Eating on the road

Er . . . I'm not actually talking about roadkill here. I'm thinking of the places where My Prince and I have tended to stop for food while traveling between our home and Mama's. Usually we take HWY 71 and I-10 from Austin to her place. After more than more than 30 years of making this trip, it surprises me that we have not been more adventurous in trying out places to eat. Maybe I need to change that.

In the meantime, one of our favorite stops is Weikel's in LaGrange. Their website says that they have been around since 1984, but I sure thought they were older than that! Weikel's is just about a mandatory stop if you are traveling HWY 71, and it seems like we've been stopping there forever.

The two main attractions at Weikel's are the pigs and the kolaches. The pigs-in-a-blanket are little sausages baked in a sweetish tasting bread. This is not my favorite taste, but I have to buy a couple of packages for Mama just about every trip. She would live on them if she could. The kolaches are all good, of course. I don't much care for the poppy seed variety; the cream cheese version is my favorite.

What I buy for myself, however, are Weikel's homemade sandwiches, which they will make to order while you wait, and (sometimes) a slice of apple strudel. You can get a half sandwich if the whole thing is too much for you. They use their own bread (white or whole wheat) and offer a variety of meats and additions to your sandwich. I generally get the roast beef and then all of the toppings they can pile on. The apple strudel is sold by weight. It's pretty dense, so a small slice is more than enough for most folks, I would think. The oddest thing about the strudel is the use of crumbled cornflakes for the top (and likely on the inside as well). Both items suit my taste, but they are not driving foods. I only order them when I can take the time to sit and enjoy eating them.

Well, I do sometimes sneak a cup of coffee and a piece of strudel and try to drive with them. Messy but definitely tasty.

The people are friendly at Weikel's. The food is fresh. When they run out, it's gone for the day, but don't give up. If the pigs and kolaches are gone, try the strudel, the cream cake, the honey bee rolls, the . . . well, you get the picture. It's all good.