38 Best Restaurants in The Hill Country, Texas

In the heart of downtown Fredericksburg, August E's features a sleek Zen-like atmosphere thanks to its contemporary Asian decor. Chef-owner Leu Savanh adds a subtle hint of his Thai background to such dishes as the New Zealand lamb with balsamic honey-glaze and a cloudlike fillet of Hawaiian escolar pan-seared and served with a tempura-fried lobster tail, baby bok choy, and mascarpone whipped potatoes. In addition to the constantly evolving seasonal menu, a sushi menu and a fairly extensive selection of sake are also on offer. 

Locals and visitors alike flock to Brick's for country cooking with a view. The restaurant itself has a humble interior, but it's the patio overlooking the Medina River that wins everyone's heart. It's a great spot to start with a mason-jar drink while you wait for a table to sample the simple but well-done menu, with comforting classics like a crispy Jager Schnitzel with mushroom sauce and braised cabbage, homemade meatballs, and smashed potatoes.

If you want a Texas-sized meal in the heart of the Hill Country, the Cabernet Grill has just what you're looking for. Chef-owner Ross Burtwell uses local ingredients to inspire a menu that reflects the bold flavors of the Lone Star State. Menu items range from the popular Texas Twinkies starter—bacon-wrapped jalapeños stuffed with beer sausage and served with a jezebel dip—to the grilled Gulf shrimp with hatch chile corn grits and oven roasted tomatoes. The grilled jalapeño-stuffed quail is a fan favorite, as are the myriad special dinners with wine pairings that Burtwell hosts throughout the year. It should also be noted there is a wide range of Texas wines on the menu, giving diners a chance to truly taste Texas terroir.

Dining alongside Cibolo Creek in this historic house with outdoor seating while listening to the rhythmic turn of a water mill is a treat. The upscale restaurant offers a nice array of steaks, fresh seafood, and pasta. Highlights include the pan-seared branzino with lemon and dill butter sauce and the soul-warming and hearty Wagyu meatballs. Now serving Sunday brunch.

Dining at the Gristmill is as mandatory as shuffling your boots along the wood floors of Gruene Hall when visiting Gruene. On a sunny day, request outdoor seating on one of two decks overlooking the Guadalupe River, beneath Gruene's landmark water tower in a former cotton gin. No reservations, but you do get to listen to live music outdoors while you wait.

This is a popular retro-style lunch spot and store, where you can shop for local pepper sauce, souvenirs, and artisanal crafts while you wait for your food. The daily menu of delicious soups, salads, and sandwiches includes the House Salad Trio, a scoop of homemade chicken salad and a scoop of homemade tuna salad on a fresh field-greens salad, served with gluten-free crackers. The Greek Salad Flax Wrap, a specialty, is a Greek salad rolled up into a flaxseed tortilla and slathered with thick, garlicky hummus. (Gluten-free bread is available.) For $2, throw in a side of zesty Highmade Cabbage Slaw. Save room for a sweet treat from the dessert case of fresh baked goods, including fudge-walnut brownies, lemon and blueberry yogurt cake, and chewy chocolate-chip cookies.

Named for the longleaf pine lining the interior of the dining room, this craft kitchen and bar lets local and seasonal ingredients drive the menu, so the offerings may change, but they are always incredibly fresh and flavorful. Offerings might include dishes like Hill Country quail stuffed with mushroom and apples and served with caramelized brussels sprouts, paired perfectly with local Hye-fig cider. The wine and beer list are robust, but the cocktails, which also utilize fresh and seasonal ingredients whenever possible, are some of the best in town. Enjoying one in their garden courtyard and sculpture garden is a must when in Wimberley.

Locals will tell you Pecan Street Brewing is one of the area's best-kept secrets—not only for the house brews, but for the food, too. A great selection of IPAs and beer brewed on-site (it doesn't get more local than that!), along with nonalcoholic beer, juicy burgers, salads, fish-and-chips, and wood-fired pizza. The brewery also serves as the tiny town's neighborhood hub, and offers brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Set in a restored 19th-century dining room, this charming spot showcases elevated Southern cuisine created by Chef Mark Bohanan (of San Antonio's Bohanan's steak-house fame). Decadent dishes like Chicken and Waffles and a bourbon-inflected Ham Benedict make this a perfect special-occasion brunch spot, and the white or red house-made sangria shouldn't be missed, either. In fact, the cocktails are some of the best in town, with a focus on the "classics with a twist" Bohanan's is known for. Let your server guide you through the extensive whiskey and wine lists for a pairing to match your cheeseburger topped with fire-roasted pimiento cheese. All the perfectly grilled steaks come with a flaky buttermilk biscuit, but be sure to save room for dessert, too: the sweet potato crème brûlée with pecan shortbread and orange segments is a dream with a glass of port.

Colorful, quilt-draped walls and a cool ceiling-fanned patio make this a comfortable spot no matter the weather. The menu changes with the season, but you might find an entrée such as a juicy grilled New York strip steak in a balsamic reduction or sautéed rainbow trout. The 814 Burger is a half-pound of grilled bliss.

You can dig into one of the best burgers in the region here. The more adventuresome eaters order theirs with the jalepeño-cheese bun—it's really not as spicy as it sounds. Don't miss the gossamer-light and crispy hand-battered onion rings. There's also a mean vegetable burger, with avocado, sautéed onions, roasted garlic, pepperjack cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a wheat bun. If you're here in peach season, your Alamo Springs experience isn't complete without a serving of homemade peach crisp.

Originally the National Bank of Llano, built in 1891, this stately manor later served as the family home to N.J. Badu, a French immigrant who studied the mineralogy of the Llano Basin. In recent years, the Badu House has been tastefully transformed into a restaurant focusing on local cuisine. If you like wild game, don't miss the grilled Bandera quail. Beneath the skin the meat is tender, and the accompanying chipotle and honey glaze gives the dish a nice kick. The back patio has live music on weekends.

Chef Bryan Gillenwater serves well-executed New American cuisine in a laid-back environment at this spot that has become a mainstay in the area. Cooking with live fire is Gillenwater’s specialty, so you can’t go wrong ordering flame-kissed dishes like locally sourced dry-aged rib eye, beef tenderloin, or cast-iron–seared salmon with ratatouille and charred lemon. It's well-loved by locals and wine industry professionals alike, so reservations are highly recommended.

With a name like the Cowboy Steak House, you pretty much know what to expect. Western paintings and the smoke-stained limestone hearth of the wood-burning fire create a homey life-on-the-ranch feel. Grilled on an open mesquite fire, the steaks are excellent, especially the not-so-petit filet mignon wrapped with a crispy strip of bacon. Not a fan of red meat? Not to worry, the grilled salmon is exceptionally fresh and flavorful. All entrées come with the standard baked potato or a sweet potato topped with cinnamon and brown sugar.

This modern kitchen and lounge, located right on Cypress Creek in downtown Wimberley, features one of those menus that make it really hard to choose between char siu salmon with black rice, carrots, Asian herbs and sesame seeds; grilled pork chop with garlic mashed potatoes and collard greens; the Mexican-inflected Wimburrito bowl; and loads of delicious comfort foods like the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich. Grab a drink and a snack, take in the rustic creekside views, and enjoy the live music likely playing. The Wimberley Way, the house hibiscus margarita, is a winner, also available as a hibiscus mocktail.

Come for the inventive, delicious food and stay for the extensive wine menu at the Cypress Grille on Main Street. From the small bistro tables in the front of the narrow wine bar, you can sip a glass of wine and nibble from a cheese plate while watching the passersby. Wood-fired proteins have their own dedicated section of the menu here, from Organic Smoked Rotisserie Chicken with garlic gremolata to Beef Tenderloin Medallions with buttered leeks, but don't overlook the salads, which are sizable and each with its own intrigue. The Texas Cobb, for example, has spicy grilled shrimp and slices of grapefruit, while the Cypress Caesar delights with both Stilton and Grana Padano cheeses. Sunday brunch is lauded, too.

Located just up the hill from Texas State University, Grins has been a favorite among students and tubers alike since 1975. They're known for their burgers (and have 12 different kinds to choose from) and crispy onion rings, as well as heaping, sizzling fajitas and frozen margaritas in several different flavors.

Behind the Gruene Mansion Inn, this riverside grill draws quite a crowd. People seem to frequent this locale for the famed rib eye pan-seared in butter and balsamic vinegar, but a cup of the creamy jalepeño crawfish corn chowder makes a notable impression as well.

There's a reason you'll likely have to wait for a table at this spacious, modern, light-filled farm-to-table restaurant in the heart of town. The chef-driven menu is casual but uses top ingredients and perfected techniques that are on display at the open kitchen. The menu includes a wide range of appetizers, salads, "handhelds," and "toasts," along with bright, fresh, delicious mains, a nice wine list, and a good range of Texas craft beer. The cornbread and biscuit box are stellar; you may want to take one to go. While you wait, kick back on the patio with a cocktail from their Volkswagen bus bar. Brunch—including Chicken Schnitzel & Waffles and Carrot Cake French Toast—is available on Saturdays and Sundays.

Ten miles north of town, this hilltop dive set in a 1930s gas station truly feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, but it's luckily a beautiful trip to nowhere. All menu conventions are thrown out the window to create the Athens–meets–New Orleans–meets–Texas dishes. On weekends, your best bet is to grab a few appetizers and a bottle of wine and sit back for a little live music, curated by musician/owner Johnny Nicholas, whose wife Brenda is the artist in the kitchen. The Port Arthur-style shrimp gumbo and Kefalotiri Saganaki (Greek cheese baked and served flaming with roasted garlic and crustini) are fantastic starts, and the Greek special tenderloin is a decadent adventure.

Named for John Russell "Hondo" Crouch, self-proclaimed mayor of nearby Luckenbach, this local dive is somewhat of a legend of its own. If the live music and Texas country decor aren't entertaining enough, the menu certainly is: from the Lip Burnin' Burger with green and chipotle chilies to the BBQ Pig Ribs, everything about this place radiates good old-fashioned fun. The half-pound burgers are excellent, especially the Blue Ribbon Barbecue Bacon Burger. With two bars—one indoors and one out—and generous margaritas, you will never go thirsty.

Tucked away near the train tracks off San Antonio Street, the Huisache (pronounced wee-satch) is a must-stop for anyone who loves healthy, flavorful food and a glass of wine. Consistently delivering fantastic soups, salads, sandwiches, fish, grilled meats, and vegetables, there's a lot to love about this place, and the beautiful 1920s building only adds to the experience.

A cavernous open space, once a garage, now resembles a cross between a sports bar and a loft. The extensive menu—with vegetarian and vegan options—is built around the Texas Live Oak smoker in-house, and standouts (the portions are extremely generous) include brisket tacos; crispy brussels sprouts; and the fried or grilled chicken "sando" with house hot sauce, pickles, and slaw on a potato roll. There's live music on the patio most nights, which is a perfect place to nurse an oversized cocktail or local draft beer, kick back, and have a great time.

If you've had your fill of German food in Fredericksburg, opt for a beautiful cheese and charcuterie board from La Bergerie, an adorable European-style wine bar and market located just off the town's main strip. Relax on the patio or choose from the well-curated selection of meats, cheeses, and small-production wines to-go if you prefer to picnic somewhere in the Hill Country.

The vibe is just right at Lea Lou Co-Op, whether you're taking in the beautiful exposed-stone wall interior or kicking back with friends in the spacious yard of the classic 1800s hardware store and lumber yard. The braided-crust pizza is famous here, but the juicy steaks and seafood platters shouldn't be overlooked either. In the back, you'll find live music on some nights at the Cow Palace, a venue with a dance floor, and there's even an adjacent boutique hotel with seven rooms if you wish to stay the night.

What started as a quaint farm-to-table restaurant inside an old house has become an institution in Wimberley. Though the look is much more farmhouse-modern these days, the menu still features the same delicious food they've been known for, like their farm-fresh soups, salads, sandwiches and shareable appetizers. Heartier offerings, like wood-fired pizza, and an expanded menu of entrées, such as the crab cake or chicken and grits, make for even better dinner options. Sunday brunch, serving "Pear Classics" and seasonal specials, is memorable, too.

Tucked away in a little historic house off Washington street, The Nest is a nice option for a special occasion. It's probably the best value for fine dining in town. The seasonal menu might include a perfectly prepared Black Angus fillet with a rich bordelaise sauce or plump pan-seared sea scallops served with a citrusy chipotle-lime hollandaise. Enjoy a taste of the Hill Country with a scoop of homemade lavender ice cream.

This is John Wayne country, and the patrons of The O.S.T. (Old Spanish Trail) don't let you forget it, thanks to an entire wall covered with photos and memorabilia of the Duke. Authentic Tex-Mex and hearty American plates are served (and have been since 1921), including a Texas-sized chicken-fried steak that covers the entire plate.

There are sunsets, and then there are sunsets at the Oasis. Here you can sit on one of the many wooden decks that scale the hillside of this Lake Travis hot spot with a frozen margarita and bid farewell to the day with one of the most spectacular sunsets in the state. The menu offers fairly standard American and Mexican fare, from burgers to enchiladas. Be sure to get there early; you won't be the only one with the bright idea to swing by.

The gift shop came first, but since 1984 Cynthia Pedregon has wowed crowds with her homemade soups, sandwiches, and daily quiches. Portions are hearty, but to get a sampling of as much as possible, opt for the Sandwich Sampler, which comes with a quarter sandwich each of tangy chicken salad, fresh tuna salad, perky jalepeño-pimento cheese, and a cup of the soup of the day. Pedregon's cookbooks are prized staples in Hill Country kitchens.