Dot’s Place • Pflugerville

Dot’s Place • Pflugerville

Written by Beth Wade Thursday, 01 May 2008

 

Many people who have lived in the area for a while are familiar with Dot’s Place and the circumstances that brought the restaurant from its longtime home on Howard Lane to FM 1825 in Pflugerville. Dot Hewitt opened the original Dot’s Place in 1980, and in 2004 the restaurant burned to the ground. Nearly two years later, she was back in business and serving up her southern cooking. Hewitt’s parents taught her how to cook when she was 18 years old. Now, 50 years later she is still arriving to work at 6:15 a.m. to begin preparing food for the day. “To me, [all the dishes] are my favorites,” she said. “I don’t cook anything I won’t eat.”

The food is served cafeteria-style because Hewitt wants her customers to be able to get a good look at the food before they order. “No one wants to wait for their food, and what if you order something and when it comes out you see it isn’t what you thought it was,” she said. “No, I’ve always done it cafeteria style.”

The meatloaf ($5.25, or $8.50 with two vegetables) is the best seller, according to Hewitt, and for a very good reason. Hewitt uses her favorite ingredients – salt, pepper and garlic – to prepare the meat, along with bread and basil. Then she smothers it in a sauce of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, salt, pepper, garlic, picante and Worcestershire sauce. This dish tastes like it is straight from your grandmother’s kitchen, and the meat practically melts in your mouth with its incredible blend of flavors.

Another stand-out entrée is the Chicken and Dumplings (same price). The sweet potatoes ($1.50 for a single serving) are creamy and rich with flavor. Hewitt’s green beans tasted as though they had been cooked all day over low heat with onions and pork.

A trip to Dot’s is not complete without dessert, which is made by Dot herself. It was difficult to decide which was better: the coconut cream pie or the orange cake. For those who don’t have as much of a sweet tooth, the sweet potato pie just has a hint of sweetness and is an indulgent way to top off the meal. Desserts are $2 each.

One thing is for sure about eating at Dot’s Place for lunch – going back to work and being productive is difficult on such a full stomach.

Local Restaurant Specials

• Buffalo Wings & Rings
  • 1901 Town Centre Drive • Round Rock • 310-9464
  • Monday - Kids eat free (one free kids meal per paying adult; $5 minimum purchase)
  • Tuesday - 49 cent wings
  • Wednesday - 49 cent boneless wings
  • Thursday - 99 cent chicken tenders
• Carino’s Italian Grill
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  • Monday - Family night (get a family platter for the price of a single dinner)
  • Wednesday - Wine-Down Wednesday (half price bottles of wine)
• Pok-e-jo’s
  • 1202 IH 35, Ste. C • Round Rock • 388-7578
  • Monday - 5 p.m.-9 p.m. sausage plate and kids eat free with adult entrée purchase
  • Tuesday - Turkey plate
  • Wednesday - Brisket plate
  • Thursday - Pork Rib plate
  • Friday - 1/2 Chicken plate
• Greek Pita House
  • 15803 Windermere Drive, Ste. 204 • Pflugerville 670-1000
  • Saturdays - Live Jazz or Greek Night from 6:30-9:30
  • Lunch specials daily
  • Gyro Combo with fries and drink - $8.95
  • Greek sausage platter with salad and rice or fries - $13.95
  • Couscous with vegetables and lamb -- $11.95
  • Greek lasagna -- $11.95
• Bari’s Pasta and Pizza
  • 1501 W. Pecan St., Ste. 100 • Pflugerville • 989-8900
  • Lunch specials Monday-Saturday, $5.45-$6.35
  • Monday – Calzone with salad, beef ravioli with salad and bread
  • Tuesday– Pasta sampler, spaghetti with sausage
  • Wednesday – Stromboli
  • Thursday – Baked ziti, chicken parmesan
  • Friday – Cheese ravioli, spaghetti with meatballs
  • Saturday – Baked cheese tortellini, 10” baby cheese pizza

Business hours:

Dot’s is only open for lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and for dinner from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.

She said she does not serve dinner hours because families do not usually eat out during the week. As for being closed on the weekends, she said that no one wants to be at work on the weekends and neither does Dot Hewitt.