Welcome to Castroville, TX – The Little Alsace of Texas.
Castroville, TX, is a small town with a French heritage and is nestled on the banks of the Medina River, just 22 miles west of San Antonio, making it an excellent getaway. The town thrives with boutiques, shops, and a cozy cabin. Alsatian homes, restaurants, and a great coffee place are in town. There is something on every corner, plus side streets for residents and visitors to enjoy. Here’s the best of Castroville, TX, in our eyes.
From the cabin in the woods, watching the cardinals and other birds I’d never seen forage for the bird seed hanging out everywhere on the property, this was the perfect getaway for me. When I wasn’t touring the town, I used my time to catch up on my writing. Besides being a romantic place to stay with your loved one, the cabin is also an excellent hideaway for a writer’s retreat – you will get stuff done!
Medina River Windmill Cabin, All Local, The Elsass Group, and Castroville Tourism helped make this trip possible and memorable. All opinions here are my very own.
The Best of Castroville, TX
The town of Castroville was founded in 1844 by Henri Castro and is the most French town in Texas. It is known as the little Alsace of Texas, and its historic buildings and Pioneer houses depict Alsatian roots.
Medina River Windmill Cabin graciously hosted me for five days and four nights. During this time, I tooled around town in my Chevy Blazer, and despite the weather, I covered a lot of ground and visited almost every store that was opened in the historical square. I didn’t venture out from that area. Everything I did was within walking distance of each other. And on a good day, it’s an easy walk from the cabin to the square. You would have to cross over a busy highway, though.
Medina River Windmill Cabin
The Medina River Windmill Cabin is a one-of-a-kind 1938 cabin on the banks of the Medina River in Castroville. The cabin sits on a huge lot under a 100+-year-old oak tree and has access to the river. If you don’t mind being a little cozy, this will make a great getaway for a girl’s trip with your BFF or for a romantic weekend in which cozy is preferred! 2 guests, one bedroom, one bed, one bath. There is a futon/couch in the den.
The cabin is equipped with everything from home and everything that makes it a wonderful place to stay – kitchen, fridge, microwave, coffee pot, TV, fireplace and more.
It’s within walking distance of restaurants, a coffee shop, a bakery, shopping, a movie theater, and many other locally-owned businesses.
All Local Market
All Local is a market in town that provides “made in Texas” produce, wines from France and Texas, and provisions that will help your weekend at the cabin more relaxing and stress-free. Just order from their website; no matter where you stay, they will have your refrigerator stocked before you arrive. You do nothing, plus it’s good, natural, and organic food is an option. It’s the best service I could recommend when visiting Castroville for a weekend or longer.
Order your food online at All Local, and it will be in the fridge, all fresh and ready to enjoy!
What To Do In Historic Downtown Castroville
There are shops, restaurants, a bakery, a movie theater, and more on Paris & Fiorella Streets, all owned by The Elsass District, that have brought new meanings to downtown. The Elsass Family has done a remarkable job of bringing back these buildings so locals can open up their shops. I enjoyed visiting every one of them.
However, downtown also consists of other popular streets (London, Layfette, Lorenzo, Madrid) and boutiques to explore. It’s easy to visit them all in one day if that’s your quest.
On Paris and Firoella Streets, you can grab a baked good from Baked, a t-shirt or leather good at Overholt Supply Co. (oh, and they offer free whiskey tastings), see the latest movie at Rainbow Theater, eat BBQ ribs at Blu Lucy and enjoy an upscale dinner at Elevate. Down the street is Magnolia Filling Station – don’t miss it for a morning coffee and/or afternoon tea. It stays open all day. And don’t forget to visit all the local gift shops in between – within walking distance.
Baked offers croissants, cookies, and monkey bread, among other baked goods, but no coffee.
Overholt Supply Co.
Even though, as I write this, the white wall in the photo above is getting torn down to open up the shop to make room for more merchandise. I’m glad I took this photo because they might want it for reminiscing purposes. Plus, I liked it!
Overholt sells some cool t-shirts and curated leather goods they make right there in the back of the shop. The t-shirts have cool sayings about Castroville, words on traveling, and man words only men would get or understand, and the word F is on many of them, which I thought was magnificent, but I told the owner I wouldn’t dare wear it!
I enjoyed the shop and the owner’s camaraderie. I took Adeina there, and she thought the same things I did (about the shirts).
Rainbow Theater of Castroville
Now playing: Wicked. Adeina and I enjoyed seeing Wicked for the first and second time. I told her this was a movie I would see again – and I did. Rainbow Theater offers VIP seating and will cater to your needs once you sit down and order something from the menu. Or the concession stand inside is full of candy, cotton candy, popcorn, drinks, wine, and more.
Next up is Gladiator and Sonic the Hedgehog. The movies change every week or two, so it’s possible someother movie will be showing when you arrive!
Alsatian Heritage, Museums, Haus’s
The Steinbach Haus is an Alsatian house initially built in Wahlbach, France, and was gifted to Castroville from France. It was restored and offers tours of the authentic Alsation home. It’s open during the week from 10 am to 5 pm. Free of charge. Address: 100 Karm St.
The Biry Haus, built in 1850, is the site of The Castro Colonies Living History Center and is a house built in Castroville when the French came to make Castroville their home. Free. Address: 309 Paris St.
The Living History Museum keeps the town’s Alsatian heritage alive, and this museum invites you to get a taste of the ancestors’ way of life—$ 5 Admission.
Burger House is considered the oldest and smallest home in Castroville. The house was built in 1844. The original ceiling was cheesecloth, and the floors were cypress wood. You can still see the original flooring in the back section of the home. It is located in the southeast corner of Lorenzo and Florence Streets and is part of the Texas Historical Commission.
Where To Eat In Historic Downtown Castroville, TX
From delicious dining to southern food, BBQ, and a quaint coffee shop, this charming small town offers flavors for every palette.
Blu Lacy Smokehouse
At Blu Lacy Smokehouse, you can indulge in mouthwatering BBQ, brisket, ribs, or a classic Texas-style feast, and plenty of side options. Don’t skip the peach cobbler – you might want to share it.
It’s pretty much a la carte here. You order what you want, they weigh the meat, and you pick your sides. As you can see, Adeina and I loaded up our plate, including the peach cobbler. It was so good, but I couldn’t eat it all. My daddy always told me, “My eyes are bigger than my stomach” – and still valid.
Elevate On Fiorella
Elevate is the newest addition to the historic downtown. It’s a fine dining establishment that offers exquisite dishes, a great wine list, and curated cocktails in a unique setting. The bar is downstairs, and the dining is upstairs. There is an elevator for use if needed. Reservations only. $$$$
I started with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon from California (make that two), and then out came the most intriguing name for an appetizer – Tequila Lime Shrimp. Followed by my choice for dinner, and I ended with a dessert that was way more than I could finish. The waitress warned me. I did take home the leftovers. If you’re wondering, I ordered the bread pudding.
Castroville Cafe
For $15 bucks, lunch was spot on. It was all I could do to eat it all. I could have shared it, and then I would have had room for dessert.
Castroville Cafe is known for its quaint atmosphere and tasty plates. I thought the hostess was my waitress because she explained the cafe specials, discussed other menu items, and even conversed with me. Everyone was friendly and I even met the owner of the Magnolia Filling Station – compliments from the hostess!
Magnolia Filling Station
Not only was this coffee shop on my list of places to visit, but it was mentioned twice to me at several stops I visited, so naturally, I had to check it out. It’s where locals go, and any place locals hang out is good – so don’t pass this stop up.
The Magnolia Filling Station is the only coffee shop in historic downtown Castroville, and they serve up all kinds of coffee drinks – hot or cold and some delicious pastries. It’s not hard to visit this place more than once while visiting the town. And it’s very cozy inside, especially on a cold winter day.
Medina River Winery
This winery is located about 4 1/2 miles out of town. Though it wasn’t open when I had free time to visit, it is open late on Friday and 12-9 pm on Saturday and is between a place to eat and a church. So you can eat, drink, and go to church. Address: 3179 Fm 471 N, Castroville.
The Best of Castroville, TX Continues
Fiorello Friday happens the first Friday of the month, where 35+ vendors come out for all to shop from. Second Saturday Market is more of a produce market with 20 or so vendors. Both are set up downtown at Elsass Yard – 1212 Fiorella Street.
Events In Castroville Later in the Year
Grab your calendar and note these dates of events later in the year.
From mid-March to mid-April, see the red poppies bloom in such profusion on every street and yard, especially at the Poppy House, where the owner opens up his lawn for photographers to bring out their clients for picture-taking (fee) – www.celebratecastrovillepoppies.com
Tour De Castroville in April
April – The Alsatian Festival. It is held the last Saturday in April to preserve the Alsatian culture that is the cornerstone of Castroville and the remaining Castro Colonies of Medina County.
If you’re into skying diving, look up Tandem Skydiving – Castroville.
For a cozy place to stay while visiting the best of Castroville, TX, consider Medina River Windmill Cabin. Make it your next small town in Texas to visit.
PIN IT!
Leave a Reply