Dave’s Place & Backdoor Pottery

LOVED this place! Had homemade pizza & ice cold brews. Nice location right on the Guadalupe. Played awesome music, pizza great & friendly staff & crowd.

Great river access with a 30′ jump into the water and a rope swing! We stopped in here on a random day out, and I was definitely impressed! Cheap ice cold beer, good simple hamburgers, and lots to wander around and look at. They have a huge greenhouse you can sit down in and eat in, with all sorts of critters too. The deck area is picturesque! But the best part of Dave’s is the river access, there’s a nice flat rock ledge even with the water so it’s easy to get in and out. The water level is constant on this stretch as there is a damn ¼ mile away. Huge cypress trees line the banks which makes it superb for a lazy day floating in the river. There’s tubes to rent or bring your own. A small $ 1.00 fee gets you to the river.

I was hoping this place was going to be great, I had heard mixed reviews. When we pulled up we knew right away that it was very ran down. The birds looked to be in bad shape, I’m not a bird expert. The burger was just okay. The facility itself in a whole was very ran down. It was a great shame this could be a wonderful place!
Very disappointed I couldn’t have seen it in it’s Hay day. This place could be great if it was kept up and cleaned thoroughly

We really wanted to like this place, considering what we’d read, and the fact that we love quirky dive bars. It’s certainly quirky, and looks like it could be very nice, but two things turned us off, to the point that we won’t go back.
The first was the rudest bartender we’ve met in a long time. She wasn’t busy at the time (so that wasn’t the issue), but something was obviously wrong, or maybe she’s always that way. Either way, she shouldn’t be interfacing with customers.
The second thing that struck us was that the place is just in general disrepair. Maybe it was nice a few years ago, but we got the idea that no one really cares anymore.

What else can I say, you simply just have to come see this place for your self! I hesitate to write this review only because I would like to keep daves place a secret but I can’t help but spread the word to my fellow Unilocalers! Daves place is located on the Guadalupe river in Centerpoint Tx. Dave started his place years ago and every profit he makes he just pours right back into itself. From the street this place looks just like your average eatery but as you start to navigate inward you slowly realize that this is truly something unique and spectacular! Up front is the restaurant/​bar/​lounge area which serves up some great southern comfort river food! Everything from fried green tomatoes to foot long corndogs to ribeye steaks to fried gizzards to frog legs, they got you covered! .And the supply of cold beer is never ending. As you make your way deeper into this establishment you find yourself in a giant terrarium full of talking parrots, aquariums full of fish, and homemade pottery for sale. As you make your way even deeper you pass by several creatively decorated outdoor eating areas and gigantic cages of birds (everything from macaws to pigeons) and then you make a curve passed the jacuzzi room towards an open air party-​area complete with pool-​table and jukebox. This room overlooks the Guadalupe river and is a popular hangout spot as the sun sinks lower into the west. Onward past the party-​room is a huge, winding outdoor deck/​patio that slowly winds it’s way down towards the river and eventually turns into a long high platform which you can actually run and jump off of into the Guadalupe river! A huge rope swing is also attached under the platform for swingers (hehe). Daves place also offers bed and breakfast service with several rooms available for an overnight stay. Each room has a different theme, we stayed in the «western room» and the walls were lined with scenes of old western films and the like. Across the street out front there is the «party pavilion» where you can find live music and a spacious dance floor! There is also a jukebox out there just incase the band doesn’t show up. Behind this pavilion you will find several chicken coops, a honey bee hive, and a large pen full of tortoises! Not to mention several cabins available for small to large groups (very reasonably priced I might add). We have stayed in the large cabin which came complete with several big beds, a nice sized kitchen, a spacious dining/​card table and a full sized bathroom! Perfect for a weekend getaway with a group of friends! Being that daves place is located on the Guadalupe river they also offer tube rentals! This is one of the most scenic and reclusive river floats you can make! It is very quiet and peaceful float, each time we have made the 3 to 5 hour float we seldom see other people aside from a few kayakers. Nothing but beautiful Texas landscape, wild animals, tall trees, and blue skies! The winding river eventually brings you to a huge rope swing (and when I say huge I mean tall and HUGE) and then eventually you conveniently float right back into the back patio of Daves place. Dave can usually be found in front of his establishment getting his drink on and watching classic movies on one of the tv’s they have in the restaurant/​bar/​lounge area. His wife Shelley does the cooking and their daughter Tara handles the order taking/​cabin & tube rentals. Dave himself is a jack of all trades and is well known in the area for his pottery skills, political involvement, and also as a movie actor. He is quick to sign autographs and has shirts, caps, and koozies for sale! Not to mention of course his pottery. So next time you are looking for a near by getaway head to Daves place! Located in centerpoint Texas just about 40 minutes outside of San Antonio it is close enough to just go for the day and it is also nice to plan to make it a cheap overnight adventure. Take it from me, I’ve been all over Texas for my whole life and have never seen another place quite like Daves. Go see for yourself! …And tell em large marge sent ya.

Daves Place is the best!
GREAT PLACE TO FLOAT!!!
FOOD, MUSIC, ART, GREEN HOUSE, AVIARY, BED & BREAKFAST, POOL TABLE, HOT TUB, MULTIPLE LANDINGS WITH TABLES AND CHAIRS OVER LOOKING GUADALUPE RIVER
FUN FOR ALL AGES!
I was first introduce to Daves Place in 2008. I found it interesting, welcoming and homely. I bought a couple pieces of his wonderful pottery that was displayed in the Green House. The Green House is a two story green house with a variety of plants, parrotts, fish and turtles. Along with a display of his most recent art. Which I took home to my mother (she loved it).
I ended up working in Hill Country area early 2010. First thing I thought was I had to go back to Daves Place! and took my mom back with me. She fell in love with place and we went back all summer. They are always accommodating and made it home away from home for us.
It was great to have the Guadalupe River, music, great food and even better company.
I reccommend this place for all ages and ALL TYPES! Everyone can find an interest and fun here!

If you have anything negative to say about Dave’s Place then you’ve got serious issues!!! Most original place I’ve ever been, and great entertainment and fun. Awesome, food, people, river tubing, and so much more. It is a one of a kind place!

My mother and I wanted to go on a day trip together since we never get to spend much time together. We decided on Dave’s Place after seeing it mentioned in a Texas Highways Magazine article. We reached Center Point, TX after driving for over two hours and more than a hundred miles. We asked directions at the town Post Office (recent site of vandalism by a stealth defecator) and found Dave’s Place slightly before noon.
We met the three employees that were there that day. The lady that was the cook was friendly and the other woman with the cook was disinterested in us altogether. An older gentleman, who I assume is Dave, seemed congenial enough. He struck me as someone who was haunted by things in his past and I could smell stale alcohol on his breath. He told us to make ourselves at home and was content to let us explore.
Dave’s Place is built near a steep cliff overlooking part of the Guadalupe river. At the front of the property there is a sitting area and the kitchen. Behind the kitchen is a greenhouse and animal cages. At the edge of the cliffs is a hot tub, game room and balcony for looking at the river. You are sheltered from the elements but the sides of the building are open to the outdoors.
My initial impression of Dave’s Place was that it was a dump. However, after closer inspection I noticed that all the various structures look very new. In particular, the paint and varnish on the cliff-​side decking does not look more than a year or two old. The overall structural integrity appeared to be sound. Someone is maintaining the place.
The greenhouse was impressive. It had a waterfall and green plants everywhere. There were several tortoises roaming around. They were friendly and would wind between your feet while you are sitting at a table. The day was cool and overcast and the inside of the greenhouse was pleasant. I had been in a foul mood since arriving at Dave’s Place but my irritation lessened at the sight of a small flightless bird peeking out at me from the foliage of a plant.
Dave’s Place does have a few exotic parrots. I saw two yellow-​naped amazon parrots, a military macaw (the one shown in Texas Highways Magazine), and quite a few blue and gold macaws. In addition there were various pheasants and pigeons. You could also go down to the river and see a lot of ducks. I suggest taking bread so you can feed them.
I am a bird owner so I am especially critical of how parrots are being kept. The two amazons and macaw in the greenhouse were being housed in three separate cages, each are too small for them. Each cage has only one perch in their cage. There were no toys and nothing for them to chew on. Their water was dirty and they were being fed a seed diet which provides no real nutrition to a parrot. Their feathers were dingy and unkempt. The birds all look tired and one amazon slept on the bottom of its cage.
The large enclosure for all the other birds was far worse. The area had gotten a lot of rain recently and so the stench of ammonia was over powering. A setup like Dave’s Place would require daily cleaning and the walk-​in cages had not seen any cleaning for a while. There were several pairs of macaws. The males would raise the feathers on their crest to show that they were tough stuff when I tried to get too close to their females. I easily disarmed them with tummy scratches and foot tickles. There is an exposed nail in one of their perches and I was worried one would lose an eye if he came over to see me. I have serious health concerns for both the animals and the humans that frequent the place. I have seen worse conditions but it left me feeling depressed.
The food might be the only saving grace for Dave’s Place. I had a cheese burger and fries served with an ice tea. The fries were fresh, crispy and delicious. The bun was nice and toasted. The two slices of different cheese were stacked so the points were orthogonal and melted to just the right amount. The beef patty was cooked just to the point of being charred. Anywhere else I would have objected to such over cooked meat but I appreciated the extra sanitation against roundworms.
Overall I have mixed feelings for Dave’s Place. I would not make another special trip just to go there again. My expectations for sanitation may be unrealistic from having lived in the city. I would have been much more comfortable with having surgery in Burger King’s bathroom than regularly consuming food at Dave’s Place. I am a bit annoyed with Texas Highways Magazine because I spent five hours driving after reading their article. The whole trip would have been disastrous except I had a lot of fun in Fredericksburg on the way back.

David John is something of a local celebrity. He’s run for mayor, sponsored Little League teams, even appeared in a made-​for-​TV movie. But perhaps most famously, he’s the eponymous owner of Dave’s Place, a biergarten, botanical garden, bird aviary, pottery studio, bed & breakfast… the list goes on. He says if he’s not operating at a loss, he’s not happy. So any profits he makes — and they do a surprisingly brisk business — he pours right back into his establishment, and over the years the place has certainly grown.
Walking up, you’ll see a couple of picnic tables out front leading up to the main bar area with more tables. Pull up a chair, choose from a variety of beers, and relax in the friendly, small town, riverside atmosphere. If you plan on doing some swimming, you can rent tubes for the Guadalupe river dammed up nearby, or just get in on some hot tub action (though it wasn’t filled last time because of a drought and local water rationing) if you’re so inclined. But the biggest attraction would have to be the aviary and botanical gardens out back. Check out the cages full of exotic parrots, macaws, and cockatiels, even a few huge turtles lumbering about. The botanical garden is like a rainforest, and, though humid, is actually rather refreshingly cool. There’s an elevated patio with some patio furniture to sit on, but up there it’s even hotter than it is outside, like a greenhouse.
Back in the bar area this past trip, we talked to Dave at some length, while his partner Shelley grilled up some food for us, all while «The Wizard of Oz» inexplicably played on the TV’s behind us. The food is fantastic for a somewhat out of the way place: burgers, chicken sandwiches, you name it. We were a group of five, and being late in the afternoon we didn’t want to eat too much. That’s when I spotted six 2 oz. mini-​burgers on the menu for $ 10, and they hit the spot perfectly. A slice of American and a slice of Swiss on juicy little grilled burgers and toasted buns, plus do-​it-​yourself fixin’s at the condiment bar, and a couple of ice cold Pacificos made for a great afternoon.
We took a first-​timer with us because it’s something that just has to be experienced. It’s tough to describe to somebody who’s never been. So if you’re in the area, check it out, and be sure to grab a Dave’s Place koozie, and get it autographed by the man himself.