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The Hill Country is an extension of the great eating opportunities—the amazing Tex-Mex and barbecue—of San Antonio and Austin, with the addition of heavy German influences. Fredericksburg certainly corners the market for relatively authentic German fare, but Boerne, Comfort, New Braunfels, and everywhere in between serve decent schnitzel and wurst. Barbecue bests are spread all over: the Salt Lick in Driftwood, Cooper's in Llano, and Cooper's in Mason (it's not a chain; they just happen to have the same name), and Rudy's Country Store in a number of locations between Austin and San Antonio, and in Leon Springs.
On the Hill Country backroads you're not going to get a whole lot of haute cuisine delivered by celebrity chefs, but you'd be surprised at some of the fine dining experiences you can have here. Two upscale restaurants to try in Fredericksburg are August E's and Rebecca's Table.
Most places are casual in the Hill Country. You may want to don your Sunday best for a few places, but you really don't need to. Boots and jeans are formal enough for the average restaurant, especially for men. You'll see plenty of local women wearing "country-chic" clothing, such as embroidered, tailored blazers, or swishy broomstick skirts—with boots, of course. In the summer heat you'll see many patrons wearing just about anything that keeps them cool.
Don't expect to dine too late into the evenings. With the exception of a few live-music bars and venues, most restaurants and cafés are finished serving by 9 or 10, especially during the week.
This biergarten on Main Street is always buzzing, and for good reason. Choose from a wide array of craft German beer while enjoying the live music that happens nearly nightly. The hearty fare is also delicious, whether you opt for a classic schnitzel or a juicy Reuben sandwich on toasty pumpernickel.
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.
At his bright and charming bistro, chef Henry Gutkin focuses on some of Germany’s lesser-known dishes, reimagined with creative, refreshing twists. Sauerkraut balls are served with sausage, whole grain mustard, and a dollop of crème fraîche; crispy duck schnitzel comes with red cabbage and spaetzle; and a wurst plate features house-made bratwurst, caraway sauerkraut, and homemade mustard. And while there’s plenty of beer here to keep your stein full, as well as a focus on German and Austrian wines, the exceptional cocktail menu should not go unnoticed. A fabulous brunch is served on Sundays.
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.
More than just a coffee shop, Chaparral is truly a community hub. Owners Taylor and Austin Burge have developed the breakfast and lunch menu of the tiny space to fit the town's growing needs, and they throw DJ-fueled dance parties and other events here, too. But yes, the coffee is also stellar—in fact, it's worlds better than most of the coffee you can find anywhere else in small-town Texas.
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.
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.
Local baker Rebecca Rather, well-known for her now-shuttered Rather Sweet Bakery, opened this sweet breakfast and lunch spot and bakery to much acclaim. Breakfast items span from a build-your-own biscuit bar to a croissant egg sandwich, while the lunch menu exudes farm-to-table Southern comfort, with offerings like fried oyster nachos and a pimiento cheese BLT. Details like speckled enamelware and beautiful garden flowers simply add to the charm.
If a hearty, comforting plate of cheesy eggs, crispy bacon, and buttered waffles is what you're looking for, head to The Hen's Nest. The digs are humble (in fact, the day's featured dishes are written on postcards in lieu of a menu), but this tiny little café packs a big breakfast punch.
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.
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.
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.
The name of the game here is playful, modern Southern cuisine made with local Texas ingredients. You can choose from corn fritters with hot honey and jalapeño ranch, chicken-fried chicken with duck-fat cream gravy, Wagyu meat loaf, and so much more. You really can't go wrong, whether you opt to enjoy the farmhouse-style interior or relax on the expansive patio lit with twinkle lights. But the best night to visit might be Sunday, when there's a three-course special supper starring fried chicken and set to the tune of a live music soundtrack.
Pronounced Roh-coh as opposed to Rock-oh, this delightful restaurant owned by the local Piazza family has bright murals depicting family events and traditions in bold caricatures. The menu is primarily American-Italian, with personal touches from family recipes. Try the salmon Allessondra, named for the owner's daughter: a salmon fillet with lump crab meat and a bright lemon–caper butter sauce. The views of the rolling Lakeway Golf Course fairways are stunning
The owners brought the building over from Vietnam and reconstructed here in Texas. The American Nouveau cuisine is outstanding for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but the afternoon tea is truly delightful (one of the owners is English), as the Hill Country meets the Cotswolds. Enjoy a perfectly calibrated blend of sweet and savory offerings including beef Wellington with charred horseradish mash, ham and Gruyère puff, deviled egg sandwich, and a pile of lovely sweet treats. Visit the chapel and sculpture garden while you’re here.
