o'brien's restaurant

extensive wine list with $20 bottle nights mid week!  live music  on a lot of friday nights with no cover for diners!  freshsoups and salads!  dinner staples like burgers, meatloaf, and the best chicken fried chicken (or steak) plusfreshseafood, pasta dishes, and amazing home cooked desserts are offered daily. lunch too!  the vibe inside is classic texas hill country eclectic decor the owner built out himself, the outside still resembles it's origin as a gas station built in 1932!  come early if it's band night! the kitchen is not huge due to the building layout, so plan on your food taking a while when it's packed - but it will be wort the wait!   i don't know how a small, family run business can offer such a diverse regular menu plus run tempting off-menu specials every day!

i took a chance and stopped at this restaurant for lunch on my way back to houston. best beef burger i may have ever had. quality meat.freshjalapeño bun.freshtrimmings. creole mustard.freshcut sweet potato fries. i was not disappointed.

the duke is in the house. the duke is in the house, or at least numerous pictures of him and an almost full size likeness on the walls and in the dining room respectively. taxidermied animal heads and bodies of various species stare back from the walls. to top off the cowboy theme, the dining tables are covered with plastic cowhide tablecolths. yipee ki oh!

our waitress touted the chicken fried entrees which most of us ordered with the exception of a german plate consisting of fried potatoes, sauerkraut with apple and bratwurst which the diner said was good. the chicken fried chicken was tender with a crunchy seasoned batter. the cf steak followed suit with the exception of being just a little chewy at times. unfortunately the cook had a heavy hand on the salt which all agreed detracted from the otherwise tasty gravy.

three of us also had the macaroni and cheese which was good albeit a little bland but, oddly enough lacked a little salt. very cheesy but could have benefitted from the addition of another cheese flavor such as gruyere. wilted spinach with garlic wasfreshand a nice change of pace from the usual green beans typically served with this dish.

there's a shaded patio on the right side of the building which looks perfect for an evening concert of c&w crooning by local talent and the consumption of a few long necks. wouldn't have minded a few after lunch drinks there, but with the duke staring down at us from the picture over the bar, i remembered that "we're burning daylight" with a few more errands to accomplish before the dogies retired.

retrack thankgiving dinner. there was miss communication and after getting in touch with the owner (becky) they have generously offered us the following
"what i would like to do for you is offer you a free christmas dinner package that feeds 6-8 people. it includes a smoked or baked turkey with cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole,freshcranberries, gravy and a pie. i could do this same package for you but give you a ham instead of a turkey if you wish. and if the above is not what you would like then we are doing a lasagna package that includes a salad or a king ranch chicken package"
that is how business should be done thank you o'brian’s we will be back and will tell more about the great place


-----23 nov, 2012-----

thanksgiving disappointment
i have a lot to be thankful for but make reservation to have thanksgiving dinner at o’brien’s is not one of them. i made reservation 2 weeks in advance and show for my 3:00 setting to be told the kitchen was closed. i understand people want to be with family this time of year so why tell me that a 3:00 reservation is perfect when they plan to close earlier. my son (just back from the navy) always enjoyed going there so that was yet another disappointment. too many other great place to go to every go back. how rude!!!

best secret in sa area. great service comes from this once old gas station stop. a full bar greets you as you enter and make your way to the back dining room decorated in ranch style furnishings complete with a huge fireplace for those chilly hill country nights. the service was friendly and prompt. the fish items arefreshand good and the quail is some of the best i have had. can hardly wait to go back.!