Home Care In Spicewood, TX

The Hill Country — found just outside of Austin — is known for more than just wide-open spaces, stellar sunset views, and wineries. There’s plenty to devour just a short drive from the city limits. Find a varied culinary experience — rooted in Southern food with German and Mexican influences — among the live oak groves of Central Texas’s small towns, ranging from kolaches to schnitzels to chicken fried steaks to enchiladas to New Texan fare.

Extend those Hill Country plans by exploring the area's best barbecue, pie, and winery options, or dig into the offerings within Fredericksburg, Dripping Springs, Johnson City, and San Antonio (essential and new)

This article was originally written by Jane Kellogg Murray.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

What you see is what you get at the Spicewood barbecue joint. The giant pit that greets you when you enter is full of succulent, fatty, and delightfully seasoned brisket. Or perhaps it’s the enormous pork chops, jalapeno-cheese sausages, or tender pork ribs that are more appealing. Whatever you order, pick up a few sides to go with it: a heaping serving of spicy corn, tater tot casserole, and the off-menu Coca-Cola cake. The restaurant is open for takeout and indoor dine-in services.

While the address’s original parent restaurant, the fine-dining destination Apis, closed permanently, its younger sibling pizzeria remains open on the six-acre property backed by the Pedernales River. The focus is wood-fired Neapolitan pizza with toppings ranging from house-cured wild boar salumi, loads of vegetables, melty cheeses, and more. Accompanying the pies are nice plates like oven-roasted cauliflower, nicoise salad, and pastas. Takeout orders can be placed online, and there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

On top of cuisine heavily influenced by Austin’s neighbors to the south, the Texas Hill Country has an overlay of German heritage thanks to the Old World immigrants who settled in this region in the mid-1800s. Get a taste of that Central Texas-German cuisine at the Fredericksburg restaurant, which boasts Ingrid Hohmann, a European-trained chef known for cooking up traditional German recipes like schnitzel, bratwurst, and made-from-scratch strudels and Black Forest cake. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in service.

The Dripping Springs bakery courtesy of extremely talented baker/owner Abby Love is full of wonderful breads, pastries, and more. It’s even more delightful when you learn that the team makes use of grains created by next-door neighbor Barton Springs Mill. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

The social hub on the main square of the historic town of Blanco (a city featured in the Coen Brothers’s True Grit remake), the cafe satisfies its patrons with everything from burgers on jalapeno sourdough buns to wraps filled with roasted red pepper hummus and kalamata olives. Take time to browse through the adjacent gift shop, which sells pottery and products from the Redbud owners Jon and Jan Brieger’s family lavender farm. Takeout orders can be placed online or over the phone; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

This romantic eatery is a popular lunchtime spot, tucked on a quiet corner of downtown Wimberley along Cypress Creek. Fill up on sandwiches like the BBLT — applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and double-creamed French brie on toasted sourdough — and wood-fired pizzas, or heartier dishes like meatloaf with scallion mashed potatoes and roasted chicken with green chile-bacon grits. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

In the historic district of New Braunfels, the best thing to do after two-stepping at the state's oldest dance hall Gruene Hall is to do nothing at all while sitting on the porch overlooking the banks of the Guadalupe River. Stop in at the restaurant and pull up a bench on the open-air patio for great wings, quesadillas, chicken fried steak, and a cold beer. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

The revitalized longtime German beer hall and restaurant in New Braunfels serves up plentiful draft beers, schnitzels, and sandwiches in its lively mostly alfresco space. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

There must be a wormhole in Utopia because this no-frills cafe recalls a simpler decade. Housed in a historic building (built sometime before 1904), the place has been serving comfort food since 1986. An expansive menu has everything from patty melts on Texas toast to cheese enchiladas to big slices of fudge pecan pie.

Upscale food from a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef puts the utopia in small-town Utopia. The restaurant is set in a charming stone building amid 400+-year-old oak trees. Utilizing a European-style “guest table” service, chef Laurel Waters’s prix fixe restaurant is BYOB and only open on Saturdays for lunch and dinner. The menu often changes but expect dishes like chicken with mushrooms and artichoke hearts in puff pastry, served with fresh vegetables like pesto scalloped potatoes. The restaurant is open for reservations-only lunch and dinner dine-in services.

What you see is what you get at the Spicewood barbecue joint. The giant pit that greets you when you enter is full of succulent, fatty, and delightfully seasoned brisket. Or perhaps it’s the enormous pork chops, jalapeno-cheese sausages, or tender pork ribs that are more appealing. Whatever you order, pick up a few sides to go with it: a heaping serving of spicy corn, tater tot casserole, and the off-menu Coca-Cola cake. The restaurant is open for takeout and indoor dine-in services.

While the address’s original parent restaurant, the fine-dining destination Apis, closed permanently, its younger sibling pizzeria remains open on the six-acre property backed by the Pedernales River. The focus is wood-fired Neapolitan pizza with toppings ranging from house-cured wild boar salumi, loads of vegetables, melty cheeses, and more. Accompanying the pies are nice plates like oven-roasted cauliflower, nicoise salad, and pastas. Takeout orders can be placed online, and there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

On top of cuisine heavily influenced by Austin’s neighbors to the south, the Texas Hill Country has an overlay of German heritage thanks to the Old World immigrants who settled in this region in the mid-1800s. Get a taste of that Central Texas-German cuisine at the Fredericksburg restaurant, which boasts Ingrid Hohmann, a European-trained chef known for cooking up traditional German recipes like schnitzel, bratwurst, and made-from-scratch strudels and Black Forest cake. The restaurant is open for indoor dine-in service.

The Dripping Springs bakery courtesy of extremely talented baker/owner Abby Love is full of wonderful breads, pastries, and more. It’s even more delightful when you learn that the team makes use of grains created by next-door neighbor Barton Springs Mill. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

The social hub on the main square of the historic town of Blanco (a city featured in the Coen Brothers’s True Grit remake), the cafe satisfies its patrons with everything from burgers on jalapeno sourdough buns to wraps filled with roasted red pepper hummus and kalamata olives. Take time to browse through the adjacent gift shop, which sells pottery and products from the Redbud owners Jon and Jan Brieger’s family lavender farm. Takeout orders can be placed online or over the phone; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

This romantic eatery is a popular lunchtime spot, tucked on a quiet corner of downtown Wimberley along Cypress Creek. Fill up on sandwiches like the BBLT — applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and double-creamed French brie on toasted sourdough — and wood-fired pizzas, or heartier dishes like meatloaf with scallion mashed potatoes and roasted chicken with green chile-bacon grits. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

In the historic district of New Braunfels, the best thing to do after two-stepping at the state's oldest dance hall Gruene Hall is to do nothing at all while sitting on the porch overlooking the banks of the Guadalupe River. Stop in at the restaurant and pull up a bench on the open-air patio for great wings, quesadillas, chicken fried steak, and a cold beer. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

The revitalized longtime German beer hall and restaurant in New Braunfels serves up plentiful draft beers, schnitzels, and sandwiches in its lively mostly alfresco space. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

There must be a wormhole in Utopia because this no-frills cafe recalls a simpler decade. Housed in a historic building (built sometime before 1904), the place has been serving comfort food since 1986. An expansive menu has everything from patty melts on Texas toast to cheese enchiladas to big slices of fudge pecan pie.

Upscale food from a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef puts the utopia in small-town Utopia. The restaurant is set in a charming stone building amid 400+-year-old oak trees. Utilizing a European-style “guest table” service, chef Laurel Waters’s prix fixe restaurant is BYOB and only open on Saturdays for lunch and dinner. The menu often changes but expect dishes like chicken with mushrooms and artichoke hearts in puff pastry, served with fresh vegetables like pesto scalloped potatoes. The restaurant is open for reservations-only lunch and dinner dine-in services.

Spicewood TX is a beautiful little town in the Texas Hill Country that is so small you might drive by it without noticing. Except you would miss out on a fairy tale swimming hole, incredible wineries, and a place that might make you think you are in Costa Rica! There are so many things to do in Spicewood TX that make for a perfect weekend getaway!

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Sleep in a Treehouse

The owners of Cypress Valley Canopy Tours took a trip to Costa Rica and were inspired by the way the people experienced nature in a way that had minimal impact on the environment. If you’re looking for a unique place to stay in Spicewood, one of the coolest experiences is sleeping in a tree house. You get to walk across a suspension bridge at least 30 feet in the air. And with this glamping experience, you’ll be amazed at the amount of luxury you will experience! You can read all about these tree houses here!

Go on a Canopy Tour

The same people at Cypress Valley Canopy Tours also offer canopy tours (surprise!) Here you can zip line through the Cypress trees, enjoy the unique beauty of the Texas Hill Country, and see all around you from a bird’s eye view! Cypress Valley Canopy Tours were the first to bring this experience to the United States, and you really get an experience like no other. Afterwards enjoy rappelling, having a picnic, and swimming in their swimming hole.

Visit a Fairy Tale Swimming Hole

Krause Springs is a swimming spot like no other! The way the water flows over all the greenery is spectacular. I spend most of my time just staring in wonder at the beauty of Krause Springs. When you first enter, you walk through a dazzling garden. There’s an upstairs pool for those who want clear water, as well as the springs below with a rope swing and a little cave to swim into!

Important note: There are very few places like Krause Springs because the nature around it is so delicate (more details below). Stay to the swimming areas and try not to touch any of the greenery around the waterfall or it won’t be around for long.

Go Cliff Jumping

Pacce Bend Park is famous for the cliff jumping (although for the less adventurous, there are plenty of swimming spots). Make sure to follow the signs as some places are more shallow than they seem and dangerous for cliff jumping.

Try Argentinean Texas Wines

Escape to Argentina when you visit El Gaucho Winery in Spicewood! A beautiful love story and a move to the Texas Hill Country brought this one of a kind experience! In addition to the their wines, they also offer asados and a delicious selection of foods and Argentinean empanadas.

Explore Westcave Outdoor Discover Center

If you’ve ever been to Hamilton Pool in Dripping Springs, you’ve probably seen something similar to the Westcave Grotto at the Discovery Center. Except, here at Westcave Preserve, they have worked hard to limit the amount of human touch and interaction on the vulnerable wildlife, and the difference is tremendous.

A guide walks you down where the air gets cooler, and you experience the grotto in all its splendor with greenery and delicate wildlife. There’s even an open cave where you can see stalagmites and other crystal structures in the open light. While Hamilton Pool is an incredible experience, the contrast shows you how much we need to preserve certain areas as well as the effect of human pollution.

Enjoy a Glass of Wine

We are in the Texas Hill Country so expect plenty of great wines. Spicewood Vineyards is a beautiful area where you can see the grapes growing on property, enjoy the little stream that runs through, take in all of the scenery, and even bring your dog! On the first Friday of the month they also do Friday night wine downs that involve musicians, story telling and wine tasting!

Or do a Dessert Wine Tasting

Stonehaus is another beautiful winery in Spicewood that not only offers the typical wine tasting, but several different wine experiences. They have a reserve wine tasting or you can take part in the personalized premier wine tasting where the wine is paired with food. On top of those experiences Stonehaus also has a fun dessert wine tasting.

See Brilliant Wildflowers

During wildflower season, the Grelle Recreation Area is covered in bluebonnets for what seems like miles! And even when it’s not wildflower season, it’s still an incredible place to enjoy with 276 acres of hiking, swimming, and little waterfalls.

Cuvee Coffee

It’s almost like a speakeasy, but for coffee. Walk through a gate marked “C”, and you might just get a tour from the people behind the scenes of Cuvee Coffee along with a cupping experience! While enjoyed everywhere, the warehouse is in Spicewood so you’ll have a more unique experience.

Rent a Boat

Just a little outside of Spicewood is Float On Rentals! Lake Travis is massive and the best way to see it is by boat! With areas that turn to Caribbean blue, places to jump off the cliffs, and hidden spots only the locals know, there are adventures around every corner!

The great thing about Float On is that they provide you with a captain for a stress-free boat ride. Our experience was phenomenal as they took care of every detail and went above and beyond to make our trip better than imagined.

Things to Do in Spicewood: Final Thoughts

Spicewood is truly a gem in the Texas Hill Country! There is so much to experience and so much beauty all around! After your trip to Spicewood, consider checking out some of these other great Texas towns!

SPICEWOOD, Texas. - Thomas Ranch plans to break ground on a 2,200-acre 3,500-home development in Spicewood this year.

A fifth-generation Texan and managing director of Thomas Ranch, Joe Rentfro knows a great view in this state when he sees one.

“It’s the highest point in the region where the two rivers meet,” Rentfro said. “We’re creating something that’s going to be for the enjoyment of future generations and residents.”

Make no mistake, there are millions of dollars to be made in this untapped region west of Austin. However, the Arete Collective overseeing the project believe it has a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach to their regional growth model.

“One thing we’re trying to bring to this is protection of open space and keeping vast amounts,” Rentfro said. “Open and green in perpetuity while we bring the development to life.”

Rancher and land steward turned conservationist, Ira Yates isn’t as easily moved.

“A little bit of development brings more development so you can’t stop it once you agree to start development,” Yates said.

A fellow Central Texan, his family has owned acreage in the Circle C area of Southwest Austin since the 1940s.

“The only way to preserve land is to buy it and restrict it from development,” Yates said.

Another option gaining some traction, Yates left a legacy as a 385-acre conservation easement.

“I can’t belittle people that develop their land, but I would encourage them to look at the options,” Yates said.

Only about 5% of the area is currently protected from development. Hill Country Alliance Executive Director Katherine Romans believes projects like this are scary propositions. The organization noted that the region has grown 50% in the past 20 years.

“Currently we just don’t have the ability to do the long-range planning and ensure development is protective of natural resources,” Romans said.

With key concerns such as water conservation, increased traffic, air pollution and habitat loss set to take center stage, advocates on both sides of this hill are preparing for the climb ahead.

“We need to be investing in our natural infrastructure and conservation just as fast as we’re developing,” Romans said.

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Residents are fighting a development planned in Spicewood, citing concerns about endangered birds in the area, traffic problems and water usage. Travis County commissioners narrowly approved the developer’s preliminary plan with conditions that will require the group to come back before the court with a traffic impact analysis in hand before real work begins.

The more than 1,000-acre former ranch near Lake Travis is slated to become residential housing and a golf course, according to that initial plan. It’s going to be called “Travis Club,” previously known as “Vizcaya.”

A spokesperson for the owners and developers was in court Tuesday asking commissioners to approve the preliminary plan for the property which he said was actually already approved by commissioners once before, almost exactly as is, back in 2008. In 2009, that spokesperson said, one of the financial partners involved in the deal filed for bankruptcy and the development of that property essentially paused. It will be more than 270 single family lots, 220 villas and a golf course.

“It’s a long journey to be here, but we’re here today asking your to reaffirm the preliminary under basically the same rules that it was approved under in 2008,” a spokesperson for the developer said.

It wasn’t until last fall that county staff informed the developers that approval of the preliminary plan had actually expired, the spokesperson said. They’re now navigating county red tape that had previously been cleared.

“It hit us like a ton of bricks,” he said. “They had hoped to be under construction now.”

Meanwhile, residents in the area are concerned about traffic, water usage, construction safety and perhaps most vocally, the Golden-Cheeked Warblers in the area.

According to a release, Blair Wildlife Consulting was asked to do a study of the rare birds near and on that property. It found more than 40 of the birds on that plot.

“Maybe there was no malicious intent, but there was clearing on the property during the Warbler nesting period. I think that is an issue that needs to be addressed. What I’m hearing is that there were no repercussions for that,” a representative for Kent Radford and his family said. Radford lives in that area. “There needs to be additional mitigation required.”

“Mature Ash Junipers are a habitat for the Golden-Cheeked Warbler which has been cited in the area,” a resident of a nearby community also noted in her public comment. She also spoke about traffic concerns and the dangers of construction traffic in the area.

That’s where Commissioner Ann Howard has concerns as well. A traffic impact analysis has not been complete for the property despite the preliminary plan being before commissioners again. There is a backlog in that process on the city’s side, the court revealed. It could take between six and nine months for that TIA to be complete.

“I just think it delays any action that could result in greater transportation safety measures being put in place, when we know that nothing about the development in terms of the number of units, the configuration is likely to change through the TIA process,” Commissioner Brigid Shea countered.

The court voted on the preliminary plan twice. The first time, commissioners failed to approve it, with Howard and Travis County Judge Andy Brown voting against the motion. Commissioner Jeff Travillion opted out of the vote. Three ‘yes’ votes is the magic number.

Commissioners then opted to approve parts of the plan with a condition that forces the developer to come back before court prior to building its first plot. When they do return, they’ll need that TIA. Shea voted against it, but it ultimately passed.

“I don’t think delaying all of this by six-to-nine months particularly addresses that issue,” Shea said. She did ask the developers to take another look at environmental best practices, but said if the development is going to happen, she thinks the delay is unnecessary.

Nonprofit holding meetings to discuss options

Ongoing safety concerns with Texas 71, the road Spicewood residents refer to as the “highway of death,” drew people to the Spicewood Community Center Saturday night to discuss traffic issues and improvement proposals for the highway.

The meeting, organized by the nonprofit Safer71, was the first of five community meetings lined up through early May that serve as precursors to a larger town hall meeting the group will host in the fall.

Safer71 members say there is an urgent need to address safety concerns.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the road has seen nine deadly crashes between January 2017 and November of 2018, from Spanish Oaks Boulevard to Fall Creek Road.

“The goal is you come to the town hall (meeting) informed,” Safer71 president Greg Short said. “Our ultimate goal is to stop people from dying. We want people to be able to drive to H-E-B and come home every day, not worrying whether it’s the last time they’re going to see their family when they head out on the road.”

Short said that improvements made on Texas 71 have been working despite one death occurring since the group’s November start—on April 22 on Bob Wire at Texas 71, within the stretch of road from the western Travis County line to RM 620.

The upcoming fall meeting will present citizen comments gathered at the community meetings as well as the results of a TxDOT study that began in February and involves Texas 71 improvement measures, he said.

State Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-Austin) joined Travis County Precinct 3 Constable Stacy Suits at the meeting. Goodwin, who was sworn into office in January, introduced a bill in the Legislature that would declare certain roads to be safety corridors, carrying double fines for traffic violations.

Suits stepped up patrols of the area in December and is requesting six additional patrol units to be assigned to Texas 71 in his agency’s fall budget proposal to Travis County Commissioner’s Court.

RELATED: Bill could improve safety on Texas 71

On Feb. 1, the speed limit on Texas 71, from Bee Cave’s western city limits to the Pedernales River, was lowered from 60 to 55 mph.

“The speed limit reduction really hasn’t impacted us,” said Stephen Holman, senior deputy with Travis County Constable Precinct 3, who was assigned to a full-time detail in December to enforce traffic ordinances along Texas 71. “We’re still seeing high speeds, we’re still seeing a lot of commercial vehicle violations, red light violations. We’ve impounded a number of commercial vehicles that have been driven by unlicensed drivers, have (Texas) Department of Transportation certificates that are not valid.”

He said his office is still citing many local residents not complying with the new speed limits.

“They are aware of (Texas 71 enhanced enforcement), and they still won’t comply with the speed limit,” Holman said. “In a regular workday, you can still cite 15-20 drivers a day in a shift for speed or running red lights or whatever.”

Before December, he said the agency lacked the manpower to monitor the roadway as closely as it is now, adding more units are still needed to increase safety on Texas 71.

Residents at the meeting echoed concerns over drivers who remain in the left lane without properly using the lane to pass other vehicles, watching their cell phones for travel directions while driving, tailgating and driving in areas of Texas 71 that don’t have adequate shoulders.

Suits said his department is giving out citations for failing to maintain a safe distance, or tailgating, as well as failing to move over from the left lane once a vehicle has passed another.

The city council of newly-created municipality, Double Horn, has also requested TxDOT conduct a survey of the speed limit on the stretch of Texas 71 that lies in front of the community.

Some Spicewood residents voiced concern over the white powder left by exiting aggregate trucks that may be lethal when inhaled.

TxDOT is planning to repave a section of Texas 71 from the city of Bee Cave to the Pedernales River once the evening temperature stays above 70 degrees. TxDOT spokesperson Diann Hodges said the project was put on hold over the winter due to cooler temperatures. She said district traffic operations also has a consultant on board looking at safety and operational improvements along Texas 71, from Bee Creek Road to Serene Hills Drive.

“We expect to have some recommendations by next month,” Hodges said. “Once we have had an opportunity to evaluate them, we will then look at ways to implement these recommendations.”

The agency plans to extend or add a center turn lane on Texas 71 from the Pedernales River to the Blanco/Travis County line, with the project set to go out to bid in March 2022, Hodges said.

“Since no additional (right of way) is expected to be needed, we are looking at ways to accelerate this project,” she said. “At this point, we don’t have a definite letting date but we are looking at 2021.”

Hodges confirmed TxDOT is also adding a protected left turn lane at Pace Bend Road.

Upcoming Safer71 community meetings include: Thursday, 7 p.m., Bee Cave City Hall; Sunday, 4 p.m., Sweetwater Clubhouse; and Wednesday, 7 p.m., Spanish Oaks Clubhouse (residents only)