Doc's Hot Links (Texas Country Reporter)

one of our favorite things about a life on the backroads is all the great little out-of-the-way places we find to eat usually they're not very fancy sometimes they don't offer a lot of variety still Texas just wouldn't be the same without places like doc top blankets the building hadn't changed hardly any other and paint paneling that's the original paint cheese and counters now even though we know this couldn't be true Doc's hotlinks is the kind of place that feels like it's always been old decades of time and the heat from Floyd Henderson's gas oven have weathered this crumbly building into a vintage postcard it's a distinct setting that's home to one of Texas most distinct dishes the East Texas hot link it's amazing to me you know everybody talks hot like so you know if you're from East Texas that's what they're gonna probably ask you it's a lack of sausage with their own special blend of seasoning stuffed into a casing I leave them all my life they're doing that's on place you can get them for us I know in these Texas [Music] if there were a food Hall of Fame then East Texas hot links would belong in our state's submission right alongside chili and chicken-fried steak this truly regional dish was born right here in the piney woods and even today only Gilmer Pittsburgh and a handful of other area towns served them it might not be five-star fare but chef Floyd still insists on some very specific side dishes the way I've always been told to eat these is you've got to have some sort of hot sauce right yes okay and pepper and vinegar pepper and vinegar yeah and you gotta have some saltine cracker saltine crackers that's why I like mine and he sticks his heart likes those three things and you're set to go you're set to go like your meal and you might get to separate em [Music] a Doc's hotlink is more than just some seasoned meat it's the taste of tradition every spicy savory bite brings back memories for the people who grew up loving them some customers are so loyal they even make Doc's part of their holiday celebrations newly on Thanksgiving that's why first stops they make here and while the mothers will come get their kids hot links because they're able to visit they're coming to visit and they want hot links instead of turkey you know because that's part of their childhood you know which I can understand because that's yeah I wouldn't know what to do it but it couldn't get hot like so what I wanted them [Music] I came down here with daddy and we ain't sittin right there same old table you were a little boy then a little boy and they served us on butcher paper which we upgraded to paper plates because her look thicker as a hungry kid Floyd had no idea that one day his financial fate would be wrapped up in his dogs it wasn't even in his family until 1969 when the original owner put it up for sale and Floyd's daddy came home with a crazy idea my dad he said you know if we can get our hands on that we can we can make it well I hope so dad and he put he's being in and we got it and you've been making hot now every day the Henderson stuff tie and cook more than 60 pounds of hot links it's a family affair with many of Floyd's relatives cycling through the roster over the years but the one constant is his mom affectionately known as Miss doc who inspired the family to keep working when tragedy struck my dad he died at a young age at 55 you know my mom she hung in there boy she was tough she she said I'm not gonna sit around and cry myself to DES I'm just gonna work and she did she does she's and she's still back there but he's still my kin hot wings [Music] well time may be running out for the humble hotlink as dedicated as they are Boyd and his mother can't be here forever and right now there is no successor to carry on this Gilmer tradition what's gonna happen to this place when you and your mom are both gone you know we gave it some thought then we're probably hang onto it for a few more years anyway my mom she she worries bad too like you know she don't want it to be shut down or anything it'll be a sad day in Gilmer when you can't come down here get some hot links you know it's just it's just the way of life to me it's a simple menu in a simple place run by a man with one simple goal keep East Texas hot links alive Floyd Henderson knows that might not be possible but just like his mother all those years ago no there's no use sitting around crying about it no matter what the future holds docks hot links is open now and so now is the time to get cookin it's a labor of love I guess you could say I guess that's the reason we've hung all all these years you know it's it's something my dad was so proud of and he was he knew that if he could get his hands on it he could make it and he knew what he was talking about you it's been a good life it's taken good care of us and I hope it's few more years [Music] you

Channel: Texas Country Reporter

Views: 217,412

Rating: 4.9245772 out of 5

Keywords: texas country reporter, texas, bob, phillips, TCR, Bob Phillips, Hot Links, Floyd Henderson, Texas (CityTown/Village)

Id: vGjXn13yE4Q

Length: 7min 20sec (440 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 12 2013