A five+ decades old icon, Caddo Lake's "Big Pines Lodge" (catfish, hush puppies and cold slaw best in E. Tx) to reopen this Fall 2011.
Don't know exact date.
Same location. Will be larger. Also, second floor serving deck.

Ate there growing up. Glad to see it coming back!

Only place I'd ever seen selling catfish, guns, ammo and beer.
Also had Aggie War Hymn and Texas Fight on juke box.
Was (is) a classic East Texas locale.

Lot of local colorful wall and ceiling decor, with Bubba's and Bubette patrons.

Big Foot has made appearances directly across Big Cypress River from Big Pines Lodge.

(That is after a case or two of Bud.)

I'll be glad when it's back.

Hope they remember: grease = fire

rover...
Also, 60 year electrical wiring needs replacement.

Excited for it to reopen.

A second floor deck sounds fairly awesome. I hope they keep the 'beer honor system'.

Will be an interesting study in the American Free Enterprise system via rural competition.

Nearby (on Dorough road north) is a fairly new catfish place on stilts called River Bend.

Marshall, Tx. C of C says Big Pines Lodge has billboards up - all around town.
Looks like they're shooting for a Labor Day "Grand Opening".
Don't know?
Best to check before driving some distance.

When i was a kid I used to play the War Hymn every time I went in this place! Looking forward to a road trip when it reopens.

John 88...
It will be a modern miracle if they have a replacement juke box with the Aggie War Hymn.

Great food and atmosphere!

Sunset or Sunrise, look across the river and you might catch some Big Foot movement.

I always loved Big Pines Lodge. It was the best place to pull up after a day of fishing, tie the boat up to their dock, and fill your belly with catfish and the best jalapeno hush puppies on the planet. Can't wait for it to reopen.

Wish someone from Marshall/Longview could give us a Grand Opening time and date for Big Pines.

Have to wonder if the puppies will taste the same...there was a lot of history lost when that 40 year old grease in the fryer went up in flames.

Trip back up to the region next weekend...suspect it's not going to be open by then?

Bop waiting to return to Big Pines and Caddo Lake when temperature drops below 90 degrees.

That may be mid to late September.

Hopefully losing ?? yrs. of grease will not affect the Cold Slaw. My wife and I think it is the best we've ever eaten and would love the recipe.
I worked at Thiokol (Karnack) in 59 & 60 and don't recall if it was open. It became a Christmas holiday ritual for us in 1967 until it burned down.

It re-opens on the 10th. Somebody spent a ton of cash and I hear the new place looks great (no more getting stuck in the parking lot). I'll kinda miss the 'dump' style, but as long as the food is up to par, I don't care.

Big Pines will open Saturday at 11:00am.

Marshall Aggie here. Here is the scoop in the Marshall paper today. They open this Saturday for lunch.

http://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com/news/article_05ce9291-91f6-5320-8496-5faf0dd6d9a1.html

Here is Big Pines new website...
http://www.bigpineslodge.com/

I'm going to go check it out one day next week, will report back!

We have a lakehouse nearby and are absolutely thrilled that Big Pines is reopening tomorrow. Been a long time coming - I actually stopped by the new Big Pines last weekend and the new building looks fantastic. Hopefully the food will be just as good as it was before the fire - looking forward to finding out soon.

Bop was at Sat 11:00am Grand Opening.
Hush Puppies better than ever. Catfish filets were in sizeable portions. Cold Slaw the absolute best.
From cabin, Bop on bicycle and two dogs came back at 7:15pm just to check out the crowd. Was just incredible. Parking lot full. Cars on the road and up on the grass in the rear of Big Pines. Line outside the door and around west side sitting area.
Wait time for a table at 7:15pm was ONE AND ONE-HALF HOUR.
Big Pines is back with a roar.

(Anyone notice Big Foot and Tweedy stationed across the river?)

Going there for lunch today...will report back (hopefully with pictures).

New Big Pines Lodge...


Catfish filets, fries, and jalapeno hush puppies...


Inside of Big Pines Lodge...


Sasquatch in the distance...


The new place is very nice. Hush puppies were over cooked, but the fish was good. The cole slaw wasn't quite as good as before. The food isn't quite as good as Riverbend located down the road. But I bet it soon will be.

is that bigfoot???

I didn't know Bigfoot knew how to tweet.

First decent rain, Bigfoot and Tweety are gonna get feet wet.

[This message has been edited by BeBopAg (edited 9/18/2011 11:38p).]

Nice pics 04. My folks have the same review, the food isn't up to par yet.

If nobody's shot at Bigfoot, I'd like to be the first. I'll be in the area around turkey day.

rover...

Please don't shoot Big Foot or Tweety.

Guess who cut 'em out and placed 'em (mainly for the kids).