After roads traveled and meals cooked together, this couple settled down in Whitehall, a community outside of Navasota, Texas, to build Whitehall Icehouse and Cafe.
Christi Carter and Don Schoenburg met in culinary school in California, and for years they traveled in and out of the US taking jobs as chefs and enjoying life together. After moving back from Tennesee to Houston, to be closer to Christi’s family in 2020, their world was turned upside down. At the time, Christi was a CrossFit instructor and Don had a small restaurant; that’s when Covid changed everything; Christi lost her job, and Don lost his restaurant. Unsure what their next move would be, they were taking a motorcycle ride through the beautiful Texas countryside, when Don fell in love with the Blue Bonnets around Whitehall.
That’s when they knew what they needed to do. They opened the original Whitehall Cafe, a very small building with limited seating and a tiny kitchen. In the beginning, they didn’t even have an oven; desserts are Christi’s specialty, so they had to make it a top-priority purchase. It didn’t take long for them to gain recognition from people around Texas as having an incredible burger and fabulous sweet treats.
In 2022, they bought some property just down the road from the original building, and have since made a huge upgrade in the dining area, kitchen space, and the overall vibe. They’re now the Whitehall Icehouse and Cafe. They want this establishment to be a destination, where folks, local or just passing through, can stop for a beer, a burger, and a great time. They host live music, jeep days, and farmer’s markets monthly. As motorcycle riders, they’re also upgrading their parking to provide a great experience for that community again soon. A huge display case gets filled with desserts daily and sells out almost as fast as they can fill it.
Lord have mercy, this was a true menu-tasting experience! Everything is housemade, from the burger sauce to seasoning blends, and of course every cookie, pie, and cake.
The bacon cheeseburger had a thick, flavorful, juicy patty, a stack of crispy bacon, and a slice of gooey cheese. All that was complimented by a house-crafted burger sauce and all the fresh veg, on a toasted brioche bun. This burger is what burger dreams are made of. Get a double meat - I dare ya!
The Swiss mushroom burger was a thick patty, on a brioche bun, with grilled mushrooms, melted Swiss cheese, and that awesome house-crafted burger sauce.
They serve brisket on the weekends, so we had the chance to try the 3 meat BBQ plate, the sliced brisket sandwich, and the chopped beef sandwich.
The BBQ plate came with brisket, pulled pork, and sausage; along with two sides and sliced bread. The mac and cheese that came with it was incredible. It was gooey, thick, and creamy; of course I loved it extra because they use the little shell pasta.
The sliced BBQ sandwich was a toasted brioche bun, stacked high with perfectly smoked brisket, then topped with pickles and onions; served with fresh hand-cut french fries.
Boog’s favorite savory item of the day was the chopped beef sandwich. It was served on buttery, grilled Texas toast, piled up with an incredible mixture of chopped beef, homemade BBQ sauce, and grilled onions. This whole sandwich melted in my mouth.
The Cuban sandwich was a bolillo bun filled with ham, pulled pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles. It was pressed and grilled for a warm filling in a crisp bun.
I had a hard time choosing my favorite savory item of the day, I kept going back and forth between the loaded fries and the Texas Cheesesteak.
Y’all know how much I love cheese fries, and these were cheese fries on steroids. Their hand-cut fries, stacked with chopped brisket, covered in queso, drizzled with BBQ sauce, then pickles, onions, and jalapenos sprinkled on top. Cheese fries everywhere wish they were these cheese fries.
Then there was the Texas cheesesteak. A toasted bolillo bun, got a layer of mayo then stuffed with perfectly seasoned beef fajita meat, grilled bell peppers, onions, and jalapenos, then covered in queso. Bring your appetite and bring your bib, this is a big ‘ole messy and incredible sandwich.
The desserts came out in a wave as well. Hummingbird cake, s’mores pie, cookies, buttermilk pie, banana pudding, coconut cream pie, all so amazing.
Boog’s favorites were the buttermilk pie and the Snickerdoodle cookie. The cookies were huge, with a delicate crisp on the outside, and tender, soft inside.
The banana pudding had a fun little twist. Christi used Nutter Butter cookies, instead of nilla wafers and I loved the added peanut butter flavor they had.
My favorite desserts though were the hummingbird cake and the coconut meringue pie. The hummingbird cake was moist and fluffy, with an intoxicating hint of spice and a decadent cream cheese frosting. The coconut meringue pie was filled with a dreamy coconut filling, full of toasted coconut flakes, and then mounded up with an enormous pillow of meringue; an absolute dream come true. You can taste the freshness and quality in each cool bite of every dessert.
If you’re looking for a cold beer, a big ‘ole burger, and a huge slice of cake, be sure you take the back roads on over to Whitehall Icehouse and Cafe, in Whitehall, Texas. (Not to be confused with the old Whitehall Cafe, owned by someone else now. I haven’t ever been there.)
Tell Don and Christi I said hi, and then come back here and let me know what you got!
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1863 County Rd 306, Navasota, TX 77868
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