![\"Honey](\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/t_k_honeybun_patty_melt_nick_reynolds-1.png\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe honey bun patty melt at T&K channels the State Fair of Texas. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe honey bun patty melt at T&K channels the State Fair of Texas. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Nick Reynolds<\/p>\n
We knew very little about Gladewater before trekking through East Texas on a recent road trip. When you\u2019re this far east of Dallas, you\u2019re not far from the Louisiana state line (roughly 60 miles, which isn\u2019t far in Texas terms).<\/p>\n
Gladewater\u2019s population is a little over 6,000. It\u2019s known as the \u201cAntique Capital of East Texas,\u201d and it\u2019s a well-earned title as antique shops, one after another, line Gladewater\u2019s busiest streets.<\/p>\n
Gladewater also boasts a connection to the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. In the 1950s, Elvis performed at the long-defunct Mint Club, which is now an abandoned building by the side of the road. The old Res-Mor Motel (now apartments) is where Elvis stayed when he came through town to visit his friend, DJ Tom Perryman.<\/p>\n
All of this is reason enough to make the two-hour drive from Dallas to Gladewater. But maybe the best reason of all is a hole-in-the-wall gem we were tipped off about (and that we\u2019re now in love with), thanks to the wonders of the internet.<\/p>\n
Nobody\u2019s T&K Pop-Up Grill and Caf\u00e9 bills itself as a soul food kitchen, which it is. But the menu here can\u2019t possibly be narrowed down to a single cuisine category.<\/p>\n
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THANK YOU!<\/p>\n
You’re all set.<\/p>\n
CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
State Fair-Inspired Fare<\/p>\n
Latonya Lindsey is the remarkable woman behind it all (her fianc\u00e9 serves as co-pitmaster), and Lindsey\u2019s menu is delightfully eccentric. Lindsey operated a food truck at the State Fair of Texas for two years, and you can see that reflected in the menu, which includes pancake breakfast tacos, beignet banana pudding nachos, waffles on sticks, honey bun and funnel cake patty melts and boudin (or boudain in Texas) egg rolls (which are freaking phenomenal).<\/p>\n
Outside of Lindsey\u2019s restaurant, there\u2019s a sign saying, \u201cCome get fat.\u201d And Lindsey doubled down on that as we walked in, assuring us, \u201cIf you\u2019re here to get fat, we got you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The space is small, humble and patriotic \u2014 both Lindsey and her fianc\u00e9 are fiercely proud veterans. They\u2019re also devoutly religious, offering prayer cards to any customer who walks in. As we sat down, diners at the two nearest tables glanced at us with knowing nods as if to say, \u201cYou\u2019ve come to the right place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGod blessed me with the gift of cooking, and I want to share that. I love watching people enjoy my food. It brings happiness to my heart,\u201d Lindsey said. <\/p>\n
Hot Link Nachos and Smoked Bologna<\/p>\n
Other menu offerings include (but are not limited to) sweet potato bowls, dirty rice bowls, po\u2019 boys, lamb patty melts, smashburgers, pork chops and waffles, hot link nachos, smoked bologna, beef \u201cdinosaur\u201d ribs and smoked alligator links. Speaking of alligators (which are also available in deep-fried form), Lindsey offers whole Cajun-smoked alligators via preorder. And the full spectrum of traditional barbecue offerings is on hand, from brisket to pork ribs to smoked chicken.<\/p>\n
![\"Mac](\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/t_k_brisket_mac_and_cheese_nick_reynolds.png\")
Mac and cheese at Nobody\u2019s T&K Pop-Up Grill and Caf\u00e9 <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was only one other barbecue place in Gladewater. That\u2019s why we came,\u201d Lindsey told us. And the prices here are a steal by today\u2019s standards. \u201cFolks keep telling me to raise prices, but I\u2019m not going to. I want to keep it affordable. If I make a little bit by the end of the week, I\u2019m good.\u201d <\/p>\n
Priced Right<\/p>\n
For $40, we got dirty jambalaya (with crab meat, turkey, sausage and chicken), brisket mac and cheese, a smoked pulled pork sandwich, a honey bun patty melt, and funnel cake fries with chocolate. <\/p>\n
And they don\u2019t skimp on portions here. The jambalaya and the brisket mac and cheese were outstanding. The honey bun patty melt, which had to have been born directly out of Lindsey\u2019s State Fair roots, is precisely how it sounds: A grilled beef patty with cheese and onions sandwiched between two honey buns and then waffle-ironed on the grill. It should be illegal, but this over-the-top combination of sweet and savory had us in love from the first bite. And the smoked pulled pork sandwich would rival any in Dallas.<\/p>\n
As we neared the end of our lunch, Lindsey, who has been cooking for 25 years, sat and talked with us.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard but rewarding work. We only get one true day off a week. Eighteen-hour days are the norm because smoking barbecue the right way requires over 12 hours itself,\u201d said Lindsey, who is also involved in a community church program that feeds the hungry. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis business is for my dad, Robert Lee Albright Jr. He took care of me and my brother after my mother died. He passed away three years ago. And he\u2019s the reason I won\u2019t give up,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Nobody\u2019s T&K Pop-Up Grill and Caf\u00e9, 186 North Mill St. No. 10, Gladewater. 12-4:30 p.m. with takeout service and outdoor seating. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The honey bun patty melt at T&K channels the State Fair of Texas. Nick Reynolds We knew very little about Gladewater before trekking through East Texas on a recent road trip. When you\u2019re this far east of Dallas, you\u2019re not far from the Louisiana state line (roughly 60 miles, which isn\u2019t far in Texas terms).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30323,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[272],"tags":[4724,9833,604,605,606,607],"class_list":["post-30322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soul-food-kitchens","tag-breakfast-brunch","tag-hidden-gems","tag-soul-food-kitchen","tag-soul-food-kitchens","tag-soul-food-restaurant","tag-soul-food-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dnc\/117311703938968972","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30322"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30322\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}