This funny looking wooden structure with red-trimmed paned windows hanging at odd angles is situated on the north side of I-10 at Hwy. 77 in Schulenburg. I stop there every year on the way back from one of my Hill Country trips to buy at least 4 packages of their beef jerky (peppered beef is their original flavor) for Christmas favorites for my grown kids and grandkids (not grown).
Last December Rich and I stopped there for lunch on our way to San Antonio for my nephew's wedding. This particular day was the oh-my-gosh-I-can't-believe-it's-snowing-this-far-south day. We were seated in the back dining room where we were able to have an enjoyable cozy lunch while gazing through the paned windows at the flurry of snowflakes. I know people from up north (which is probably anywhere north of Dallas) would not find this to be any particular phenomenon, but once again, being a native Houstonian, I sat and marveled at the quiet, white beauty of it all.
Now the food. The Smokehouse offers a huge buffet for $10.95 which seemed a bit high until I checked it out. Fried fish, sausage, fried chicken, BBQ ribs, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, other vegetables, great salad bar (with good salad greens), biscuits, rolls, a drink, and an entire separate dessert buffet with cakes and several types of hot cobblers.
I scanned the menu and my eyes fell on one particular item....chicken and dumplings. Snowy-cold day outside, cozy setting inside and the chance to have one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. The chicken and dumplings were $5.95 which I assumed would be more like a small bowl and had me thinking I'd be picking at Rich's buffet plate. But when the serving-size bowl was placed in front of me, I settled back and zeroed in on my own food. The dumplings were perfect, the chicken tender and the broth was just the right consistency. I was in heaven. After briefly considering rubbing the remains of my meal I couldn't finish across my face, I heaved a satisfied sigh and pushed back from the table.
Before leaving I had to stroll through the gift shop where I've always been able to pick up a couple of fun things for stocking-stuffers for my grandkids. Not only is the Oak Ridge Smokehouse a restaurant but also a deli, bakery and a truly unique gift shop (toys, books, cards) with tons of what I consider "old-time" candy (gobstoppers, limonheads, bit o'honey, tootsie rolls, sugar daddies, sugar babies, sloe pokes, almond joys, hot tamales, jr. mints, milk duds, tootsie roll pops).
So, on your next trip heading west on I-10 out of Houston, make the Oak Ridge Smokehouse one of your stops, either for a meal, driving break or to pick up some of their home-made jerky (try the jalapeno jerky). Come to think of it they also offer turkey jerky (say that fast 3 times).
www.oakridge-smokehouse.com
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