Margie's Bar & Grill in Bryan, TX

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!
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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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