R Place

I was in the area this weekend and had read about this place online. Me and my wife stopped in and were pleasantly surprised. We had the chopped beef and German potatoe salad, and let me tell you, it was to die for. The owner is a great guy and fun to talk to as well. They have live music and a fine-dining dinner on some Saturdays. The beer selection is pretty outstanding as well.

Wow!! I've been wanting to come here for years after stumbling upon R Place at a 4th of July celebration at Washington on the Brazos park.  

It's about an hour's drive from where I live in NW Harris County.  

I called one of the numbers on the website for reservations and left a message.  I never heard back from anyone, so my husband and I took a chance there'd be room for us.

When we walked in, there was a man in the corner playing blues on his guitar.  This is a very authentic Texan diner.  Tin ceiling, tin wall, barn wood everywhere. Casual dress.  On Saturday night, there's no menu. You get what the chef has been preparing all day .This night we had roasted pork loin, with fresh garden tomatoes. An organic greens (from their own garden) salad with blue cheese, onion, tomatoes (again, their own garden) and balsamic vinegar.  I was very, very happy with the flavor and freshness of the salad.  It was a nice size too.

We were seated in a back room which has room for about 4 tables.  My husband and I could talk at a decent level, the other tables are a nice distance from you so you don't feel like you must whisper.   Also my husband said his beer was ICE COLD. My cabernet was chilled too but it didn't take long for it to settle down to room temp.

For starters, you are given a basked of a warm loaf of bread and baked brie with pesto.  The bread was very fresh and almost sour dough tasting, and the large half moon brie was super yummy.

Then we got our salad. After that we got our pork loin and huge sliced tomatoes on the side. The three  pork loin slices were thick cut, and roasted with a rosemary crust.  There was very, very little fat on this pork.  My husband and I were in awe of how good this food was. The pork also had a guyere sauce atop that was not overpowering, or thick, or too creamy or too thin.  It was perfect.  If it were socially acceptable, I probably would have licked my plate.

We then had homemade bluebell ice cream for dessert.  Never have I enjoyed a bowl of ice cream as I did on this night, it was the perfect dessert for a perfect dinner.

I heard this place serves killer BBQ, too.

After wards we went outside to the picnic tables, where it was so nice and breezy, to look at the flower and vegetable garden. We met a really nice diner Kathleen who was celebrating her birthday and had 16 of her friends in the main room.  Everyone seemed so nice and welcoming.  

We truly enjoyed our evening, and will definitely be back.

CYCLISTS FRIENDLY!! WOOHOO!! (see foot note)

I have been wanting to stop for weeks to check this place out but seeing as they don't open until 11 AM I'm usually riding by too early. Rolled up around lunch time this Sunday due to a late start and took the opportunity to get off of the bike for a much needed rest and refueling. I almost didn't get back on the bike because I found my self in food heaven lol!!

I was greeted by the awesome owner which I am terribly embarrassed to say I never asked for his name (that oversight will be corrected on my next visit). The lunch menu was simple with bbq brisket, sausage, and chicken salad sandwiches. Other than a bag of chips the only other side available was the German Potato Salad (which as you'll find out below is the only side they need to serve).

I decided to go with the chicken salad sandwich which was served up very quickly and wow was it good. Much more chicken than salad I am pleased to say with crunchy fresh lettuce, ruby red tomatoes, and dill pickle slices. I wolfed it down as fast as I could.

And now for the German Potato Salad. This stuff is knock-your-socks-off-slap-your-momma-good!! I'm consider myself a potato salad fan and I can honestly say this is the best I've ever had. The owner / chef (I have to to get his name) starts off by reducing bacon, and draining off the fat to be mixed with sugar, vinegar, salt, and a couple of other ingredients that I can't remember because I was shoveling it into my mouth one bite after the other. The owner said he likes it best when it is fresh and warm but mine had been refrigerated which I liked better for a warmish afternoon. The only reason I didn't finish it off completely and lick the plate was because I still had another twenty miles to ride back to Chappell Hill.

If your going to Washington-on-the-Brazos you have to stop here for lunch. If you're a local the Saturday night dinners should be a must do.

*Cyclists Notes:

I was chatting up the owner and mentioned that I always park in Chappell Hill and with the corresponding summer heat dictated early starts I would probably drive back to his place for lunch post-ride before driving back to Houston. He suggested that I park in the back of his place for the launch / finish so I wouldn't have to drive back from Chappell Hill for lunch. Sheer genius on his part!!

Tips to make this work for you and your cycling buddies:

1) Park all the way in the back behind the barbecue pit. DO NOT BLOCK ANY OF THE SEVERAL DRIVEWAYS ON THE PROPERTY. (It's called being polite.)
2) The place will be closed if you you show up before 11 AM so if you have to use the restroom or fill your water bottles up do it in Navasota.
3) The owner is super friendly and expressed a real interest in serving the cycling community. DO NOT be a cycling snob if you choose to patronize this business!!!