Texas Moon Sports Cafe ...Although the harvest moon has come and gone, there's one moon in Wichita Falls that will be here for a lot longer. It's the Texas Moon Sports Cafe at 8th and Indiana. In just over a month from its opening, they've established a following that not even the recent rains could keep away.

Downtown office workers regularly fill the place at the lunch hour with numbers exceeding 300 over a two hour period. Even so, the food comes to you quickly and is served piping hot or nicely chilled depending on your order. To go orders can be called or faxed in for your convenience. Service staff are customer-oriented and care about the quality of your dining experience. Kids are welcome as are those who have a taste for tobacco. Smoking is allowed, yet the ventilation system does a super job of keeping the air clean and comfortable.

Six big-screen televisions keep you on top of most all sporting venues while you enjoy your meal. When he gets a chance, chief cook and plate-flinger, Ken Matlock comes out of the kitchen to check with patrons for feedback on their meal and the atmosphere. The ambience is casual and easy to get used to and there's even a Happy Hour from 3 until 7 pm if you need to wet your whistle after a hard day. Pricing is pleasingly reasonable and about average for our area. Menu items include the usual sandwich fare, but also has selections you wouldn't expect to find here in the Falls such as grilled salmon and a fried oyster Po' Boy. Others, you do expect to find, at least in Texas……the "Moon" Burgers and chicken fried steak. For those watchin' their waistline, they offer a diet section. Lunch specials are not always menu items, like the chicken parmesan with linguini, but you can count on them being good. One of the many appetizers, fried mushrooms, comes with a tangy horseradish sauce that really gives them a kick. The taco salad is an artful creation for your palate that leaves just enough room for dessert and the grilled shrimp plate is superb. A side order of beans comes with the shrimp and their version is somewhat spicy, but not overly so. The black pepper puts a bit of heat in ‘em and the flavor is just a little different than everybody else's. Most folks left with a carry-out box or two so they get to enjoy the experience again.

Owners Toby Wood and brothers Dan and David Campagna are keenly interested in revitalizing this part of the city. Our downtown is coming alive again, head on down there and see for yourself.