JP Werner Cafe, Cameron, TX - A cafe bringing back a sense of community from the past

Andrea Henry and her husband, Ben Deinken, opened the JP Werner Cafe in historic Old Dutch Town of Cameron, Texas. They had both been chefs for many years but were now ready to open their own cafe.

After looking at locations near their home in Belton, none of them were what they wanted. While scrolling Facebook Marketplace in bed, Andrea found a nearly 100-year-old building in historic Old Dutch Town that sounded like exactly what they were looking for. As she and Ben drove into Cameron from Belton, it seemed like there was no town to speak of, and she wondered how she would ever get customers way out there. They ended up passing the building, and just as the road began to curve, a quaint little town came into view.

It was obvious that Downtown Cameron was being brought back to life through the revitalization efforts of the citizens and businesses, and that's when she thought they just might be able to make this cafe work.

While completing the numerous and necessary building upgrades and repairs, Andrea learned what Cameron and the JP Werner building have been throughout history. The building, built in 1939, has served as many businesses, including a dry goods store, a bar, multiple cafes, and more. Many of the antiques inside, including the bar, are from previous owners, as if each owner has passed down a bit of legacy to the next through the building.

While it has its limitations and quirks, Andrea and Ben are trying to preserve as much of the original structure as possible. The JP Werner building sat empty for four years before they came along. And while some may have seen just another run-down building, Andrea explained that they’re “here to make sure these places don’t go away. It sat empty for 4 years, and that’s really detrimental to a building. [It] was so important to the area, because of its history, so we do what we can to help it.”

Ben told Andrea that he wanted it to feel like the days when he was young and would go to his Grandma’s house. The warm, family aesthetic; so they’ve taken the time to bring that feeling to their cafe, everything from the glass-bottled Dr. Pepper, to the plates that were hand-picked at thrift stores.

As we stood there visiting, surrounded by a dining room of lunchtime diners, Andrea told me about the history of the building, the city itself, and he surrounding area. She obviously has a love of this area and its past, and wants to preserve it and pass it down for generations.

As chefs, they wanted to serve homestyle meals, like you would get at Grandma’s house, “but with their own spin.” So the menu is filled with classics, but be prepared for a serious wow factor when it comes out. You’re not going to find dishes like these anywhere else.

The Corned Beef Hash came out of the kitchen in a hot 8-inch cast iron skillet. The corned beef was chunks of tender, seasoned brisket, mixed with roasted potatoes, sauteed onions and sweet peppers, then topped with two over-medium fried eggs. I’m not the biggest fan of corned beef, depending on the level of clove that’s used, but this was perfect for me. The veggies were tender and caramelized, and the egg yolks popped, making a beautiful glaze over the entire dish, perfect for sopping up with the toast.

The Texas-sized Biscuit with Sausage Gravy was definitely something worth writing home

about. One biscuit, almost the size of the plate (think cat head biscuit, but bigger! Texas-sized) covered in homemade sausage gravy. The gravy was creamy, rich, and perfectly seasoned, with big chunks of flavorful sausage, and it flowed over the enormous, fluffy biscuit. I’m sorry, but this is “last meal” worth. It was my Best Bite of the Day, and I’ll be dreaming about it forever now.

Served in an 8-inch cast iron skillet, the Cowboy’s Blueberry Dutch Baby came straight out of the oven, to the table piping hot. The Dutch babies are all made to order, so they take some time to bake, making them their most popular dish on the weekend when people have time to enjoy a more leisurely breakfast. It’s like an enormous pancake, and yet it’s not; the mix is made with multiple eggs, so it puffs up like a soufflé in the oven. The batter was filled with plump blueberries, then when it came out of the oven, it was topped with two locally-made maple blueberry sausage links, and dusted with powdered sugar. Two perfectly cooked sunny-side-up eggs were stacked on top to make it a complete breakfast in one skillet.

The Monte Cristo Sandwich was huge; three slices of French toast, layered with raspberry jam, carver ham, gooey Swiss cheese, and roasted turkey breast, then dusted with powdered sugar. The punch of the bright raspberry, against the savory meats and cheese, all stacked up with the custard-y French toast. This one was so good that Boog claimed the leftovers before we even left the restaurant, and she rarely eats leftovers. FYI, she said it was just as incredible reheated!

I was curious, so of course I had to try the pickle lemonade. Make sure you grab a big ole glass of it to try. You'll either love it or hate it, but either way you can say you tried it. I love pickles and I loved it!

On top of the Blackberry Cobbler, was a golden, crispy crust, and underneath a layer of fluffy cobbler dough. The blackberry filling was thick, gooey, and lava hot, served with a swirl of fresh whipped cream on top. At this point, Boog stopped and asked me, “why does everything taste so Heavenly?!” You can fight me if you want to, but I’m saying this is the

best blackberry cobbler in Texas.

The cookies were golden and crisp on the outside, but so gooey and soft on the inside. The Cowboy cookie was made from oatmeal, coconut, pecans, and was loaded with dark chocolate chips. I absolutely love oatmeal and coconut in cookies, so this was my top of the two. But the

Texas Chocolate Chip Cookie was amazing too. It was stuffed with tender bacon pieces (yes, you read that right), chocolate chips, and toasted pecans. I loved the sweet and salty combo of this cookie.

The cookies can change daily, because Andrea makes whatever she feels like baking that day. And as with everything else, they are small batch and all from scratch. So if they are out of the flavor you have your heart set on that day, make sure you grab a different one and plan a second trip.

If you’re looking for the best Blackberry Cobbler, a fun twist on your favorite breakfast dishes, or just a beautiful drive out to a delicious, classic comfort breakfast or lunch, make sure you take the backroads over to Cameron, Texas, and stop at JP Werner Cafe. Tell Andrea and Ben I said hi, and make sure you’ve got room in the fridge for leftovers so you can get dessert too. You’ll be glad you did!

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https://www.jpwernercafetx.com/

412 W Batte St, Cameron, TX 76520

And as always, make sure you check their hours before heading out there.