Day Trips: HiWay 77 Cafe
Cafe honors men and women in uniform
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., Nov. 7, 2014
HiWay 77 Cafe, north of Rosebud honors the men and women who served in uniform every day. The walls of the country-style eatery are festooned with more than 500 photos of veterans.
Some of the portraits are faded black-and-white images; others are vibrant color portraits with the American flag filling the background. Most have a short biography attached to the back of the frame, but a few are anonymous soldiers whose photos were rescued from rummage-sale bins. The faces range from the Civil War to Afghanistan.
It all began in 2001 when the cafe's original owner, Martha Westerman, hung a few photos of her relatives in uniform. Donations began flowing in. The current owners, Bill and Sue Sturrock, continue the tradition. On slow afternoons, the waitstaff numbers and catalogues a new batch of donated images to join the hall of fame, and the number grows weekly.
As interesting as the rows of photos are, the reason to visit is the food. The kitchen produces good, solid home cooking. Country folks 60 miles southeast of Fort Hood prefer meatloaf, chicken-fried steak, and barbecue for lunch and dinner.
HiWay 77 Cafe is one mile north of Rosebud on U.S. Highway 77. The kitchen is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 8pm, and closes at 2pm on Sunday. Sue warns out-of-town visitors that the towns of Rosebud and Lott are speed traps. For more information, call 254/583-4444 or go to www.hwy77.com.
1,215th in a series. Collect them all. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of "Day Trips," is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
