Hungry Horse Restaurant and Catering, a staple eatery in Boerne since 2001, played host to a special guest last week, opening their doors exclusively for the America’s Best Restaurants film crew.
During their visit and taping Feb. 27, ABR host Danyel Detomo explained that the Roadshow had heard about Hungry Horse Restaurant and Catering through a nomination made by someone in the Boerne community.
“What we do when we come and film like today is have the restaurant make three popular menu items,” Detomo said. “We’ll feature one in the kitchen and then have a sit-down interview for the other two dishes. I get to sample each one. Today it’s the country fried steak, fried catfish, and a batch of their bran muffins.”
The video is then uploaded to YouTube and Facebook.
“We like to drive traffic to the restaurant’s page,” Detomo said. “So, we get access to their page and promote the taping. We do Facebook lives to hype up the visit and get more eyes on the restaurant.”
Opened in 1983 in San Antonio by Steve and Paula Artale, the restaurant made its way to Boerne where head chef James Fry used the Artale’s family recipes for country fried steak, fried catfish, and delicious bran muffins to make the restaurant the notable place it is today.
Detomo interviewed Fry as he prepared the signature batters for the country fried steak and fried catfish, with Fry noting that the recipes have been popular in the wedding industry.
“A lot of our business comes from weddings,” Fry said. “Not only for our dishes being delicious but also for being very budget friendly.”
Steve Artale, who started in the restaurant industry as a jack-of-all trades – including as bartender, busser, server and manager — purchased the Boerne location in 2001, where it had previously been a cabinet-making shop.
“There was sawdust everywhere,” Paula said, laughing. “And we had to add in a kitchen and dish room.”
Still, the couple needed some help to get the restaurant up and running.
“I got my family and friends together and asked them if they wanted to invest in my restaurant, and they didn’t hesitate,” Steve Artale said. “We raised the money we needed.”
The pair, who met and fell in love in college, have also felt strong support from the Boerne community.
“When I first moved here, I had people take me under their wing immediately,” Steve said. “We have so many loyal customers now. I’m incredibly grateful.”
“We love it here,” Paula said, adding that the decision to move the restaurant to Boerne was because they themselves had just purchased a seven-acre property in the city. “We’re still there now, and our daughter lives right next door to us.”
“We couldn’t do this without each other,” Steve said. “Paula is the CFO, and she is always on top of it. We’re also lucky to have someone like James on our staff.
“His idea to make casseroles during the COVID pandemic kept our business afloat during those times,” Steve added.
As to when Steve plans on passing the business on, he says he will work until he can’t work anymore. “Then I’ll pass it on to my daughters,” he said. “But until then, I’ll be here.”
To watch Hungry Horse’s episode on ABR, visit americasbestrestaurants. com, or visit their page on YouTube.
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