When I opened the door to Walker’s, it felt like I had stepped back in time. Everyone seemed to know each other, or at least many of them did. The staff were cheerfully communicating food orders in. I was greeted with a smile, then made my way to a red booth towards the center of the café—a red booth I later learned had great significance. This booth used to be situated next to the front window of the café. Owner Angela Culbreth would share it was in these very seats she and her best friend Noella Smith would decide to buy the café and continue the Walkers’ legacy. And that legacy is simple, yet profound—good food, community involvement, and family values.
Walkers Café takes you back to the cowboy lifestyle and sparks an old dirt road memory. It highlights Friday night lights, and (most importantly) it provides fresh, real food. Angela and I had a great conversation about the past, present, and future of Walker’s Café. I got to peek behind the curtain to see her charm in real time as she interacted with her staff and with the usual customers. It left me grinning ear to ear as I sat and enjoyed my 25-cent coffee.
After meeting through their children and becoming fast friends, Angela and Noella would spend a lot of time together. Much of that just happened to be at Walkers Café—then owned by Ken Martin.
The year was 2008, and Walker’s was for sale. As Angela and Noella sat by the window in the red booth one day, the words “Let’s buy it” fell out of Angela’s mouth. And the rest is history. The four owners of Walker’s Café are now Teddy and Angela Culbreth; and Russell and Noella Smith (It is made very clear to me—the women are running the show!).
When asked what it’s like being in business with her best friend, Angela observed, “We are more like sisters; our lives are so intertwined with each other. The friendship was there before and will be there after the business.”
“We are very different,” says Angela, as she explains the business partnership works well because they each focus on different aspects of it. Angela may be the face who customers see more regularly, but Noella is working hard behind the scenes to make it all come together without a hitch.
The building dates to 1886 and first became known as “Walker’s Café” in the early 1900s – named after original owner and pharmacist Van Walker. Back then, Walker’s served the community as a pharmacy as well as a diner, making it a one-stop-shop for people to come pick up their medicine and stay for lunch.
From the real-life Madison County cowboy-inspired murals on the walls, to the very medicine jars used in the pharmacy many decades ago (now donning the walls as décor), the history is rich in Walker’s Café. And Angela and Noella were thrilled to carry on the legacy (and have even tried to improve upon it over the years).
A good, southern variety, that’s what! Many of these items are original recipes that have been used at Walker’s for more than 30 years. Some menu items include: a hearty breakfast selection, chicken fried steak, burgers, chicken salad sandwiches, and on Fridays – all you can eat fried fish! There are also seasonal items customers get to anticipate the return of when autumn rolls back around—gumbo and chicken and dumplings. And don’t forget your free scoop of Blue Bell ice cream after your meal!
25-cent coffee and a free scoop of ice cream? You might think it’s too good to be true, but it is certainly happening Monday through Saturday at Walker’s Café. “We started [the free ice cream] because we wanted to thank our customers for coming in and having lunch with us. And now, our customers are so thankful to have something free. It blows their minds,” says Angela.
Walker’s opens at 7:00 am for the breakfast crowd to enjoy a nice meal as they get their day started. They close at 2:00 pm daily, except Fried Fish Fridays when they are open until 8:00 pm. These hours may be atypical, but the owners of Walker’s Café have found what works for them. “It allows us to have more involvement in the community and spend time with our families,” Angela explains. This is also why they are closed on Sundays. This allows employees to be able to go to church if they wish and have a day of rest, because Angela says she knows how hard her employees work all week. Multiple employees have been at the café for over a decade—one for three decades!
Madisonville is just like any small Texas town. Sporting events become a piece of the town’s heart. With that comes a need to take care of those athletes, and Walker’s takes pride in doing just that. During football season, after the high school pep rally for home games, the varsity football team loads up on the bus and heads to Walker’s for a free meal. Not only are they fed, but a local preacher also comes in to give an encouraging word alongside their coach.
It’s a tradition that’s been going on for about 11 years now,” explains Angela. “It means a lot to the football team.” Angela expresses gratitude to members of the community who show up for the athletes by footing the bill for these pre-game meals.
With Noella being a former teacher, and her husband Teddy being a retired coach from Madisonville ISD, it makes giving back a little extra special for the owners of Walker’s. And it’s not only the athletes being taken care of. Walker’s Café enjoys delivering lunch meals daily to the school. Students and faculty alike will place their orders, and Walker’s delivers to the school a whopping three times a day!
Once a pharmacy and small diner, now a lively café, Walker’s has many stories within the walls. From local cowboys inspiring the mural paintings, to the beautifully crafted original ceiling, everything about Walker’s seems to have a story to tell. I got to sit back and see Angela in her element as she spoke across the room to her husband and his table of regulars he was eating with. I got to see her interact with the staff, joking and smiling. It felt like watching something really unique and special, like a unicorn of restaurants. Walker’s way of life has been around for many years. So, my question for Angela was, “What’s next?”
“We’re not supposed to own this forever,” said Angela. “There will be another set of people that will come when it’s time, and they’ll buy Walker’s. I truly believe everyone is meant to own Walker’s for a season. We will do this until the Lord says it’s time for the next owners to step in. We want it to be someone who loves Madison County and loves the people of Madison County.
If you’d like to visit Walker’s Café, go see them on Main Street in Madisonville, Texas. Don’t forget to save room for your scoop of Blue Bell ice cream!
Walker’s Café
112 W Main St.
Madisonville, TX
(936) 348-2672
Walker’s Café Also Provides Catering!
Postcards Magazine
936-293-1188
PO Box 690
Huntsville, TX 77342
