The Spudder was opened by the original owners, John Phillips (son of famous oilman Frank Phillips) and John Brennemen, in 1976, and has been in continuous operation since.

The restaurant’s namesake, “The Spudder,” sits outside. A Spudder is a cable tool rig made for drilling shallow wells. Today, spudding a well refers to starting the hole in the ground so that a rotary drill can be placed to bore the well to depth.

Steve and Kim Jeffery bought The Spudder in 2011. Kim makes every dessert herself, and the buttery, flaky rolls brought to your table in an old-style lunch box are delicious. The dining room is full of oil and gas industry memorabilia.