Four years ago, Texas diners were introduced to an unusual farm-to-table restaurant that defied all the hallmarks of a farm-to-table restaurant.
Oma Leen’s opened in 2020 in Walnut Springs, a pindot of a town — found about 90 minutes southwest of Fort Worth on Highway 144 in Bosque County — with a population of, maybe, 1,000. No slight to these fine residents, but Walnut Springs isn’t exactly known for its culinary scene.
Perhaps even more interesting than the restaurant’s location was the story of those who made the superb food: that of owners Austin and Shannon Odom, a young couple — kids, really — who fell in love with food, then each other. As we documented in a 2021 profile, the two met at Tarleton State, then dropped out to pursue careers in the food industry, first with a food-prep business, then with their ambitious restaurant, which served trout almondine in a lemon beurre blanc; handmade pastas such as pappardelle; grilled yellow squash with salsa macha; and a Niman Ranch pork chop whose T. rex-size bone towered over sage and jasmine rice. Their food didn’t look or taste like it came from the hands of 25-year-olds.
After establishing themselves in Walnut Springs, the pair decided to move Oma Leen’s closer to their home in Hico, where it recently reopened in a gloriously rehabbed 19th-century general store. As was the case in Walnut Springs, there’s nothing in town like it; for the Odoms, that’s the appeal.
“Even with the first restaurant, we thought about opening in a larger city like Fort Worth,” Austin says. “But the fact that you don’t normally see farm-to-table restaurants in small towns, for us that’s a good thing. People here who might enjoy that type of food don’t have to drive to a bigger city, and people from a bigger city might like the drive to Hico, to get away from everything and still have a nice meal in a cool setting.”
Part of the thrill of dining at Oma Leen’s is not knowing what dishes will be available. The Odoms change their menu frequently, and while they don’t post their menus on their website, they do post images of some of the available dishes on Instagram and Facebook. Lately, those dishes have included rabbit tagliatelle; a monstrous, 18-ounce rib-eye with cold smoked butter and pomme — their version of steak frites; Korean BBQ-inspired chicken wings fried in beef tallow; and eggrolls stuffed with venison sausage.
Even seemingly innocuous dishes have elevated touches. Buttermilk biscuits come with housemade strawberry and thyme compote, while the artichoke dip is served with freshly made naan bread. Chicken and pasta, maybe the restaurant’s most popular dish, is comprised of thick ribbons of housemade pappardelle, roasted basil cream, pistachios, parmigiana, and pan-roasted chicken breast — a mishmash of flavors that come together beautifully.
“We’ve learned a lot over the past few years,” Austin says with a laugh. “By trial and error, basically. But I think we’ve gotten better at developing flavors out of ingredients that might not seem to go together. That’s the fun part of all this, learning what doesn’t work and what does.”
The historic building where Oma Leen’s now resides has mostly been kept intact. Many of the updates were behind the scenes — new plumbing, new electric, adding an open kitchen. They barely touched the building’s limestone skeleton; the hardwoods still creak as you walk across them.
The centerpiece of the room is a 19th-century, hand-carved Brunswick bar, which Austin says comes from Dodge City, Kansas. Yes, Dodge City, famous for its Old West tales and lore.
“It came from an actual saloon in the Old West,” he says, adding it spent time on display at a museum dedicated to Gene Autry memorabilia. “I can only imagine the stories it could tell. I’m sure it’s been on quite a journey.”
Shannon Odom has been on an unusual journey herself. She recently traveled to Puglia, Italy, to compete on a new Food Network competitive cooking reality show called “Ciao House.” The show was scheduled to premiere May 19; at press time, she couldn’t talk about her time on the show. Most reality shows require participants to sign nondisclosure agreements.
“It has been a crazy few months, to say the least,” Austin says. “Food has really taken us on this unimaginable journey. And I feel like we’re just getting started.”
