Long before Tamra and Travis Tindol shared restaurant kitchens, dining rooms and dreams, they shared history. They dated in junior high, reconnected 25 years later and married in 2011. Their partnership eventually became the foundation for two distinctive Hays County restaurants—and a hospitality story built on experience, instinct and grit.
Restaurants were familiar territory. Travis spent years managing Flores Mexican Restaurant in Dripping Springs, while Tamra grew up with a family restaurant and was a general manager. Her grandparents owned a diner in her small hometown of Crystal City, and she worked at restaurants through college at Texas State University (at the time Southwest Texas State). Travis calls Tamra his greatest influence, especially in understanding how to make guests feel genuinely welcome and work hard.
Their first shared venture began close to home. Hays City Store, a former convenience store with a kitchen about a mile from home. “It had shuttered,” until they saw possibility in the property. Working with a “shoestring budget,” as Tamra says, they transformed it into a relaxed café and bar, serving Texas comfort food and memorable margaritas.
The beginning was all-consuming. With few boundaries between business and home, every day revolved around the restaurant. Over time, the couple learned to build balance—and strong teams. What started as a 30-guest operation at “The Store” grew into a 400-seat Hill Country destination with live music and 40 beers on tap. That success was both a blessing and challenge. Their goal remained constant: food, atmosphere and authenticity that guests love.
It also inspired another restaurant. Taste on Main reflects flavors and design influences gathered through the couple’s travels. Located in a century-old building in downtown Buda, the restaurant pairs exposed brick and tin ceilings with plush seating, an elegant bar and abundant natural light. A spacious back deck, known as the Treehouse, sits among four towering oaks.
Where The Store embraces rustic Texas comfort, Taste offers an elevated experience with steak, seafood, pasta, wine and bourbon. The Italian steakhouse gives diners the polish of an Austin evening without leaving Buda—or encountering a hint of pretension.
The Hays City Store and Taste menus reveal the couple’s different tastes. Travis reaches for chicken-fried steak or a smash burger and margarita. Tamra favors Friday-night catfish with hush puppies and macaroni and cheese, or East Coast oysters, filet mignon, pasta marinara, and a generous Bordeaux.
Running both restaurants depends on trusted managers and hands-on leadership. They remain involved in daily operations, while Travis embraces the unofficial role of “gopher” for both properties. The greatest reward is found beyond the numbers: hugs, smiles and high-fives from happy guests, along with many friendships formed around their tables.
Their advice to aspiring restaurateurs is candid: experience matters, as do location, facility design, a clearly communicated vision and a thoughtful menu. It takes “a lot of work and a lot of luck,” says Tamra—and the first year can consume nearly everything. Still, the stress carries a reward. At both restaurants, Tamra and Travis hope guests leave remembering excellent food, sincere service, a beautiful setting, and, most importantly, a genuinely good evening. It’s hospitality grounded in community.
For more information, visit tasteonmain.com.