Glass-topped water well dining table at Texas restaurant can be reserved for $75

JEFFERSON, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) – A stunning historic hotel in Jefferson is one of the most unique restaurants in Eastern Texas.

Today Haywood House Restaurant & Cocktail Bar in Jefferson, Texas is home to mouth-water appetizers like Watermelon Goat Cheese Sliders, which combines rosemary and thyme with marinated goat cheese and watermelon slices with a balsamic reduction.

But Haywood House hasn’t always been a restaurant. It was built in 1865 as a luxurious hotel in Jefferson, Texas.

At Haywood House you can try Spanish treats such as the Fried Spanish Queso, a tapas dish native to Spain that includes battered and fried Manchego cheese triangles with a blueberry dipping sauce.

Eating at Haywood House isn’t just about what you eat, though. It’s also about where you eat it.

The old hotel turned restaurant is breathtaking with period furnishings and a mezzanine for spillovers. A cigar bar and private banquet room are upstairs, and the restaurant downstairs has hidden speakers so as not to spoil the historic décor.

More than 100 years ago you could visit the same building, back when the indoor cistern water well was still in use. Today, the well is covered with a glass tabletop and is a lovely spot for a romantic proposal or a quiet birthday celebration with friends and family. Try the spinach salad with toasted pecans and strawberries, apple slices, feta cheese, with a blood orange vinaigrette. Follow up your salad with an 8-ounce filet minion and smash potatoes with chimichurri sauce.

The bar’s extensive menu includes stouts, ciders, seltzers, ales, martinis, cocktails, spirits, and wines. They also have a separate brunch menu that includes Pecan-Fried Chicken & Waffle Lollies, a Seafood Omelette, and Drunk Sausage Gravy & Biscuits.

Haywood House is located open until midnight on Friday and Saturday and until 10 p.m. on Thursday, Sunday, and Sunday. They’re closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The historic building and restaurant are located at 202 S. Market Street in downtown Jefferson, Texas.

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