Welcome to our local, family-owned restaurant in the heart of charming, historic downtown
Mount Vernon, Texas. We are located on the southeast corner of the town square bordering
historic Smokey Row in the Fleming Building. The Fleming building, established in 1887,
was renovated in 2015-16 by the Hyman Family who now own and operate the Bull Pen Grill
& Cantina.
Our diverse Southern-inspired menu offers something for everyone, including homestyle
daily specials, juicy 100% prime beef burgers, Tex-Mex dishes, farm-fresh salads,
sandwiches, and appetizers. Our kitchen team takes great pride in cooking “made-from-
scratch” menu items with fresh ingredients combining traditional southern recipes with a
south-of-the-border flair.
Choose to dine in our casual indoor space or relax on our outdoor pet-friendly patio in the
back.
Brad and Stephanie met and are graduates of Texas A&M University. They have 2 sons
Chase and Cade who are both graduates of Tarleton State University and Texas A&M.
Their son Chase and his wife Morgan, also a graduate of Tarleton State University, help
manage The Bull Pen.
Brad has worked in the crop protection industry for his entire professional career. Today
he owns Hyman Ag Consulting where he represents international clients in North
America. Brad also currently serves as the Mayor of Mount Vernon. Stephanie has
worked in the pharmaceutical industry throughout her career and is an Executive
Clinical Account Specialist with Organon (formerly Merck & Co.) where she has been for
28 years. Upon moving back to Brad’s hometown 15 years ago, Brad and Stephanie
began investing in buildings in the historical district in downtown Mount Vernon,
including the Fleming Building, G.P. Hill Building, and F.M. Pirtle Buildings. After
extensive renovation and conversion to restaurants, these buildings are now the home
to The Bull Pen Grill and The Texas Chophouse restaurants.
Brad & Stephanie had a vision that Mount Vernon had much to offer as a destination for
dining, tourism, etc., but that there would be a journey to undertake as the local
economy was struggling as are many other small rural communities around the country.
The Bull Pen Grill and The Texas Chophouse are continued evidence of the success
Mount Vernon is now having at attracting numerous restaurants, bed and breakfasts,
live music, The Don Meredith Museum, and the list is growing. We are excited to have
The Bull Pen and The Texas Chophouse team here in Mount Vernon and know that they
will strive to deliver the best customer experience in Northeast Texas.
In the space where The Bull Pen Grill sits, “The Rutherford Drug Store” operated in an earlier
frame building during the years from 1871 through 1877. Dr. J.M. Fleming built the current
building in 1887 and used it to practice medicine. After 58 years of practice, a story was
written in the Mount Vernon Optic-Herald about Dr. Fleming. He was a real horse and
buggy doctor in the 1880’s and resorted to kitchen table operations more than once.
“Being a man who believed in his own ability and realizing that one must apply oneself
in order to keep in step with the times,” Dr. Fleming kept up his medical training and in
his travels visiting hospitals whenever possible.
“I have seen some wonderful surgery performed in many famous hospitals by equally
famous specialists,” Dr. Fleming said, “but I still believe in the fool old ‘family doctor.’”
Dr. Fleming was connected with Mount Vernon’s first hospital, “Crutcher’s Sanitarium”
hospital. The hospital was located one block east of the downtown square (where
currently a former gas station is housing a detail car wash business) on East Main
Street. Dr. Fleming was one of a group of doctors and businessmen who formed a
stock company in 1922 taking over Crutcher Hospital.
Fred Mercer and his father-in-law, Jeff Smith, had the “Smith and Mercer Pharmacy” here
when Dr. Fleming advertised in the 1912 Optic-Herald that his office was at the Smith and
Mercer Drug Store. Jeff Smith then operated the “City Pharmacy” in this building. By 1926
Milton Shurtleff operated the “City Café” until 1933 when he moved out and then Miss Mitt
Campbell opened a variety store in this building. “Miss Mitt” called her store “The Lone Star
Shop”. It was the only dime store Mount Vernon had at that time and operated it until 1946.
Finley Moore bought the variety store from Miss Mitt in 1946 and expanded his furniture
business until 1954. Then A.J. Petty opened a jewelry store “Petty’s Jewelry and Watch
Repair Shop” in the 1950’s and 60’s followed by Emory Howe and then Joe Moseley who
operated the jewelry store in the west half of the building. R.B. (Preacher) Cates had the
“Tiger Grill” in the eastern half of this building from 1955 through 1970.
Runners and Taxis operated at this corner (Smokey Row & Main Street) from the 1950’s to
the 1970’s by Isiah Ellis, Penn Chitsey, and other drivers who parked on the southeast
corner of the town square in case you needed them. Joe Scott describes the runners:
“Whenever a store needed a package delivered or an errand ran, they would raise a flag in
the front of their store. Daddy Woods and Peg Nobles were two of the runners.” Joe
especially remembers Daddy Woods who ran errands for Tom Scott Lumber Yard. Peg
Nobles was a peg-legged man who got around very well.
(Above historical information taken from “A Walk Through Mt. Vernon” by B.F. Hicks )
