Mr. E and I had a little socially-distanced (I mean, not from each other) 3-day getaway a few weeks ago to the quaint little town of Fredericksburg, TX. It was a long, lazy weekend for us. This is by no means an exhaustive list of great places in Fredericksburg, but we discovered some real gems in the city that I wanted to share.
Fredericksburg is in the Hill Country of Texas, nearest to San Antonio and Austin. It's about a 4-hour drive from Houston. It was founded in 1846 by German immigrants, and those influences are evident still!
Where to stay? Fredericksburg is famous for its bed & breakfasts and guesthouses. We've stayed in a B&B before, and this time, we stayed in a lodge a block off of Main Street where all of the action is. The Lodge Above Town Creek. I highly recommend this place. Sixteen private rooms and suites...no shared dining rooms or bathrooms. Our room was just darling! A (big!) freshly-made breakfast is delivered to your door in a picnic basket each morning. The pool is a dream, with more seating areas than I've seen at some big hotels! Also outside is a fireplace and couches/chairs for lounging.
Once you're checked in, it's time for a German beer. Auslander's is a great place to start. Big open windows in front and a patio in back, perfect for people-watching and to get a lay of the land. (We did not eat here, so I can only attest to the cold beer.)
Next up is La Bergerie. La Bergerie is a little wine bar and market in an old, converted house. It is utterly charming. They serve only cheese or charcuterie boards (or a combination of the two). There's casual seating indoors, but we sat outside. Our favorite dinner of our trip, a combination cheese/meat board, in the backyard under the string lights. Maybe because of COVID, there are only 3-4 tables out there...it was nice and private, and absolutely lovely.
On the same street as La Bergerie are two more restaurants, one called Otto's German Bistro (upscale German food). We didn't make reservations and couldn't get a table, but it looks so quaint inside. There's also Tubby's Ice House. Super casual with lots of beer on tap and a PB&J Monte Cristo that hit the spot and was surprisingly delicious with a beer.
The famed Luckenbach, Texas, is only a 10-minute drive from Fredericksburg. It's a must. Our parents favorite restaurent when we were kids was a hole-in-the-wall burger joint with an old jukebox that seemed to play Luckenbach, Texas by Waylon Jennings on repeat. Head on over, buy a longneck, and listen to live music. This is pure Texas.
For a treat, pop into the Old German Bakery and Restaurant for a German pastry...or a cookie...or both! You need one! Definitely going to try replicating this cookie soon
If you are a wine enthusiast, this is the place for you. The road into Fredericksburg is lined with wineries, about 50! Most of which have cropped up in the last 5-10 years. We visited one winery and weren't impressed, so I'll leave it off the list. A wine tour or shuttle is an excellent way to check out several.
Mr. E really enjoyed the Pacific War Memorial. The museum was closed unless you have a reservation, but the outside memorial is sprawling with photos of service members from WWII and the ships where they served. In the thousands of photos displayed, Mr. E even found a photo of the last ship his dad served on.
*photos: left and top, blackchalkhome.com
Shopping. We were determined to bring back something fun from our trip...and we found a few goodies off of Main Street at Blackchalk Home and Laundry. I could have spent HOURS in this place. Home decor, pillows, kitchen wares, gifts, jewelry, lotions, candles, art...all the good stuff. Next time we visit, I'm stopping here first AND as we head back out of town.
Across the street is a cute cafe, Woerner's Warehouse Cafe, that has some pretty dishes and a few antiques. Next to that is a row of shops by Carol Hicks Bolton Antiques. I couldn't tell where one stopped and the other began; you can walk through them all as there are no interior walls. One has more bedding and furniture...whites and farmhouse with a very lived-in look. The other warehouses have LOTS of Catholic times, like antique rosaries, crucifixes, even parts of statues and altars! It looks to mostly be from France. So cool...and a little out of my price range. Another place where I could spend hours just looking.
Heading back to Houston, we stopped at a cute coffee shop, Johnson City Coffee Co. Right now, they're serving only on the patio and in the drive-thru. The coffee drinks were delicious, with lots of alternative milks, if you're high maintenance like me and want coconut milk. The patio has a good bit of seating...maybe 6-8 tables.
These are the place we'll come back to next time we're in town. We can't wait to discover some more favorites!
