The one everyone comes for
Driftwood
The Salt Lick BBQ
Open pits burning in the middle of the room, long communal tables, family-style plates of brisket, sausage, and ribs, and a bring-your-own-beer policy that has made it a Texas institution for decades. It sits right in the middle of the Driftwood wineries, which makes it the single best lunch stop on any wine day in central Texas. Expect a wait on weekends; the grounds are pleasant enough that it does not much matter.
The destination dinner
Dripping Springs
Tillie's at Camp Lucy
The best restaurant in the area by a comfortable margin, set in a reassembled nineteenth-century Vietnamese building on the Camp Lucy grounds. Seasonal, ambitious cooking in a genuinely striking room. This is the reservation to make if you are having one proper dinner out here.
Driftwood
Trattoria Lisina
Handmade pasta and Italian cooking on a terrace, directly next door to Duchman Family Winery on the same property. The most civilized lunch available on a Driftwood wine day, and a lovely dinner too.
Breweries and distilleries that actually cook
Near Dripping Springs
Jester King Brewery
Wood-fired pizza and a wide-ranging farmhouse ale program on a big ranch property with goats and long views. One of the most respected breweries in the country, and the food holds its own. Two hours minimum.
Driftwood
Vista Brewing
A serious kitchen — genuinely good, not brewery-good — plus a wide lawn overlooking a valley. The most scenic non-winery patio in the area and a strong lunch option.
Dripping Springs
Treaty Oak Distilling
A large ranch property with a restaurant, a lawn, live music, and whiskey made on site. Easy to spend an afternoon at with a mixed group.
Driftwood
Desert Door Distillery
Not a restaurant, but a beautifully designed tasting room pouring Texas sotol, usually with food trucks on the property. Worth a stop even if you skip the food.
Austin Wine Car
Brisket built into the day
Our Wine & Smoke experience puts three Dripping Springs wineries and a stop at The Salt Lick into one day, door-to-door from Austin.
Not ready to book?
In town, on Mercer Street and around
Dripping Springs
Rolling in Thyme & Dough
A bakery and cafe in a house on Mercer Street. Pastries, sandwiches, and the best breakfast in town.
Dripping Springs
Homespun Kitchen & Bar
Comfortable American cooking with a good patio. Reliable for a group that cannot agree, and open when several other places are not.
Dripping Springs
Mazama Coffee
The town's coffee anchor. Where to start a wine day, and worth building fifteen minutes in for.
What to book and what to walk into
| Place | Reservation? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tillie's | Yes, well ahead | Weekend nights fill; wedding events can close it |
| Trattoria Lisina | Yes for dinner | Lunch is usually manageable |
| The Salt Lick | No — walk in | Expect a wait on weekends; the grounds are pleasant |
| Jester King | No | Get there before the pizza line builds at one |
| Vista Brewing | Recommended for groups | The lawn absorbs a crowd well |
| Rolling in Thyme & Dough | No | Morning only; it closes early |
Fitting food into a wine day
- Eat between the first and second tasting, not at the end. Three flights on an empty stomach ends the day early.
- The Salt Lick and Trattoria Lisina are both within ten minutes of the Driftwood wineries, which makes the middle of the day easy out here — easier than on the 290 corridor.
- If your group wants beer or spirits rather than more wine, Jester King, Treaty Oak, Vista, and Desert Door are all legitimate mid-day stops that reset everyone's palate.
- Sunday and Monday hours are unreliable at the smaller places. Check before building a plan around one.
- The Salt Lick has historically operated cash-friendly. Carry some.