By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
An iconic Del Rio bakery is being highlighted on a Texas travel show Saturday morning.
Chapa’s bakery, found at 1700 N. Bedell Avenue has been serving people in Del Rio and Acuna tasty eats for 55 years. The show will be shown at 10:30 a.m. Saturday on WOAI News 4. A complete list of where the show can be seen can be found here.
“It’s so amazing,” said Norma Chapa, wife of Marco, the bakery’s owner. Marco helped start the restaurant 55 years ago in Acuna.
Norma is rolling Cuernos in sugar a day before the show will be shown to Texas and much of the nation. “We are really excited they are putting us on their show,” she said.
In 55 years, Chapa’s has grown to where it has taken over the entire south end of the small strip mall on Bedell, with the bakery, a cake store and then the actual bakery where much of the baking happens.
The bakery itself is functional but not fancy. The walls are lined with baked goods. Everything from Czechoslovakian kolaches, apple fritters and then one section is more Mexican centric with items like Conchas and Cuernos.
It’s easy to tell the rookie customers versus the veterans. Veterans walk in, grab the metal trays and a set of tongs and start heaping baked goods on the tray before checking out. A unique setup ideal for The Texas Bucket List that is searching for unique Texas experiences.
The Texas Bucket List is designed to celebrate the good things about the state. Its website claims “The show is dedicated to everything you have to see, do, and experience in the Lone Star State and a few things every Texan should venture out to try.”
It’s been encouraging people to try Del Rio food for much of this year. The Del Rio Convention and Visitors Bureau staff has coordinated with Texas Bucket List producers several times, helping highlight local eateries. Most recently, the eating travel series highlighted Fragola’s and before that Meme’s Kleen Kitchen.
Fragola’s calls itself a, “Fragolas is a chef inspired café serving the highest quality food with exceptional customer service.” The show can be viewed here.
Prior to that, they highlighted Meme’s Kleen Kitchen, located at 401 East Gibbs St across from HEB. The segment can be watched here.
“The fact that a town of Del Rio’s size has had three great eateries highlighted on this show says a lot about the extraordinary meals our community produces,” Blanca Larson, CVB director said. “These are three great establishments of many great restaurants in our town. All you have to do is listen to your palette and it will always direct you to a great meal in Del Rio.”
The writer can be reached at JoelALangton@gmail.com .
