Author: Trey Chapman

Trey Chapman is the Creator of Trey's Chow Down, Drink With Trey, and Trey's Chow Down T.V.. Always searching for the best chow, drink, chef's and good times for our fans and followers!

Historical Texas Motor Lodge That’s Unforgettable

Trey Chapman Travel Experiences

Howdy Y’all!

The Press Room (LBJ Waiting Room)

If you’re new to our site, my name is Trey and I specialize in locating creative and talented chefs, delicious dishes, tasty cocktails, and unique travel experiences that everyone should enjoy around the USA.

I heard about this cozy little 1960’s Motor Lodge located in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas, right down the road from President LBJ’s Ranch – the Texas White House, as they called it. These days when we get a tip, or hear about new place to visit, we must investigate before striking out on the adventure, just to be sure it’s what we’re expecting.

We did our homework and discovered it was originally built in 1964. This restored L-shaped motel combines modern luxury with a retro twist, featuring 12 remodeled rooms and 4 private cabins — faithful to their mid-century modern roots – along with five RV sites.

Interested, we loaded up and headed for the beautiful Stonewall Motor Lodge in Stonewall, Texas, right next to Fredericksburg, Texas. It’s such a beautiful, quaint, and relaxing drive. We reserved the PRESS ROOM to spend the weekend in and enjoy the Hill Country.

When we arrived and I laid my eyes on the lodge I knew we had made the CORRECT decision. It was perfect! A shining star located roadside like the OLD Motor Lodges from the 1940, 50, and 60’s. Completely refurbished with roof top deck added, nice colorful and cozy rooms, big showers, comfortable beds, outdoor living areas and the big outdoor barn area. This was complete with sitting areas, a bar, fans and windows to view the wild life. They also had an outdoor fire pit and grilling area under big Hill Country trees and loads of deer. I’m serious when I say loads of deer – we counted 10 and one big Texas buck on our first outing to the barn. The next morning when we looked out of the window, I saw so many deer we couldn’t count them all. It was magical!!

I reserved the PRESS ROOM because I firmly believe that every travel experience should include some history, education, and fun, with a dash of deliciousness and a few tasty cocktails. When you have that combination it’s sure to be the PERFECT travel experience.

The Press Room was awesome. If these walls could talk… Once reserved for the Press Corps hoping to snap a shot of President Lyndon B. Johnson during visits to his ranch, this room is steeped in the history of the nearby “Texas White House”. It has a little kitchenette with a table and all kinds of historical photos. It’s cozy and has PLENTY OF ROOM.

We unpacked, settled in, and started enjoying the wonderful Lodge. We went out back and enjoyed talking to the deer (a one-sided conversation), listening to music and discussing our incredible day with BLAKE the engaged ” Southern White Rhino.” But, that’s another story and one you don’t want to miss. Later on, we got some wine and headed to the rooftop overlooking the hotel and surrounding area. We really enjoyed the outdoor living room and discussing the cars and trucks as the rolled by. What a fantastic day we had, and ending it looking up at the TEXAS star BIGHT night made it perfect.

I don’t know about you, but Jana and myself love staying in cozy old beautiful places. Stonewall was extremely nostalgic, cozy and quaint, and not to mention affordable. There is just something about pulling up, getting out of your car, and walking into your room. Not having to deal with loads of people, big parking lots, elevators, and miles of concrete if you get my drift. It was a nice change of pace, bringing things back to a simpler time. (Boy times have changed but NOT at STONEWALL.)

If you’re looking for a different experience that’s truly a change of pace and one that’s unforgettable, you need to book a stay and enjoy some time at the beautiful STONEWALL MOTOR LODGE. You will thank me Later! 12 stars out of 10 for these travelers.

Hope to see you on the road or at a table soon! Love y’all!

Trey and Jana

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Avery Island An Unforgettable TABASCO Experience.

Trey Chapman Chow, Travel Experiences

History & Hot Sauce Deliciousness  

Old Salt Mine Recreation.

Howdy! If you’re new to our site, my name is Trey and I specialize in locating creative and talented chefs, delicious dishes, tasty cocktails, and unique travel experiences that everyone should enjoy around the USA.

We’re so grateful for the private tour, tasting and extremely friendly staff at TABASCO® and Avery Island, Louisiana. Jana and I had an unforgettable time learning the history behind the TABASCO® brands and the beautiful surroundings that Avery Island offers. We never understood the true amount of EFFORT and TIME that Edward Mcllhenny spent creating the TABASCO® brands in 1868 on Avery Island. I’m not sure the man ever slept a wink, much like my father Barney – very remarkable!

He not only created TABASCO® on the Island; he also mined salt, planted thousands of different varieties of plants and bamboo for the US government. He’s even responsible for helping save the Snowy Egrets and other species. There is so much more that he and the family did for America and the world, which you can learn about during the tour. This tour is a MUST visit if you love historical facts, beauty and of course deliciousness. The TABASCO® restaurant was wonderful too and the staff was fantastic.

TABASCO® Brand products are made by McIlhenny Company, founded by Edmund McIlhenny in 1868 on Avery Island, Louisiana. It was there that he developed the recipe for TABASCO® Original Red Pepper Sauce that’s been passed down from generation to generation. To this day, the company is still family-owned and operated on that very same island. The McIlhenny family has made TABASCO® Sauce on Avery Island, Louisiana for over 5 generations. Built on a salt dome, it’s a mysteriously beautiful place where the red peppers grow, the factory hums, and abundant wildlife can be seen in Jungle Gardens.

A Small Tastings From 1868.

The Jungle Garden Tour is a must if you LOVE wildlife, history and beautiful surroundings. You can take a guided bird tour, or a self-guided tour through Jungle Gardens and experience the beauty and tranquility of the ancient oaks and bayous. It is truly a stunning tour and inspiring to see the happenings and all the incredible wildlife come to life.

If you’re looking for a truly memorable TRAVEL experience I would HIGHLY recommend a visit to Avery Island. You can spend the day enjoying life and forgetting about your troubles.

Hope to meet you on our travels and see you at a table soon!

With LOVE Trey & Jana

Unique Texas Hill Country Travel Experience

Trey Chapman Chow, Travel Experiences 1 Comment on Unique Texas Hill Country Travel Experience

Howdy Y’all!

If you’re new to our site, my name is Trey and I specialize in locating creative and talented chefs, delicious dishes, tasty cocktails, and unique travel experiences that everyone should enjoy.

I was so excited when I heard about and booked this NEW travel adventure that I literally didn’t sleep for two nights prior to leaving. It combines and encompasses some of my greatest passions: endangered species, history, tasty wines, and unique travel destinations. The GREATEST factor? It’s an affordable experience that everyone can enjoy. It involves learning about the historic and important factors with the endangered Southern White Rhino population.

The RHINORY is now OPEN in Fredericksburg the beautiful hill country of Texas and worth every single second of your time. You can visit, meet, and have an opportunity to touch and rub BIG BLAKE, a beautiful and sweet Endangered White Rhino. During this time, you can also learn about and enjoy some very tasty wines. Drinking is optional – you can still enjoy this incredible experience without the wine. ( You must make reservations for Rhino visit )

Their 55-acre ranch in Fredericksburg is close to everything, but as you pull through the gates you will be entering into a whole new world when you arrive. They have a special area where you will be able to get up close and personal with Big Blake.  The rhino keeper will escort you and guide you through the experience where you will learn more about this rhino and potentially get the opportunity to feed him, touch and or rub him.  This is an amazing experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. All revenue from the experience will go to the International Rhino Foundation to further aid rhino conservation worldwide.

The concept came about after owner Craig Stevens and wife Chesney witnessed a devastating loss while traveling in Africa and wanted to tell the world about the issues rhinos are facing. I was very impressed with Chris and Kristen’s passion, professionalism and knowledge about rhinos. They have over three decades of experience and will educate you and your family on the history of this incredible species that faces extinction, and how we can help save them.

Chris and Kristen the passionate Rhino Keepers.

The wine team is also excellent and will explain the wide variety of wines offered and help you make educated choices so you can enjoy sipping on some incredible wines. They will answer your questions and educate you on the flavor profiles as well as the origins of the wine. The Stevens family settled in Hill Country over 150 years ago and they’re proud to continue the ranching and farming tradition, albeit they’re raising rhinos instead of cattle and wine grapes instead of hay.

Don’t forget to join the “Winos for Rhinos” wine club before you leave, this is a must if you love wine. Jana and I joined and took home 12 bottles of tasty wine that we can enjoy as we talk about and remember Blake, the sweet Rhino.

I strongly and highly recommend this travel experience that everyone can enjoy at the RHINORY… It’s one you will cherish for the rest of your life!

This is truly one of the most unique and unforgettable travel experiences you will ever encounter. I was so IMPRESSED and TAKEN by my experience that I had a hard time leaving. We said goodbye to BLAKE and the staff and now we are off to locate more fantastic and memorable experiences.

If you love deliciousness, good times, and real travel experiences, I urge you to follow us on our social channels, watch our TV show, listen to our podcast, or sign up for our email list.

Thank you so much for time!

Trey Chapman 

Trey Chapman / Trey’s Chow Down /Drink With Trey & Craig Stevens OWNER The Rhinory.

DFW Chef John Tesar WINS Michelin star!

Trey Chapman Chow, Travel Experiences

Florida Perfection!

Chef John & Chef Gerald

Orlando Florida has a new reason to celebrate TODAY! Dallas Chef John Tesar WON a Michelin Star for his KNIFE & SPOON Restaurant located at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. Orlando visitors can now enjoy dinning at the Michelin star restaurant because last night was a FIRST for Florida. The 122-year-old guide book announced its first-ever star rating and dining guide to Florida and chef John Tesar’s KNIFE & SPOON was among the star-rated restaurants.

John created Knife Dallas and Knife Plano award winning steakhouses serving some of the best steaks in the world. Two months ago he opened OUTER REEF in Dana Point, California with steaks, seafood and creative desserts. There’s NO stopping John now! He has no time to rest with his current venture opening in Los Colinas later this year. Knife Italian will open at the Four Seasons Resort in Las Colinas at the Ritz-Carlton later in 2022.

The Michelin star guide awarded 15 restaurants in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide to Florida 2022. Please see the link for the NEW guide below.

https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/michelin-star-revelation/2022-florida-michelin-stars

Michelin star 2022

When you visit Orlando a trip to Knife & Spoon is a must for anyone that wants to enjoy a wide ranch of creative deliciousness with an award winning steak, seafood and savory sweet desserts. Congratulations to Chef John Tesar, Chef Gerald and the entire team culinary team for a job well done.

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Addictive Bark-O-lious Texas Style BBQ in California

Trey Chapman Chow
Succulent Pull Pork, Meaty Burnt Ends, Flavorful Sausage and Sides.

Howdy, BBQ Lovers!

If you’re a barbecue lover like me, then no city, state, or country is out of reach – especially when it’s a barbecue joint that’s slinging succulent Texas-style, award-winning, and Bark-O-Licious barbecue.

As we continue on our MEETS, EATS & SWEETS Tour 2022, we headed to the small community of San Juan Capistrano, California. This is an extremely cozy and beautiful town located in Orange County, California, along the Orange Coast. San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776 when St. Junípero Serra established Mission San Juan Capistrano. It’s a beautiful place with friendly folks and now offers some of the BEST BARBECUE in the state of California.

One of Four Big Beautiful Pits.

I could smell the aromas lofting in the air a block away, and my mouth started watering as we approached. When we pulled up, we saw the beautiful surroundings with the palm trees and landscape dancing with the wind. What an amazing atmosphere to enjoy some delicious barbecue.

Heritage Barbecue is a Texas-style barbecue joint offering a rotating menu of home-made sides, succulent smoked brisket, beef ribs, and pulled pork. They also offer juicy, flavor-loaded tri-tip, smoked chicken, turkey, K.C-style burnt-ends, and a variety of other proteins, even house-prepared sausages.

They have the ordering process down to a science. It’s easy and organized, and the line moves like a finely tuned Swiss watch. We ordered and then enjoyed the fresh air in the unique and cozy outdoor atmosphere. They have four massive barbecue pits on display that are constantly billowing smoke in the California sun while you sit and enjoy your barbecue. The pits are beautiful, offering a variety of colorful patinas that happen naturally in the barbecue smoking process.

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VooDoo Doughnuts Unique, Colorful & Delicious!

Trey Chapman Chow

Good day, Doughnut Lovers!

They told me: “The magic is in the hole!”  

As we continue our Road Trippin’ the USA: MEETS, EATS and SWEETS 2022 Tour, I’ve located another unique hand-crafted doughnut experience that is savory, sweet and sure to please your sweet tooth cravings.

Today we’re in Houston, TX at the world-famous Voodoo Doughnut. They have other Texas locations in the cities of Cypress and Austin, as well as a total of 12 other locations in six different states as they continue growing in the USA.

Locations👉 https://www.voodoodoughnut.com/locations/ 

The Story goes: Voodoo Doughnut is the brainchild of old friends and entertainment-minded Portlanders Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson and Tres Shannon. In 2000, they decided to embark on a shared entrepreneurial venture – something that combined quality hospitality with their daring do-it-yourself brand of show business.

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Tesar Coast to Coast Perfection in Florida & California

Trey Chapman Chow

Good Day, Everyone!

Celebrity Chef John Tesar

About eight years ago I met a chef in Dallas who I had read so much about and heard so many stories. I had been wanting to meet him for several years, but our paths had never crossed, and I’m not one to push meetings. Being in the food and restaurant business for decades, I understand all too well the complications of restaurant operations and how short on time chefs, managers, partners and owners can be every day. Time is a commodity that everyone is short on these days, especially celebrity chefs. They have a tough schedule already, and if they’re traveling between multiple restaurant concepts, events, charity functions, meetings, and TV interviews, there truly is NO TIME to spare. With that in mind, I waited until the time was right to meet him.

When I met Chef John Tesar and got to spend some time with him hosting him on my TV show, I realized how passionate he was about the restaurant business and how he personally feels about perfection and what that word truly means. In today’s times some folks mistake passion and the pursuit of perfection for something else entirely. To be honest, being deeply passionate and dedicated toward something is a trait few folks will ever understand, but Chef John Tesar knows all too well because he lives it 24/7/365.

You can never fully understand a person by what you read or hear. You really have to spend some time talking with them to understand what they’re trying to achieve, and the path they’re walking to reach their goals. It would be safe to say that John isn’t walking anywhere – he is running full speed all the time in the relentless pursuit of creating deliciousness for everyone to enjoy.

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Old School Sub Sandwich Perfection!

Trey Chapman Chow

Sandwich Perfection isn’t easy, but I’ve discovered it! 

Meat Ball Sub!

Trey’s Chow Down says, “Forgive me father, for I have sinned. I was told at least 50 times about the deliciousness at Dino’s, and it took me 3 years to make the trip.” I TRULY WISH I HAD LISTENED “ and visited years ago when I first received the tip. I had no idea Dino’s had been slinging subs for decades in the DFW area!

Yesterday we were road trippin’ for deliciousness and took a ride over to Dino’s Subs in Arlington, Texas for an unforgettable experience. We walked through the door and could smell the sandwiches being prepared fresh. As we stood in line my mouth was watering at the thought of sinking my teeth into one of Dino’s classic subs. My excitement grew as the line moved forward little by little. It was a great experience once it was our turn to order and we stood at the glass, looking through at the fresh-cut meats and ingredients. If you love perfect food experiences then you will understand what I’m saying.

All I can say is this! It was one of those old school deli meals that you just can’t stop eating. I was like a fat hog at the feed trough. I would bite then chew, BITE then chew, BITE then chew, only to breathe when absolutely necessary! The sandwiches were so savory and freaking delicious. I had crumbs all over me from slinging the sandwiches table to mouth. Heck, I even had hot mustard on my shirt and cheeks, and I didn’t care! You know why I didn’t care? Because it was so F@$#$ Delicious! That’s the truth – all I could think was: THANK YOU SIR, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?

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A Meat LOVERS Dream Houston BBQ Festival 2022

Trey Chapman Chow

Houston BBQ Festival 2022 at the Humble Civic Center

Just some of the meat delicious I enjoyed!

If you ever wondered how popular Texas BBQ has become, you need to look no further than the number of successful BBQ Festivals these days. We’ve attended four and hosted two in the last 6 months alone, and there have been many more that we just couldn’t attend.

Texas BBQ has really made big strides in the last 15 years, and has really surged in the last decade. While traveling around the state and attending events, doing restaurant reviews, and hosting my live TV show and podcast, I’ve seen so many changes and new ideas, and they’ve all been for the better. During my travels around the USA, I get asked quite often about the surge in popularity of Texas BBQ. I make my answers brief and easy to understand, because everyone seems to be short on time these days.

To me, the popularity is quite simple: It’s the creativity, hard work, and dedication to producing that perfect meaty flavor. It’s the TEXAS pride that says, “We’re going to be the best, create the best, and sling the BEST Q anyone has ever tasted, or we’ll die trying!” You sure can’t leave out the competitive nature of Texans – that in its self is simply INCREDIBLE! I guess to put in simple terms you can just say, “Well It’s a Texas thing and you wouldn’t understand!” LOL. 

They understood 9 years ago when they hosted the first ever Houston BBQ Festival and it’s still standing strong today!  On April 3rd, 2022, 28 BBQ Joints, chefs and pit masters attended the 9th annual BBQ festival in Humble. Trey’s Chow Down got a tip from some of our followers in Texas about this amazing festival and we took a ride out to Houston to see what it was all about. After 2 years of waiting due to covid, the FESTIVAL WAS BACK! Chefs and pit masters were smoking up Humble, TX and slinging creative, delicious Texas BBQ for everyone to enjoy.

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