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Lunch Stop on Main Street Don and I had a memorable little lunch in downtown Bryan, Texas.  This isn't actually where we had planned on having lunch. Martin's Place Since 1924 We had planned on trying out Martin's Place, south of town on College Avenue.  We'd read about the old BBQ place. It's been run by the same family since 1924. But when arrived, there were no cars in the gravel lot.  Martin's wasn't open on Tuesday. Oh well. Next time. Also Since 1924 Luckily I scrambled and found another curious option, a few minutes away.  This burger place in Bryan, also has some history. The Opersteny Burger has been around since 1924. New Place In 1924 Louis Opersteny opened a saloon and grill, at another downtown location.  The building where Opersteny served up his well-loved burgers, burned down in 1955. Louis was able to take the grill and operate in a new location. The Story The story was actually written right on a board, inside the door.  The write-up explained that Louis's son-in-law Jimmy, bought the biz in 1968. He ended up renting the business to a woman who changed the name to Margie's. When Jimmy sold the business to the Wager family in the 1980s, the grill and Opersteny Burger continued! Busy Before Noon The long and narrow space was pretty busy when we arrived before noon.  A woman in a blue t-shirt welcomed us to have a seat anywhere.  We sat not far from a long counter, where I was tempted to hop up and turn the numbers on the flip calendar, to the proper day. Tuesday, June 16. Opersteny's Grill Right across from our table we could smell (and hear and feel) the burgers cooking!  We watched a young man juggle numerous orders as he stood at the old grill, which was rescued after the fire in 1955. We could actually feel the vibrations in our metal chairs, when he pounded each patty with the spatula! Options Lina greeted with a big smile and a couple of menus.  I asked about the Opersteny burger and Lina made sure I understood that the it was only 2 ounces. "They're small!" She warned. Then she wanted to be sure I was okay with mustard and pickles. I assured her I was excited to try the traditional Opersteny style. Cheese Burger and Tots I ordered mine with cheese and also got an order of Tots.  The burger was wrapped in paper when it was served. The story goes that back in the day, patrons loved the juicy burgers so much they used to lick the juice off the paper wrapper. I didn't know that at the time or I might have done the same. "Lina is the Best" Our table was beside an exposed brick wall, with a patch of plaster shaped like the state of Florida. Don noticed a few notes taped to the cream colored patch.
Don noticed some compliments written on pieces of paper. "Lina is the best!" "Justin deserves a raise" Don asked Lina about the notes and she laughed. She said that it had become a joke between her and her brother, Justin... who got the most compliments. I believe they accused each other of creating a few! Lina and Family We had a fun chat with Lina whose grandparents bought the property in the eighties. She said her parents own now, but they were out of town with Justin. Her other brother was the young man who grilled our juicy burgers!  By the time we finished our meal, I'd watched Lina greet and serve about about 8 tables of guests. She seemed to know know every single customer and her warmth with each of them seemed genuine. Lots of laughter and a few hugs! After graciously posing with an old cash register, Lina pointed out the spatula near the photo. She said it was the original tool that Opersteny used when he grilled burgers.  It was fun to see the photo of Louis, the original owner. And it was a treat to meet the Lina, who is a member of the second family to own the wonderful burger business!
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Another Tiki Lounge! Don and I have visited about 10 tiki lounges since I started blogging.  We found Tarantula Tiki Lounge in Fort Worth's New Southside neighborhood.  Actually, Don and I didn't find it at all. Our friends Alan and Christy drove us right to it when we visited last June. Quiet at 5 It was bright outside at 5, on that summer evening. It took a while for eyes to adjust when we entered the dimly lit lounge.  We were the first guests to arrive for happy hour. The barstools were empty, just as they were in 2020 when the tiki lounge first opened for business.  Our bartender said that wasn't exactly ideal timing for opening this kind of business, but he said they were cautious. Masks were required and no guests were allowed to sit on the bar stools at that time. The other 3 sat down and I quickly peeked around while the lounge was quiet. I.don't like to intrude with the camera when folks are enjoying cocktails!  I found quite a display in a case near the door.  I found some cozy seating towards the back, that showed off the exposed brick wall. Evidently this space held a barbershop before it became a tiki lounge.  I headed towards the back to check out the decorated ceiling and bamboo framed albums. Gotta love some exotic tiki vinyl records! Don and I have a few.  I headed back towards our table and stopped to ask our bartender about the TV that was showing a retro island themed movie. We had a quick converstaion about island themed movies and tv shows. Back at the table I joined the others to study the menu.  Luckily my eyes had adjusted, so I could take in all the options inside the colorful menu with the skull and tarantula.  I appreciated the skull rating system in the menu. The night was young and I didn't want to overdo too early. 3 skull drinks are the most powerful. I asked our bartender for suggestions. "I want something that looks festive... like in a fun glass."
He could tell I was a serious drinker. Alan actually got the most festive, (or maybe silliest) glass of all!  You have to love a drink served with a straw coming out of a shark's mouth!  My glass wasn't too unusual, but my one skull Painkiller was just right. The creamy mix of rum, pineapple and coconut was just perfect!  Cheers to hitting one more tiki bar! Cheers to heading off at 6, with the evening ahead of us.  Next time we'll have to check out the patio and I hear there's a collection of 1,000+ swizzle sticks. Who knows maybe I'll go for 2 skulls next time.
Austin's Original Honky Tonk For over 2 decades I've said the same thing every time we've passed Broken Spoke on South Lamar.  "Let's go there sometime." Motivation It took a 5-year-old cowgirl to get us motivated to give it a try.  Last week, Charlie told her grandparents she was game. She put on her boots and so did I. Wheels and Spokes After a 45 minute drive in traffic we arrived, ready to see wheels and spokes. That's because we'd had a mighty long discussion about the name Broken Spoke.  Charlie was excited to count about 8 wagon wheels right away. She was extra excited to see that each had a broken spoke. 4 on a Friday We arrived when doors opened at 4. There was a lot to read, around the door.  I glanced at the historic marker and learned that James M. White opened the dance hall in 1964, just south of the city limits...at a former lumber yard. Rowdy and Others When we stepped inside the dimly lit saloon, we heard greetings from the only occupied table in the front room.
A handful of employees were seated at an octagonal table finishing a meal. This odd character sat with them.  One of the upbeat voices was Mandy. She complimented Charlie's boots and later introduced her to Rowdy, the sad looking character who sits permanently at the table. Decor Mandy noticed Charlie looking around at the curious decor.  I never expected Charlie to feel so at home in an old saloon, but Mandy knew all the right questions to warm Charlie up. They talked about boots and music. Charlie suddenly was eager to tell Mandy about her dance recital the next day. Dance Hall Mandy decided that since Charlie was a "dancer", she should take a peek inside the dance hall.  It was hours before the doors would open for music and dancing. We felt pretty lucky to enjoy the 1,500 square foot space with no one around.  The sign above Charlie reminded us not to STAND on the dance floor. It also insisted "NO LINE DANCING". Charlie followed rules and ran instead. Authentic Little has changed since the dance hall opened over 60 years ago.
Checked tablecloths and folding chairs... a big fan and some neon here and there. On Stage Mandy invited Charlie to get on the stage.  Charlie wanted me to step up there with her. I think she looks a little perplexed. Maybe because no one handed her a mic. She's been known to do a little karaoke with her mom. "Tourist Trap" As we headed back to the front room, Charlie peeked into a glowing room filled with photo displays.  A voice from behind the bar said "Your welcome to look around the Tourist Trap! We were happy to wander around a bit.  Most of the old photos and magazines had faces of western singers and performers that I didn't recognize. I recognized the name of the president who was born not far from Austin. I couldn't figure out if this hat actually once belonged to President Johnson.
Charlie didn't need help figuring out what the wooden holder was. "This is for a violin." She announced. Was that actually some kind of fiddle stand? Should Have Counted It was a little like an Easter egg hunt, looking for wagon wheels.  We should have counted all the wheels inside the saloon and dance hall. Some of the spokes were more broken than others.
Charlie was a little amused by a framed photo of George Strait, behind one wheel. She wanted me to explain why there were lipstick kisses all over the glass. Willie and Others A lot of performers got their start at Broken Spoke. Willie Nelson played with Kris Kristofferson in the mid sixties.  That was long before Willie had braids. He had a crewcut then, when he came back to Texas after some time in Nashville. George... Dolly Charlie posed with George Strait, even though she didn't know who he was.  Too bad we couldn't find a life-sized Dolly Parton. Charlie is a big fan... after a visit to Dollywood last year. Dolly spent some time at Broken Spoke, when she filmed a TV movie here in 1987. Early Dinner After exploring the Tourist Trap, we headed past the old bar to find a table in the front room.  Our plan was to have an early dinner before the Friday night crowds arrived.  We had lots of entertaining booths to choose from.  Charlie choose a table where she could keep an eye on Rowdy.  We were also near a saddle, enclosed in glass. We wondered if anyone would join Rowdy at his table since the staff was up and working. He looked pretty lonely. Food Mandy gave us some good advice for ordering. We started with a salad covered in Thousand Island.  Then Chicken Fried Steak smothered in gravy. Since Mandy had warned about the CF Steak being bigger than Charlie's head, we took her advice and split.  Charlie had chicken quesadillas. She was a little afraid of our chicken fried, but she was very excited when we shared our fries. We did not share our Lone Star Beer. Tracie From our table we had fun watching some activity near the front door. They were setting up for some live music.  Tracie paused from setting up, to chat with Charlie. She showed her the pool table in another room. Tracie said she was mighty jealous of Charlie's name. She'd always wanted it, since it was her dad's name. Live Music We were too early for the dance hall, but we got live entertainment in the saloon!  When Broken Spoke opened in '64, they only had a juke box. These two filled the saloon with some fine country music and entertaining banter. A Dancing Friend By 5:00, 2 more tables were occupied. A 4-year-old girl and her parents took the table right next to us. The girls had something in common. Dance! The sweet 4-year-old had just been in a dance recital that afternoon.
Tracie encouraged the "Tiny Dancers" to get up and enjoy the music. And they absolutely did! Charlie's favorite was "These Boots Are Made For Walking". I could hear her singing the song later that night in her bed. Bye George After 2 hours at the Spoke, it was time to get going. Charlie and I headed for the Ladies Room first and found a bathroom full of Georges.
We counted and came up with about 45 George smiles! Add one more for the giant George on the ceiling! To Be Continued Skies were stormy and damp when we headed out. That helped us see the neon!  What a fun evening, enjoying this iconic honky tonk... sort of through the eyes of a 5-year-old.
We headed to the car with plans to come back another night with Charlie's parents. 2-Step dance lessons are available at 8 and kids are welcome! I see more Broken Spoke Adventures in our future! |
The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
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