Log Cabin Cafe & Sno Ball Bar!

Birthday Lunch with Friends

A few days ago, I spent some time with friends on the road, in Texas.  By the time lunchtime hit, we were near Centerville, a small town with few options. Since it happened to be my birthday, I figured

I would be the bossy birthday girl and pick the place with the most awesome name!

Character

I love a place with character and this place had some.  There were painted saws and old wooden yokes.  There was a lot of knotty pine and tables with checkered  cloths. And there were local characters, too.  We saw men in uniform and overalls and trucker hats and they all seemed surprised to see some non-locals step in. 

Kara and Family

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The owner, Kara said when they opened 5 years ago, all they served was sno-balls... shaved ice. Things caught on and they have a full menu now.  But restaurants have been in her family for a while.  I loved the old photo above the coffee bar.  It showed Kara's grandparents and their restaurant, years ago.

Some of the Regulars!

If I didn't have such a big grin, you might think I was wearing handcuffs instead of a green bracelet.  Then again, the sno-cones in the photo, suggest that this encounter is a friendly one.

"Big Daddy" as he called himself and his buddy had  just finished lunch when we arrived.  They paid at the counter and ordered sno-balls to go. 

I figured if anyone was going to give us advice on what to order, it would be these two!  Their sno-ball advice was firm.  "Don't even look at the list.  Strawberries & cream is the only way to go."  When I asked what was best for lunch, Big Daddy said it wasn't on the menu, but I could order the plate they make special,  just for him. I figured if the Big Daddy feast was good enough for him, it was good enough for the birthday girl.

Our Meals

Big Daddy's buddy (Sorry, didn't catch the name) recommended the "healthy dish" that Shari tried.  The salad was healthy, but the bacon & avocado covered chicken, the beans and saltines, were probably equal in calories to Lorrie's burger and fries.  My "Big Daddy" on the other hand was outrageously yummy and fattening.  Chili cheese dog, loaded nachos and chili cheese fries.  A bowl of homemade chili would have been enough!

Who's Laughing?

I detected a chuckle behind me when I was snapping food photos.  So I had to invite some new friends to come over and check out my special meal. They were clearly in awe, as you can tell by their expressions!

Our friend in the UT cap said he ate regularly at the Log Cabin and he's been ordering the burger for a year. He seemed pretty eager to try something new!  I told him to stick around for a little bit, because I knew I was going to be stuffed in about 3 minutes and he could have the rest. 

The tangy homemade chili made the dish a hit, but by the time I begged our server to "take it away" it looked like I'd hardly started. I felt bad.  I don't like to waste.  I felt like a birthday brat not finishing my treat.

Sno-Ball Time!

I felt even more spoiled when I insisted we indulge in a strawberries & cream sno-ball, when I didn't clean my plate!   Kara was all smiles as she worked that machine and handed us our treat with 3 spoons!  We made sure to get the pink pig in our group photo.  That pig was looking skinnier than me!

Good-Bye Cabin

We shared our treat outside, while we admired the bluebonnets growing beside the cafe.  We headed back in the car and down Highway 7.

Dogwoods?

We kept an eye out for blooming dogwoods as we drove away. That was the advice we learned from the guy in the trucker's hat who was leaving when we first arrived. No photo of him.

Thanks to all our friends at LOG CABIN CAFE AND SNO BALL BAR!