Orsak’s Café in Fayetteville is where neighbors meet, and visitors discover a homecooked meal. The little diner on the town square is famous for its burgers and chicken-fried steaks, but the desserts are best of all. Credit: GERALD E. McLEOD

Orsak’s Café in Fayetteville continues the legacy of small-town diners where locals meet and travelers revel in discovering a good homestyle meal.

Come for the juicy, two-fisted burgers or the chicken-fried steak smothered in gravy, but don’t miss the desserts. Meringue pies are a house specialty, but the cobblers are really special. Add a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream and you’ve got a full meal. 

The chocolate-cherry-cheesecake brownie alone is worth the little over an hour’s drive east from Austin. The cookie’s big enough for three people, but you won’t want to share. 

Orsak’s Cafe opened in 1963 and has been a hub for locals and visitors from the beginning. Ignac “Ike” and Geraldine Orsak owned the cafe from 1985 until their retirement in 2002. The current owner, Terri McPherson, started working there as a teenager more than 40 years ago. 

Founded in 1963, Orsak’s Café occupies two pink buildings on the square overlooking the county precinct courthouse. The dining rooms are decorated with fishing memorabilia in honor of nearby Lake Fayette, one of the best bass fishing lakes in Texas. Credit: GERALD E. McLEOD

The two pink buildings housing the cafe sit on the town square overlooking the quaint Fayetteville County Precinct No. 2 Courthouse. Built in 1880, the two-story courthouse with a clock tower is no longer used as a courthouse, but the building remains a central part of the town.

With a population of around 250, Fayetteville occupies a forest of oak trees surrounded by Ross Prairie. In the distance to the north are the smokestacks of the coal-fired Fayette Power Plant owned by Austin and the Lower Colorado River Authority since 1979. There are two LCRA parks on Lake Fayette popular with fishermen. 

If you’re looking to stay overnight in Fayetteville, the town has several bed-and-breakfast accommodations, and the charming Grand Fayette Hotel is steps away from Orsak’s Cafe. Both LCRA parks offer cabins and camping. 

Orsak’s Cafe is at 121 W. Fayette St. in Fayetteville, 6.5 miles off TX-71 just west of Ellinger. The coffee is on daily from 8am to 9pm and until 10pm on weekends. 

Built in 1880, the Fayette County Precinct 2 Courthouse in Fayetteville no longer serves as a courthouse but remains an integral part of the community. The two-story wood building has two jail cells upstairs. A local ladies’ club added the four-faced clock in 1934 for the Texas Centennial. Credit: GERALD E. McLEOD

1,807th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere. Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/day-trips.

This article appears in May 22 • 2026.

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Gerald E. McLeod joined the Chronicle staff in November 1980 as a graphic designer. In April 1991 he began writing the “Day Trips” column. Besides the weekly travel column, he contributed “101 Swimming Holes,” “Guide to Central Texas Barbecue,” and “Guide to the Texas Hill Country.” His first 200 columns have been published in Day Trips Vol. I and Day Trips Vol. II.