5 Best Restaurants in Boerne, The Hill Country

This veteran-owned and -operated Tex-Mex barbecue kitchen is a favorite among locals for its heaping trays of mesquite-smoked chicken, beef fajitas, and pulled pork served in tacos or by the pound. Also not to be missed are the generous loaded nachos, massive enchiladas, and succulent birria tacos. BYOB.

This quirky bistro and coffeehouse serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch in a 19th-century building, with a connected boutique selling clothing, housewares, and gift items. Choose from a classic breakfast plate or croissant sandwich, or step up your morning with French toast with vanilla custard or shrimp and grits. If you're on the go, pop in for a coffee and one of their fresh-baked, homemade pastries for the road. Lunch options include a variety of sandwiches and salads, plus grab-and-go lunch boxes you can take on your next Hill Country adventure.

At this cozy café tucked in a historic home near Cibolo Creek, chef-owner Denise Mazal specializes in central European cuisine, with selections from Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic and a particular focus on German fare. Try the kasseler rippchen, a smoked-in-house center-cut pork chop served with fresh horseradish sauce and toasted almonds, or the Bavarian meat loaf (half lamb, half beef) with mashed potatoes and mushroom sauce. And don’t even consider leaving without ordering a side of German potato pancakes, griddled to order and topped with braised red cabbage. You’ll also want to save room for the namesake Gretel’s apple strudel with Chantilly cream or the Hansel’s Kisses, meringue filled with coffee cream and rolled in roasted almonds.

You might rub your eyes when you first walk into this landmark country café, which boasts over 21,000 collector plates lining the walls and ceiling. When it first opened in 1929, Prohibition was still in full swing and countless bootleggers would sell moonshine in the parking lot, but now people come for the perfect fried chicken, chicken-fried steak, and onion rings. The shrimp sampler features shrimp prepared three ways. And by all means, save room for a warm brownie sundae for dessert.

Natural light floods the brick-laden interior of this renovated 1920s industrial space on the Hill Country Mile, setting the scene for thoughtful and elevated casual cuisine. Start with an order of shrimp ceviche or tuna tartare nachos for the table before moving on to one of their many diverse offerings: towering sandwiches served with house-made chips, wood-fired pizza (try the goat cheese pizza with spinach, prosciutto, goat and mozzarella cheeses), or entrées like Akaushi New York strip and Crispy Skin Salmon. There are even a few unexpected options for sushi. Richter Tavern is also known for their cocktails, which are listed as "regular" or "diesel," so if you're stopping in for lunch, clear the rest of the day's calendar if you can. They have also added a bakery and coffeehouse (Richter Bakhaus) at the same address, famous for their Texas-sized cinnamon rolls.