Attractions
Cowboy Cuisine – Wilfong’s Cajun Shack & Oyster Bar and Greenwood Saloon
By Steve Stevens
So my wife and I were going to have a cowboy date night. We had a babysitter for the kids for a few hours.
We had been wanting to try this little fancy restaurant in Bluffdale, Texas, population a few thousand, somewhere between Granbury and Stephenville.
Unfortunately the restaurant we planned to go to was booked up and we couldn’t get a seat. But sometimes life gives unexpected gifts. Across the street looked like a mirage, an island oasis with people bustling under a canopy with signs of crawfish and oysters. People were talking loud, celebrating the atmosphere. I kept thinking to myself—Alan Jackson was right, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere…”
This place was straight out of a Jimmy Buffet video set right in the middle of Bluffdale, Texas. This looked more like something you would see in the Florida Keys. The storm clouds were brewing and there was a humid spring breeze.
As we crossed the street and drew closer, you would think it looked more like a cowboy roper bar because every team roper with their hooey hats filled the bar. It was mixed with city folks, tourists and cowboys, but it felt more like a local’s hidden gem.
The concept is pretty simple: they put butcher paper on the table and there is a choice of a handful of Cajun specialties on the menu and that is it.
Cash only and It was BYOB, (bring your own beer or I should I say BYOL, bring your own liquor, because cowboys kept walking up with half-filled bottles of Tito’s tequila and Texas whiskey).
There were ice chests full of Shiner, Lone Star and Revolver. Now that being said, it was not out of hand wild, just people blowing off some steam at the end of a beautiful Saturday afternoon.
Wilfong’s Cajun Sack & Oyster Bar – 28601 US-377, Bluff Dale, Texas – 254-728-3238 or The Greenwood Saloon – Greenwood St., Bluff Dale, TX 76433 – 254- 728-3735
To read more pick up a copy of the May 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
Crawfish
Seafood Gumbo
Shrimp
Welcoming sign at Wilfong’s. (Photos by Steve Stevens)
On The Road With Dave Alexander
Rarely will you find an event center that includes a music venue, a steakhouse and a wildlife refuge all rolled into one.
Oak Meadow Ranch has been welcoming guests for over two decades with one thing in mind, your complete happy experience.
The Chef Dinner and Exotic Animal Experience includes a four-course meal followed by a hands-on experience with exotic animals.
You can catch up with Dave at the Birthplace of Western Swing Festival in Fort Worth, Texas on November 7, or at the Irving Symphony Orchestra in Irving, Texas on November 9. To read more about his experience at Oak Meadow Ranch, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print.
To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Lindsey Monk
On Aug. 22, 2024 at 11:40 p.m., the Remington fire jumped the line in Wyoming to burn towards Montana at a high rate of speed. The fire burned 194,459 acres and over 41 miles from one end to the other in a span of two days. Livestock producers will be feeling the effects for years to come.
Pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Hannah Claxton | Editor
The GO TEXAN program is a Texas Department of Agriculture initiative dedicated to showcasing and supporting Texas based busi- nesses. During the State Fair of Texas, held in Dallas each year, the program puts together the GO TEXAN pavilion. Within the pavilion, presented by Southwest Dairy Farmers, visitors have the opportunity to sample and shop Texas-based products, learn more about agriculture and participate in family-friendly activities.
In 2023, more than $1 million in revenue was generated across nearly 67,000 products sold. Businesses with products produced or processed in Texas are invited to apply to join the program, and can visit http:// www.gotexan.org/JOIN to apply.
When visiting the State Fair of Texas, make sure to visit the GO TEXAN pavilion to support businesses driving agricultural commerce and explore Texas agricultural commodities outside of North Texas.
The State Fair of Texas is held each year in the fall, and is considered to be the first of the “majors” shows for many students involved in showing livestock. Cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, and even llamas all have a class to enter at the fair.
For those not showing livestock, over a hundred creative arts classes are available to enter. Canned goods, photography, quilts, paintings, and butter sculptures are all displayed throughout the fair’s duration. Another contest judges a variety of antique collections and keeps them on display throughout the duration of the fair.
It’s not the State Fair of Texas without world-renowned food. The Big Tex Choice Awards contest has solidified the State Fair of Texas as the top Fair for great food creations. Each year, State Fair concessionaires fry up tasty and unique foods for a chance to become a finalist in the annual Big Tex Choice Awards competition.
The 2024 Finalists in the Savory category are: Dominican Fritura Dog (by Justin Martinez), The Drowning Taquitos (by Tony & Terry Bednar), Hippie Chips (by Rose and Tom Deschenes), Hot Chick-In- Pancake Poppers (by Palmer and Amanda Fortune), Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs (by Nick and Vera Burt).
In the Sweet category, the 2024 Finalists are: Nevins Nutty Bar- Laska (by Tami Nevins Mayes & Josie Mayes), Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon On A Stick (by Isaac Rousso), Strawberry Pop-Tarts Beignettfle (by Justin Martinez), Texas Sugar Rush Pickles (by Heather Perkins), and Tropical Two-Step Punch (by Binh Tran).
Livestock & contests schedule of events is available in the September issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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