Food
Park Street Burgers
Almost nowhere in Gatesville is busier than the drive-thru at Park Street Burgers, and one bite tells you why. Since 2017 this little building and its all-lady crew have been grinding patties fresh every morning and searing them up like Granny used to in a cast iron skillet. I went double meat, double cheese, grilled onions, grilled jalapenos and bacon, then hit it with their homemade spicy ketchup, the Out of the Park sauce. There’s no dining room, so grab extra napkins and eat outside like a real Texan.
Rissy's Slappin Sips and Bangin Bites
Tucked behind the historic buildings on the square, I found Rissy’s food truck and the most fun lemonade in Texas. Rissy makes every syrup at home with no preservatives, and it all started with her grandma’s recipe, which once paid her husband Mark for mowing Grandma’s lawn. There are 16 flavors to mix and match, from watermelon lavender to pineapple jalapeno to basil, hibiscus and even pickle. Mark cooks up some incredible food too, but I saved every empty space in my stomach for lemonade.
The Feed Mill
The Feed Mill really was the town’s feed mill, where ranchers drove in with hay and drove out with feed. Now it’s part restaurant, part museum, with walls full of antiques that folks brought in just to get them out of their houses, including a door from the Lonesome Dove movie set. They still cut their own steaks and hand batter everything. I loved the bacon poppers, and the large chicken fried steak is really just an excuse to eat two. Grandma Ruby’s beets are on the menu too, if you’re braver than me.
Culture
Coryell County Courthouse
Finished in 1898, the Coryell County Courthouse is one of the prettiest and most underrated courthouses in Texas, and it comes with a ghost story. Folks call the ghost Elroy, and many tie him to a 1909 shooting in the 52nd District courtroom, where you can still see a bullet hole in the door behind the witness stand. Ask the people who work here and they’ll tell you about sudden chills and faces that shouldn’t be there. The most haunted courthouse in Texas? Definitely the most haunted in Coryell County.
Coryell Museum and Historical Center
Gatesville is the Spur Capital of Texas, and the Coryell Museum boasts the largest spur collection in the world, thanks to longtime local teacher and coach Mitchell, whose former students sent him spurs from all over. Some go back to the 13th century, and you’ll even find spurs that belonged to Jackie Kennedy and Pancho Villa. Then there’s the only known double-walled log jail, where outlaw Sam Bass once did time, plus Skeletorso, a plastic human body made by a Gatesville company that changed how medical students learn.
The Last Drive-In Picture Show
Before driving off, I drove in to catch a flick at the Last Drive-In Picture Show. It isn’t literally the last one standing, but drive-ins like this are getting rare, and for the generations before me this was the way to see a movie. The owner’s grandpa started here as a projectionist when it opened, later came back and bought the place, and the family has been running it for three generations. Grab popcorn and snacks, find your spot and enjoy the show under the Texas sky.
Outdoors
DOMO Dove Nest Motorsports Club
Tucked in the hills outside Gatesville, DOMO is 260 acres of motorhead heaven, with rocks, sand and mud for everything from two-wheelers to four-wheelers. Founder Toan, a longtime ER doctor, built it as a playground for the whole family, and the plans include a paved track designed by the same folks who build F1 circuits. I tore around a three-mile dirt loop with 22 turns, crawled straight up rock chutes in a Jeep and got all four wheels off the ground in a custom square body truck. For now, bring your own vehicle.
