Lunch Report: Centerpoint Station, San Marcos...

Is it any wonder my girth is expanding? I had a full day planned of simply sitting on the recliner and getting through as many of the 41 TV shows we have waiting for watching on the DVR with the idea that just maybe, I would snack on a few leftovers and perhaps celebrate the Memorial Day weekend by losing an ounce or two. But no, my son comes home and suggests we take a short drive up to San Marcos and get a burger at Centerpoint Station. So, against my better judgment, I put the DVR on pause, and off we went for an afternoon snack.

But before I can tell you about the place, I have to quickly make note of something extremely important. People, I know you are trying to save gas and therefore perhaps driving a little slower, but please, do it on your own time. This sphincter driving a Mopar product was tooling along at a cool 63 MPH along 1604 in the left lane of course, where the limit is 70 and the normal pace is about 75.Because of the fact that all the people in the right hand lane were zooming by us, it took several miles before the people stuck behind this jerk could finally get around him. Keep Texas Moving! And get off the cell phone while you're at it.

I'm sorry for that little outburst and I promise, my blood pressure had gotten back to normal levels before I began the heart attack inducing eating session which I will describe shortly.But first, a little about the atmosphere. I've mentioned numerous times how I enjoy restaurants that decorate the walls with old signs and such; apparently, this is the place where they come to purchase those old signs and collectibles. Of course, it has to be done right. You can't take a brand new building, four sheetrocked walls and simply put up a few signs and make it work. The buildings that make up Centerpoint Station are really old with hardwood floors and old doorways and old counters and such - it definitely works. When you first pull up, you notice that the entire exterior of the place is covered in old signs - and they are those newly manufactured remakes - they are the real deal.On the covered porch are toys and gas pumps and such. I liked the polite notice on the front door that says, "If you are a thief, don't come in." If you could stand the Texas heat, you might stand outside for an hour just admiring everything, but we preferred to get into where they keep the food. And once you get in, it is almost overwhelming to the senses just how much genuine crap they have scattered about. I mean that in a good way, not in the way your mom might describe a dirty room.The place is certainly a store with an ice cream parlor and a restaurant, so even if you aren't hungry, it isn't a wasted stop. The one thing that I have to admit I found distracting and a bit tacky was the bar coded price labels on the front of everything. I will tell you right now, if you have to ask how much the stuff here sales for (and everything is for sale), then you can't afford it. I know these original signs are well sought out by the people trying to copy this restaurant style - I mean, between Chili's, Applebees, and TGI Friday's, there is a lot of competition to get the best junk. I don't want to to make you queasy, but some of the stuff I looked at thinking someone would pay a few hundred dollars for had price tags beyond 3 and 4 thousand dollars. My son opined that maybe it was all a joke. Maybe they simply have no intention of selling the stuff but they put ridiculously high price tags on it so nobody will bother to ask. Who knows?

Oh, I know it isn't Black History Month, but this gave me a little jolt when I saw it hanging away from the view of most shoppers.Yea, I'd say we have come a long way as a nation. I have mixed feelings about selling stuff like this. I know it isn't made up or fake, but it is, well, kind of a shock. Oh, if you need more for your collection, they have a web page full of the stuff. I don't want to dwell on it; we have been into other antique stores and regardless of the motives, there is a market for the stuff.Okay, on to the pleasantness. We have to try onion rings wherever we go. This time, we ordered a combo of rings and fries to share. Good stuff. The onion rings were thick cut and I thought breaded just right. My son said he had had them several times before, and they were much better. I'm not complaining at all.My wife ordered the BLT on wheat toast. She loves the fact that they serve it with the really thick cut bacon. Oh, and the wheat bread seems to be that 7-grain business, not the cheap stuff. My son and I both opted for the bacon cheeseburgers, he had his on the white bread which is of course grilled as it should be.I had mine on a wheat roll and it was fresh and grilled as well. The burgers come with the standard fixins - onion, fresh lettuce, pickles and tomatoes. This burger is enough to eat without the onion rings or fries - you won;t go hungry. But if your are just wanting a snack, they offer a "lady's" version.We could not force down any dessert or the shakes they serve, but my wife did grab tomorrow's breakfast. These cinnamon rolls are huge!So for atmosphere, entertaining prices on the old signs, and outstanding burgers, Centerpoint Station may be a bit of a drive from San Antonio, but if you are gonna go shopping at the outlet mall anyway, why not stop in for a Tasty Treat of your own?