Put these small towns in Texas on your radar for serving good food!
You don’t have to enjoy great food in the big city. Try out these smaller towns for food and experiences that rival the big cities in Texas. When you finish drooling over all the goodness, please share your favorite restaurant in a small Texas town with us in the comments. We may feature it in a future story or this one.
Get ready to experience flavorful Texas food! These small towns boast some of the best eats and hometown charm in the Lone Star State. Here are a few small towns that will delight you and your palate on your next road trip or weekend getaway.
Dig Into These Small Towns With Great Food
Eating out is part of traveling, and we all have a few meals that stand out when we reflect on the cities we visited. Here, you will find some of our favorite food experiences in smaller towns in Texas—and they are just as good as the big-city options.
LaCascio Scratch Italian – Lindale, TX
Lindale Population 6,659
I love it when a restaurant serves bread before a meal. It’s easy to eat it all before your meal arrives – especially here. LaCascio’s bread is fresh and moist. Besides the delicious bread, they serve many Italian dishes and comfort food, something for everyone. If you like chicken, I suggest trying their Chicken Broccolini. It serves a lot.
LaCascio Scratch Italian is located in the heart of Lindale, TX (East Texas). I’ve eaten here twice, and both meals were outstanding, as was the service. This is an upscale, come-as-you-are restaurant that is family-friendly. They also offer outdoor seating.
Dutchman’s Hidden Valley – Hamilton, TX
Hamilton, Population 3,050
This roadside stop is in Central Texas off Hwy 281, south of Glen Rose. Whenever I drive home from the Hill Country, I inquire about their sourdough bread, but it’s always sold out when I get there. I order a sandwich with sourdough bread or splurge on their ice cream.
Tip: The Sourdough Bread is the Bomb. Order on Thursday if you know you’ll drive by on the weekend.
Vaudeville In Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Population 12,000
Fredericksburg gets all the hype, and for a good reason—it rocks. And so does this restaurant on the main street going through town. A winery we had visited earlier that day suggested Vaudeville and a few other restaurants to us. I’m so glad we chose this one because the French dip was that good.
Adeina ordered her meal first, which sounded so good that I had to order the same thing. We would most definitely return here for another meal! They serve gluten-free options and have daily specials. There is also a boutique on the street level, and the restaurant is downstairs. I’m not sure if there is wheelchair accessibility, but it might be in the back.
Of course, there are a gazillion more restaurants in Fredericksburg to try. Most of the ones I’ve been to are located downtown. I’ve not been disappointed with any. The Texas Hill Country’s small Texas towns with great food are everywhere!
Mary’s Cafe – Strawn, TX
Strawn, Population 540
If you want giant southern-style hamburgers or huge chicken-fried steak dinners, head to this small town west of Fort Worth.
Address: 119 Grant Ave.
Louie Mueller – Taylor, TX
Taylor (Near Austin), Population 16,300
If you are still looking for the best food in Texas, check out these Texas barbecue pits off the beaten path. While the big cities dominate the barbecue scene, you can still get great BBQ in a small Texas town like Taylor (39 miles from Austin).
Thirty-three (33) barbecue pits that made the Texas Monthly list of the best 50 places to eat BBQ in Texas were in small towns. One of the best is Louie Mueller in Taylor, Texas. It opened in 1949, is run by three generations of Muellers, and is located 40 minutes Southeast of Austin. Seven Barbecue restaurants are on the list. Still, there are a lot of hot spots everywhere in small towns.
Blue Bonnet Cafe – Marble Falls Hwy 281
Marble Falls, Population 7,050
For Pie Happy Hour and the best pie in Texas, stop by between 3 and 5 pm on weekdays. They also serve up a big breakfast for a great price.
Address: East side of Hwy 281. Lines are always long but worth the wait.
Bay View Restaurant
Marble Falls, Population 7,050
Bay View is a beautiful restaurant with as much seating outside as inside. The view outside of Lake LBJ isn’t wrong either! Expect lavish seafood, great wine, and room for children. It’s a great place to indulge.
Desi’s Restaurant – Batesville, TX
Batesville, Population 1,090
One of my readers nominated this restaurant as the best small town with great food. Look them up on Facebook.
Address: 14560 E US Hwy 57 (142 School House St). Located southwest of San Antonio.
Tip: Best Mexican Food In A Small Town
Tillie’s Restaurant at Camp Lucy – Dripping Springs, TX
Dripping Springs – Texas Hill Country, Population 4,700
Located in Dripping Springs is Camp Lucy – a quaint country resort in the woods. Their onsite restaurant is Tillie’s, named after one of the original owners of the land. You don’t have to stay at the resort to eat at the restaurant. I suggest breakfast, but if not, dinner is the best. It’s an upscale restaurant, and the prices are $$$. It’s a place to take a date or your wife on your anniversary – it’s that nice.
Tip: I think this is the best breakfast in the Hill Country. It is open to the public.
Gruene River Grill – Gruene, TX
Gruene Population (unknown)
In 2000, the population was only 20 people. Even though Gruene is part of New Braunfels, it’s worth mentioning here because, well, look at the chicken fried steak! Plus, most tourists believe it to be its own town. Wrap your mouth around the huge chicken dinner at Gruene River Grill for only $14 bucks.
Address: 1259 Gruene Rd.
Pint And Barrell Drafthouse – Palestine, TX
Palestine, Population 19,000
Pint And Barrell Drafthouse made the list because of its location in Old Town Palestine and its nice outdoor area with picnic tables under shade trees. Go early – lines can get long. Order inside, and they will bring it for pub food – sandwiches, hamburgers, and some darn good fries. Closed Sundays and open late at night.
Address: 302 E. Crawford St.
When planning your next trip to Texas, remember the small towns within the state. These towns offer great food and experiences that rival those of their larger neighbors.
If you want to make a Texas-size recipe for your out-of-town friends, check out our Texas-Size Peanut Smoothie Bowl …it’s enormous!
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