What do brisket, glow-in-the-dark paddle boards, watermelon seed-spitting competitions and mermaid societies have in common? They all play an integral — and unique — role in the distinct character of Texas Hill Country. A stone’s throw from Austin proper, the idyllic region is full of surprises throughout its counties, towns and up-and-coming cities. Well beyond barbecue, a local staple that’s been drawing diners for generations, Hill Country has evolved into a thriving destination filled with restaurants, lodges, sights and activities.
Hill Country cuisine and ‘cue
When it comes to dining in Texas, barbecue is a given, especially in the Austin area, home to institutions like La Barbecue and Franklin . Venture beyond city limits, though, to find the real gems.
Named “Barbecue Capital of Texas” by the Texas legislature, Lockhart is home to icons like Smitty’s Market and Black’s BBQ as well as Kreuz Market, which has been smoking meat in brick pits since 1900. In Driftwood, The Salt Lick cooks up sausage, brisket and ribs over the same flame they’ve been tending since 1967.
Kreuz Market
Folks flock from all over to sample the goods at The Salt Lick, which has grown to include its own wines using Hill Country varietals, as well as cobbler, bison ribs and even periodic pizza nights on the patio.
Barbecue is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to food in Hill Country. Visiting the region and eating nothing but smoked meat would be tantamount to visiting New York City and eating nothing but pizza by-the-slice. Both traditional establishments and neoteric eateries throughout the region form a cohesive culinary community like no other.
This includes the quaint Texas Pie Company in Kyle, where Julie Albertson draws inspiration from her grandmother to bake desserts so delicious they’re practically single-handedly responsible for earning the town the title of “Texas’ Pie Capital.”
Some of the offerings at Crepe Crazy, which also does a bustling catering business
Then there’s the heartwarming Crepe Crazy, a deaf-owned Dripping Springs cafe with an all-deaf staff. The restaurant has created opportunities for locals who are deaf and wowed patrons with a menu that combines traditional staples and offbeat originals. A second location was recently opened in Austin.
Throughout the region, restaurants maximize local ingredients and the seasonal bounty to cook what they’re calling “Hill Country Cuisine.” Thanks to the temperate weather and year round growing seasons, there’s always plenty for chefs to work with, along with ample inspiration and regional influences, spicing up flavors with ingredients derived from Tex-Mex, New Orleans, India and beyond.
Restaurants like The Leaning Pear in Wimberley and Creek Road Café in Dripping Springs are paving the way, adapting local ingredients with inspiration found as close as the patio herb garden or as far away as Asia.
The Leaning Pear spotlights flavors indicative of Texas, Mexico and the Southwest, with items like roasted poblano pimento cheese, chicken with green chile-bacon grits and braised pork carnitas with watermelon and blue corn capricho. At Creek Road Café, the kitchen casts a global net for its eclectic menu, which features the likes of fried Gulf oysters, miso-marinated Scottish salmon and beef tenderloin filet with Duchess potatoes and Cognac cream sauce.
The Leaning Pear
One of the biggest dining surprises in all of Hill Country is Restaurant Jezebel, a tiny fine-dining space tucked inside Lockhart Bistro. The work of revered chef Parind Vora, the six-seat nook serves ever-changing, customized tasting menus based on conversations the chef has with diners when they arrive, leaving him to cook up degustations essentially on the fly. With no printed menus, each experience is totally original, drawing upon the chef’s travels, work experiences all over the world, his Indian heritage and his passion for local sourcing. At any given time, a meal at Jezebel might include hearts of palm over squid ink gazpacho, followed by a dish using turkey the chef shot himself.
From wine to sotol
Across the boozy spectrum, Hill Country has grown into a well-rounded drinking destination as well. To best dive in and experience all of it, embark on the Dripping Springs Wine Trail, an immersive DIY-style tour that includes nine local wineries, three distilleries and four breweries (bus tours are available). Featuring the best of the best, destinations include Bell Springs Winery, Deep Eddy Vodka, Duchman Family Winery, Wetcave Valley Winery and Salt Lick Cellars.
Desert Door cofounders with sotol hearts
Image by John Davidson/Texas Monthly
One exciting newcomer to the mix is Desert Door Distillery, a Driftwood tasting room specializing in sotol. Similar in appearance to agave plants, with a distilled flavor somewhere in between tequila and mezcal, sotol is still a rarity in the U.S. In fact, Desert Door is the first and only sotol distillery in the country, using sotol plants from West Texas to create spirited cocktails like palomas, margaritas and tomatillo Bloody Marys. Order a drink at the bar and linger in the chic lounge area, outfitted with modern, stylish furnishings inspired largely by the artsy West Texas town of Marfa.
Unique boutique accommodations
Hotels and campgrounds abound in Hill Country, but it’s the one-of-kind inns and lodges that really capitalize on the region’s character.
In Dripping Springs, The Alexander at Creek Road is a serene oasis consisting of a few intimate cottages alongside rural farmland. Bedecked with homey decor, each abode is charming and transportive.
For something more luxe, Sage Hill Inn & Spa is an elegant rural retreat set back a mile off the road in the Kyle countryside. Featuring multi-room suites, individual cabins, upscale spa, swimming pool and top-tier restaurant, this Hill Country haven is the perfect place to hole up and relax.
Sage Hill Inn
There are miles of hiking trails lining the grounds as well, winding through forests and along the river bed. In the morning, take your coffee outside to your patio and look for Kevin, the resident peacock who’s been known to strut around the common areas or chase wild turkeys.
Another unique option is the Ellison House in Lockhart. The historic farmhouse-style home has been renovated and updated to accommodate a few boutique rooms, each one stylized with art and sleek fixtures. There’s a common kitchen and living room, making it great for groups, and the fact that it’s walking distance to downtown Lockhart is a boon.
Make a splash in the San Marcos
In spite of its name, Hill Country’s star attraction is actually more aquatic. The San Marcos River is a spectacle to behold and a centerpiece for activities throughout the area.
The thing that makes the river so stunning is its tropical turquoise hue, making it look more like a Caribbean beach than a Texas river. Crystal-clear and pristine, locals and visitors frequent it for tubing, kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, swimming and even nighttime paddle-board “glow” tours. Operated by Paddle SMTX, the one-of-a-kind activity utilizes boards with special water-proof LED lighting that glows different colors underwater. Another offbeat option is the company’s “Paddle Barge,” a giant board that can accommodate up to four paddlers.
The San Marcos River
The tropical-blue water might also explain why mermaids have become a symbol of the San Marcos River, and why the Mermaid Society of San Marcos is a thriving organization. For decades, mermaids have been local lore, thanks to a bygone theme park called Aquarena Springs, which had an underwater theater with mermaids. In 2016, the Mermaid Society hosted San Marcos’ first annual Mermaid Week as a way to bring mermaids back to local icon status, to highlight the city’s art scene and to protect and preserve the river. The festival features a mermaid parade, the “Mermaid Splash” festival and the “Mer-tini” cocktail competition.
Tried and true Texas traditions
San Marcos boasts some of the largest outlet shopping centers in the country, with destinations like Tanger Outlet Center and San Marcos Premium Outlets routinely ranked as top tourist destinations in the state each year. Basically the Texas version of the Mall of America, the outlets are home to more than 240 stores, restaurants, food courts and a free trolley service.
For something a bit more boutique, San Marcos’ historic downtown square is home to numerous independent cafes, pubs, ice cream shops and vintage stores. Paper Bear is a favorite for quirky gifts and jewelry, while Twice Blessed is a popular go-to for vintage housewares, accessories and clothes.
While Austin gets all the glory for Texas’ live music scene, its roots are deep in Hill Country. The oldest dance hall in the state, Gruene Hall, looks and feels like history. Over the years, it’s played host to new musicians and legends alike: Garth Brooks, the Dixie Chicks, George Strait and Willie Nelson have all graced these hallowed halls.
Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas
As rents continue to soar in Austin, musicians are once again turning their attention back to San Marcos, making it a win-win for Hill County denizens looking for more affordable performances in more intimate venues.
The most colorful pastime in all of Hill Country may very well be the Watermelon Thump, which has been taking place in Luling every summer since 1954. At the height of watermelon season, this small town comes together to celebrate the harvest in all kinds of unique ways over the course of four days. In addition to live music, rides, beer gardens and festival vendors, the tentpole is the watermelon seed-spitting competition. Spitters come from all over to test their skills and spit seeds as far as they can down the “spit way.” The current record for longest distance belongs to Luling resident Lee Wheelis, who spit his seed a staggering 68 feet, 9 1/8 inches. There’s also a Thump Queen who presides over the Watermelon Thump Parade, plus an auction of the biggest and best melons.
A watermelon-eating contest at the Luling Watermelon Thump
Ashley Landis / Austin American-Statesman