“never again.”
At the onset of the COVID pandemic, that’s how one Tripadvisor user described the declining dining experience at Grand Central Café—the former restaurant inside the home of the cannibal family in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Incredibly, the set of the 1974 cult classic was converted into a fine dining establishment in 1998. The place had a nice run on the grounds of the Antlers Inn in Kingsland, where the Victorian cottage from the movie was relocated from Round Rock, but death becomes us all.
Enter Austin restaurateur Simon Madera, whose track record includes revitalizing the popular Central Texas chain Taco Flats. He purchased Grand Central in November 2022. “I’m no horror movie buff,” Madera admits. “We leaned into the marketability, and I love doing nostalgic projects.”
In the spring of 2023, Madera and his partners reopened as Hooper’s—after the movie’s director, Tobe Hooper, an Austinite who died in 2017. The same place where Leatherface mangled his victims was reborn as a Southern diner serving up gastropub grub like chicken-fried steak and brisket hash in a casual setting. “It’s tasteful,” Madera says. “Truly. Seventy percent of the people don’t care about the movie. The other 30% are total die-hards.”
Texas Chain Saw Massacre ephemera adorns the walls, and there are prop chickens that pay homage to the “chicken and bones room.” The menu covers the spectrum. On one end are the Chicken Slaughter sandwich and Meat Eater omelet; on the other is lighter fare, like oats and granola, a spicy tuna bowl, and a strawberry walnut salad. The cocktails—like the Chainsaw Margarita and Grave Robber—are all horror-themed. Hooper’s will host a horror film festival Oct. 25-26 to celebrate the movie’s 50th anniversary this year.
On the second floor of the restaurant, there’s a display depicting the withered, decrepit patriarch of the cannibal clan. An Instagram post challenges guests: “Say hello to Grandpa upstairs before you leave.” It’s your choice whether to do that on a full stomach. Hooper’s, 1010 King Court, Kingsland. 325-388-6022; hooperskingsland.com
Enjoying this article?
