April 2013 - Thunder Roads Texas Motorcycle Magazine

ON THE COVER
From the Ashes...
By Shelly Horan, TRT Editor/Owner
his month, we take a jaunt down Texas Highway 36,
off I-10, southwest of Houston… to a little bar wellknown
to the area, West of the Brazos in Damon.
The bar’s been around a long time, but it was purchased
from Curtis Maricle by “Cactus Jack” Graham in January
2011. Unfortunately, just a few months after Cactus Jack
took over, the bar burned to the ground (May 2011) –
forever losing the impressive neon sign over the bar, along
with just about the rest of the whole building. While no
suspicions of foul play are out there, the start of the fire is
still officially on the books as “undetermined”.
Before the bar could burn down, Cactus Jack had
continued his annual April birthday party and crawfish boil,
moving it to the new bar. This year, on April 27, he will host
the 26th T
Annual Cactus Jack’s Birthday Party and Crawfish
Boil. They will have about 1,200 pounds of mudbugs and
it’s not unusual to have some left for Sunday riders visiting
this favorite haunt. Now, he’s not saying how old he is, but
his daughter, Wendy Graham, concedes he will admit to
39. Not too long ago, before Wendy turned 29, he would
claim 29… guess she caught up to him!
After the bar burned, it reopened almost immediately with
a temporary set up to serve adult beverages (it’s officially
an “ice house”, serving beer and other beverages of less
than 5% alcohol content). On the day after Thanksgiving
that same year, they were pleased to reopen a whole
new (and larger) building, complete with kitchen and all.
Additionally, the front parking lot got an upgrade and most
of it is now paved. They maintained the feel of the place…
what I would call “casual comfort”. They maintained the
wrap around porch, big comfy chairs on the front porch
corners, outside picnic tables, original sign on front of
the building, games, and plenty of good old fashioned
hospitality inside.
When asked how her father came to be owner of West of
the Brazos, Wendy replied, “He’s always been a biker guy,
often in the bars… including West of the Brazos. So when
it became available, it was a good fit.” This isn’t the first bar
Cactus Jack has owned… and probably won’t be his last!
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Wendy actually moved from Michigan to help her father
rebuild the infamous establishment.
Today, Wendy has taken over the day-to-day activities,
while Jack has become what she affectionately calls
a “storage warrior”. But he can be found there pretty
regularly. Wendy has help from friend, Veronica Smith, to
whom she also gives credit for a big part of the rebuild. She
also wants to acknowledge Donna Johnson (Cactus Jack’s
fiancé) and Dearing “Doc” McAlpine, III for all the help they
have provided her and her father in getting the bar back up
and running. There are still some things to be done… but
really, anyone who owns any kind of building/property –
there’s always something that needs to be done!
The new owners have also continued the reputation of
West of the Brazos as supporting local rides and benefit
events. In March, they hosted the 40th Annual Zodiac Run,
organized by the San Jacinto High Rollers, benefitting the
Texas Lions Camp for Kids. On April 20, they’ll host a trail
ride, full of horses and wagons! The small bar is home to
riders and cowboys alike!
They want to invite everyone to return to
hitting the West of the Brazos on their way
around the area. It’s a great stop if you’re
heading down to ride the Bluewater Highway,
from Freeport to Galveston. The parking lot
is big and the hamburgers are highly recommended. The
kitchen is open 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. every day, with great
weekday lunch specials. The bar remains open until 2:00
a.m. seven days a week.
So, when you’re riding in the Houston area, be sure to
mark your maps with West of the Brazos in the small town
of Damon (don’t blink!). And… mark your calendars for
April 27 to enjoy a big ole birthday bash!
ThunderRoadsTexas.com