The old Woody’s gets new owners, new look, new name and fantastic menu. Oh, and they’ll have brunch!
Remember Woody’s? The old restaurant located on Hwy. 377 between Stephenville and Dublin that dished up cold beer and delicious pizza?
Well, it now has new owners who have completely renovated the building to open Backwoods – a restaurant that will offer a casual dining experience to families and couples looking for a night out.
The kitchen has been fully remodeled, booths have been installed in the dining room and the full-service bar has high-tops and plenty of seating.
The original building has been transformed into an arcade where kids can play air hockey, hunting and driving games, crane machines, pinball and Pac-Man.
But here’s the cool part: Parents enjoying dinner and drinks can keep tabs on their children on monitors that have been installed in the dining room.
I sat down with the new owners – Carol Gibson and her daughter and son-in-law Amanda and Ryan Scheid - on Wednesday to talk about their plans for Backwoods, and you are going to love what you’re about to hear.
ALL-AMERICAN MENU WITH A TWIST
Jocelyn Johnson is the head chef at Backwoods and is working with the owners to come up with affordable and delicious meals.
“We’re offering a typical, all-American menu with a twist – burgers, steaks, sandwiches and stone-baked pizzas (yeah, they kept the famed pizza ovens),” Ryan told Beneath the Surface News. “It will be a scratch kitchen – nothing processed – and our sauces and dressings are made in-house.”
Jocelyn is no stranger to upscale cuisine - she once worked in the kitchen at Newton’s Cellar and Ruby’s Texas Bistro - and will offer customers tasty entrees like seafood pasta and green chili chicken fettuccine.
There will also be a variety of salads like the Backwoods Wedge, a grilled heart of romaine dipped in olive oil and served with gorgonzola, A Classic Caesar, Southwest Cobb and seasonal fruit salads like peach and burrata. (Now, you’re speaking my language.)
And dessert? Well, they have that too.
In addition to a cheesecake of the month, those who have a sweet tooth will want to try Jocelyn’s famous brownie.
“It took me two years to come up with this recipe,” she said. “It includes dark chocolate and Swiss cocoa, so it’s a little sweet and salty, and it’s served warm with a scoop of ice cream and ganache.”
A separate kids’ menu will include mac and cheese, chicken nuggets and dipped corn dogs – also made from scratch.
BRUNCH AND PINA COLADA MIMOSAS
If it’s brunch that’s been missing from your life, you’re in luck.
Backwoods will have a separate brunch menu from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. every Sunday.
“We are going to have a build-your-own board and fun cocktails like pina colada mimosas,” Jocelyn said.
Customers will choose from offerings like bacon, eggs, pancakes, potatoes, biscuits and gravy and fruit to build their own unique board.
If you are as excited about this new place as I am, you’ll be glad to know that Backwoods is opening in September. (I will let you know the exact date once it’s set.)
Lunch and dinner will be served Monday through Saturday.
Backwoods is now hiring for all positions, and if you are interested in joining the team, send your resume to Backwoodstxs@gmail.com.
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