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Seguin, Texas It's not every day that you get a chance to dine in what was once a power plant.  A while back, Don and I made a lunch stop, to have a dam-view, restaurant experience! Engine Room I loved the idea of eating inside the impressive brick structure.  This building operated as a gristmill in the early 1900's and was converted into a hydroelectric plant in 1940. Diesel Engine We could have eaten some burgers, right beside the Busch-Sulzer Diesel Engine!  Or...  We could have nibbled on fries, while studying hefty pieces of machinery. Engineering Evidently it took some creative engineering to get this place reopened after years of sitting vacant. There was leveling and bridge building... kitchen and deck construction and all sorts of things I don't understand.  I also know nothing about all cool machinery inside the engine room. I do know it fascinated my engineer husband, who wandered and studied, while I saw about getting a table. Food with a View! It was hard to give up the idea of dining within those brick walls, where we could have imagined the noise and activity 100 years ago.  But the weather was too lovely on a spring day. Eye on the Dam Even without the history, this view was pretty ideal. It was fun imagining the scene through the years. It may have been a beaver dam that inspired the first original mill dam, way over 100 years ago.  By the late 1800's, Henry Troell was the owner and the mill evolved into a power plant with the installation of electro-hydraulic generators. S-Shaped River I guess the bend of the Guadalupe River had something to do with this "S" shaped curve. It was so pleasing to the eye.
The trees were just beginning to get green and the warm spring temps made the breeze feel just right. We ordered and hoped our food didn't come too fast.
I couldn't turn down the meatloaf, since it was featured as their in house daily special. The dark gravy was tasty on the mashed potatoes and meatloaf.
The roll took me back to my hot lunches in grade school. And that is a good thing. Don got the Power Burger and it was quite decent. The Turbine Room Our waiter encouraged us to cross the bridge and take a peek at the Turbine Room.  I'm guessing the space is used for private gatherings or overflow. What a dramatic view, looking straight down on the water! The Turbine Wheel In 1886, Henry Troell was given permission by Seguin Waterworks Company to install a 54-inch turbine wheel at his power dam.  This is the wheel that allowed water to be pumped to the Seguin area. Troell must have been a pretty big man on Seguin's campus, back in the day. No one took power for granted back then. Next Time We need to get back to Seguin and do a little Power Dining in the evening. I'm not sure where the sun sets or what kind of crowd fills the place at night. But it might be worth a visit!
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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
February 2025
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