A few weeks ago, I found myself standing outside of the Texas Inn with a few other EMU students, waiting for an order of 30 hotdogs. Bought for the Music Department’s weekly colloquium, those hotdogs, and that trip, introduced me to the small, diner-style restaurant in downtown Harrisonburg, which also has locations in Lynchburg and Richmond.

Although named the Texas Inn, the restaurant doesn’t trace its roots to the Lone Star State. Instead, as their website tells it, Nick Bullington, the founder of the restaurant’s original location in Lynchburg, bought a recipe for chili off of a chef in Texas — that recipe is still used today.

I decided that after the brief visit I had paid them for Music Department business purposes, the Texas Inn deserved to actually get some of my business. So, on a rainy Sunday evening, I stopped in with a friend for dinner.

The restaurant keeps long hours, open from 8 a.m. to either midnight or 2 a.m., with the exception of Sundays, when they close at a reasonable 6 p.m. Coming in at 5 p.m. on Sunday, I was expecting a dinner crowd, but found myself to be mistaken. After walking in and taking a seat at the empty counter, I proceeded to see only two other customers during my meal—one of whom was picking up an order for a food delivery service.

After a brief introduction to the restaurant and the highlights of the menu, courtesy of the woman behind the counter, I settled on getting the Inn’s signature dish — a Cheesy Western, a hotdog, french fries, and a slice of deep-fried sweet potato pie. To drink, I had sweet iced tea.

The food, delivered quickly, was hot and fresh, with the fries almost too hot to touch. The Cheesy Western was unlike any burger I’ve had before. Featuring a smashburger, fried egg, cheese, diced onions, and the Inn’s signature cabbage relish, it is well-deserving of its signature status. The egg added richness to the burger, which was tempered by the acidity and sweetness of the relish and onions. I appreciate a good fried egg, and this one was nice and cooked through, but not rubbery. 

The hotdog — served “all the way” — was topped with chili, onions, and relish, and it was another pleasant surprise. Normally not a fan of chili dogs, I found the spiced chili to be a great compliment to the almost alarmingly pink hotdog, with the relish once again pulling its weight to keep the dog from getting too bogged down with meat and oil.

The fries were short, wavy, and crispy, but nothing special. The tea was pleasant, and not too syrupy-sweet for a sweet tea in a Virginia restaurant named after Texas. The sweet potato pie — served normally or, in my case, deep-fried — was tasty, but not especially exciting. Maybe because I got it deep-fried, I found that the crust and filling had formed a homogenous mass of super sweet sweet potato goo. This, obviously, tasted good, but did not make for an especially thought-provoking dessert.

So, will I return to the Texas Inn? I think so. With friendly staff, reasonable prices — $18 for my entire meal, plus tip — and more unique burgers on the menu (including a chicken sandwich topped with chili), I would definitely recommend a visit.

Also, as any diner worth its salt does, the Texas Inn has an eating challenge — consume 44 ounces of chili “all the way” in less than 30 minutes, and you go home without paying, plus one can of Febreeze richer. Fail, and you’re out $35. My next project for the Weather Vane might include trying to convince the editors to let me film a video feature of me attempting the challenge, so stay tuned.