Bandera County has numerous excellent restaurants, bars, and music venues for you to choose from. Some establishments, like Arkey Blue's Silver Dollar Saloon, are known mainly for their entertainment; others, for their fantastic food. (OST Restaurant comes to mind.) We've listed a few of our favorite restaurants and bars below. If you need more information or suggestions, feel free to give us a call. We look forward to meeting you!
11th Street Cowboy Bar
Address: 307 11th St. Bandera, TX
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. until 2 a.m (open later on Sat/Sun)
Distance from us: 13.8 miles
11th Street Cowboy Bar is a world-famous bar that features great beer, great food, and Country Western and Country Swing and Dance music. Live music by well-known, and not so well-known, musicians is featured on weekends. Each Wednesday is Steak Night, which also features live music. Oh, and 11th Street Cowboy Bar also has the only jet-cooled dance floor in Texas.
OST (Old Spanish Trail) Restaurant is a family-friendly restaurant that first opened in 1921. It's Bandera County's oldest continuously operated restaurant. Parts of the current restaurant were originally a dance hall and a horse corral. The menu features such standard offerings as fried catfish, chicken-fried steak, and excellent homemade pie. You can also choose from a number of Tex-Mex options, including fajitas and enchiladas. If you stop by, be sure to visit the John Wayne Room and look over the many photos of the Duke and other celebrities. OST Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m. until 9 p.m (closes later on Fri/Sat)
Distance from us: 14.4 miles
Brick's River Cafe is located along the banks of the Medina River. This is a full-service restaurant bar that serves traditional American food, including steaks, seafood, burgers, and a variety of sandwiches. They even have all-you-can-eat catfish on Thursdays. And, on weekends, they offer a breakfast buffet. Catering is also available for weddings and special events.
Hours:Daily, 11 a.m. until 9 p.m (closes later on Fri/Sat)
Distance from us: 14 miles
TJ's at The Old Forge is a full-service restaurant and bar serving traditional American fare in a modern western atmosphere. This is a great place to enjoy excellent steaks, burgers, and salads. The restaurant has upstairs and downstairs sections, with a bar on each floor. You can also enjoy a meal outside on one of their three patios. And, you can watch sporting events on one of their many big-screen TVs. TJ's at The Old Forge also houses the Cowgirl Coffee Shop, where you can relax and enjoy a variety of unique coffee blends.
Established in the 1930s, Arkey Blue's Silver Dollar Saloon is the oldest continuously operated honky-tonk in Texas. The place is filled with fascinating artifacts and memorabilia related to country music. Any number of music legends have visited and performed here, including Earnest Tubb and his Texas Troubadours, Hank Williams, and Willie Nelson. On occasion, Arkey Blue (Arkey Juenke) performs. You can enjoy live music at the saloon Friday-Monday and on Wednesdays. Note that the entrance to Arkey Blue's Silver Dollar Saloon is easy to miss: Look for the red door next to Bandera General Store.
Our part of Texas has some of the most interesting small towns in the country. Check out our article on some of our favorites Texas Hill Country small towns.
Enjoy the real Cowboy way. Learn to handle a Horse, throw a rope on a cow. Trail rides throw the Texas Hill Country, ride a real Texas Longhorn. If you want to learn to handle a horse rope a cow and have a cowboy experience call Valerie @ 210-438-2484
Outlaw Outfitters
For horseback riding Hill Country Natural area or Medina River area, Outlaw Outfitters can give you the real experience.
The Texas Hill Country has the best paved roads for Motorcycle riding that include breath taking views, elevation changes with sweeping curves and twisting roads.
Al's Hideaway is not only Biker Friendly but we also ride, our park was built for Bikers by Bikers.
If you would like to include a guided Motorcycle Tour as part of your stay please contact us at alshideawayrentals@gmail.com
Groups Welcomed
BANDERA CITY PARK
Bandera City Park is located in beautiful downtown Bandera. Which offers fishing, swimming and picnic areas with BBQ pits.
Check out the Medina County Park at Medina Lake. Known for fishing, boating, swimming, and scuba diving. You will find your whole day filled with activities at this beautiful park.
Lost Maples State Park is so vibrant in the fall but it is spectacular year-round. You will see wildflowers, steep canyon walls and the scenic Sabinal River. Bring your whole family to enjoy the beautiful vistas.
Cool off in the heat of the summer and float the Medina River. You can get your tube or kayak rentals and they will even shuttle you to different locations depending on how long you want to stay on the river.
Enjoy the San Antonio River Walk as you stroll the riverside paths bordered with beautiful trees, restaurants, hotels, shops and museums. Experience the rich history as you enjoy everything along the way.
At SeaWorld San Antonio you can experience so much more than you would think. You can enjoy the amazingly trained whales and dolphins and then you can go enjoy rides in the park or to to the water park to cool off. This is the perfect place to spend your day.
Enjoy hiking, bird-watching, and general wildlife viewing on the half-mile nature trail at The Tunnel State Park. The trail opens daily at sunrise and closes at 5 p.m. Bring drinking water, as no water is available in the park. Picnic tables are available. Restrooms are only open in the evenings during bat season (May to October).
No matter where you visit in Bandera County you will find clear skies, bright stars, stunning scenery and, most of all, friendly folks just waiting to swap stories and tall tales with you.
Located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, the Motorcycle Museum displays machines from the 1910's to now and from all around the world. Come and check it out.
Cascade Caverns is host to the albino Cascade Caverns Salamander (Eurycea latitans), unique solution domes, "chubby" stalactites, Eastern Pipistrelle bats, cliff and leopard frogs, as well as an underground waterfall and lake. So don’t forget your camera.
The Cave Without a Name is filled with spectacular formations of Stalactites, Stalagmites, delicate Soda Straws, Cave Drapery, magnificent Flowstones, Rimstone Dams, and more. Enjoy a tour of the six major rooms in comfort; 66 degrees year-round, easy walkways, brilliant lighting.
Bandera brewery has a tasty selection of locally brewed and carefully crafted beers. Each of their flavors is hand-picked including familiar tastes, new creations and seasonal favorites.
Fiesta Winery has some of the best tasting Texas Wine around. Uncork and expect a fiesta. You can go to a physical location and test six wines for only $20 so you know which bottles you want to take with you.
Sister Creek Vineyards use Bordeaux and Burgundy wine making techniques to produce their wonderful Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines.
Open Tuesday-Sunday 7 to 3, Out of the way Cafe provides a delicious breakfast lunch or dinner while serving the best coffee around. This is a very kid friendly place so come as a family.
The Old Forge serves only the choicest meats and seafood, freshest vegetables and their salad bar has only the freshest field greens and vegetables, made-from-scratch soups and baked potatoes. And don’t forget to try one of their fresh desserts
The Old Spanish Trail was used by the Conquistadors, who often followed routes established long ago by Native Americans.
The O.S.T. Restaurant has been serving the dining needs of Bandera since 1921, making it the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Bandera County.
The Bandera General Store building is 108 years old – built in 1907. It has the original wood floors and the original tin tile ceiling. It has been a saddle shop, a feed store, an appliance store (word has it caskets were sold in the basement and during prohibition the cowboys drank beer and played cards on the empty caskets
