Salado’s Stagecoach Inn has long been a sacred retreat for travelers and locals alike — it’s one of the most famous and renowned highway restaurants in the country. Opened in 1861 on the banks of Salado Creek,
the iconic venue, originally called Shady Villa, was built as a stagecoach stop along the Chisholm Trail and has hosted the likes of Robert E. Lee, George Custer, Jesse James and Sam Houston, who famously offered a speech against secession from its balcony.
So it was a major blow to Salado when, in 2015, the Stagecoach, the village’s oldest structure and crown jewel, closed, victim of construction on I-35 that ultimately resulted in the demise of roughly 90 businesses in the tourism based community. “That,” Rep. John Carter says, “was the death of downtown Salado.”
But two years later, all signs point to a resurrection. Nearby construction on I-35 has been completed, the village is showing signs of life, and, most significant, the Stagecoach, on June 14, 2017, reopened under new ownership after a year-long restoration process. “This place has so many wonderful memories for so many people across the generations,” says new manager Josh Palmer, who, along with his wife, director of operations Jacqueline Nation, moved to Salado from Austin to properly commit themselves to the Stagecoach. “Some of our employees have parents and grandparents who worked here.”
And the team hired an impressive executive chef, Justin Holler, himself familiar with rebirths, having struggled to overcome personal battles. Keenly aware of the need to preserve the Stagecoach’s history, Holler has skillfully transformed the menu by giving old favorites a contemporary twist. The tomahawk pork chop now comes with kale and an apricot-peach jam; the barbecued Texas shrimp are served on a bed of escarole and jalapeño cream corn; the grilled cheese pimento sandwich, a holdover from the old menu, has been modernized.
INNKEEPERS Manager Josh Palmer (left in left photo) and executive chef Justin Holler (at right) are the new generation of leaders at the iconic venue. The Shady Villa Bar they’re manning serves classic and creative cocktails — all from scratch.
Even the renowned 1861 hushpuppies have been updated, now made only with fresh ingre- dients. And while that’s clearly an upgrade — the previous incarnation used frozen hushpuppies — Holler has learned a lesson of sorts about tin- kering with the tried and true. “We have people who’ve been coming here for decades,” Holler says, “and they complain the hushpuppies aren’t the same.”
Not to worry, however — the menu is getting enthusiastic reviews from most who dine here, and rightly so. The combination of fresh ingredients, locally sourced items and Holler’s creative energies is the perfect recipe for attracting locals while bringing in visitors from far and wide.
OLD IS NEW Enjoy comfort — and comfort foods — like the famed hushpuppies (left) and deep-fried bacon (right).
And there’s more good news on the horizon: the Stagecoach’s adjacent hotel is scheduled to reopen this spring, which will be a boon both to the restaurant and the village.
Those associ- ated with Salado know how vital the Stagecoach is to the area — and thus appreciate the importance of its return. Holler, in fact, recalls that during the first night after the reopening, Skip Blancett, Salado’s mayor, gathered the staff in the kitchen. “Thank you for what you’re doing,” he told them. “You have no idea what this means to Main Street.”
And these days, after some tumultuous years, Main Street is hard to miss: the new owners of the Stagecoach closed off the inn’s entrance from the highway so drivers are routed down Main Street.
A comeback story like this isn’t complete without an appropriate ending, and the Stagecoach supplies that, too — its longtime signature dessert, the strawberry kiss.
