Greg Henry said he has always been an entrepreneur—from owning a snow cone stand in Waco, installing fencing and selling cellular phones and pagers to running a music booking agency.
A gig managing Texas musician Pat Green and booking shows for country artists for 12 years culminated in July 2014 with the opening of Willie’s Joint in Buda.
“Starting in the music business piqued my interest to own a bar,” Henry said. “And we kind of went from there.”
Willie’s Joint, located at 824 Main St. near the city’s heavily canopied greenbelt, is a bar and barbecue restaurant serving beer, cocktails and spirits as well as Texas barbecue and a few modern twists on the cuisine.
Henry handles the bar, accounting, music booking and marketing at the bar and restaurant. Business partner Greg Pratt heads the food and catering side of Willie’s Joint.
The most popular food items are the sliced brisket, which sells for $9 per half pound, the jalapeno macaroni and cheese, and the Selena, which sells for $8 and includes nachos with the customer’s choice of sausage, pulled pork or brisket, Henry said.
Another favorite is Willie’s World Famous Big Red Ice Cream, which is $3 for a few scoops. Henry said he got the recipe from his mother.
Catering is a big part of Willie’s Joint’s operations, Henry said. So far the business has catered weddings, birthday parties and Buda Chamber of Commerce luncheons.
Willie’s Joint, its name inspired by Texas musician Willie Nelson, also hosts live music, typically Thursday through Saturday. Performers are usually singer/songwriters performing acoustic sets, and customers are never charged a cover during live music sets, Henry said.
Willie’s specials include Wednesday’s $5 red wine, and what the restaurant calls “Bock Bock,” a chicken quarter and a can of Shiner Bock beer.
On Thursdays customers can pay $8 for a pulled pork sandwich and a 16-ounce can of Lone Star beer. Pulled pork sandwiches normally cost $8, so the beer is essentially free, Henry said.
Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m. daily. Customers receive $0.50 off any beer and $1 off any liquor.
The seating layout includes indoor and outdoor areas. Whether one sits inside or outside there is entertainment readily available, Henry said. Outdoor recreation includes washers and cornhole. Giant Jenga, Connect Four and Cards Against Humanity are also available at Willie’s Joint.
Henry said he plans to add to the restaurant’s family-friendly atmosphere with a children’s playscape.
“I’ve lived in Buda for over 10 years,” he said. “The people here are amazing—lots of families. Between myself and my fiancee, we have five girls. Owning something that has a family atmosphere is important to me.”
