The Shady Llama is a great place to go check out! This Beer Garden is located outside of Austin in…read moreHill Country. When we were poking around looking for breweries in the area on Yelp we came across The Shady Llama! This place doesn't make their own beer but they have lots of guest taps for breweries in the surrounding area. It's a good variety of beers to choose from and it looks like there is at least one food truck available sometimes in case you get hungry. The main draw for why we came here was to see the llamas and indeed we dis see some. One of them gave us some attitude and then sauntered off down a hill, taking it's less moody companion with it. They were funny and with the attitude I got and the name of the place I posted the Eminem song "My Name Is" where the lyrics "Slim Shady" get mentioned on Instagram because I thought it was all quite fitting. In addition to seeing the llamas we saw a great view of Hill Country. There was a lot of seating when we were here and could pick pretty much anywhere we wanted to sit. But I'm sure the place can get busy... the location and those llamas are reason enough. Cold beer, moody llamas and beautiful Hill Country... definitely worth the stop!

I've wanted to come to Shady Llama for years, and we finally made it out yesterday. I am so…read moredisappointed in myself for not coming all the time before this, because Shady Llama is EXCELLENT! First, the staff members are very friendly and know everything there is to know about their available wine and brews. I love that almost all (if not all) are local sips - it's really great to see all of these different places in Wimberley/Dripping Springs/Spicewood support each other. Just another reason why I love Hill Country! When I saw Lazarus Rice Lager and St. Elmo, my gluten free heart skipped a beat, because both of those brews have been treated with the enzyme that makes the brews (normally) OK for those who are gluten sensitive but not for those with celiacs. I don't miss beer, but those two brews are too delicious to pass up when I see them on tap! We also tried the Spicewood wine flight, which was one of the best wine flights I've ever had, and I cannot wait to go buy bottles of each to bring home. All 3 were delicious, crisp, robust, and beautifully paired with each other in the flight. The views were beautiful. Beautiful is honestly an understatement. I love that so much of this area is still undeveloped. I'm sure it was less developed even 5 years ago, but the views from Shady Llama while sitting in a wooden porch Adirondack chair sipping some wine is perfection. I can only imagine how beautiful it is at sunset. I do wish they had a couple more tables by those chairs so I can rest my drink, but it's uneven and probably hard to do so, so I happily will sit with my brew in hand and relax. There's also plenty of seating but not overly crowded with chairs and benches which is love, and I loved the hammocks too! This place is GREAT for families. Playgrounds, slides, almost all kids areas gated so you don't have to worry about them running into the woods with critters. Fun for all ages, and they're just far enough from the seating to minimize the noise that this kiddos love to make! I loved the llamas. Some of them were so spicy and truly just wanted the food, and I feel that. No pets, just food, and I applaud it. Some of them would let you pet them, and the personalities on some of them were REAL, but give them some food and they may let you take a picture. So much fun having them there! Add on some delicious brisket in the back (I am so sad I missed the burnt ends), and all in all, the Shady Llama is GREAT! You are also able to bring outside food, but no outside beverages! Great place and cannot wait to come back!

Twisted X Brewing Company was yet another of many breweries we tried out when we were in Austin…read moreand the neighboring area on a recent trip. We got one of their flagship beers, the McConauhaze which was a New England style IPA. It's obviously referencing Matthew McConaughey who went to college in Austin (but is originally from the San Antonio area). Lots of Austin folks make references to the actor. In the flavor profile for this beer it is juicy, citrus which contributes to a strong overall flavor but is yet smooth with this hazy. It's a nice solid beer overall. The location for this brewery is great, large place and it's in Hill Country.

They were so friendly here today. Apparently now that they have food trucks they prefer customers…read moredon't bring outside food, but I was the only customer there at Noon on Saturday and the bartender was fine with me bringing a pizza to eat outside while drinking beers. I had some of the seasonal beers cause you can get all the others at every bar in Austin pretty much, The outside is very comfortable with picnic tables, fire pits, relaxing lawn chairs, etc. They had games and the areas are covered for shade.

Vista is one of my favorite local-ish breweries. Day tripping to Dripping Springs for good…read morebreweries and wineries is such a fun thing to do. So, if there's a place I like, I'm gonna go again and again. Vista is one of those places. I like their approach to beer making. They are vigilantly local when it comes to ingredients and offerings. The brewery/restaurant sits on over 20 acres in hill country. Large, clean, and modern interior with large outdoor seating areas and patio setups. Picnic tables, fire pits, etc. The food is good, gang. Love the grilled sausage board and the cheese board (all local cheese). Soft pretzel & cheese also super good. Lots of other items in the menu that look incredible. Sunday brunch too. Farm to table. The pours...oh, the pours. Excellent beers! I love the black pilsner (Dark Skies), the chocolate notes come through in such an aromatic and roasty manner. The pale ale (Driftwood Pale Ale) is the perfect summer pour. It's light, crisp, and refreshing. In addition to the regular pours, they've got a lot of seasonal offerings too. They also serve wine/wine cocktails and n/an options. Spending a day in hill country? Vista makes for a nice stop!

My family and I went to Vista Brewing for dinner. We drove there, parked, and walked in. There are…read moreplenty of places to park. It's a very spacious indoor and outdoor restaurant with lots of seating and places to explore. As we walked in I noticed that it's very bright with a lot of windows. You order at the counter. When we walked up to the counter the menu was on the bar top. We looked at the menu and placed our order with the man working behind the counter. He was really cool and answered our questions. After ordering he gave us a number and told us to seat ourselves. After figuring out where we wanted to sit we went to the water station and grabbed some water. We looked around inside at the decor and talked while we waited for our order. We started with two sharables and each ordered the burgers of our choice. Unfortunately when they started bringing out our food they made an error in how it was made. We told them, the took the wrong order back, and after awhile they brought us everything and apologized for the error. Our sharables were the Grilled Chimichurri Avacado which comes with a half avocado, corn, and tortilla chips, and the Hummus Board which comes with hummus, veggies, and pitas. Both of these sharables were tasty in different ways. The Grilled Chimichurri Avacado was delicious. You could taste all of the delicious flavors and the tortilla chips were strong enough to hold a mix of the ingredients. The Hummus Board was also very tasty. The Hummus was garlic flavored and the veggies were fresh and crisp. The pitas were warm and soft. For my main dish I ordered the Driftwood Cheeseburger. It comes with a beef patty, bacon jam, onions, pickles, sauce, and cheese. I opted for no cheese. The burger meat was really good. You could taste the Smokey flavor from the grill on the meat. The bacon jam was sweet but not overly sweet and gave the burger a sweet and savory flavor. The pickles added texture to the burger. It was a really good burger. I ordered my burger with a side of kettle chips which were nice and crispy. Overall it was a great place to visit. The service was good, the atmosphere was spacious, nice and bright, and the food was fresh and delicious.

I was in Blanco for a hot minute and stopped at this amazing wine bar! It's in the town square and…read morewas warmly welcomed by the beautiful bartender and friendly locals that frequent this place. I had two delightful glasses of wine. One was a local and one Italian rose that was such an easy drink I could have had a bottle to myself. When I venture back to Blanco, I will come back for SURR!!!

This was a charming little place. Lisa was the wine-tender and she was knowledgeable and friendly…read more The wine choices were excellent! The place is cute and charming. I'd like to go back for karaoke or live music.

Met a friend who lives in Dripping Springs at Dripping Springs distillery (DSD) to here some music…read more While we missed the live music, it was a great opportunity to catch up, DSD is known for their vodka and gin. We sat outside under the wooden canapy patio. A cool breeze permeated throughout the patio. The wind was gently blowing and branches on the oak trees swayed back and forth. So peaceful...there were a number of family and friends groups chatting it up. My friend ordered a pizza and I got hamburger and fries. We were pleased with our meals. It was self-pickup. There is a pick-up window in the center of the building. No table service. Although it is a distillery, the standout is the family orientation and focus on connection. The back yard is huge with yard games. There were about 20 children playing in the yard.

Stopped here after a bit of a drive to get here for some cool refreshments. Timed it right- it was…read morehappy hour. I enjoyed my draft Thai garden spritz cocktail (the double price was $14 but volume wise it felt like more of a single and 1/2. The skinny margarita was a little under flavored. The pork belly tacos for $6 was a decent value. Fun, lively crowd with lots of outdoor seating and play areas for kids and pets.

Relatively small indoor pub space hosting open mic, karaoke and single musician concert nights. Has…read morefriendly regular clientele. Separate outdoor band concert stage on Thursdays (varies), Friday and Saturday, weather permitting. Check the calendar. Toilets are clean. Historic designation means handicap access is limited to back entry. I haven't tried the new food truck yet.

This place is new. I think they are in their soft opening. They have an inside and an outside patio…read moresection. We went on a Saturday night and it wasn't too busy. Currently they only have drinks and chips. It is my understanding that they will eventually have some food. the day that I went they had a live singer. They have plenty of seating and a lot of space outside. It is dog friendly. There's a good amount of parking as well. I love the London theme.

Wow...I can't believe I've never reviewed the Grove before. I scoured my many pending drafts and…read moredon't have one. Anyway, it's been close to ten years (if not more) since I first visited the Grove and it's always been a good time! Large, open-air patio with tons of tables, an outdoor stage, bar, brat food truck, shops and others bars also located on property. Everyone is so super-friendly. It's one of the best places to just relax while live musicians perform. Real chill, laid-back, welcoming, all that you expect from Gruene.

Fun outdoor venue with a variety of musical acts. Everything is self-serve. You can sit on a bench,…read morea planter, by a fire pit, at a table. The crowd and the ambiance are casual and entertaining. Go on a Sunday afternoon and have some fun!

a good vibe safe place and drinks are great staff is really cool and chill! Me and my girl had a…read moreball plus everything well a lot of stuff. The drinks are strong.

Located in downtown San Marcos in the very heart of "college town, USA," Shade offers a picturesque…read morerooftop view of downtown and surprisingly good adult beverages with modest prices all in a safe environment. I wasn't told about this establishment, rather I happened upon it while meandering about aimlessly on a Saturday afternoon in April. All the other bars at 2am seemed dead, so I saw the sign and decided to ascend the "stairway to drinks" in the easily overlooked front entrance. After hitting the top of the stairs, the place opens up to a very interesting experience. There are two main covered areas, a thought to keep in mind as it was rigorously sprinkling when I visited. First there's a well-stocked open bar area under a makeshift roof with TVs there to grab the attention if the phone isn't working. Sorry, that's a pet peeve of mine as so many people go out nowadays to bars and sit on a phone rather than socialize. What's the point!? Ok, lets get back to the review shall we? While the bar has a 270 degree seating area, there are some open tables without a roof. This yields to the largest area with a shack like roof covering picknick tables, benches all not exactly the most comfortable seating but cozy nonetheless. The fellow patrons were extremely nice and represented all spectrums of life. As for the drinks the bartender was extremely helpful in suggesting drinks of the day while being fast in severing over 30 people by himself. Kudos to slinging suds at a lightspeed pace. I don't fault the establishment for only having one person scheduled as 2pm isn't normally busy but when an impromptu bridal shower shows up, Shade showed out (meaning they handled it well)! My bourbon cocktail was perfectly balanced while their special drinks weren't overpowering yet had enough alcohol to kick start a motor into 5th gear after sitting idle for too long. Overall, I love this joint as it's everything one could realistically want in a bar. Even though their cocktails varieties are somewhat limited, sorry I wasn't ordering a "pickle-rita" they're very good and reasonably priced. The view is great no matter where which seat is selected and the people are fun and delightful. I highly suggest giving this place a shot as it checks all the boxes on an impromptu list. The only pause would be if it's raining hard, let it end before heading up the stairs.