Thursday, September 20, 2012

Old Coupland Inn


COUPLAND: Old Coupland Inn
101 Hoxie Street 
Coupland, TX 78615
512-856-2777
Open F-Sat 5:30-10
oldcouplandinn.com


A short strip of highway connects Taylor and Elgin, Texas and midway between the two you'll see a sign for Coupland. If you've never taken the road up and over the hill to the east, then you've probably never seen the impressive collection of historic buildings that line the main street if Coupland. Barbara and Tim Worthy converted one of those buildings into a restaurant and dance hall back in 1992. After a while they tired of the taxing lifestyle that came along with running a dance hall and sold the business while retaining ownership of the building. A failed venture by one tenant was followed by another who forgot to pay the rent so they found themselves back in the dance hall business again when they reopened the place late last year. They've steadily reopened all portions of the business with the restaurant in full swing and the bed & breakfast getting a face lift.

Photo by Nicholas McWhirter

During our visit they were trying out a new menu item that they were eager to get our opinion on. A half a jalapeno was sliced open and filled with chopped leftover brisket and cheese, then the whole thing was hand-breaded and fried. The golden crust had the crispness of a good chicken fried steak and the jalapeno still held on to some of its crunch. The smokiness of the brisket held up even to the heat of the jalapeno. We urged them to make these a regular menu item, which they now are as 'Brisket Poppers'. Order them.

After the brisket poppers were finished, it didn’t take long for a plate of barbecue to show up at our booth. Fatty slices of brisket were a bit underdone, but the smoke in the crust was phenomenal. Dark crusted St. Louis style ribs were exemplary. The meat had just the right amount of mesquite smoke and ample seasoning. The meat needed just a tug to get it off the bone, and a well formed crust gave a textural contrast to the moist meat beneath. A peppery sausage link was also good and sides of surprisingly spicy slaw and mashed potato salad were evidence of the care taken on the food preparation here. A tub of peach cobbler was far more than we could finish at this point, but we gave it our best shot. The dance hall didn't have a show on this evening, so we didn't have the chance to work anything off on the dance floor, but that was probably better for everyone.

Rating ****

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love this place!!!! Well worth the trip.

Anonymous said...

The restaurant, dining and lodging are all as wonderful as the owners Tim and Barbara. Their love for this place and their customers definitely shows.

Anonymous said...

Coupland is an overlooked treasure!
A relaxing drive thru the country and once you get there you get to enjoy a bit of history when you walk into the restaurant. I have been a waitress here for 18 years! I recommend abosulutely everything on our menu. I love this business and my customers are all special. I wish more people would discover us. I promise they won't be disappointed. Thanks for taking the time to come out and dine with us!

DISCLAIMER:

Each joint is judged on the essence of Texas 'cue...sliced brisket and pork ribs. Sausage is only considered if house made. Sauce is good, but good meat needs no adornment to satisfy. Each review can only be based on specific cuts of meat on that particular day. Finally, if the place fries up catfish or serves a caesar salad, then chances are they aren't paying enough attention to the pits, so we mostly steered clear.

-THE PROPHETS OF SMOKED MEAT