One Fannin Cafe

This review is a tribute to 'One Fannin' (Col. James Fannin) and his 344 men whose deaths strengthened the resistance that led to Texas independence, and in a big way, led to the USA acquiring the western states from Mexico later on. The story ((in parenthesis like this, told in segments from Wikipedia)) has parallels to this café located on Old Spanish Trail at Fannin.((Texans, trapped in the Alamo with limited supplies, were hoping for reinforcements from Col. Fannin, who participated in the Battle of Gonzales on October 2, 1835, famous for the flag "Come and take it".))--This café is a small, but not bad grill, serving breakfast and lunch (burgers, hot dogs, chili and other hot foods, as well as salads, and easy-prep foods, like common sandwiches), supplemented by shelf snacks, and coolers with other offerings, like drinks. -(("Appeals from Travis [trapped] at the Alamo prompted Fannin to launch a relief march of over 300 men and 4 pieces of artillery on 25 February 1836. After some delay, Fannin and his men moved out on the 28th for the more than 90 miles to San Antonio. The relief mission was a failure. The troops barely had crossed the San Antonio River when wagons broke down, prompting the men to camp within sight of Goliad. They had little or no food, some men were barefooted, and the oxen teams wandered off during the night."))--This is a building-oriented café for those trapped inside the compound of buildings (as opposed to depending on customers from outside). Other than paying for parking inside the compound, this café is a far away outpost from other parking places, and you would have to cross the hazardous river of car traffic. If you are carrying things, by the time you get to the cafe, you might be exhausted.-((So, Col. Fannin and his men did not make it to the Alamo in time. "On March 6, 1836, the Battle of the Alamo was fought, with all of the Alamo's defenders (about 187 men) being killed by Mexican forces."))--Don't delay, like Fannin. Deli closes at 5:00 pm, so if you are thinking of dinner, keep that in mind.-(("General Houston ordered Fannin to retreat to Victoria. Fannin then sent word to the men at Refugio to rendezvous with his command at Victoria. Other dispatches were intercepted by the Centralista forces, thus informing them of Fannin's plans."))--I ordered a Powerhouse breakfast ($5). No other customers, and yet the it took longer than it should to serve. But the meal was good quality for eggs & bacon & hash browns. The place has no wi-fi, just TV. Since most people order to go, it makes a good retreat to get away.-(("On March 19, Fannin led the Texans on a retreat from Fort Defiance. Transporting 9 cannons and over 500 spare muskets, Fannin's forces were also heavily laden with supplies & baggage. The column traveled about 6 miles when Fannin ordered a halt to rest his animals. At about 3:00pm, Mexican cavalry appeared. After a fierce battle that day, and facing overwhelming odds, Fannin and his troops surrendered the next day, at the Battle of Coleto. ))--Of course, there is no hint in the Café about Col. Fannin or Texas history. Most people never give the street named "Fannin" a second thought, or even know the name is linked to Texas history.For me, though, in honor of the Colonel, I sat in the West Point corner of the café seating.-(("The Mexicans took the Texans back to Goliad, where they were held as prisoners at Fort Defiance. The Texans thought they would likely be set free in a few weeks. On March 26, 1836, 19:00, Santa Anna ordered Portilla to execute the prisoners.The next day, Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, Colonel Portilla had the 302 Texans marched out of Fort Defiance into three columns on the Bexar Road, San Patricio Road, and the Victoria Road, between two rows of Mexican soldiers; they were shot pointblank, and any survivors were clubbed and knifed to death.Colonel Fannin was the last to be executed, after seeing his men executed. Age 32, he was taken by Mexican soldiers to the courtyard in front of the chapel, blindfolded, and seated in a chair (due to his leg wound from the battle). He made three requests: he asked for his personal possessions to be sent to his family, to be shot in his heart and not his face, and to be given a Christian burial. The soldiers took his belongings, shot him in the face, and burned Fannin's body along with the other Texans who died that day." [as told by lone survivor Joseph Spohn]As word of the Alamo and Goliad massacre spread among Sam Houston's troops and even into the USA, the Texas rebels, who had little hope and supplies as they retreated from Santa Anna's troops, cries of "Remember the Alamo, Remember Goliad." sustained their spirit to fight on and win against an oppressive regime. ))--That's all behind us, as the Café serves Tacos, and Texans and Mexicans get along fine.

This might be the honest review here. I came in today around 11ish I placed my order and the food was cooked relatively fast I only waited about 7 minutes I ordered the hamburger it was okay, the only thing I would change would be the fries it was like eating wet cardboard. The chips were over priced as well as the Arizona. I could have gotten something better for the amount of money spent.

I love this little place. Has great service and they are so friendly. Not to mention it has great food from salads to burgers. Highly recommend this place! Not too expensive either.

Great pancakes. The lady who works the counter is not exactly Chatty Cathy but ya get what ya get. Good selection of breakfast items & quick, which if you are getting bloodwork at one of the doctors offices like me, you will appreciate.

I am a patient go to the One Fannin pharmacy a lot and like this little place. At my doctor's office, there is only one Subway. This cafe has a lot of options including many healthy food. For example, different kinds of salads. It's quick, clean, fresh and yummy. Very convenient! The price is affordable and portion is big.

As nurses at The Woman's Hospital of Texas, we are lucky to have One Fannin Cafe within walking distance as a respite from the monotony of hospital food. They are open Monday-Friday and are always ready to take our orders promptly at 0700. The staff is always friendly and goes above and beyond to take care of their customers. The breakfast food is awesome, my favorite is the bagel breakfast sandwich or the breakfast tacos. The portion sizes are huge for the price, and one breakfast taco is all you need to stay very full. All of the food is fresh, and they even hand cut fresh fruit every day and bake fresh cookies that are also ready to go at 0700. Overall, this is a great little place and an appreciated escape from hospital food.

Really good hamburgers . Did take some time to cook but really did taste good. It's a small but nice place

The cafe is located inside of what seems to be a professional business or hospital. Parking is $4+ after 10 mins and so on, be sure to call in your order to save time. It's on the 3rd floor Ste 150. I ordered the veggie burger and it was delicious and fresh. The first were not all that bad, they were seasoned which help a little. I'd love to visit for lunch more often if I could find free parking for 10 mins or more. No issue with the cafe, just parking!

Great place for lunch. People were very nice and the service was fast! Breakfast burritos are the best. Will definitely come again