Huey O’s in Marble Falls puts special twist on American staples

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

MARBLE FALLS — As a musician and a songwriter, Huey O. Sherrill enjoys pouring his creativity into his music. But Sherrill also is taking that passion and turning it loose on American comfort foods such as hamburgers, fries, chicken sandwiches and other staples at his new restaurant, Huey O’s.

“One of the things I love about cooking, brother, is I can get in there and create some things that are going to just make people go, ‘Wow,'” Sherill said while sitting in one of two booths at his restaurant. “With my music, I write my own music, and it’s kind of the same thing with my cooking. I put all that energy and creativity into a sandwich.”

Huey O’s is located in the LBJ Food Mart (aka the Yellow Store), located at 407 U.S. 281. He’s open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday right now, but he’s not against expanding hours as things progress.

And progression might be a good way to describe Sherrill’s take on the restaurant business. He has worked just about every job in the industry, from busing tables to training staffs, so the transition into restaurant ownership seemed like a natural, if not, divine thing.

Before opening Huey O’s in October, Sherrill was the kitchen manager for the Sportsmen’s Cafe on RR 1431 just east of Smithwick. But then the opportunity to open Huey O’s came up.

“I pray a certain way, and, you know, I truly believe this is where God was leading me,” he said.

Sherrill didn’t have some five-year plan or a business model when he made the decision to jump into restaurant ownership. No, it was a God thing as far as he is concerned.

“When God directs me to do something, I jump at it,” Sherrill said.

The opportunity came when the LBJ Food Mart owner approached him about taking over the small kitchen nestled in the Yellow Store. For years a Thai food restaurant operated out of it, but, for almost the past year, it had been vacant.

“I didn’t really even think about it,” Sherrill said. “Some people, they may sit down and really go, ‘Well, is this really what I should be doing?’ or something like that. But for me, brother, God opened this door, and I just jumped through it.”

So far, it’s been a good jump as word spreads about Huey O’s and Sherrill’s food. As a one-man show, everything predominately falls on him, from cooking and cleaning to creating menu items. But he sees it as his calling.

“This is where God wants me,” he said. “Besides, I love it. I love the cooking. I love meeting people. This is what I want to do.”

Sherrill’s musical influence comes through both in the food and the decor. The restaurant is decked out in red and white — similar to a classic 1950s diner — complete with a black-and-white tile floor. There’s a mural of musical notes topped off by a spinning record on the wall.

Several of the foods have a musical name, but many also play off Sherrill’s own, especially his middle initial, “O.”

The food also takes on some of Sherrill’s personality. One bite and the diner realizes this isn’t just some off-the-shelf, mass-produced hamburger.

The bun, which he lightly toasts on both sides for a extra pop, isn’t a normal bun but a sourdough jalapeño roll. The flavor nicely wraps around the hand-formed patty, adding enough of its own presence but not so much that it takes away from the meat.

“It’s a little different, not what somebody expects, but something different,” Sherrill said. “And I think people around here will appreciate that difference.”

Up and down the menu, diners can explore other “different” things, including Roll O’s, a signature side dish. Sherrill wraps bacon and chicken around mozzarella cheese and chopped jalapenos and deep fries it for an amazing mix of flavors.

“Those just fly out of here once people try them,” he said.

Sherrill uses fresh ingredients. Every day, he makes his own batters, forms hamburger patties and buys fresh produce.

And he’s also not done adding to the menu. One item he’s perfecting and hopes to add to the menu Thanksgiving week is the Spaghetti O’ Burger.

“If you think about spaghetti and take away the noodles, you think about the meatballs and the sauce and the spices all wrapped up in there,” Sherill said with a big grin. “What I’m working on is creating my own marinara sauce and pouring it and melted mozzarella cheese over the patty on the grill so you get this really incredible burger.”

But he won’t plop it between just any bun. Sherrill plans on using two slices of Texas toast awash in his own special garlic butter.

When Sherrill rolls it out, he’ll feature it on his weekly special menu, something he plans to do with all his new menu items.

“And, brother, I’m just getting started,” he said.

Before he could share more of his upcoming menu ideas, another customer popped in, and Sherrill was off to the kitchen. “Yeah, you just wait and see what’s coming. I think people are going to love it,” he said.

Along with dining in, people can take out orders or even use the LBJ Food Mart drive-through to get their food. Stop by to place an order or call (830) 693-8065.

daniel@thepicayune.com