The background
Cockerell bought the property in 1997 after Joe’s Bar went up for sale. Cockerell said he changed the bar into a restaurant with a focus on burgers to pay tribute to Walburg’s German history.
“It went from a place where guys hang out to a place where families hang out with kids,” Cockerell said.
Cockerell said the dining room’s rustic furniture and pictures of the Old West give the restaurant a historic atmosphere.
“It's like stepping back in history. When you come in here, you see Texas,” he said. “People bring people from out of state here all the time just to give them a taste of Texas.”
A family affair
All dishes at Dale’s Essenhaus are made from scratch. Cockerell said he learned how to cook at 10 years old when his grandmother began teaching him. Most of the recipes at the restaurant are inspired by her.
Cockerell said despite the restaurant’s start with burgers, customers have taken a liking to the fried catfish plate. Some other popular dishes include chicken fried steak and schnitzels.
Additionally, the restaurant has daily specials and hosts live music events, karaoke and entertainment throughout the week.
What’s special about it?
The restaurant highlights pieces of history outside of its dining room as well. It features a biergarten that can host about 700 people with a 100-year-old handmade stage and a dance hall where all of Cockerell’s daughters held their weddings.
Cockerell’s daughter Kim Andersen, who is a manager and event coordinator at the restaurant, said the staff all feel like family. She said the restaurant has no turnover.
Andersen said everyone in Walburg knows Cockerell and his popularity has become a running joke at the restaurant. Andersen made shirts with Cockerell’s face on them for customers interested in the fun.
“Everytime I would go to the grocery store someone would say, ‘Oh, I know Dale!’ and it would become a constant thing that everyone knew him, so I decided to put it on a shirt,” Andersen said.
- 3900 FM 972, Walburg
- www.dales-essenhaus-walburg.com
