Get to Know the Hill Country: Places to Eat (Part Two)

It is another beautiful day in the Texas Hill Country and what could be better than enjoying this sunny weather, a beautiful view of rolling hills AND eating great food?  If you're a fan of this combination, then be grateful you live in, near, around or have access to the Texas Hill Country! If you've got some time on your hands this upcoming weekend, I highly suggest making a trip out to see the amazing things Texas has to offer, including lunch and dinner breaks at any of the places we highlight today.

Not all of us have access to large cities with five-star restaurants, but we know that good food is good food, regardless of where you find it. We're happy to say that even fancy-schmancy, upscale foodie magazines like Bon Appetit recognize that. In May 2009, they honored The Leakey Feedlot for serving up one of the top plates in America.  Only one cafe was recognized per state, so this is kind of a big deal! They were recognized specifically for their chicken fried (rib-eye) steak, which I have to say is simply amazing.  In addition to the chicken fried steak, this cafe offers up a variety of great traditional cafe favorites. The decor is as authentically country as the food- this is truly a Texan meal.  On a sunny day, you can't beat lunch or dinner on the patio with friends and family.

If you are a fan of southern favorites in relaxed, beautiful environments, you cannot skip out on an opportunity to eat at The Gristmill.  Located in Gruene, Texas, one of my personal favorite places on earth, this restaurant is situated neatly between Austin and San Antonio.  It is the perfect dinner spot if you've spent the day floating the Guadalupe River and need a place to unwind before hitting up Gruene Hall for some of the best live music in Texas.  The Gristmill features indoor and outdoor seating and a killer, river's edge view of the Guadalupe.  I've never had a meal here I didn't enjoy.  The surroundings are super laid-back and even the wait for your table is a relatively enjoyable experience.  The outdoor beer garden is the perfect place to enjoy an ice cold beer or margarita when their is a wait.

The last restaurant on our list is Chicken Earl's.  Chicken Earl isn't exactly a restaurant, rather a trailer that can be found in downtown Leakey that sells AMAZING fried chicken.  If you live in the Austin area, you likely have visited one of the many food trailers popping up all over the city.  In fact, these trailers happen to have some of the BEST, reasonably priced, but high quality eats in the entire city. It seems to be the same for Chicken Earl's.  Their chicken is the talk of the town in Leakey (and beyond) and they've been around since WAY before food trailers were cool. They've got the trailer food thing down to a science. They're open ONLY on Tuesdays and until they completely sell out.  In the summer time, that can sometimes be pretty early, as people drive from all around to get a taste of their chicken.  Get out there early because this is some chicken you have got to try!  We can't recommend them enough!

Now I know that there are a plethora of restaurants that have been left off of this list.  If you have any other suggestions, send them our way. Make sure to check out these Texas Hill Country businesses and let us know what you think of them.  Happy Eating!

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Tags: places to eat, texas hill country