19 Best Restaurants in The Hill Country, Texas

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.

Most locals flock to this family-owned restaurant for a delicious and hearty breakfast, even though it's also open for lunch. Lacy German pancakes come with butter pats, lemon slices, and powdered sugar for sprinkling, and Holstein breakfast schnitzel (a breaded pork chop) is served with eggs, German fried potatoes, and buttermilk biscuits. Or skip straight to lunch and enjoy homestyle plates of sausage, kraut, and potato salad. If you don’t order a pastry with your meal, be sure to visit the bakery counter on your way out to get an apple strudel, prasselkuchen, or pretzel nut twist for the road.

On a quiet side street, sisters April Ryan and Ashley Landerman opened this charming little bakery, filled it with sweet treats and deliciousness, and flaunted some seriously impressive baking chops and credentials. In 2023, Ashley won the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship, after winning their Christmas Cookie Challenge in 2019. Stop by for great coffee and savory breakfast empanadas or grab a cupcake, brownie, or pie. Grab a café table out on the sidewalk, sip your brew, and watch the world go by.

On weekends you may find a line out the door at this town favorite known for its fresh-baked muffins, pastries, breads, coffee, and delicious soup and sandwiches. Though the menu is small, the breakfast crowd arrives early for one of the few inside tables, and locals swarm here for lunch as well.

Don't even think about coming to Marble Falls without taking a seat at this small-town diner, one of the oldest in Texas, where breakfast is served all day (they also serve lunch and dinner). There's a sign above the hostess stand that commands you to "eat some pie," and you'd be a fool to not listen and sample one of at least 16 different types made fresh daily. From mountainous meringue to creamy custard, the geniuses behind these sweet concoctions mean business. If you come between 2 and 5, you've made it for "Pie Happy Hour," which includes a slice of pie and a cup of joe. They also serve all the standards you'd find at an old-fashioned diner, in generous portions.

The coffee at this cozy little house on Main Street is amazing because they roast their own small-batch specialty beans. It's a popular breakfast stop with great pastries, muesli, parfait, and breakfast burritos. The small all-day menu is also a big draw. Try the avocado toast, green chili chicken and grits, or breakfast burrito. They also offer a nice selection of organic teas for non-coffee drinkers.

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.

At this tiny little bakery housed in an old building, the enchanting aroma of fresh-baked pies and pastries envelops you the second you walk in the door. The question of what to order then immediately overwhelms you as you scour the glass cases showcasing pies, sweet and savory kolaches, and cookies. The German-style sweet pretzel and the cream cheese–poppy seed kolache are great choices. Of course, the jalapeño, cheese, and sausage kolaches and cinnamon rolls are amazing as well, but you'll have to get there before the hunters, fishers, and early travelers do; they go fast.

Townies and visitors alike love this pizza joint housed in a former filling station, for both its wood-fired sourdough pies and its good selection of American and Belgian craft beer. Kick back on the colorful patio furniture (outdoor seating only) and enjoy one of their signature creations, like the California Club pie, which is loaded up with mozzarella, bacon, roasted chicken, avocado, greens, and tomatoes.

Lance Eaker hails from Texas, his wife Boo is Korean, and they have combined their impressive culinary talents to cook up some of the best barbecue in Texas at this award-winning, mesquite-smoking barbecue joint, which started as a food truck in Houston. The classics, from Texas dry rub pork ribs to moist prime brisket, are all excellent, but what makes it so unique are the succulent Gochujang ribs, fried kimchi rice, homemade kimchi, and other Korean-inflected dishes that reflect Boo's heritage. Leave room for Boo's BOOzy banana pudding; it's a knockout.

Serving a variety of homemade German-style lagers and ales, the brewery, in a historic 1890s building with an air-conditioned biergarten, is a popular nightspot for both locals and visitors. The German food is all well prepared, but the pizza and Texas-sized chicken-fried steak are no slouches either.

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.

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.

A local favorite, famous for delicious coffee and pastries—sweets and savories attract a crowd camped out at their laptops in this two-room coffeehouse, or outside on the adorable patio. Try a fruit-studded scone or croissant sandwich for breakfast, spicy vegan chickpea sandwich for lunch, and stay as long as you like.

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.

Occupying a historic building that was formerly home to the Keidel Pharmacy, this modern coffeehouse serves great coffee and local pastries and a small menu of salads and sandwiches—it’s a perfect place to catch your breath during a whirlwind shopping tour of Fredericksburg. Beautiful tiled tables, original tin ceilings and wood floors, and an open, spacious feel create a relaxing environment, perfect for hanging out with a laptop, coffee and a pastry, or friends.

A cool, eclectic shop with new and vintage pottery, baskets, and tabletop—everything from a vintage ice cream scoop to plates emblazoned with a quirky stag imprint. There is a coffee bar up front with excellent coffee and pastries (the croissants are flaky and delicious) and a champagne bar if you need a bit of bubbly while you shop. Rockhaus is literally connected to Farmhaus Antiques, and if you continue to meander, you’ll also want to check out the Farmhaus for a beautifully curated selection of clothes, home goods, and jewelry.

This family-run coffeehouse, set in a renovated bungalow, invites you to settle in, stay awhile, and enjoy artisanal, small-batch roasted coffee and a hearty breakfast, with entrées ranging from Croque Monsieur to Spanish Tortilla. With its cozy vibe, cute decor, great coffee (pour-over, French press, espresso, or just plain drip), homemade baked goods, and tasty breakfast options, there's really no reason not to linger.

A former post office now serves appetites in the middle of nowhere. There are some unusual dishes like mahimahi (a mild, white fish) with tomatillo sauce, but also plenty of German fare. Start with potato pancakes served with apple sauce or sour cream. The schnitzel is fabulous, as is the rouladen—a tenderized beef fillet wrapped around dill pickle, ham, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese. If it's warm outside, sit beneath the vined trellis and watch the resident goats and donkeys grazing nearby. Live music accompanies your meal on Thursdays and Sundays. Reservations are strongly recommended.