The Blue Bonnet Cafe - Marble Falls, Texas

Who doesn’t love home cooking? Who doesn’t want to eat the food that you grew up with – food so good that only a Mom can make to your satisfaction? That kind of food only exists at Mom’s house, right? Not quite. There is a place where you would swear your Mom must be in the kitchen, cooking your favorite food – The Blue Bonnet Café, in Marble Falls, Texas.

This outstanding eatery has been featured on The Food Network; former president and first lady George and Laura Bush and a number of other famous people have eaten there. It is no accident that people flock to this café – great food draws crowds, and the food at The Blue Bonnet is not just good – it is memorable.

We stopped at this famous spot on our way home from a trip one recent summer day. We weren’t sure what to expect for wait time – a well-known restaurant like this at lunchtime would almost certainly require a long wait. When we arrived, we could see that the place was packed, but we waited less than fifteen minutes before the friendly hostess seated us.

Sometimes, such a place does not live up to expectations. How many times have you gone somewhere or done something that was highly anticipated, but didn’t turn out like you expected? That didn’t happen at the Blue Bonnet – it was even better than its advance billing.

My son Brendan and I ordered Mama’s Famous Pot Roast with homemade red skin mashed potatoes; my wife Tiffany had the hand battered chicken fried steak, and Emily had a hamburger. I noticed that everyone at our table – in fact, everyone that I could see around us - smiled throughout their meal. I’ve never seen so many smiling people in a restaurant; everyone that I could see clearly loved the food. My pot roast was exceptional – they don’t call this home cooking for nothing. But that was just the beginning. Then came the pies – oh wow, the pies.

The Blue Bonnet keeps a glass case display with fresh pies of just about every conceivable flavor. Just walking past that case as we were seated was an experience in itself. Look at that one – no wait, look at that one. How are we going to choose which one of those pies to sample? What a happy dilemma to have, and of course, no one was disappointed with his or her choice – every pie slice was exceptional.

After eating at this restaurant, you may be tempted to take a look, just to be sure it isn’t your Mom back there in the Bluebonnet kitchen, but it may as well be. If you love home cooking, you need to find your way to Marble Falls, and eat at The Blue Bonnet Café. Although it’s not your Mom cooking in their kitchen, you will smile and enjoy your food, just as though Mom made it herself.

The Blue Bonnet Café

211 Highway 281

Marble Falls, Texas 78654

Larry Manch is an author, teacher, guitar player, freelance writer, and columnist. His books include: 'Twisted Logic: 50 Edgy Flash Fiction Stories', 'The Toughest Hundred Dollars & Other Rock & Roll Stories', 'A Sports Junkie', 'The Avery Appointment', 'Between the Fuzzy Parts'. His books are available in paperback and e-book.

He also writes about sports for Season Tickets, food and travel on Miles & Meals, and music/guitars on The Backbeat.

Follow @LarryManch