Home Care In Conroe, TX

Small Town Famous, a Western vintage shop, was brought to Conroe by community member and Main Street Market owner Farralyn Withrow in April.

“I've always loved Western fashion and vintage, and it was something my two daughters and I could agree on,” Withrow said.

Withrow's daughters, Katey and Libby Fougeron, contribute to their mother's shop by merchandising and marketing the shop.

The details

Small Town Famous is a local retail shop that offers a variety of Western and vintage fashion items, such as clothing, boots, belts and belt buckles, as well as accessories, such as jewelry, purses and leather items handmade by local artisans.

“I have some handmade silver and turquoise jewelry from a lady in Montgomery. She makes all of her stuff. She even goes to the mines and picks out the turquoise herself in New Mexico. So that's really special,” Withrow said.

Withrow said the shop has about 30% handmade items and 70% vintage items carefully selected from various vintage distributors.

Also of note

The Western Vintage store caters to men, women and children, and has clothing ranging from size 00 to plus sizes.

Withrow said customers have the opportunity to request any vintage items not found at the shop. The shop accepts requests through a book where customers can write down any item request along with their contact info.

The shop also offers custom T-shirts, a hat shaping bar and a custom hat bar. Withrow said she hopes to expand the shop's hat bar and store offerings in the future.

The most popular items sold at the shop include its vintage jeans and boots. Although Small Town Famous’s items are final sale, the shop offers a dressing room to ensure proper fitting.

Features Reporter

Jovanna joined Community Impact as a reporter in July 2023. As a features reporter, she covers the North Houston area, including Cy-Fair, Tomball, The Woodlands, Conroe, Spring-Klein and the Lake Houston area. She graduated from Sam Houston State University in December 2021 where she majored in mass communication with a focus in multiplatform journalism and a minor in creative writing, and served as a writer for the campus newspaper, The Houstonian. When she is not writing, Jovanna enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling and fitness.

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Lake life collides with a vibrant downtown.

Small-town Texas charm welcomes visitors to Conroe, who often visit for the city's outdoorsy appeal. Conroe is about 40 miles north of Houston in eastern Texas and features three natural gems: Lake Conroe, a renowned bass fishing spot spanning 22,000 acres, Sam Houston National Forest, and W. Goodrich Jones State Forest.

Contained within the city limits, you'll find a vibrant downtown filled with shopping, dining, craft breweries, a winery, and plenty of live music to keep your toes tapping.

Here's a guide to making the most of your visit to Conroe.

What to Do Around Town

To get a taste of that lake life, head to Lake Conroe for an afternoon of bass fishing, boating, jet skiing, or swimming. Access the lake at Lake Conroe Park in Montgomery, Texas, or head to Scott's Ridge Swim Area. Bonus: the one-mile FM 1097 bridge offers beautiful views of the lake, as well as the Lake Conroe lighthouse. Local outfitters offer cruises to visitors; check out Cruisin' Tikis or Southern Empress for sunset or dinner cruises on the lake.

Nature lovers will also enjoy a hike through Sam Houston National Forest, which offers up the loblolly and shortleaf pines that are emblematic of East Texas. The park boasts a 128-mile-long Lone Star Hiking Trail through the fresh pines, the longest continuously marked hiking trail in Texas. In nearby W.G. Jones State Forest, birders try for a peek at the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. It's one of only a few natural habitats in the world where you can spot the bird.

In downtown Conroe, visit some locally owned businesses that have stood the test of time for nearly a century. This area is also home to art galleries and two historic theaters. Browse the area’s antique stores or boutiques for one-of-a-kind finds. Conroe Central Market sells vintage clothes, antiques, art, and collectibles. Head to Sweet Texas Treasures Boutique for a custom T-shirt, or choose from a variety of Texas souvenirs. Almost August specializes in handcrafted body care and candles. You can even book a candle-making workshop and create your own fragrances. After you shop, spread a blanket and enjoy live music at the Thursday concert series at Heritage Place, held the first Thursday of the month from April through September.

Over in The Woodlands, about 11 miles south of Conroe, brave the heights at Texas TreeVentures and explore the shops and restaurants at Waterway Square, where you can take a free visitor trolley, or walk along the brightly lit waterfront that leads you to the next restaurant or shop.

Where to Eat

Locals enjoy the unfussy, down-home cooking at Vernon's Kuntry Katfish, which serves up big helpings of fried catfish, shrimp, gumbo, hush puppies, and of course, sweet tea. Honor Cafe is a veteran-owned breakfast, brunch, and lunch hotspot serving burgers, brisket enchiladas, breakfast tacos, and steak and eggs. The café serves dinner on Thursday and Friday evenings. Breakfast at Kitchen Tales has something for everyone, from breakfast sammies like Croque Madame to skillet Breakfast Hash. For dinner, try the thick-cut pork chop with apple bourbon reduction and a spiked shake.

For fine dining, head to Amore Fine Dining in Conroe for orange roughy and lamb chops, or to Sorriso Modern Italian Kitchen at The Woodlands for house-made pasta, plus shared plates like steamed mussels and burrata.

Where to Stay

In Conroe, the Margaritaville Lake Resort takes a cue from Jimmy Buffett and delivers on that "toes in the water" kind of lifestyle, with 186 acres right on the shores of Lake Conroe. The resort includes on-site Margaritaville restaurants and bars, a waterpark, an on-site spa, and a golf course.

A short drive away in The Woodlands, The Woodlands Resort offers treetop view accommodations with its 402-room getaway space, the first Curio Collection by Hilton resort in Texas. The resort features a lazy river and waterpark, a tennis center, an on-site spa, access to hiking trails, and an on-site restaurant, Back Table Kitchen & Bar. Plus, there are daily planned activities for the whole family.

For its grand opening, Miami-based burger chain Pincho will offer free or discounted Latin American-inspired hamburgers at its new Woodlands-area location all day Jan. 19.

Offering a diverse menu of unique burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and kebabs, the burger joint will open its third Houston-area location at Harper’s Preserve near Conroe and The Woodlands.

Now with 12 locations across South Florida and Texas, the restaurant had humble beginnings in co-founder Otto Othman’s family kitchen.

Othman’s mom is Middle Eastern, and she raised him in Brazil; when the two culture’s flavors combined into her homecooked “pinchos,” or kebabs, it became an instant cookout favorite with Othman’s friends.

“It became a thing over the years,” Othman said. “Long story short, today we have 12 restaurants, all from that Fourth of July barbecue.”

ALSO SEE: Gene therapy offers hope for 4-year-old Woodlands boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

After gaining traction from foodies and the Latin American and Caribbean community, Pincho quickly expanded throughout Miami. Then came franchising requests from Houston. When the company conducted a study on cities with a similar market, Houston once again came up.

“In Houston, we have a really big and growing Venezuelan population and South American population outside of the Mexican and El Salvadorian Hispanics that we have out here,” Pincho’s Conroe general manager Robie Robinson said. “I think for some people, we’re giving them that home memory food, and then we’re also exposing a lot of people to something different that they haven’t had before.”

Pincho offers a Latin American twist on American classics. Burgers range from the “classic Colombian and Venezuelan” Pincho burger to the Caribbean-inspired tostone burger and Spanish-influenced broken egg burger,which comes with Manchego cheese, potato sticks, a broken sunny side up egg, black garlic truffle aioli, and Jamon Serrano.

Hot dogs are topped with applewood smoked bacon, pineapples, Pincho and cilantro sauce and papitas, while plates and bowls offer a variety of meats and veggies.

Most popular in the Houston area, however, is the original kebab, Othman said.

“Specifically in Houston, we’ve gotten an incredible response around the flavor profile of the food,” Othman said. “We’re doing twice the amount of kebabs (in Houston.)”

The response has been so enthusiastic that Othman has considered moving the company’s headquarters to Texas in the future.

After a 10:45 a.m. ribbon-cutting, the restaurant will offer free Pincho burgers to its first 100 customers and will have $5 Pincho burgers all day long Jan. 19. All of its opening day profits will go to Family Promise of Montgomery County, a local shelter for families experiencing homelessness.

Robinson said he expects a high turnout for the grand opening and looks forward to getting involved with the Conroe community as Pincho grows roots in the area.

ALSO SEE: Montgomery County permanently closes Lake Conroe Park due to lack of use by residents

“There are a million burger joints out there, but we have our distinct flavor,” Robinson said. “It’s really starting to hit a chord with people. Word of mouth is starting to spread, and it will only continue to spread as we enlarge our footprint in the Houston market.”

Pincho’s newest restaurant is at 9662 Texas 242, Suite 110 in Conroe.

Jan 12, 2024

Claire Partain is a suburban reporter producer for the Houston Chronicle, covering The Woodlands and writing the Woodlands Insider newsletter. She can be reached at [email protected].

She got her start as sports editor at Texas State University (go ‘Cats!) before covering professional soccer team Austin FC and other Austin news at digital startup Austonia.

Claire has also freelanced with her hometown paper, appearing in the Fairfield Recorder, Teague Chronicle and Corsicana Daily Sun.

News Release > Entergy Texas schedules outages in Conroe to safely complete equipment upgrades

For Immediate Release

Contact

Entergy Texas Media|281-297-2353|[email protected]

The upgrades to power lines will help minimize outages and improve service reliability

CONROE, Texas – As part of its ongoing efforts to improve service to customers, Entergy Texas is scheduled to perform reliability upgrades along Longmire Road and Hwy 105 from I-45 to Dam Site Road in Conroe. The company is upgrading power lines to improve reliability and reduce the length of potential outages in the future.

“The Conroe area is experiencing tremendous economic development, and these upgrades will improve reliability and ensure the community has the necessary capacity to support the growth we’re seeing,” said Latisha Thomas, Entergy Texas customer service manager. “Entergy Texas cares about each customer and understands the critical role reliable electricity plays in their everyday routine, which is why we carefully coordinate the process for upgrading our infrastructure.”

To safely complete the upgrades, outages are required October 30 through November 6. No outages are scheduled October 31 due to Halloween holiday festivities. Outages will occur in stages, so individual customers will only be impacted once during the October 30 – November 6 timeframe. Each night, the scheduled outage will start around 8 p.m. and could last up to eight hours.

All customers who will be impacted have been notified about the upcoming service interruption. Customers can stay informed by visiting the View Outage map or downloading the Entergy app and registering for notifications at entergy.com/app.

About Entergy TexasEntergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to more than 500,000 customers in 27 counties. Entergy Texas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for everyone with our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Gulf South region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering more than $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through philanthropy and advocacy efforts annually over the last several years. Our approximately 12,000 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations. For the latest news from Entergy, visit the Newsroom.

What is the best internet provider in Conroe?

Fidium Fiber is the best internet provider in Conroe, offering fast, symmetrical upload and download speeds at low prices. Prices increase by $20 a month in the second year, but even with that spike, Fidium is still one of the best deals in Conroe.

If you can’t get Fidium Fiber at your address, Optimum has the broadest coverage in Conroe and is a great backup option. Like all cable providers, its upload speeds are significantly lower than download speeds, but that is typically an issue only for heavy gamers or remote workers.

Verizon 5G Home Internet is another good option in Conroe. It provides fast speeds at decent prices, and many enticing deals are available for new customers, including discounts for Verizon Wireless customers.

Our methodology

CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Conroe across many categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.

Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider's website.

Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in Conroe. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.

To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.

Best internet in Conroe, Texas

3 Internet providers

SORT BY

Best internet provider in Conroe, TX

Our take - Fidium Fiber is a regional internet provider that serves the Houston and Nacogdoches areas, and it’s your best option for internet in Conroe. All plans have upload speeds that are just as fast as download speeds, which is useful if you game online or work from home. It’s also incredibly cheap: plans start at just $25 monthly for 100/100Mbps speeds. Prices increase by $20 on every plan after a year, but even with that hike, it’s still one of the better values in the city.

Or call to learn more: (877) 671-6927

Check with Fidium

Connection

Fiber

Speed range

50 - 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$25 - $75 per month

Show more details

Our take - According to FCC data, Optimum’s cable internet plans are available to 74% of Conroe homes, and it’s a great option to have in your back pocket. You’ll get solid speeds for the price, and Optimum includes all the equipment you need at no extra cost. That said, Optimum received below-average scores from J.D. Power and the American Customer Satisfaction Index, with complaints centering around poor customer service and outages.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (866) 522-3629

Check with Optimum

Connection

Cable, fiber

Speed range

300 - 940 Mbps

Price range

$40 - $80 per month

Show more details

Best fixed wireless internet in Conroe, TX

Our take - Houston is a city that gets Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband speeds, so Conroe is well-covered by Verizon’s 5G Home Internet -- around half of all residents have access to it. Speeds go up to 1,000Mbps, and Verizon usually offers several deals for new customers, including a price-lock guarantee, free equipment and discounts for Verizon Wireless customers.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (877) 545-6781

Check with Verizon

Connection

Fixed wireless

Speed range

85 - 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 - $70 per month

Show more details

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Conroe

Conroe's best internet deals and top promotions depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Conroe internet providers, such as Verizon, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including Fidium Fiber, Optimum and T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines -- and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Conroe

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.