7 Best Restaurants in The Hill Country, Texas

Set in a restored 19th-century dining room, this charming spot showcases elevated Southern cuisine created by chef Mark Bohanan (of San Antonio's Bohanan's steak house fame). Decadent dishes like eggnog-battered sweet-roll French toast and a bourbon-battered ham Monte Cristo with huckleberry jam make this a perfect special-occasion brunch spot, and the creamy-but-light milk punch shouldn't be missed either. In fact, the cocktails are some of the best in town, with a focus on the "classics with a twist" Bohanan's is known for. A seasonal fresh fruit Tom Collins is perfect alongside the jumbo crab cake served on a fried green tomato, or let your server guide you through the extensive whiskey and wine lists for a pairing to match your cheeseburger topped with fire-roasted pimiento cheese. All the perfectly grilled steaks come with a flaky buttermilk biscuit, but be sure to save room for dessert, too: the sweet potato crème brûlée with pecan shortbread and orange segments is a dream with a glass of port.

Colorful, quilt-draped walls and a cool ceiling-fanned patio make this a comfortable spot no matter the weather. The menu changes with the season, but you might find an entrée such as a juicy grilled New York strip steak in a balsamic reduction or sautéed rainbow trout. The 814 Burger is a half-pound of grilled bliss.

Chef Bryan Gillenwater serves well-executed New American cuisine in a laid-back environment at this spot that has become a mainstay in the area. Cooking with live fire is Gillenwater’s specialty, so you can’t go wrong ordering flame-kissed dishes like grilled shrimp with Hopi blue-corn grits and andouille Creole sauce or prime Angus rib eye with buttermilk whipped potatoes. It's well-loved by locals and wine industry professionals alike, so reservations are highly recommended. 

Come for the inventive, delicious food and stay for the extensive wine menu at the Cypress Grille on Main Street. From the small bistro tables in the front of the narrow wine bar, you can sip a glass of wine and nibble on crisp crab cakes while watching the passersby. Wood-fired proteins have their own dedicated section of the menu here, from Steak Diane (topped with a creamy mushroom-Madeira pan sauce) to smoked tandoori chicken thighs, but don't overlook the salads, which are sizable and each with its own intrigue. The Texas Cobb, for example, has spicy grilled shrimp and slices of grapefruit, while the Caesar delights with both Stilton and Grana Padano cheeses.

There's a reason you'll likely have to wait for a table at this spacious, modern farm-to-table restaurant in the heart of town. The chef-driven menu is casual but uses top ingredients and perfected techniques. Be sure to order their signature smoked carnitas nachos for the table, then choose from a variety of salads, handhelds (sandwiches and tacos), and mains, like a chili-citrus brined pork chop and grilled redfish with chimichurri orzo. While you wait, kick back on the patio with a cocktail from their Volkswagen bus bar.

Ten miles north of town, this hilltop dive set in a 1930s gas station truly feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, but it's luckily a beautiful trip to nowhere. All menu conventions are thrown out the window to create the Athens-meets–New Orleans dishes. On weekends your best bet is to grab a few appetizers and a bottle of wine and then sit back for a little live music. (The place is owned by bluesman Johnny Nicholas, who also curates the programming.) The kefalotiri saganaki (a flavorful Greek cheese flambé) and a Cajun-style avocado stuffed with blue crab are fantastic starts, and the snapper ponchartrain (in a white-wine sauce with mushroom and crab) is a decadent adventure.

Even if the food here wasn't so good, McAdoo's would be worth a visit for the beautiful interior alone. Set inside a converted post office from 1915, the restaurant features upscale Southern and Cajun-style plates, with a focus on seafood and cocktails. Brunch brings creative dishes like crawfish chile relleno, jambalaya-stuffed quail, and bananas Foster French toast—plus a Bloody Mary bar with more than 30 items to add to your drink.