Good Life: Five D Cattle Company Steak House shines as destination family restaurant

Published 4:00 am Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Nestled in historic Avinger off Texas 49, 15 minutes west of Jefferson, one could blink, keep driving and miss the entire downtown. However, there is at least one compelling gastronomic reason to spend a bit of time in Avinger: Five D Cattle Company Steak House & Meat Market.

“It’s in my blood,” said owner and operator Darlene Jacobs, when asked what she loves about running this restaurant. “I love the people. I love meeting people from all over the country… I enjoy very much teaching young ones how to work. My employees call this the Five D family.”

Jacobs ran the restaurant for her parents and previous owners, Doug and Demeris Jacobs, for 14 years prior to her purchase in 2013. The establishment opened in December 1997.

“We are the five D’s,” she said with a smile, referring to siblings, Darryl and Darrin.

“We age and hand cut everything ourselves,” said Jacobs, discussing the stellar meat product. “We age the meat 40 days, an ageing process a lot longer than most. That was something my dad taught me growing up and we trained our butcher.”

The ribeye is the most popular selection at Five D. She added, “We sell that the most.”

“The food is amazing,” said Five D hostess and school teacher Tammy Butler. “I’ve been a customer years before I started working here, and I love it.” The loyal and dedicated employee is an auditory impairment teacher at Longview ISD. “We have really good kids that work here, and I have grown to love each and every one of them.”

The atmosphere at Five D appeals to a vast array of people. Families, couples, friends, locals and travelers enjoy the outstanding food and the relaxed, appealing ambiance. Avinger is a very little community, with fewer than 500 residents.

“Very few of the people who come here are from this little town. We’re on a main corridor. We catch a lot of Oklahoma traffic. We’re a destination restaurant.”

“We bring in live acoustic music on select holidays and we cater on site for anything,” said Jacobs. “We also cater a lot of things not on the menu.”

Turning through the pages of the guest book at the register, in 2019 alone, delighted patrons from France, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Louisiana, California, Montana, Arkansas, Michigan, Maine, New York and throughout Texas scribed a collective sentiment, “Great Food! Great Service!”

Five D Cattle Company Steak House and Meat Market is in downtown Avinger, Texas, located at 8 N. Main St. and is open for dinner only. Hours of operation are Tuesday and Wednesday from 4:30 to 8 p.m.; Thursday from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Friday from 4:30 to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m. They are closed on Sunday and Monday.