Home of the ‘hobo taco’ Junction Cafe to permanently close
Junction Cafe, located at 102 Castleberry Court in Bertram, will close within the next few weeks due to the rising cost of operations. Staff photo by Caden Senn
After nearly a decade of operation in Bertram, and a much longer history in the broader Highland Lakes, the beloved restaurant known for its “hobo tacos,” Junction Cafe, will permanently close its doors.
The restaurant, located at 102 Castleberry Court, opened in 2017 and operated as a sister restaurant to Liberty Hill-based Hobo Junction.
Nacona McDowell, the owner of both restaurants, told DailyTrib that she purchased the two cafes after working at Hobo Junction for several years, and has been operating them with family and lifelong friends since.
“For three years I had both restaurants,” she said. “They were family owned. My sons have worked for me, my friends have worked for me, and the people that I worked with at The Hobo before I bought it all became family and they worked for me as well.”
Hobo Junction was previously named The Hobo, and was a premier restaurant stop in Liberty Hill until it closed a handful of years ago. Junction Cafe has kept the spirit alive with dishes such as the popular hobo tacos.
According to McDowell, Junction Cafe has struggled mightily since the COVID-19 days to stay staffed, and the rising cost of operating a business has only made matters worse.
“I hate it because I believe we could successfully stay open if the rent wasn’t going up,” she told DailyTrib. “But I feel like everything is falling into place like it’s where we need to go. I need my children to move on and live out their careers. This was my dream, and I came, I saw, and I did.”
McDowell shared with DailyTrib that her lease on the building would expire Nov. 6.
Despite the solemn departure, McDowell expressed gratitude for the decade worth of continued support from local residents.
“I’ve been feeding the same people for 23 years,” she said. “It’s sad, but I’m appreciative of the love that we get, and I want the community to still have these kinds of restaurants.”
Junction Cafe will remain open from 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. daily, with extended dinner hours from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, ahead of closing.