History of Vic’s Restaurant explored. An Oak Hill Restaurant long forgotten.

Vic’s Restaurant was established and built on a large plot of land originally owned by G. H. Beckett, W.E. McCullough, and Josephine McCullough in 1959. Vic’s Restaurant was originally a truck stop called Big Wheel Truck Stop which was located at the intersection of West William Cannon Drive & US 290.


W.E. McCullough and Josephine McCullough were the first owners for this property. On the date of August 23 1959, W.E. McCullough and Josephine McCullough sold their property to Capitol City Oil Company. Capitol City Oil Company leased their land to a truck stop called Big Wheel Truck Stop for many years. (Ref: Travis County Public Records, 2003202602)

Big Wheel Truck Stop predated Vic’s Restaurant as the truck stop was there first preceding the restaurant. Big Wheel Truck Stop opened in 1959 which was operated and owned by Joyce LaNelle Buckelew & her husband. Big Wheel Truck Stop was located at 6517 West US 290, Austin, Texas, US 78736. (Ref: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?n=joyce-lanelle-buckelew&pid=168364218&fhid=4303)


A gas station was installed during the 1970s and contained up to 11 above-ground petroleum storage tanks. Only 5 remained by the end of the decade. At this time 98% of all customers chain smoked.

Big Wheel Truck Stop had one of the chicken fried steak in Texas. Chicken fried steak was one of their popular items from the menu. This was back when it was an active truck stop. Chicken was one of their more popular meats.

For entertainment, Big Wheel Truck Stop had a pinball machine and a jukebox which played country music and oldies. The pinball machine kept children entertained. Their jukebox was popular with many patrons. There were little jukeboxes on each booth table as well!

Icon outlaw country musician Jerry Jeff Walker performed at a concert at the Big Wheel Truck Stop in 1975. His appearance made headline news in Austin and San Antonio. San Antonio Express reported Jerry Jeff Walker as being a regular who stopped by all the time in 1975. (Ref: San Antonio Express, Page 146, February 16, 1975)

Big Wheel Truck Stop closed in the mid-1980s possibly 1985. The reason why Big Wheel Truck Stop closed is because the restaurant went under.


A very much forgotten part of Big Wheel Truck Stop history is the continued and closing legacy was when it opened up as Vic’s Restaurant. Big Wheel Truck Stop is an icon establishment truly missed by many.

Vic’s Restaurant was the business that took over Big Wheel Truck Stop sometime in 1985. Vic Zuliani owned and operated Vic’s Restaurant. Vic Zuliani was an incredible Italian cook/chef renown for his cooking. Vic was very much a ‘hands on owner’. He was friendly to everyone that walked through his doors.

Now Vic’s Restaurant was equipped with Naugahyde booths and counter seats with a retro-restaurant design. Vintage furniture was used as decor. Stepping into this restaurant was like stepping back into time before Oak Hill was a suburb of Austin. Vic's takes you straight back to a time. Austin Chronicle had described Vic’s Restaurant as a gateway into the rural Hill Country. (Ref: Austin Chronicle, Second Helpings: American Cafes Chronicle Cuisines writer MM Pack on Austin’s American cafes., Friday, June 23, 2000)

Austin Chronicle described the Vic’s Restaurant menu as a Texas ranch-style fare -- a variety of steaks (including chicken-fried, of course), catfish, chicken, and grilled liver and onions. Austin Chronicle described their breakfast menu as “substantial breakfast with the standard egg, biscuit, and pancake offerings”. The housemade hash browns are exceptionally good, well-seasoned, and delicately grill-flavored. (Ref: https://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2000-06-23/77677/)

Vic’s Restaurant was the place to eat really great home-cooked Italian dinner food. There were Italian 7 course meals at least one day a week. Of course the place had its regulars at the big round table when you walked inside. Vic's opened morning at 6am, but closing times varied depending on the day.

Deer heads and horns were mounted on the wall. Deer horns were placed next to a Star Trek posted. There was one day a week when the entire staff would dress like Star Trek characters. (Ref: http://www.boneyardmedia.com/?p=227)

In 1992 a 2,900 gallon gasoline and diesel release occurred at the former Big Wheel Truck Stop which was located on the highly sensitive Edwards Aquifer near Williamson Creek. The fate and transport of the contaminants in the aquifer was never fully realized in the subsequent site studies required by the State of Texas. (Ref: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2014SC/webprogram/Paper235750.html)

The price for a breakfast meal was exactly $1.00 during the mid-90s. Austin American-Statesman has the price listed as “$1 for breakfast” in 1995. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/356898140/)


Vic Zuliani shut down Vic’s Restaurant without warning in 2002. Everyone was shocked by this. The reasons Vic’s Restaurant shut down are unknown. There could be several reasons as to why this restaurant had closed down. Vic’s Restaurant operated from 1959-2002.

Vic’s Restaurant was used as a filming location in a movie called The Life of David Gale during 2002. Exterior restaurant scenes from "The Life of David Gale" were shot here. The Life of David Gale hit theaters in 2003. (Ref: http://www.themoviedistrict.com/the-life-of-david-gale/)

In 2003, TXDot had planned to widen US 290 into a 4-lane highway. Oak Hill residents heavily opposed this expansion plan as the highway right-of-way would require the Oak Hill Strip to be torn down. Residents did not want this to happen. Capitol City Oil Company sold their land to DJB Partners LTD in 2003.

The area where the petroleum spill occurred was backfilled and covered with a concrete slab in 2003. All contaminated soil was excavated and removed.

The buildings of Vic’s Restaurant were demolished in 2004 for expansion of US 290 (Highway 290). However nothing happened for years as other parts of US 290 were expanded instead. Due to the opposition from Oak Hill residents, the lower part of West William Cannon Drive & US 290 was never expanded into a 4 lane highway as TXDot had planned.

DJB Partners LTD sold the land to Willie M LTD, State of Texas, and City of Austin in 2005. Willie M LTD was named as sole proprietor for the lower half of this property. (Ref: Travis County Public Records, 2005212123)


In 2011, the City of Austin made the land where Vic’s Restaurant once was into a parking lot. Vic’s Restaurant is a now a CapMetro park and ride parking lot now owned by the City of Austin. Today the property is now owned by Willie M LTD, State of Texas, and City of Austin.

The asphalt parking lots that are all that remain of Vic’s Restaurant and Big Wheel Truck Stop. Weeds have overtaken these parking lots. Vic’s Restaurant is an icon establishment truly missed by many.

Vic’s Restaurant was located at 6519 West US 290, Austin, Texas, US 78736.