Lone Star Dining
Legendary Central Texas restaurant reopens after year-long closure
A Central Texas dining legend is back in business. After a year-long renovation, the restaurant at Stagecoach Inn in Salado reopened Wednesday, June 14.
At 156 years old, Stagecoach Inn remains one of the longest running hotels in the Lone Star State. The historic space, located off I-35, first opened as the Shady Villa Hotel in 1861; the restaurant debuted in 1943.
Developers Clark Lyda, Austin Pfiester, and David Hays tapped La Corsha Hospitality Group (the celebrated team behind Second Bar + Kitchen, Boiler Nine Bar + Grill, and the new Mattie's at Green Pastures) to handle operations of the restaurant.
"Stagecoach Inn has been a sacred retreat for locals and travelers and we're thrilled to welcome everyone to the renewed and restored restaurant," says Lyda, who purchased the property in 2015, in a release. "This project has been such a gratifying experience and we're anxious for guests to see how our team has preserved the property's history while improving its atmosphere of gracious hospitality."
The restaurant is now open for lunch and dinner. With the help of La Corsha's David Bull, executive chef Justin Holler has crafted a prix fixe menu that pays homage to Stagecoach Inn's legacy. Fans will delight in the revamped chicken-fried steak and sweet Strawberry Kiss dessert. Diners can also look forward to brand-new a la carte options like deep-fried bacon, as well as a beverage lineup that includes craft cocktails and wine.
Renovations are still underway for the hotel portion of Stagecoach Inn. Seventy-five guestrooms and two event spaces, the Sam Houston Room and the Longhorn Room, will open spring 2018.
Some of the same developers are also behind the revamp of another Austin icon, Commodore Perry Estate, which will welcome a new boutique hotel operated by Auberge Resorts Collection in 2019.