What to do and eat
LOTS of info on this page. Many lines have a link to info.
Full Moon Dates – click for dates
Krause Springs (worth a visit in old-town Spicewood 3 miles from us). A pleasant surprise tucked away. The absolute best 4th of July fireworks.
Falls on the Colorado Museum in Marble Falls. Very nice display of Marble Falls history!
Hill Country Motorheads Motorcycle Museum in Burnet. Another local treat that you should not miss if motorcycles are in your heart.
Sweet Berry Farm A favorite! Great spot for picking berries, 20,000 zinnias to pick, 3 cornfield mazes. Sep/Oct is the pumpkin patch! Homemade ice cream. No entrance fee. Pay per activity.
Spicewood Arts Society (season concerts at Spicewood Vineyards Events Center begin each Fall)
Cypress Valley Canopy Tours They are just 8 miles down the road.
Vanishing Texas River Cruise (outside of Burnet on Lake Buchanan)
Longhorn Caverns (between Marble Falls and Burnet, a beautiful drive on Park Road 4). Here is a good article on the park:
Explore Longhorn Cavern State Park
Inks Lake State Park on Park Road 4. Hiking trails.
Johnson City Chamber of Commerce: We are impressed with their events and market days, check it out.
Marble Falls Chamber of Commerce
Burnet County Tourism (Spicewood is in Burnet County)
Marble Falls movie theater north of Marble Falls on 281 next to WalMart
Hill Country Community Theater (on 2147 near Horseshoe Bay)
Willow City Loop wildflower drive (lovely anytime of the year)
Heart of Texas Wine Tours will come pick you up at the cabin.
Star gazing at the observatory at Canyon of the Eagles on Lake Buchanan, about an hour drive
Kingsland Slab: Hwy 71 west, go 22 miles and turn R on CR307, go 5 miles
The Science Mill in Johnson City.
101 Things To Do in the Highland Lakes
Fishing
Fishing report from our shoreline, we do not have a dock (by a cabin guest, we are not fishermen!):
“First day, 3 largemouth bass. Second morning 7 largemouth bass, 1 smallmouth bass, 1 channel cat and 1 gaspergoo. Caught all on #4 minnow mepp.”
You can fish at the LCRA Narrows Recreation Area 2 miles away. There is a boat ramp and some campsites.
Also the LCRA Grelle Recreation Area about 4 miles away near Krause Springs.
John Gilbert Fishing Guide (Lake Travis and Lake LBJ) John is a neighbor in Lost Cove.
Pamper Yourself:
Massages can be arranged by contacting Trish at 830.596.3264.
Trish is experienced in Trager work, Lomi Lomi, Accupressure …. please ask her for details!
Her lovely studio overlooks the lake and features Trinity Table #7 (out of 25 in the universe), in addition to a massage table.
Nearby Vineyards
Spicewood Vineyards (Spicewood-5 miles away) A nice setting and the staff is friendly. Good wine selections. Event center.
Stone House (Spicewood)
McReynolds (Spicewood)
Texas Hills (Johnson City) Italian wine, so of course it’s a favorite. Try the red port and orange muscato.
Perissos On the road to Longhorn Caverns, a smaller vineyard with Italian wines. Have a burger at Hoover’s Valley Cafe across the road.
Torr Na Lochs (on Hwy 29 between Park Road 4 and Burnet). Beautiful view. Visit Perissos, then drive Park Road 4 to Hwy29, turn right.
El Gaucho Winery (on Kathy Lane off of Bee Creek Road in Spicewood). Argentine wines. Note: they only serve Malbecs.
Fall Creek Vineyard (Tow). About 1.5 hour drive.
Marble Falls Wine Trail ( a good map)
Texas Wine Trail: Every October
West Texas Tipsy (a ‘tasting’ airstream trailer) and Farmhouse Vineyards Marketplace in Johnson City: tasting room and nice gift items.
MANY vineyards from Johnson City to Fredericksburg, a one-hour drive from Chanticleer. Grape Creek Vineyards has lovely patios and THE BEST pizza. Restaurant also serving dinner. Mallonee’s favorites are Cabernet Trois and Cabernet Syrah. Becker is another favorite vineyard.
Garrison Brothers whiskey distillery: outside of Johnson City in Hye on 290.
Mountain Bike Trails:
Muleshoe Bend – Spicewood
Pace Bend Park – Spicewood
Pedernales Falls State Park – Johnson City
Reveille Peak Ranch – Burnet
Spider Mountain Bike Park – Burnet. This is the one with the ski lift!
Dining
Spicewood:
Opie’s Bar B Q is on Hwy 71 at the intersection of Spur 191 where you turned off the highway. Good smoked brisket, ribs, pork chops (!), chicken, lots of yummy sides. Mon 11-4, Tues 11-2, Wed-Sun 9-7. WiFi. On Texas Monthly Top 50 Best Bar-B-Q.
Beto’s Tacos red food trailer down from the Exxon on same side of hwy71, you can walk there from the Exxon or park there. Yummy breakfast tacos, beef fajitas and plates. 6am-2pm. Closed Sunday, Monday, sometimes Tuesday.
Los Valedores Taco Trailer (also red and next to Beto’s). Open 7:00am to 2:30 pm all days, Fri/Sat also 6-10pm.
Hoekstra Bros. (alongside the Exxon facing Hwy71) If you want to pick up something to grill, there is a surprising inventory of frozen seafood/steak/game, cheeses, liguor/wine/ mixers, sauces. Interesting products, worth a gander.
The following are a 15 minute drive near the Pedernales River on Hwy71 (Spicewood zip code):
La Cabana Grill: Mexican food restaurant, open 7 days. WiFi.
J5 Steakhouse: Finer dining, good menu. Closed Sun and Mon. tel. 512.428.5727
Angel’s on Hwy 71 towards Austin past the Pedernales bridge. Salads, burgers, chicken fried steak. WiFi. Very casual and we like it.
Apis Restaurant and Apiary on Hwy 71 at the Pedernales. LOTS of good press; pricey. Try their happy hour and signature cocktails. They have a more casual Pizzeria Sorellina. Farmer’s Market Sundays 10-2.
Marble Falls (15 minutes)
The Blue Bonnet Café on Hwy 281, on the right after you go over the bridge. A Texas legend for home cooking, breakfast served all day, pies piled with meringue. Mon-Thurs 6am-8pm, Fri-Sat 6am-9pm, Sun 6am-1:45. Pie Happy Hour M-F 3-5.
Numinous Coffee: house–roasted coffee/scones/cookies/sandwiches, homemade sourdough bread
Bay View Restaurant on 2147 is upscale with a lovely deck. Reservation required. We are not impressed with the (pricey) entrees but go for appetizers.
Oli’s Kitchen on Main Street interior Mexican food. Food is great, large servings.
Noon Spoon Cafe on Broadway, the last street off of 281 before you get to 1431. Right onto Broadway. Open M-F, 11-2:30. Yummy!!! Check out their menu via the link. Great soups and daily specials and salads.
Inman’s Bar BQ is another legend. Currently closed, it is to reopen under the same family early fall 2023. North on Hwy 281 at 6th, it’s on the right, look for the hubcap man! Choose your own meat from the pit; we recommend the turkey sausage. Mallonee would put a chunk of sausage in her lunch bag tied to her saddle as a child while riding her horse, Cochise, all day long when there was nothing in Spicewood. When they sell out, they close.
Julie’s Cucina : On FM 2147. Turn left at the light before the bridge onto 2147, go about 3 miles, it is on the right.
River City Grille is at the bridge on 281, good lake view. Food OK, salads are good.
Rae’s R Bar: Off of Main Street on 3rd behind Uptown Theatre. Good pulled-pork tacos.
Dock’s: Hwy 281 at Hwy 1431 in Marble Falls. Steaks, fried catfish, shrimp salad. Can be loud.
Double Horn Brewery is on 281 right across from the Blue Bonnet Cafe.
Boat Town Burger Bar in Kingsland on Lake LBJ: Great place to sit at the lake, great burgers. This is old-Austin now in Kingsland!
Bear King Brewing Co (behind The Blue Bonnet Cafe). Good fish tacos.
A 30-minute drive:
Bryans On 290/Johnson City: featured in Tx Monthly. Pricey.
Pecan Street Brewing/Johnson City: Hwy 281 south to Johnson City, on the square. Bar food. Live music. We are not impressed.
Lady Bird Lane Cafe/Johnson City next door to The Science Mill. Same chef/owner as the beloved but now-closed Silver K Cafe. Breakfast and lunch.
Hoover’s Valley Cafe is across the road from Perissos Vineyard on Park Road 4 north of MF. Grab a burger and see a slice of local culture.
Further towards Austin (20-30 minutes):
Angel’s Icehouse: casual, family-friendly, good burgers, chicken fried steak, fish tacos.
Mallonee’s favorite happy hour: Santa Catarina in Lakeway. 1310 RR 620 S. Great appetizers and prices and food presentation. Interior Mexican food. We go Hwy 71, left on Bee Creek which takes you thru Lakeway, right on Lakeway Blvd, right on 620. It will be on the right tucked away in older strip center (sign has ‘League Tavern’).
Verde’s: on Hamilton Pool Rd. Interior Mexican food, good menu. Pork chops/shrimp/steak/rellenos.
Hill Country Galleria mall on the left and Galleria Shops on the right, at the intersection of RR620 and Hwy 71, 18.5 miles east of us towards Austin. There are several eateries: Saltgrass Steak House, Panera, Einstein’s, Mandola’s Italian, Cafe Blue, Chiso’s Grill (our favorite), All Star Burgers (try the Fireman), Buenos Aires Cafe string quartets some evenings.
The Oasis is on RR620 across the dam (15 miles from Hwy 71?) , turn left at light onto Comanche Trail. This is looking like Vegas on the Lake, and a far cry from its simple beginnings prior to its devastating fire. Worth a visit if you want to take a drive. Not our favorite place, but it is well-known and an event venue, often on someone’s “list”, therefore we mention it.
Fredericksburg (1 hour):
Ask Mallonee for her favorites.
Groceries:
Hoekstra Bros. (alongside the Exxon facing Hwy71) has a surprising inventory of frozen seafood/steak/game, cheeses, liguor/wine/ mixers, sauces. Interesting products, worth a gander.
Our local Exxon
HEB is in Marble Falls, turn left at 1431 (at the Pizza Hut) off of 281. We like it better than the Bee Caves store.
WalMart on 281 north of Marble Falls
HEB towards Austin at Hwy 71 and Bee Caves (RR2244)
Lakeway HEB at 2000 RR 620 just north of Lohmans Crossing (next to Sonic).
Whole Foods at Hill Country Galleria, 20 miles east on 71 towards Austin
Bayside Fresh Market on 2147 in Horseshoe Bay. Meat market, wine, beer, deli. Certified Akaushi Beef. Upscale.