day trips

by Geral E McLeod

The Old Coupland Inn barbecue restaurant has been reborn, reopened, and renewed. Once legendary among barbecue lovers, the landmark closed its doors over four years ago -- much to the dismay of the big appetites who filled the two-story, former country drugstore every weekend for the all-you-can-eat carnivore feast.

Barbara and Tim Worthy, the owners of the Inn and the Coupland Dancehall next door, have rejuvenated what was once the pride of Coupland. Now you can fill up on barbecue and walk next door to two-step it off on the dance floor.

Along with all of the work to preserve its past, there have been changes for the better. The Worthys have added combination plates, and the all-you-can-eat special is a dollar cheaper than it was five years ago.

"If you're like my husband, after an all-you-can-eat plate all he wants to do is go sleep it off," Barbara Worthy says. "That's why we added the `light' plate to the menu." (Or is it so you can save more room for the cobbler?)

The main platters, served family-style and piled high with brisket, sausage, chicken, and ribs, eat like a king's feast. And the side dishes which accompany them -- mountains of potato salad, cole slaw, beans, and bread -- are a meal unto themselves. The slaw is like a Waldorf salad, with bits of apple and raisins to sweeten it just the right amount; Barbara calls it a New Orleans recipe. They serve baked beans instead of pinto beans, and Armadillo artist Jim Franklin stops by for the vegetables.

"The only thing we kept from the old place was the barbecue sauce [used during cooking] and the mop sauce [placed on the tables]," Barbara says. "And the cook, Javier."

The Worthys discovered Coupland by accident. Living in Lago Vista, they had planned to meet friends from Houston at the restaurant. When they found the legendary barbecue restaurant closed and a "really dirty beer joint" next door, they recognized that this could be the dance hall they had always talked about opening.

For the next four years the Worthys worked to rebuild the decaying buildings that make up two-thirds of Coupland. Now the Coupland Dancehall has become a favorite stop on the dance-hall circuit.

With good crowds coming out on Friday and Saturday nights to fill the dance floor, the Worthys began concentrating on rebuilding the kitchen and dining room next door, and finished last June.

With the success of the dance hall and restaurant, other businesses are moving into the 112-year-old town. Two antique stores have opened around the corner from the dance hall, and there is renewed interest in the depot museum. The Worthys' next project is to add bed and breakfast accomodations above the restaurant.

The Old Coupland Inn serves from 6-11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Although they have three dining rooms, reservations are recommended for large parties. For information on reservations or who is playing, call 512/856-2226.

Coming up this weekend...

Food & Wine Fest in Fredericksburg showcases Texas producers with a wine tasting, a banquet of foods, and a sampling of music from jazz to polkas. Visitors will also be invited to participate in games like the grape stomp and cooking seminars, noon-7pm, Oct. 28. 210/997-8515.

Scarecrows-on-the-Square in Georgetown dresses the courthouse square for Halloween with a farmers market and trick-or-treating,10am-6pm, Oct. 28. 512/930-3545.

Coming up...

Original Frank X. Tolbert/Wick Fowler Memorial Championship Chili Cookoff in Terlingua is the cookoff that started it all. Winners of chili contests meet in the desert to see who is the best,
Nov. 2-4. 903/874-5601.

Terlingua International Chili Championship is down the road behind the store at Rancho CASI de los Chisos, Nov. 4. 806/352-8783.
-- Gerald E. McLeod