Romo? Whoa! Let's go!
Cowboys quarterback makes surprise visit in Robstown
ROBSTOWN — There's no telling where Tony Romo might show up now that the Dallas Cowboys are out of the playoffs.
The star quarterback surprised staff and patrons at Joe Cotten's Barbecue when he and teammate Bobby Carpenter dropped in for lunch Friday afternoon. Romo, who made waves two weeks ago when he and girlfriend Jessica Simpson vacationed in Mexico while the Cowboys still were in the playoffs, was without Simpson this time. Instead he and Carpenter were guests of Barry Andrews, president and CEO of Andrews Distributing.
Long before Romo arrived, word spread that he would be at the restaurant. Once he did, so did a crowd of fans estimated at 150 looking to snap a picture or snag an autograph.
"I couldn't believe that many people showed up," said Walter Hopkins, who along with Johnny Esquivel helped serve Romo and the table of 13, which included Andrews' family and friends. "People had been calling in and coming in and asking about it before noon. I don't know where they all came from, but there were a lot them."
Cotten's had a table reserved for Andrews and his party, but didn't know for certain that Romo and Carpenter were among the group. After Romo's vehicle parked in the garage behind the building, Romo and Carpenter entered the dining room through the kitchen.
Dressed in jeans, a white T-shirt, brown jacket and blue ballcap, Romo ordered a mixed plate and had an extra helping of meat before leaving. The 45 minutes he spent in the restaurant were anything but calm.
"We had to stop people from coming in because they wouldn't leave him alone. We had to get some police officers to surround the table," manager Pete Garza said. "When they were leaving the people wouldn't let them get through. They blocked the vehicle all the way around."
When Romo and Carpenter finally escaped the parking lot, they headed south for what restaurant workers assumed was a weekend hunting trip.
Esquivel, 67, has served several celebrities during his 46 years at Cotten's -- including boxer Roberto Duran, singer Willie Nelson and actor Edward James Olmos. He can add Romo to the list because of Andrews, a regular at the restaurant.
"When I came into work in the morning they told me that Mr. Andrews was coming and they wanted me and another waiter to wait on them," Esquivel said. "I wait on him and his sons all the time. We didn't know who was going to be with him."
It caused quite a commotion, but Hopkins didn't mind. A $300 tip certainly helped.
"People weren't coming in to eat, they were trying to get autographs and pictures," Hopkins said. "They were sitting down at tables and not even ordering food. It was pandemonium for a minute.
"I enjoyed it, even though I'm not a Cowboys fan."
Romo? Whoa! Let's go! : Corpus Christi Local | Caller-Times |
, Jessica, Carrie and fame - tuff life.
