Why You Should Plan a Trip to Chef Stephan Pyles New Restaurant in Stephenville

An hour and 40 minutes southwest of Dallas is the “cowboy capital of the world,” Stephenville, Texas. The small town has some 20,000 cowboys, rodeos and a whole lot of purple, thanks to Tarleton State University. It’s the kind of place where the most happening spot in town is Fuzzy’s Tacos, until “the undisputed founding father of modern Texas cuisine” came to town.

James Beard Award-winning chef Stephan Pyles’ The Seeker opened in Stephenville late January. The Seeker is a nod to Texas diner and cafe culture, but it’s a far cry from actually being one.

“I’m from Big Spring, and I was a little hesitant," Pyles told the Observer in early April. "I wouldn’t open anything like this in Big Spring, even though it’s the same size."

The Seeker opened in conjunction with Interstate Inn, an artful luxury motel by Mod Motels. The 33-room boutique motel reimagines the former Caravan Inn, long remembered for its slanted interstate highway-shaped roof. Lisa Lennox of Mod Motels is behind the revitalization. She brought in Dallas-based Neal Stewart Designs to execute the high-end motel’s retro design. For The Seeker, she convinced Pyles to reenter the kitchen.
Pyles’ stacked resume is overflowing with accolades. He’s served royalty, presidents, authored cookbooks and is credited with “almost single-handedly changing the cooking scene in Texas” by Bon Appetit. In early 2020, Pyles announced the closure of his last two restaurants: Flora Street Cafe and its private back dining room, Fauna. After four decades in the culinary industry, the lauded chef retired from restaurant ownership and operations, redirecting his attention to consulting work.

Throughout his career, the Nation’s Restaurant News MenuMasters Hall of Fame inductee had his hands in 25 restaurants, 17 of which were his own, across six cities. The Seeker is now his 26th restaurant in a seventh city.

As many others do, we recently found ourselves in Stephenville. We were there to visit Tarleton State University. In 2025, the university received a record-breaking 21,000 applications, up from just 6,000 to 7,000 a few years prior. In other words, many more people will find themselves frequenting the agricultural and professional rodeo destination. The Seeker invited us to stop by after our visit to the university.

Located on the corner of E. South Loop and East Road, The Seeker’s signage points you to the modern Texas cuisine restaurant. The 2,500-square-foot restaurant is meticulously designed from floor to ceiling; take the terrazzo floors, the hammered copper and walnut island bar or the hanging rose-like light pendants whimsically floating overhead. Settle into the custom-tooled leather booths with terracotta-colored bouclé. The restrooms are not to be missed. The hallway features an abstract wallpaper mural that leads to The Cork Room, a private Champagne-inspired event space.
Sips began with Texas’ Dublin Bottling Works pure cane craft sodas ($5). The Seeker's queso fundido with chorizo ($12) arrives bubbling in a small cast-iron skillet, thick and creamy, with chips and house-made tortillas on the side. Pyles grinds corn to make the nixtamal base for The Seeker’s tortillas. The fresh maize is prominent in the aroma and density of the tortillas.

A round of cocktails called for a Woodford Rye spiced fig Manhattan ($14) and a citrusy The White Cadillac ($14), made with El Jimador tequila, Cointreau, lemon juice, agave and orange bitters. As we nursed our cocktail, the room filled with glittering floor-length gowns. Elated high schoolers sat for their pre-prom dinners. Outside the window, we peered at others getting their glamour shots taken by professional photographers at the inn’s most Instagrammable nooks. The bar buzzed with a steady flow of locals.
Pyles isn’t recreating the wheel at The Seeker. He’s giving Stephenville a spread of his signature dishes like the Hell’s Eggs ($10), four deviled eggs served with candied bacon and chili pop rocks. Try SP’s honey-fried chicken ($24): the crunchy breast and thigh are accompanied by tot-style mashed potatoes. Think tater tots, but with a silky filling. The plate comes with a jar of specialty pickles good enough to eat on their own, rich brown gravy and a biscuit.

Other large plates include the Forever-Braised boneless short rib ($29). The tender short rib is served with Ol’ Redneck Cheddar Mac and Cheese — a penne-pasta-based mac served in a mini cast iron — and bacon-topped Brussels sprouts.

The masa menu features sweet-leaning barbecue beef short rib tacos ($12) and espresso and maple-glazed pork belly huarache ($12). The standout is Pyles’ famous lobster tamale pie ($25).
It’s been a long time since Dallasites have had a bite of Pyles’ lobster tamale pie. The dish is a work of art, served in a stemless martini-style glass. The presentation-forward dish starts with a tamale dumpling made with the aforementioned nixtamal base. A corn custard tops it. Crowning the dish is a too-pretty-to-break, ancho-chile-dusted isomalt disc bearing chunks of lobster, flowers and sprouts. Crack the top and let the sweet shards of isomalt crumble into the custard, adding texture to every bite.

Desserts include the Heaven and Hell cake served with raspberry sorbet ($14) and the comforting warm apple-olive oil spice cake ($10).

Interstate Inn and The Seeker are celebrating their debut with six culinary weekends, two of which have passed. Up next is the Cinco de Mayo culinary weekend, May 2 to 4. It includes a two-night stay, a cooking class with Pyles in The Seeker’s Cork Room, a specialty dinner and Sunday brunch. Prices start at $1,250 per person for a double-occupancy room or $1,500 for a single.

The Seeker, 809 East Road (Stephenville), Tuesday - Thursday 5 – 9 p.m.; Friday - Saturday 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday brunch 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; Closed Monday