Metaphorically speaking, that old chestnut “You can’t go home again” bears a kernel of truth. Yet, when Brandon Messer and his wife, Marielle La Rue, returned to Marfa in late 2021 following a stint in Asheville, North Carolina, the couple found that some things really don’t change that much.
“My restaurant key still worked after two years away,” laughs Messer, a Georgetown native who owns Margaret’s in Marfa with La Rue. Previously, the chef co-owned Margaret’s predecessor, Stellina, which was located in the same space in Marfa’s historical Brite Building.
It was during the address’ previous iteration that the couple first met in 2016, when La Rue was visiting on a six-month tourist visa from her native Toronto. Two years later, Messer sold his share of the restaurant to his business partner―Stellina’s founder and executive chef Krista Steinhauer―and the duo decamped to Asheville to pursue other opportunities.
But that exodus was short-lived, and Messer and La Rue decided to return to Marfa in 2021 with a new concept in mind. Stellina’s recent closure had left a void in the town’s small food scene, as well as its social fabric. The 21-seat horseshoe bar, still in place from Messer’s first West Texas stint, helped to make Stellina a community hub—and the couple was eager to bring that spirit back to the town.
“The stars aligned; we bought the restaurant, and stepped back into our old life,” La Rue says. “It’s true, Texans always return home.”
Named after La Rue’s late grandmother from Ontario, Margaret’s channels the kinds of dishes she would serve to nurture and curry favor with everyone in the family. “She was the kind of woman who made everyone think they were her favorite,” La Rue says. “My cousins and I realized that at her funeral―because we all thought we were the chosen one.”
Family staples, like Margaret’s leg of lamb, were used as a jumping off point when creating a menu meant to induce a “feeling of home.” One result is a tuna melt, the fish spiked with dill pickle relish and piled atop freshly baked brioche. Other nostalgic favorites include beet-brined deviled eggs enhanced by a dash of curry powder and a luscious key lime pie that melds silken custard and a buttery graham cracker crust.
Over the past year, chef de cuisine Lee Ouellette has added to that comfort-centric ethos while also introducing a degree of sustainability—a necessity in a town hampered by sourcing constraints. For example, Ouellette repurposes steak trim into a tallow aioli that’s served alongside crispy Yukon potatoes and a teres major steak, a rarity of Texas-raised beef. Herb stems and juiced lemons infuse oils that are brushed on grilled salmon and roasted cauliflower, while leftover burrata brine adds tang to a bowl of polenta enriched with mascarpone and heavy cream.
Despite the high-ceilinged, minimalist space, Margaret’s is also able to project a visceral sense of coziness and conviviality. The staff is warm, plants line shelves along the spartan walls, votives flicker on tabletops, and plate glass windows frame many a Marfa sunset. Most importantly, Messer and La Rue tore down an old partition separating the kitchen from the dining room to create a more welcoming ambiance for guests.
“I call Margaret’s the ‘heartbeat of the community,’” says Stop & Read Books owner Kendall Craig. “Locals, ranchers, tourists—everyone is integrated together in their dining room.”
Four years in, that kind of inclusiveness extends far beyond the restaurant and into the town itself. Not only does the couple prioritize patronizing other local businesses, but they also often jump in to help others. This includes picking up supplies for other eateries, or as Craig is quick to point out, La Rue covering shifts at the bookstore when family and friends came into town to celebrate her
40th birthday.
“We’re in need of just about everything in Marfa,” says Michael Anthony Serva, chef-owner of Bordo, a James Beard-nominated restaurant. “Margaret’s gave us a great neighborhood spot, but it far surpasses that. It not only never lets you down, but it also lifts you up. And that’s a hard thing to do.”
