Loitering in Lake Highlands

White Rock Lake

Rebekah and I didn’t actually mean to tour Lake Highlands. We were off to see the Dallas Arboretum, but bad weather had disrupted the park causing an unexpected closure. So instead of our planned outing, we took a drive around the area and did a bit of shopping. Lake Highlands, the neighborhood around the Arboretum, extends north to Richardson, east to Garland, south to White Rock Lake and East Dallas, and west to Lakewood and North Dallas. Most of the area is populated with historic homes and older places of business.

Parts of the parks and associated structures in the neighborhood were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This New Deal program

Geese in the park

was designed to give out of work folks jobs during the Great Depression. It was also a training program for young men, helping them gain the skills needed to work in the building trades. Public improvement projects were the training grounds for these people, and that included structures in parks, schools and other public places.

Three Carrots

Of course we got hungry so we had to find somewhere to eat. Barbec’s Restaurant (8949 Garland Rd, Dallas, TX 75218, (214) 321-5597) is one

Left: Barbec's menu
Right T to B: Burger and fries, Fried catfish

of those old time diners that you know serves good food simply because the parking lot is full of cars. This restaurant has been serving patrons for over 40 years, and some of the waitresses have been there at least half that amount of time. The décor is traditional 1950s with cherry red tables and matching naugahyde seats. The waitresses have a loyal following; some days their patrons have to wait for their favorite server to have an open table. Our waitress was efficient with a sunny disposition. She told us about the lunch specials and was happy to make suggestions. Rebekah had a top of the line burger and crispy fries; she thought the flavors and textures were very good. I had the catfish with fried okra and fried corn fritters. The fritters were wonderful: sweet and crunchy! The catfish and the okra were good, too. I was sad that the hush puppies had onions; they looked very good. Prices were good, and the specials were even better. If I’m in the area I’ll certainly go back to Barbec’s. (See Reading the Reviews for the rating system)

Rabbits from Walton's Garden Center

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