HALTOM CITY
Bluebonnet Cafe has “I Love Lucy” toys, “I Love Lucy” posters, “I Love Lucy” memorabilia and 1950s “I Love Lucy” TV reruns in a constant loop on dining-room TVs.
“People think I’m obsessed,” co-founder Judy Quiroz said.
I never thought of her that way. For 32 years, Bluebonnet has been mostly a popular local breakfast and plate-lunch cafe at 2223-A Haltom Road, 1 mile north of Airport Freeway.
It wasn’t a tourist must-see.
Suddenly, thanks to TikTok and Facebook, it’s on travel tip lists as the “I Love Lucy Cafe.”
More than 300,000 users have viewed Facebook or TikTok videos of Bluebonnet and of celebrity tribute artist Rhonda Medina’s January visit as late comedian Lucille Ball.
Part of the vast collection of “I Love Lucy” memorabilia at Bluebonnet Cafe, in a file photo from June 26, 2011. Joseph Daniel Special to the Star-Telegram
So, Medina will return at noon March 22, visiting lunch diners over their Bluebonnet turkey and dressing, meat loaf or chicken-fried steak.
“Somebody put us on TikTok — it just took off,” Quiroz said.
I’ve always gone to the Bluebonnet for the homestyle lunch plates or the big breakfast biscuits.
Biscuits and gravy at Bluebonnet Cafe in Haltom City, Texas, seen June 26, 2011. Joseph Daniel Special to the Star-Telegram
Now I find out I should have been going for Quiroz’s nostalgia collection of “I Love Lucy” items, Coca-Cola antiques, Betty Boop cartoons, Western movie posters and Rod Stewart merch.
The 1950s nostalgia fills three dining rooms.
The amount is mind-boggling.
“This is one of the biggest amounts of Lucy memorabilia,” a commenter wrote for Quirky Roadside USA.
Chicken-fried chicken with a side of fried okra and carrots, broccoli and cauliflower among the “I Love Lucy” memorabilia at Bluebonnet Cafe in Haltom City, Texas, unchanged since this scene January 16, 2004. Aimee Santos Special to the Star-Telegram
Let me put this in perspective.
When “I Love Lucy” ended its original TV run, I was 2 years old.
When Carlos and Judy Quiroz started cooking and serving food like this at another old local restaurant, the Cactus Flower Cafe, I was 27.
Let’s just say that was a lot of biscuits ago.
The Bluebonnet has never changed.
The chicken-fried steaks are exactly the same. The wheat rolls and buns are exactly the same. The cinnamon rolls are exactly the same.
Chicken-fried steak, a roll, carrots and mashed potatoes at Bluebonnet Cafe in Haltom City, Texas, shown Oct. 27, 1998. That’s exactly how it looks today. Charlie Harper Special to the Star-Telegram
The hours are limited. The restaurant is open only for breakfast and lunch Thursday through Sunday. That may be why it’s stayed open.
“People don’t eat out nearly as much during the week as on weekends,” Judy Quiroz said. “We want to be open just four days and keep up our consistency.”
She’s not really a huge “I Love Lucy” fan.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “I like the show. It’s funny. But I can’t recite the dialogue.”
Celebrity tribute artist Rhonda Medina on a January 2026 visit to Bluebonnet Cafe in Haltom City, Texas, the “I Love Lucy Cafe.” Courtesy of Bluebonnet Cafe
But Medina, the tribute artist, can.
She performed as Ball for 20 years. She re-enacts scenes.
“My goal in life is just to bring love and laughter,” she said by phone.
“I think ‘I Love Lucy’ does all that.”
With gravy.
Chicken-fried chicken, okra, carrots and broccoli at Bluebonnet Cafe. Aimee Santos Special to the Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the “Eats Beat” dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 — that’s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat.
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