Photo by Dionna Moore

Country Bumpkins Cafe serves authentic Southern dishes, such as its signature Bumpkin burger. ($8.25)

With a cozy, country-style interior and lounging areas on the patio, Country Bumpkins Cafe in Tomball aims to transport diners back to a more rural time period through its authentic Southern dishes and friendly dinner conversations.

"The experience we want is going back to a simpler place in time to where people sat down and enjoyed their meals, and conversation was across the supper table," owner Delores McAdoo said. "That's what we're trying to create."

Six years ago, McAdoo channeled her love of Southern food into opening Country Bumpkins Cafe as a self-proclaimed retirement business. McAdoo, who retired from the banking industry more than 10 years ago, was inspired to open her own restaurant after receiving positive feedback for her home-cooked meals at family gatherings.

"I succeeded in banking, but that's not really where my heart was," McAdoo said. "I wanted something that was home-based where I could get things more in balance. We used to have all the big family gatherings here and so family members said, 'Why don'tyou go into the restaurant business?' and I said, 'You know, I don't know why I can't.'"

With more time to spend with her family, McAdoo owns and operates Country Bumpkins on the 2-acre property in Tomball where she has lived for the past 38 years with her husband. McAdoo said she ensures quality service for her customers by cooking each meal to order with fresh ingredients, such as sauteed mushrooms and coleslaw.

Open four days a week, the cafe serves a full menu with customer favorites, including wood smoked brisket, pulled pork sandwiches, Bumpkin burgers and cobbler.

"We've got everything from the barbecue sandwiches to the barbecue plates, fried catfish, shrimp, baked potatoes—even the tacos are made from brisket, not hamburger beef," McAdoo said. "We're one of the few places that still takes time to put butter on the buns and grill them like they used to."

Staying true to the close-knit nature of the restaurant, several of McAdoo's family members work at the restaurant, and two other employees help serve customers. Word of mouth has brought in a number of new customers to Country Bumpkins as well as many longtime fans who continue to make memories at the cafe, she said.

"There was a senior couple [who] stopped by to get a couple of barbecue sandwiches to go," McAdoo said. "I always have the classic country music going. Well apparently a song came on that brought back memories to them. I handed [the husband] the sack of sandwiches and, all of a sudden, he sat the sack down on the table, grabbed his wife by the hand and they started slow dancing on that deck."

McAdoo said she has seen Tomball expand into a thriving community over the years with a few large-scale road projects underway. McAdoo said she has built her restaurant with growth in mind to keep up with the rapidly evolving area.

McAdoo has plans to transform Country Bumpkins in three phases over the next few years by extending the restaurant's hours and days of operation, adding more dessert options, enlarging the patio and parking area and opening a steakhouse on the property. Despite future plans for growth, the cafe will remain down to earth and customer-oriented, she said.

"When I was growing up, most of the meals were made at home from scratch," McAdoo said. "The few times that we would go out, we'd go to a country cafe. The little country cafes have a certain warmth about them. I have groups in business suits talking to the local farmers across the table—that's what this business is about."

Customer favorite dishes

• Bumpkin burger: The cheeseburger is topped with slow-smoked brisket and served with french fries. ($8.25)
• Pulled pork sandwich: The meal consists of slow-cooked pulled pork, handmade coleslaw and homemade sauce. ($5.75)
• Barbecue plates: The dinner includes an option of one, two or three meats—including brisket, sausage and ribs—served with homemade potato salad, Southern beans and a slice of bread. ($11.95 and up)
• Peach cobbler or banana pudding: ($2.95)

Country Bumpkins Cafe, 18929 Telge Road, Tomball 281-290-6512, Hours: Wed.–Sat. 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Closed Sundays–Tuesdays