This article is from the Spring 2007 Visitor's Guide.

By Charles Willgren

In the northeast corner of the courthouse square in Blanco, Texas, are two restaurants in an old Ford dealership. Riley’s Bar-B-Que and Rockin’ R Steakhouse are owned and operated by Bob and Bonnie Riley, longtime residents of Blanco.

Starting in 1992, Bob and Bonnie ran the Mercantile, an antique store on the west side of the very same square, and held auctions out behind the building. The auctions were popular with locals and visitors, who filled the bleachers in the auction building to bid on a variety of antiques brought in from a variety of places.

The Rileys bought their current building in 1995 from the owners of the co-sale shop across the street—now Blanco Star Antiques—who used it for storage. The couple then moved the auctions over to the larger building, and provided chairs for the auction attendees. “People would ask, ’Where’s the bleachers?’” recalls Bonnie, who also tells the story of an auction held during a rain storm. “People were sitting in the auction with umbrellas because the roof leaked so much.”

The building at the time was freezing in the winter and sweltering in the summer, but, as Bonnie says, “We always had a lot of fun,” even if it was very labor-intensive to bring in items and clean or wash them. “People think the restaurant business is hard; they should try auctions.”

To feed the hungry auction fanatics, the Rileys began selling barbequed brisket, cooked on the pit at home, with beans. They served the food out of a teeny, tiny kitchen in the auction barn. From there it grew, with store-bought potato salad and homemade brownies. The brisket and sausage were first sold on Saturdays and Sundays, and then the place was open on Fridays as well. On April 10, 2002, the place went full-time and was open 5 days a week. Today, Riley’s Bar-B-Que is now open 7 days a week. “We kind of worked into it,” Bonnie says.

Inside Riley’s Bar-B-Que, customers line up under the “Order Here” sign, which first takes them to the meat-cutting station. Like a personalized buffet, customers order meat, which is then sliced and weighed, before moving on to the sides, desserts, and, finally, the cash register. If you’ve got a wait, the walls are adorned with photographs of customers and employees, many with names or comments written on the photo. After paying, customers fill up their drinks, grab some slices of bread, get some spicy or sweet sauce, and take their seats at either an antique table or a picnic table. The three picture windows look out on the Old Blanco County Courthouse and the courthouse square, and the inside walls hold a collection of antique signage.

As for the menu, you can choose from beef brisket, pork ribs, pork loin, turkey breast, sausage, jalapeno sausage, and chicken. The homemade sides expanded as well, with potato salad, cole slaw, pinto beans, deviled eggs, fruit salad, garden salad, and onions. To finish off the meal, Riley’s offers peach or blackberry cobbler (also with ice cream), and the very popular banana pudding.

“People kept asking for banana pudding,” Bonnie remembers. “I said, ‘I don’t think you have pudding with barbeque,’ and people kept saying, ‘Yes, you do!’” The banana pudding at Riley’s is made every day, from a recipe that calls for specific pudding mix and a specific brand of milk. “You can’t find anything as good,” Bonnie says.

In the ordering line, you might notice a tray of deviled eggs. Five dozen are made daily and, on most days, the restaurant sells all of them.

“That was a fluke,” Bonnie says. They bought hard-boiled eggs in jars for the salads, but they weren’t used fast enough. The Rileys decided to make their own hard-boiled eggs for salads and sell the rest—and those they didn’t sell, they would eat. The deviled eggs were a hit.

In the beginning of 2007, fried chicken (including chicken tenders), okra, French fries, rolls, and gravy were added to the menu. A big case next to the cash register puts these new items on display. Later this year, don’t be surprised when you see Buffalo wings up on the giant menu board.

While the BBQ place was growing, the Rileys were decided to make 2004 the last year for auctions, mainly because of the expenses, time, and work needed to keep the auctions going. During that year, they wrapped up the auction business and decided what to do with the rest of the building—whether it would be an extension of the BBQ restaurant or a place for private parties.

That’s when chef Steve Becker came to Bob Riley and asked, “What do you think about looking to open a steakhouse? There’s a need for one around here.” The ideas came, like an open grill next to the dining area.

When 2004 was over, the auctions were shut down and that part of the building was remodeled, and, on June 30, 2005, Rockin’ R Steakhouse opened its doors. With more of the Rileys’ collection of antique signage on the walls, a dark, inviting atmosphere, and the red-lit grill and preparation area, the steakhouse started with a dinner on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and, in May of 2006, began serving lunches Tuesday through Saturday.

Bob and Bonnie’s son, Charles Riley, began working with his parents in 1995 in the auction business after attending auctioneer school, and is now the general manager, overseeing both restaurants in Blanco and the Riley’s Bar-B-Que location in nearby Dripping Springs. Managers Kathy Willman (Riley’s Bar-B-Que in Blanco), Alan Lieck (Riley’s in Dripping Springs), and Amy Tom (Rockin’ R Steakhouse) work directly with the personnel, order supplies, and handle the daily running of each establishment.

Chef Steve Becker runs the “back of the house,” as the kitchen is referred to, along with sous chef Mike Hahn and the two young trainees Josh Peters and Caleb Jones. Becker also prepares the menus for the special events, for which the steakhouse has become popular, such as Easter Sunday or Mother’s Day dinner. On Valentine’s Day, local entrepreneur Dennis Moore provided romantic carriage rides for diners.

The steakhouse is a favorite place for private parties, like birthday parties and luncheons, and the outdoor patio has been enclosed for parties who want to hold their event away from the main dining area. The Rileys also cater events, especially with barbecued food.

“It has been a catering year,” reports Bonnie. They’ve been doing it long enough and people now realize that the restaurants cater.

After the tragic death of local restaurateur Ken Pace, who owned Oso’s Mexican Cantina on the Blanco Square, the building and business were up for sale. The Riley’s, who were friends with Pace and his wife Charlene, were looking to expand into Bulverde but instead opted to purchase Oso’s. The restaurant will soon open with much of the original menu, plus fresh-made tortillas, and the Rileys will be operating three restaurants in Blanco.

From barbequed brisket for auction-goers, Bob and Bonnie Riley are now owners of two very popular restaurants and will soon be returning another Blanco favorite back to business.

“I’ve done everything in the world in my life,” Bonnie says, “all of it interesting.”