SO...one of my favorite things to do in Texas is to drive through the small towns dotted all over the state, look for a parking lot full of cars, pull in and park, go inside and generally you will find some of the best food you've ever had. No chain restaurants for me. I like to see the locals. See their smiles, hear their Texas twang, and taste what they consider to be the best. For Mother's Day 2014, I found myself in Victoria, Texas for a golf tournament for one of the girls. It was really a pretty drive from Waco down Highway 77, and the perfect opportunity to visit all the small town eateries.
We had dinner in Palacious, pronounced Pa-Laa-Shush, Texas right on the gulf coast south of Victoria. We jumped at the chance to rub our toes in the sand and have some fresh caught seafood...a true treat in my book! We ate at a place called the Lumber Yard, formerly known as the Outrigger Grill. It sits about a block off the water, but has a really neat, build as you go outdoor area with plenty of seating. We got lucky and were entertained with live music by a young guy (I didn't get his name!) from College Station who sang a pretty eclectic mix that was really pretty good. We waited quite awhile for our food, but the waiter was excellent at making sure our glasses stayed full the entire time. The fried catfish and shrimp baskets were amazing! Quite a bit of fish for the price, maybe a little skimpy on shrimp for the price, but the taste, including the fries, was spot on. Other than a little mishap with the ketchup bottle--which resulted in the entire contents of the bottle on my plate and my shirt...it was worth the trip off the beaten path.
The next day we tried a little barbecue place in small town Hallettsville, Texas, called Wieting's BBQ. This place was packed for lunch, and true to theory...another great small town place to eat. The barbecue sandwiches were large and very meaty. I liked how the chopped barbecue was more cubed than chopped, non-fatty, and with a good homemade barbecue sauce. I had the baked potato, which was a good size as well, and perfectly cooked all the way thru. My favorite part was watching the sweet little lady behind the counter...she looked as though she had run the place for many years...and she walked around with a fly swatter poised for attack. I did not see any flies...but the employees never stopped moving either...not sure who she used the swatter on the most! And other than another mishap with a glass of sweet tea--which resulted in the entire contents on my shirt, pants, and shoes...it was worth the trip off the beaten path.
