{"id":10962,"date":"2025-11-21T08:02:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T14:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/houston\/2025\/11\/21\/royers-round-top-cafe-serves-some-of-the-best-pies-in-texas\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T08:02:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T14:02:01","slug":"royers-round-top-cafe-serves-some-of-the-best-pies-in-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/houston\/2025\/11\/21\/royers-round-top-cafe-serves-some-of-the-best-pies-in-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Royers Round Top Caf\u00e9 Serves Some of the Best Pies in Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to Royers Round Top Caf\u00e9<\/h2>\n

Visit Round Top, a tiny Hill Country town two hours from Houston with a population hovering around 90, and you\u2019re bound to hear about Royers Round Top Caf\u00e9. Yes, the antique shows that transform the quiet town into a seasonal hub each spring and fall, with more than 100,000 shoppers, are a major attraction, too, but Royers has created its own kind of legend.<\/p>\n

A Little Slice of Texas Charm<\/h2>\n

The beloved restaurant, tucked into the town\u2019s center, has built a reputation on Southern hospitality and big flavor\u2014a little slice of Texas charm where the ceilings and walls are rife with kitschy decor. Locals and visitors alike pack into the cozy dining room for heaping plates of chicken-fried steak, shrimp and grits, and fried chicken platters (served only on Sundays). And then, of course, there are the pies. These deep-dish, buttery creations, including the famed Texas Trash Pie\u2014a gooey amalgamation of chocolate chips, caramel, pretzels, graham crackers, coconut, and pecans\u2014draw in dessert-seekers from far outside Fayette County.<\/p>\n

The History of Royers Round Top Caf\u00e9<\/h2>\n

Round Top wasn’t always a hot spot for pie, antiques, or otherwise. \u201cThere\u2019s just so much more than there was 15 years ago, let alone 39 years ago when we took over,\u201d says J. B. Royer, who now runs the restaurant with his wife, Jamie-Len. Back then, Round Top was little more than a quiet pit stop between Houston and Austin. The restaurant’s building, which the Royers now own, initially operated as a grocery store where residents could score cold beer, burgers, and barbecue. Then, in 1987, following the oil bust, Royer’s father, Bud, and his wife, Karen, took over the caf\u00e9 through what J. B. describes as a \u201chandshake agreement.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Royers’ Legacy<\/h2>\n

Though there was some hesitation at first (the Royers were newcomers from Brenham), the caf\u00e9 quickly won over both locals and tourists. It became a full-service restaurant with a reputation that traveled far beyond its small-town roots. Royer\u2019s father became a trailblazer in pie shipping in Texas, sending his treats all over the country, and later, Royer’s sister, Tara, who now operates the nearby pie-and-coffee shop Royers Pie Haven, ran the caf\u00e9 to help keep the family legacy alive. Since then, Royers Round Top Caf\u00e9 has remained one of Texas\u2019s most recognizable small-town restaurants with a following around its steak specials, shrimp BLT salads, sandwiches, snapper served with saut\u00e9ed tomatoes in wine and garlic, and pillowy rolls paired with bright red apple butter.<\/p>\n

The Pies of Royers Round Top Caf\u00e9<\/h2>\n

The pies, offered whole or warm by the slice with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream, have a fanbase of their own, and as the holidays approach, Royer says there\u2019s no better time to master a few pie-making fundamentals. The secret is keeping it simple with a homemade pie crust, and the Royer recipe does exactly that with just four ingredients. \u201cThe beautiful part is it makes a little bit extra, but they freeze well too, so you can use a frozen pie,\u201d Royer says. When things get busy, Royer admits he’s not above taking a shortcut. \u201cIn a pinch, I\u2019m using the Pillsbury crust when I\u2019m at home and don\u2019t feel like making homemade,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Pie-Making Fundamentals<\/h2>\n

When it comes to flavor, Royer likes to push past the basics. Originating from his mother’s recipe, the caf\u00e9’s signature Not My Mom’s Apple Pie was his father’s reworked and more decadent version, topped with a caramelized, crumbled pecan praline made with brown sugar, heavy cream, and flour. \u201cIt just kinda elevates [the pie],\u201d Royer says. \u201cYou get that nice crunch with every texture. That allows you to get the depth of flavor that you\u2019re looking for.\u201d Similarly, Royer adds more spice to pumpkin pies, giving them \u201ca little bit more flavor than what you\u2019re gonna get [elsewhere].\u201d<\/p>\n

Recipes from Royers Round Top Caf\u00e9<\/h2>\n

Royer’s Pie Crust<\/h3>\n

Yields: three 10-inch crusts
\nIngredients:<\/p>\n