Blue Bonnet Cafe

Blue Bonnet Cafe: A pit stop you won’t regret

Some friends and I went camping in Texas hill country in the hot summer sun. After a long weekend of campfire-roasted hot dogs, fishing on the lake, and sleeping in tents, we began our trek back to Austin. But before we could complete the one-hour drive, we had to make a pit stop. The only place we insisted on visiting before going back to reality was the one and only Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls, Texas.

Blue Bonnet Cafe is a bit of a celebrity around Texas – everyone’s heard of it, and everyone has a strong opinion about which pie is best. Because at Blue Bonnet Cafe, you don’t leave without a slice (or an entire pie) of your personal favorite flavor.

When you pull up to Blue Bonnet Cafe, your heart immediately sinks because nine times out of ten, there’s a line that goes out the door and wraps around the building. But fear not! The line moves fairly quickly and there’s lots of interesting restaurant memorabilia to look at once you step foot inside the door. We waited for about forty-five minutes, and every minute was worth it.

The exterior of the place is charming, with bushes of bluebonnets (the state flower of Texas) surrounding the parking lot, and a battered-looking sign tells you what the plate of the day is. The building is small and clearly has been around for awhile, but feels like home. Once you’ve made it inside and through the line, the interior is crowded with customers, and old aluminum signs such as “Try some pie” and “Thanks for stopping in” adorn the walls. Your waiter is friendly and excited to ask if you’ve dined with them previously. In our case, this was our first visit, and this particular day, we were in the mood for one thing only: pie.

Blue Bonnet Cafe is the only place to be if you’re looking for pie baked fresh that day and topped with real whipped cream. The owners and employees take pride in their expert pies and are eager to share them with both loyal regulars and tourists who’ve come to see what the buzz is all about.

What to eat at Blue Bonnet Cafe

We decided to order three slices of pie: the Peanut Butter, the German Chocolate, and the Lemon Meringue. All three have perfectly flaky crust (clearly made by hand) and are served freshly cut on a plate. The Peanut Butter is rich in peanut flavor but not overpowering, and with just the right amount of chocolate syrup drizzled on top. Absolutely delicious.

The German Chocolate has crunchy nuts atop its velvety whipped cream topping and has a light chocolatey flavor in its filling that keeps you going back for bite after bite. The whole table loved it. Last but not least was our all-time favorite – the Lemon Meringue pie. This slice of pie is MASSIVE (about four or five inches off the plate) and has the lightest and fluffiest meringue I’ve ever tasted piled atop of its bright lemon filling. If you’re visiting Bluebonnet Cafe, be sure to grab a slice of this pie.

In conclusion, Blue Bonnet Cafe has a reputation for good reason: it’s fresh, it’s delicious, and it’s the closest thing you can find to your own grandmother’s cooking. So hop in line next time you drive past, and find out what their namesake is all about.