Two rows of cowboy hats line the far wall — not something you’d expect in a restaurant, even in North Texas. But in Harvest at the Masonic, it makes perfect sense.
“There’s the McKinney Hat Company next door, and over time, I’ve just kind of collected them or got them as gifts,” says Executive Chef Andrea Shackelford, pointing to the hats. “All of these hats have stories.”
Shackelford wears many hats — in every sense. But as executive chef, she shines in the kitchen. As I arrive, she’s finishing the final preparations before the doors open for a Friday night. Shackelford works her way down the line, ensuring every ingredient is perfect for the crowd outside.
Waiting for Shackelford, I wander through the room — dried flowers and herbs make Harvest feel true to its name. The previous Harvest building, located just across the street, was less than half the size of the new space. Now in one of the tallest buildings in downtown McKinney, Harvest can impress more diners every night.
“We’ve been looking forward to visiting the new location,” the woman at the table next to me tells her server. “We thought we’d spend our anniversary here.” I later find out that it is the couple’s 45th wedding anniversary. After four kids and a handful of grandchildren, the couple still enjoys a quiet date night with good food and a bottle of wine to share.
As we sit down in Chef Dre’s Dining Room, named in honor of the chef, the busy hum of the kitchen flows through the doors as servers enter the room, also preparing for a bustling night. Each glass, napkin and centerpiece is carefully adjusted to be just right.
This room is different than the first floor, which has more of a steakhouse aura, with wines and whiskey along the walls and leather booths from the original Harvest across the street. The floor is warm and full of bright pinks and greens. With memory-filled knickknacks, cookbooks and art, the second-floor dining room was designed by the Dallas native to emulate not only her personality, but the way she cooks — fresh and exciting, but also homey and nostalgic. This dining room emanates Shackelford.
“I’m kind of a Francophile,” Shackelford says, laughing. “We really wanted to make something that screened that a little bit. The colors are bright and kind of old school grandma — but in a fun way.”
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Before Harvest, Shackelford began her first restaurant job in a small bakery in Lake Highlands. This is where 15-year-old Shackelford found her love of cooking and baking. After earning a degree in political science, Shackelford turned to cooking professionally; she worked in the kitchen of Dallas’ legendary Hotel ZaZa and began winning prestigious awards.
Shackleford is still creating memorable dishes that guests are eager to try again. Menu items like the chicken fried steak and the ribeye — which my waiter, David, says are the “Mount Rushmore of Harvest” — are not uncommon features in a Texas restaurant, but here, they emphasize what makes farm-to-table so good.
“It’s kind of what we call a chef’s garden. It’s not a heavy production of what we sell on the menu here. But it’s more to add a little flair to some of our dishes.”
As I dig into the first dish, beet hummus, I instantly understand how Shackelford has modeled her menu — blending classic recipes with new ideas. The carrots, Swiss chard, radishes and pumpkin seeds in the dish are all locally sourced, and so is the rest of the menu. And that is the point.
“We have a local farmers market down the street here," Shackelford says, referring to the McKinney Farmers Market at Chestnut Square. “That really sparked my interest in trying to work with local farmers.”
Harvest not only sources its ingredients but also grows them. Harvest owner Rick Wells maintains a petite organic farm in Lucas, known as Water Boy Farms, which furnishes the restaurant with micro greens, flowers, seasonal produce and herbs. The farm is managed by Harvest employees.
“It’s kind of what we call a chef’s garden,” Shackelford says. “It’s not a heavy production of what we sell on the menu here. But it’s more to add a little flair to some of our dishes.”
For years, Harvest has been a cornerstone of the McKinney dining scene, renowned for its farm-to-table cuisine and commitment to sourcing ingredients sustainably from nearby farmers.
When Wells and Shackelford opened the original Harvest, the idea aligned with their values of sourcing locally and supporting the community. They expanded their vision with The Seed Project Foundation in 2015, aimed at bolstering local growers and promoting sustainable farming practices.
The Seed Project Foundation finances projects aimed at promoting sustainability in education, agriculture and community development. The foundation operates on the belief that investing in sustainable initiatives today fosters ecological and social equilibrium tomorrow.
Through the project, McKinney Roots serves as a donation farm, dedicated to providing fresh produce to those facing food insecurity in our community. Through its cultivation and distribution efforts, the foundation supplies local nonprofits, churches and schools in Collin County with the harvest.
But the sustainability goes beyond the food — the history behind Harvest’s new building plays a major role in the restaurant today, which has worked to preserve the iconic location.
The Harvest at the Masonic building once housed a Freemason lodge. Since 1850, its windows had remained covered. However, after Wells acquired the property in 2021, the windows were finally unveiled and opened, marking the first time they had seen daylight in over 90 years.
“This is a full restoration — from the windows down to the door knobs. The goal was to leave this building better than we found it, which is what we are all about.”
Art placed throughout the space on each floor depicts the folks behind the restaurant. Portraits of local farmers hang on the first floor, the same farmers who grew the food I’m enjoying.
After finishing off the bowl of Brussels sprouts, red potatoes, chickpeas and a variety of pickled vegetables, I make my way to the top floor for a nightcap, where I sip Harvest’s version of a Moscow mule, this one with lavender syrup, and a local blues band is playing for the upstairs patrons.
What catches my eye on the third floor is a painting of renowned Freemasons from various epochs, featuring figures such as George Washington, Lyndon B. Johnson, Thurgood Marshall, John Philip Sousa, Charles Lindbergh, Nat King Cole, Albert Einstein and many others. Crafted by local artist Jamie Rice, the art pays homage to the building’s history and the community.
The art on the second floor will always be my favorite. It’s a colorful piece that connects the French influence to something that seems more “Texas.” A blonde woman stands over cactuses as a storm rolls in above her. The painting looks striking similar to Shackelford, wearing a cowboy hat, of course, and that’s exactly why the restaurant bought the portrait.
“There’s a black straw hat that I bought a couple of years ago — we noticed that the lady in this art here has a really similar hat,” says Shackelford. “So we bought a felt one with a belt. It’s the same exact hat as the lady in this art.” That hat represents the next chapter in her — and this restaurant’s — story.
This story was originally published in Local Profile's food issue, read more here.
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