“This is not just my place, this is everyone’s place,” Teresa said as we sat and talked about the store, the community, and how she and her family have been taken care of over the years.
Teresa Bordeau, might have moved away to pursue a successful corporate floral design career, and then own a shop in the Marshall Mall, but really she’s a hometown girl from Edge, Texas.
She, her husband, and her son moved back to Edge, Texas to be closer to her aging parents, and that’s when they saw the Edge General Store come up for sale. It had been in the same family for multiple generations but had been closed for 39 years so when Teresa told them that she intended to reopen it as a general store, they were excited. And she did it in 2007.
As a parent and a business owner, she’s been through a lot of struggles over the years, but her community has always been there for her and the store. Mr. Smith, the owner of the Dairy Queen locations in the Bryan/College Station area heard that she couldn’t find an ice cream cone dispenser, and one day he showed up at the store with one as a gift.
There for a while the dining area, which is technically a cold frame for growing plants in, had a dirt floor, and would flood when it rained. The water would recede, but they were left with a place too muddy to use. When Teresa’s son was diagnosed with cancer, a customer wrangled up the owner of McCoy’s Lumber and other businesses, and they donated the materials and labor to build a wooden floor for the dining area.
Over the years, customers, friends, and businesses have gifted or sold her things that she needed to make the general store a success—everything from a bun toaster to booths.
Before Covid, they had live music and she told me adorable stories about older couples coming out to enjoy the music. But, much like so many other restaurants, Covid almost killed them.
In October 2020, Teresa was tired of seeing the loss of connection around her. All of the fighting about the virus and masking; she just needed to bring some love back to her community. She had an extra $500 to her name, and she spent it on pumpkins and supplies to build a pumpkin patch. They turned the back garden area into that pumpkin patch; a place where people could come out and enjoy family time. Where they could have a meal and some fun. And it saved the store.
Today things are different around here. Some of the families that used to come in together have split. “Her kids,” high-schoolers who worked for her, have moved on. They don’t have live music at the store anymore.
But she always tries to see the positive in life as well. After her son was diagnosed with cancer, she cut back on hours, because life’s too short to spend it all working. Now she enjoys hosting events like rehearsal dinners and weddings because it hurts her heart to see young people get charged so extravagantly for venues. Her theory about making money is, “you don’t have to rake people over the coals to make a living and pay your bills.” She just wants to charge a fair price for everything, from hamburgers to weddings, and be able to make a living doing it.
As awesome as her story is, her food is equally awesome.
Amy is Teresa’s right hand and the face that will greet you when Teresa is cooking. And when I sat down, Amy brought out a slice of Almond Joy pie and a strawberry milkshake.
I make no apologies. If you bring me dessert first, I’m going to eat it first.
The milkshake was perfection. Not too thick, but almost enough to collapse my straw, with whipped cream and a strawberry drizzle on top.
Then that pie. Oh lord! All the pies are made by Teresa’s sister, and I couldn’t say no when Amy said they had an Almond Joy pie. Graham cracker crust topped with a thick and creamy filling then a layer of whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate, toasted coconut, and almonds. Now, one of my favorite candies is even better as a pie!
Thankfully, I didn’t eat the whole slice because then came the sandwiches. A pulled pork sandwich, a club, and a cheeseburger.
The pulled pork was warm and flavorful, with just a drizzle of sauce so as not to overpower the flavor of the pork. Served with pickles, onions, and on a soft bun.
The club is a refreshing sandwich that is perfect for a hot summer day. Thick sliced ham and turkey, a slice of American cheese, and crispy bacon. I got mine with all the veg, mustard, and mayo. But you do you, Boo.
Then the show stopper. The cheeseburger. Teresa gets her meat from Ruffino Meat in Bryan, and you can tell it’s a fresh pattie, then topped with American cheese. Of course all the veg, mustard, and mayo. Teresa insisted that I needed to get it on the Jalapeno Bun, and she was not wrong. There’s a reason that they sell packs of those buns. The flavor is incredible, it’s light and fluffy but held up to the burger. The jalapeno flavor is there, but not the heat. Pair that with the perfectly seasoned and juicy hamburger patty, and it was LOVE.
If you’re looking for a good time, a handmade gift, or an incredible lunch, then you really gotta take the backroads over to the Edge General Store, in Edge, Texas, and tell ‘em I said hi! You’ll be glad you did!
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979-589-3539
7250 Edge Cut Off Road, Hearne, Texas 77859
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