Castroville (aka "The Little Alsace of Texas") is a small town brimming with identity, what with its German American heritage and distinctive Alsatian-Texas architecture. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of its culinary scene, a hodgepodge of fast food, greasy spoons, and touristy Germanic fare (lots of sausages and sauerkraut -- "Alsatian cuisine" in its most reductive form). Castroville Cafe -- a cozy, tree-lined spot nestled in a residential neighborhood -- does little to differentiate itself from any other small-town cafe in South Texas, but it's a good option for (mostly) home-cooked comfort foods.
With a name like "Castroville Cafe," one might expect to sample a few Alsatian classics like baeckeoffe, choucroute, or spaetzle, but no; this is a place for diner staples such as soups, sandwiches, and burgers. Fortunately, the kitchen lends a deft touch to these classics, resulting in a chicken tortilla soup with a rich, comforting stock redolent with aromatics, and a hearty burger with beef sourced locally from Dziuk's Meat Market. The burger is nothing fancy (just an 80/20 mix of chuck and brisket), but its irregular, hand-formed patty and backyard grill flavor are a welcome respite from the artificially juicy pre-frozen patties to which I've grown accustomed at other small-town eateries.
Not everything is sourced locally nor made from scratch, however, as evidenced by the preponderance of Sysco-branded items on display (e.g., House Recipe ketchup). I understand why a place like Castroville Cafe would use wholesale distribution channels for essentials like condiments and sugar packets, but I expect scratch-made breads for the burgers and sandwiches. On a recent visit, a thick, stale sourdough bun brought down an otherwise excellent fried flounder sandwich, while a doughy, overly sweet wheat bun (served room temperature) conspired to undermine the burger. When I pressed my server, she admitted begrudgingly that all of the breads came from Sysco. Many small kitchens outsource baked goods, but why not partner with a local bakery (in this case, Haby's just down the street)?
Desserts are a mixed bag. At one end of the spectrum, a deceptively simple chocolate-pecan sheet cake upped the ante with a superbly rich, buttery icing spiked with a pinch of cinnamon. The cake was moist, warm, and undoubtedly made from scratch on the premises. At the opposite end of the spectrum, peach cobbler was an abject failure, a sloppy, gloppy mess of syrupy canned peaches, brown mush masquerading as pie crust, and a swirl of toxic soft-serve vanilla ice cream.
Were I to judge Castroville Cafe on the merits of its food alone, I would likely award 2.5 stars, but the middle-aged waitresses are ingratiating and the place is surrounded by cute kitty cats. For those two reasons, I shall award the cafe an additional one-half star. This is not a destination restaurant, but it's an okay option if you limit your order to the burger, a cup of soup, and a slice of that phenomenal chocolate sheet cake. I should note that I have yet to visit for dinner service, so maybe the pot roast and meat loaf entrees would win me over. Perhaps one day an enterprising young chef will settle in Castroville and launch a world-class restaurant focusing on elevated, modern takes of Alsatian favorites such as flammekueche, fleschnacka, or bretzel. Until that day arrives, locals and visitors alike will have to settle with ho-hum places like Castroville Cafe. read more