day trips

The food at Hall's Walhalla USA has to be good. There are not many reasons to drive this stretch of FM1291 in Fayette County, besides going for the chicken-fried steak at the cafe or visiting Round Top 5.5 miles down the road. Hall's diner started in 1984 as a meat market "that got out of hand," says Virgie Hall, the owner and head cook. She and her husband Albert grew up in the area, and after careers in Houston they decided to leave and move back to the country. "My husband wanted to have a nice little country meat market," she says. "One day I told my brother Gary that we were thinking of adding plate lunches." Virgie says. "The next day, he showed up with a friend and asked, `What's for lunch?'" And from rustling up some grub for her brother, the menu eventually grew to include supper.

It wasn't too long after the cafe began taking off that Mr. Hall had the last, rude customer he could take. He threw down his apron in disgust and now runs a few head of cattle and rents heavy equipment. But he still prepares the meat for the specialty of the house -- chicken-fried steak -- and Virgie cooks it in a special buttermilk batter. The country-sized portions are offered with vegetables and a salad bar. Nightly specials include Mexican food on Wednesday, chicken-fried steak on Thursday and Saturday, and a fish fry on Friday. The menu also has fish, shrimp, chicken, and burgers.

Looking at the building you can see how the cafe grew as the town enjoyed the boom years. The kitchen expanded, the front porch was enclosed, and a bar was added. The bar is no longer in use -- "We discontinued the bar because it got too noisy," Virgie says -- but the dining room now has the comfortable feel of someone's home.

Yet about the time they began adding on, the local lignite mine closed down and oil prices began to drop. Soon, the hours were cut back to supper only four nights a week. The cafe is now all that's left of downtown Walhalla.

The area was settled in the 1840s by German pioneers brought to Texas by the company that also settled New Braunfels. Named for the pagan German word for heaven, Walhalla was a thriving little rural community in the early 1900s.

Walhalla is not on most maps, but it is on FM1291, nine miles south of US290 and Ledbetter. The cafe is open Wed-Sat, 5-9pm. For more information, call 409/249-5525.

Coming up this weekend...

Messina Hof Winery in Bryan presents their newest release of wines with a day-long celebration that includes wine tastings, games, hayrides, and the grand opening of their Designer Events Center, Nov. 11. 409/778-9463.

Harvest Festival in Kingsland on Lake LBJ welcomes the cooler days with a carnival and entertainment behind the Coastal Bank, Nov. 11-12. 915/388-6211.

Coming up...

Christmas Tours sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife take guests on weekend bus trips through the Hill Country, Dec. 1-3, and Northeast Texas, Dec 8-10. Tour packages are all-inclusive and include a TPWD escort, transportation, lodging, and meals. The Hill Country Tour begins in San Antonio and the Plantation Christmas Tour originates from Cedar Hill State Park near Dallas. The tours visit natural and historic sites as well as local eateries, shops, and special events. Packages are priced from $212-379. 389-8108. -- Gerald E. McLeod

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