I picked up this book from the "Texas" section of my local library where they keep all the Texas-related guides.
I'm always searching for places to visit and try. And I really love supporting local businesses. Yes, I could easily do a search in Google or with AI. But I enjoy flipping through these types of guides and seeing pictures that catch my eye.
This book is broken out by area - "In the North", "Way Down South", "Over in the East", "Westward, ho", "In the Heart of Texas", and toward the end, "Somewhere in Texas, USA".
Each section is further divided into cities. Most have only one cafe but a few have multiple like Marble Falls, Texas.
Every restaurant featured has its date, information on getting there, their address and phone number and a "stop by and see" tip.
At the end of the book you can find some good highlights:
"Sheryl's Top 10 Favorite Old-Time Restaurants" lists out her favorites.
"Historical Markers" showcases 5 historical places with markers to check out. Most of the towns listed in this book have plenty of other Historical Markers for you to find too.
"National Register of Historic Places" lists 3 sites that are on the official list.
'Restaurant Cookbooks" section lists out any restaurant's cookbook that's been published.
"Sheryl's Hall of Fame" is really interesting because she's listed out the restaurants chronologically up to 1950. There's one from 1728!
What really makes this book good even if it's a bit outdated are the recipes included for many of the cafes. There's a Recipe Index that you can peruse by category (Appetizer, Breads, etc).
Overall, this is a nice book to read through. Try to find it at you local library either in the travel section or the Texas section. Since it was published in 2000, be sure to verify operations for any business you might want to visit.
Title: Texas Old-Time Restaurants and Cafes
Author: Sheryl Smith-Rodgers
ISBN: 978-1556227332
Pages: 270
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