Hidden among trees off FM 1488, Family Tree Recipes restaurant is known as the "Treehouse" because the only way to identify where it's located is a treehouse with a sign that says "Cafe" and a refurbished "Hillbilly Hilton" trailer that sits off the road.

Owner Brent Scott built the treehouse as the sign for the restaurant, which he and his wife, Terryl, purposely built farther back off the road among the trees. The Scotts said they like doing things differently.

"We didn't want to do things like everybody else does," Brent said.

The Scotts own the wooded property off FM 1488 in Magnolia. When they decided to open a restaurant, Brent began clearing the land. In 10 months, he built the restaurant himself with the help of some friends. Much of the building supplies they used were recycled materials.

The Scotts, who had never previously owned a restaurant, opened quietly nearly two years ago.

"We wanted to get our feet wet," Brent said. "We wanted to open nice and slow so we could try to figure out how to run a restaurant."

Family Tree Recipes is only open for breakfast and lunch on the weekdays.

"No matter how fun your job is, you need time for yourself," Brent said.

The Scotts have several animals that roam the fenced woods around the restaurant to greet customers, including two large turkeys, Gumbo and Pot Pie, and several turtles and tortoises. A customer gave them a white umbrella cockatoo, which now lives above the front desk and occasionally calls out to customers.

Brent and Terryl's parents were avid cooks and they have incorporated some of their family's recipes into the menu, which is where they got the name for the restaurant. Brent's mother and grandmother own Gingerbread Catering in Magnolia.

"My mom taught me how to bake," said Brent, whose specialties include seven-grain homemade bread.

Brent, who cooks at the restaurant, had previously worked in construction and had no formal training in cooking.

"The way I look at it, in construction they would give me a blueprint and I could build something," Brent said. "It's similar. Give me a recipe and I can make some food. It's like building, just with different materials. I never realized how fulfilling cooking can be."

The Scotts purposely built two open windows from the kitchen to the dining area, so the customers can see who is making their food and how clean the kitchen is, and the cooks can be part of the restaurant and see the expressions of the customers enjoying the food.

The Scotts have loyal customers and have enjoyed getting to know the community through their cafe.

"We have wonderful customers," Brent said. "So many are our friends now."

Brent is a prankster and has set up various pranks in the restaurant to have fun with customers, he said. At Halloween, he hung up a ghost on a string outside each of the big windows in the restaurant and he rigged it so he could push a button in the kitchen and randomly have the ghosts pop out.

Brent also refurbished one of the booths with a massage chair mechanism so when he pushes a button the entire bench vibrates. At that same booth, he has hooked up a webcam, which provides a live feed of the food and customers. He warns customers before sitting there.

"We've been very fortunate," Terryl said. "This is a good area and a good community. There's really not much to eat around here. We offer something different."

Customer favorites:

• Omelette: Three eggs with your choice of ham, bacon or sausage; American, cheddar, pepper jack or Swiss cheese; grilled onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms. $7.95
• Frog on a log: One egg cooked inside grilled Texas toast served with hash browns and sausage or bacon. $5.95
• Biscuits and gravy: Two biscuits cut in half, buttered, grilled and smothered in sausage gravy. $4.95
• Bonfire burger: Served on a jalapeno cheese sourdough bun with crispy bacon, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled jalapenos, pepper jack and spicy Bonafire sauce. $10.95
• Magnolia Burger: Two -pound patties, cheddar cheese, bacon and grilled onions with sweet and spicy 'Romy' sauce. $12.95
• Meatloaf sandwich: Served on homemade seven-grain bread with mayonnaise, meatloaf sauce, lettuce and tomato. $9.95

Family Tree Recipes 12202 FM 1488, Magnolia 281-259-7800, www.treehousecafe.biz, Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-2 p.m.