The sleepy downtown roads are paved with brick, big trees, and red brick buildings line the streets, and when you walk into Olive Branch Eatery in Corsicana, Texas a bell on the door jingles, and you’re greeted by a smile and a beautiful gift shop. Coffee mugs, bread mixes, jams, candles, seasonings, and sauces. There’s something for everyone in your life. Walk a little further inside and you can smell the alluring scent of freshly baked bread and cookies, and savory items simmering. That wasn’t always the case for this little shop.
Suzanne began her catering career fifteen years ago. A friend asked her to cater her daughter’s wedding, and with no prior catering experience, she found out she had a knack for it. She amazed everyone the day of the wedding, so much so, that she booked two other catering jobs that day.
In 2022, Downtown Corsicana, Texas hosted a small business revolution event where Suzanne set up a pop-up to showcase her catering business. That’s when she fell in love with downtown and its charm; she wondered if she could make a go of a full restaurant and her catering business. She decided to take the leap of faith.
The early 1900s building on the outer edge of downtown Corsicana had been through many different businesses and owners and sat empty for several years before Suzanne and her husband Mark bought it. After renovations, and design upgrades they were up and running the most charming place to eat downtown.
After Suzanne’s health journey, and helping others with theirs, she said she wouldn’t feel right offering a menu full of less-than-nutritious foods. While there’s something for everyone’s appetite on the menu, you won’t find anything soaked in grease. With her homey and wholesome menu, you’ll feel good in your body and heart when you stop in for a meal here. They’ve settled into their groove over the last two years and are ready to branch out. They’re offering steak nights, brunch once a month, and cocktail parties, all with special menus for a fun experience.
Suzanne’s daughter, Erin, is the head chef, and these ladies prepared everything exquisitely; beautiful colors, presentation, and flavors. Suzanne told me she believes in the adage, ‘We eat with our eyes first,’ so she insists that everything that comes out of her kitchen is beautiful.
Inspired by her health journey, Suzanne is proud to serve the best low-carb and even gluten-free items in the area. The restaurant is even listed on the Find Me Gluten Free app; so others with similar dietary needs can find them easier.
I started this tasting with one of their most popular low-carb and gluten-free dishes, the Mexi-Cali bowl. It’s a bowl of riced cauliflower mixed with sauteed onions and bell peppers, piled up on a bed of arugula, then topped with a spicy chorizo. A fried egg and avocado slices nestle atop all of that. This dish had the perfect heat level from the chorizo balanced by the creaminess of the egg yolk and avocado.
The Everything bagel roast beef was a hearty sandwich, stacked with roast beef, swiss cheese, arugula, tomato, and pickled onions. Then it was all brought together with a generous schmear of cream cheese. The soft bagel covered in seasoning, stuffed with all that deliciousness, and served with a pile of crunchy kettle chips, makes a perfect lunch.
The stuffed avocado came out and I was shocked by how large the portion was. An avocado under a mound of their house-crafted chicken salad served with a side of broccoli salad and a fresh fruit cup. The chicken salad is made with a creamy homemade dressing and savory shredded chicken, then a few dried craisins tossed in to balance out the richness. - Honestly, I think they were craisins, but I was too excited and didn’t stop to ask. If you’re like me, you’ll find some of that avo underneath, mash it up, and have a bite with each scoop of chicken salad. Broccoli salad is one of my favorite sides, and this one did not disappoint. Crips broccoli, a few dried craisins, and bacon, and tossed with a very light coating of house-crafted creamy dressing.
The loaded Italian salad had my heart as soon as it came out, it was so beautiful; a bed of romaine lettuce, topped with chopped salami, pepperoni, ham, and provolone cheese. Then the diced cucumbers, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, and lemon vinaigrette put it over the top. It was fresh and light, but with all the proteins; it was a filling meal. It was served with the most amazing bowl of fresh tomato soup; the ultimate comfort food, herby and thick.
You better believe I saved the best for last, the jalapeno popper chicken salad sandwich. Served on homemade jalapeno cheese bread, then filled with a chicken salad made with cream cheese, fresh jalapenos, shredded chicken, and bacon. It was sandwich perfection, stuffed with as much flavor as you can imagine and grilled to a toasty perfection, served with a scoop of fresh potato salad that was cool, creamy, and a great balance for the rich sandwich.
Of course, I had to dip this sandwich in the tomato soup, one of my great food love affairs.
To round out my tasting adventure, Suzanne brought out their world-famous (okay, If I have anything to do with it they will be world-famous) chocolate chip salted caramel cookie. A golden, crispy outside but a soft chewy inside. It had little pockets of gooey chocolate inside, then drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with just a touch of salt on top, a delicate cookie, not overwhelmingly rich or decadent. I literally could not put this cookie down. Once it released its hold on me I packed up the rest of it to go, but I kid you not - I finished it before I left my parking spot.
If you’re looking for a nice stroll around a beautiful downtown, cute gifts, and a lunch that will leave you feeling good, then you should take the beautiful drive on over to Olive Branch Eatey in Corsicana, Texas.
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409 N. Beaton Street, Corsicana, TX, United States, 75110
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