, making it the 9th oldest winery in the country.

“We’re proud of what we do because we started from the ground up. We grow it, we make it, we sell it,” said Qualia.

Thomas has spent his entire life cultivating, harvesting, and producing a fine spirit full of Texas soul.

This story starts with a young 18 year-old Italian named Thomas Qualia who immigrated to Mexico but found work on the Macorini line in Texas.  Soon after, he found himself in Del Rio seeking to satisfy his thirst.  He planted a 10-acre vineyard quenched by the San Felipe springs and not much has changed.

“I give all the credit, though, to my father and grandfather because they’re the ones who did it,” Qualia said. “I was just lucky enough to inherit it, and so, at times I wonder about that luck, but anyway.”

Thomas’ father Louis took over the winery in 1936 – three years after the end of prohibition, which the winery survived by making sacramental and medicinal wine.  As a young man, Thomas grew amongst the grapes and had a few learning curves along the way.

“I drove a pickup when I was probably seven years old and if my foot slipped off the clutch and threw somebody out the back of the truck, and I was running for my life,” said Qualia.

The fond memories don’t just include the memorable mishaps.  As the vineyard grew and new methods were put into places, Louis Qualia made the fruit flourish.

“These were all grafted by my father in the late ‘30s onto native mustang grapes, and I’ve had a large number of people request information about the Herbemont, and I have not been able to find it. There was a Count Herbemont back in the east that supposedly had something to do with it, and it was named after him. Either he bred the grape or he brought it over,” Qualia said.“It’s been a real mainstay for the winery. We’ve made a lot of cuttings from it to propagate other vines.”

The Qualias produce around 3,000 cases of wine of year, not exactly enough to get around the entire state but enough to keep the family business in operation.

“I’d rather make a good bottle of wine at a fair price and keep it that way,” said Qualia.

Today Thomas works with his son Michael and the next generation is already learning the vines.

My sister and I are working hard, and fifth generation is coming along, so we’re excited,” Michael Qualia said. “Like any family business, you know, there’s challenging times. But no, it’s good. It’s nice to see things grow and but still continue to be a small, family-run operation.”

Uncorking a bottle of this wine made from the Lenoir or Blanc Du Bois grapes grown in the generational ground gives you an opportunity to taste a part of Texas history that fittingly comes from a country that happens to be the shape of a boot.

“It’s a labor of love, because it’s a lot of work, but I enjoy doing it and people, some people say, ‘What are you doing out there in a vineyard? Don’t you ever take a break?’ I say what would I do, watch TV? Go to the movies? No, I’d rather be out in the vineyard and talking to my vines or talking to the people at the winery,” Qualia said. “It’s a tradition that there’s not another one in Texas that’s this old, and Italian proud.”

The Texas Bucket List – Allen’s Family Style Meals in Sweetwater

by

SWEETWATER, Texas – Heading out on I-20 just west of Abilene, you’ll find a town known for their annual rattlesnake roundup.

While you can sample snake here, there’s a much more satisfying snack to slither to in Sweetwater: Allen’s Family Style Meals.

Billy Allen keeps the legacy of this poultry palace clucking along with his sister Suzan. These siblings grew up with this business.

“This was our home place. My dad was born in a bedroom up here,” said Billy.

Back in 1952, their grandmother Lizzie Allen started cooking fried chicken for flocks of famished folks.

“I think it took a little time to get things going, maybe when she got this table where she filled it up every day, she knocked that wall out there and put another table in, and just did that ‘til she filled both of them up and then she took another wall out and put another table in, and eventually she had all the walls down. And that’s where we are today,” Billy said.

That included in the kitchen, where Suzan keeps the home fires burning by sticking to Grandma’s methods.

“I got my chicken here, my dip, and I flour it up right here,” said Suzan. “This is kind of a secret dip, we don’t tell nobody about this.”

But it’s not just chicken, grandma’s recipes for creamed corn, carrots, potatoes, mac n cheese, okra, beans and more are served hot and fresh every day. Once you pay to enter, it’s all you can eat for anything on the table.

Traditions are strong here at Allen’s and that’s exactly the case when it comes to seating.  With 6 tables each seating 10 people, you can bet you’ll be breaking bread with another weary traveler – and for some, that’s just too much!

“Very few, but there are some that say, ‘No, I’m not going to eat with them,’” Billy said. “You’ll have to go somewhere else. And when you’re sitting there talking to somebody, somewhere down the line you know somebody that they know and it’s interesting.”

Kirby Shadle my look like a colonel but he’s a big fan of the savory sweetwater chicken. Having this meal takes him back to a different time.

“Sunday meals, family reunions, Sunday potluck at church, old-timey food. It’s definitely raised, came out of the garden. Didn’t have to go to the store,” said Shadle.

Once you do get a chance to sit down, it’s just like being at home and you can’t be shy when it comes to what you want! But once you get all the fixins, you’ll see what all the fuss is about.

“Even if you don’t like chicken you’ll love this chicken,” Shadle said.

So if you’re looking for a down home meal with a Texas tradition that hasn’t changed since 1952, stop by Allen’s Family Style Meals in Sweetwater for an experience that’s stayed true to the vision of Lizzie Allen and is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“I would recommend it to everybody. It’s great. I’ve ate at a lot of places, lot of different cuisine foods, and it’s good. It don’t matter, I always want to come back here,” said Shadle. “It’s family. It’s family here, you know.”