ABOUT

The story of Jerry's Restaurant is tied to the state of Texas, which created Lake Livingston in the Trinity River Basin in the late 1960s. Albert Jerry Smith, Sr., was a farmer with land where the then-new lake was going to be. 

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​In 1969, his son, Albert Jerry Smith, Jr., known to his family as Jerry, opened Jerry’s Restaurant on land the family owned on Highway 190, next door to its hardware store and gas station, and a motel.

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On the restaurant's opening night, the whole family worked together. Jerry and his oldest son, Bobby, ran the kitchen, while his wife Joy and daughter Jeanne Anne were waitresses, and his middle son, Jerry III, was the maître d’ and dishwasher. 

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Jeanne Ann Smith Byrd owns the restaurant today. Jerry's is still run by the Smith family, and several members of the current generation work and eat there regularly. 

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​The house specialty is the chicken-fried steak, which is hand-cut in-house, battered with a family recipe, and served with mashed potatoes and cream gravy. You can get it with any side you like, but we recommend green beans or fried okra. Many of the plates are served with a starter salad, which was Jerry's preference. 

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The hamburgers are beloved by the community as well, and the favorite dish of many family members is the club sandwich. Don’t miss the giant onion rings, and for a taste of the past, try the rolls with honey — they’re still made using Joy’s recipe.