#35. The Shade Tree Saloon in Spring Branch, TX

The Shade Tree Saloon in Spring Branch, TX is a place you feel at home at. It has the feel of a traditional Hill Country ice house, complete with roll-up doors, pool tables and a shuffleboard table. And they often feature live music. They serve lunch and dinner too! You’ll find it on Highway 281, just north of the Guadalupe River Bridge (between where Highways 46 and 306 intersect 281).

Their beer list includes all of the domestics and a wide array of imports, including imports on tap. The Shade Tree also takes care of the vino folks and the “set-up” crowd.

I enjoyed a really good home-style cheeseburger and fries at the Shade Tree. But their menu also features shrimp poor boys, philly cheese steak sandwiches, Reuben sandwiches, catfish sandwiches, onion rings, jalapeño poppers, tater tots, dressed up spuds, and salads. They offer a large assortment of appetizers, including fried calamari. And the service was also great, complete with a server who kindly laughed at my comments and enjoyed a fun round of verbal jousting with me.

The Shade Tree would be a great place to visit after enjoying the nearby Guadalupe River (swimming, tubing, canoeing or kayaking). That’d be my kind of day and how I will do it next time there.

I don’t often include comments about bathrooms, but the men’s room had a special twist. It was scented with a fragrance that smelled just like a vanilla cake coming out of the oven! Except for the traditional bathroom facilities, I thought I was in my grandmother’s kitchen on baking day! Not many places got that going for them!

The Shade Tree is also dog friendly (in the outdoor areas).

Website: http://www.theshadetreesaloonandgrill.com/

-Don Gray