Dahlia Cafe in Liberty Hill

 
Lunch Stop at Dahlia

In early February Don and I wound up eating lunch in Liberty Hill, Texas.

It wasn't our original plan, but we lucked into a good meal at Dahlia Cafe.

Oatmeal for Lunch?

We had intended on having lunch in Oatmeal, Texas. It was my silly idea. I've always wanted to visit the town with the funny name. Surely they would have a diner with oatmeal on the menu!

All we found in Oatmeal was a windmill and a giant "can of oats". Actually there were picnic tables, near one white building. We could have brought an oatmeal picnic lunch.

Farmhouse 

I did a search on my phone and read about Dahlia's. The reviews raved about great comfort food at the family owned business. I read that "Debi and John" opened the cafe about 15 years ago with about a dozen family members pitching in. We drove 15 minutes to Liberty Hill.

We pulled up and found a parking lot with 7 spaces for curbside carryouts. Odd. The building behind the fence was also a little odd. It was hard to see it well, but evidently there was a 1930's era farmhouse, within that sprawling cafe.

Around Back

We drove around back and realized this was no tiny cafe. Numerous "ice house" garage doors, looked out towards a wooden deck and towering trees.

We parked in a huge lot and walked through the yard space, noticing lots of fallen limbs. There was caution tape, near some scattered cut up "logs".  

Watering Hole

The large outdoor area looked inviting, but the tables weren't in use.

The Watering Hole looked like it was the place to get beer during warmer weather. The old table clearly hadn't been used in a while.

For the Kiddos

The kids' play area looked tidier than the rest of the yard. There were so many cars in the lot, but there were no kids climbing on the structure or going down the slide.

There was something a little nostalgic about the old tractor tires and the metal monkey bars. How I used to adore showing off on those bars! 

Tree and Caution Tape

As we got closer to the building, we could see that many areas were closed off with caution tape. 

Evidently those big trees that offer heavenly shade in the summer, had recently caused some problems during a big ice storm. On the day of our visit, the Texas governor had issued a disaster declaration for 7 Texas counties. Liberty Hill's county was one of them. 

​Cozy Inside

The main entrance was on the side of the building. It led us into a long dining room, that had clearly been added to the farmhouse.  

The "garage doors" were closed, keeping the space warm. It was surprising that the place was open at all, after the recent weather. But the place was hopping and the staff greeted with enthusiasm. "We'll get you seated in a few minutes!"  

Eating in the Front Room

In about 5 minutes we were given a table in an older room, towards the front of the house. The room was smaller and quieter, with fewer big groups. Or maybe it was the paper egg cartons attached to the ceiling, that absorbed the sound. 

Don ordered Mother in Law's Meatloaf, made with Debi's MIL's recipe. Don chose rice and mashed potatoes with brown gravy. The meatloaf was huge and flavorful. I had my eye on his biscuit.

Toritilla Soup and BLT

No complaints about my soup and sandwich. Although I should have at least looked to see if oatmeal was on the menu!

The soup was tasty with big chunks of chicken and avocado and tortilla strips. BLTs are always comfort food to me. The amount was just right, for someone who had plans on stealing half a biscuit and most of Don's potatoes!

Wash Up Time

Before we hit the road, I dashed to the restroom. There was one inside, but I could have opted for the funny little restroom that I saw outside the window.

The hand washing trough gave me a chuckle. I can picture kids in the summertime, running over from the playground to wash hands before dinner. 

And as we drove on our way, Don and I grinned with our secret.  We had recently learned that certain family members... with a certain little one... will be moving to Austin... not terribly far from Liberty Hill.

I have a feeling we will be back to Dahlia's!
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