I don't get many completely "free" days, so when I do, I love finding little things to do with my…read morefamily and turning an ordinary day into a mini road trip. We added the Blue Bell Tours & Country Store to our route on the way home, and I'm SO glad we did. First, watching the production process was genuinely fascinating. You get to see the machinery and engineering involved in filling and packaging those familiar Blue Bell gallons and larger containers, and WOW. What a system! I've bought Blue Bell for years without giving much thought to what happens between "let's make some ice cream" and that container appearing in my freezer. There's a whole lot happening back there! Afterward, we headed into the Country Store and picked up a few things for loved ones. And here's a little detail I absolutely loved: if you buy an ornament featuring one of the ice cream flavors, they package it inside a container for that particular flavor. SUCH a cute touch, and it makes an already-fun little gift even better. Of course, you can't come all the way to Blue Bell and then leave without eating ice cream. That would just be poor road-trip management. We wandered over to the Ice Cream Parlor and deliberately chose flavors we'd never tried before, including some we don't see available in stores. Because if you're standing at the home of Blue Bell choosing the same carton that's already sitting in your H-E-B freezer, I feel like we've missed an opportunity. And don't leave without checkin out the Texas High School Coaches Museum downstairs! That was an unexpected addition to the visit and really interesting to walk through. All in all, this is one of those stops that's easy to add to a road trip but offers enough to make it feel like an actual destination. There's something wonderfully Texas about the whole experience -- family, history, engineering, souvenirs and, naturally, ice cream. If you're anywhere near Brenham, stop. It's absolutely worth the detour.

What an amazing store. It was a pure delight to see so many Blue bell merchandise in various…read morecolors and custom made items. Whether it was tshirts or caps or mugs or bowls or sweatshirts, BB store had it all. Too bad I went inside about 30 mins to closing, otherwise I would have purchased more items. Check out their website. There's some cool stuff online.

Ashley is the best. The wine selection is awsome. There is something for everyones taste. You wont…read morebe disappointed.

Quaint little country winery…read more Pulled up and instantly felt like we were on a mini farm tour. chickens roaming everywhere and the cutest baby chicks stealing the show. They also had mules and alpacas... but they were definitely on "do not disturb" mode. Wine tasting was 5 for $15, and I appreciated how detailed their menu was. It actually made choosing feel less like a guessing game. Bonus: you can mix it up with frozen drinks too, and honestly, everything we tried had great flavor. Food check: Charcuterie board was good, just wish it had a little more protein (felt a little light on the meats). Pizza though? Crispy, tasty, and did exactly what it needed to do alongside the wine Overall, such a sweet, laid-back experience. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the mood for wine, vibes, and a little farm energy.

Our daughter is obsessed with ice cream, so when another Houston family told us about Blue Bell in…read moreBrenham and the $1 ice cream, we had to make the trip. It's about 1.5 hours from Houston, but it turned out to be a really fun family outing. The visitor center has Blue Bell history, vintage ice cream equipment, a viewing area for the production line, and plenty of cute photo spots. But honestly, we came for the ice cream. The $1 servings were surprisingly generous. We tried Mango, Birthday Cake, Homemade Vanilla, Salted Caramel Brownie, Triple Chocolate, and even a no-sugar-added flavor. Birthday Cake was our daughter's favorite, while I liked the Salted Caramel Brownie the most. My only complaint is that there isn't enough here to justify the drive by itself. I'd definitely combine it with exploring Brenham. Still, if you love Blue Bell or just really love ice cream, it's absolutely worth visiting once. And yes, we ate way too much ice cream.

All of blue bell flavors in one spot. And for only a $1. Unbeatable deal. There were tons of…read moreflavors available, even the coconut, which is rarely available. In fact , I've only seen the coconut flavor once at Randall's, some 10-15 years ago. Also on display were America's 250th celebration, such as flag and the year 25p stacked. Plz see the attached photos. The ice cream itself was absolutely delicious. Rich n creamy. The pistachio. Flavor was also delicious. The decor was nice. Ice cream posters and stacked displays. What the shameful part was that the employees were very unfriendly and disgruntled. I mean, how hard can it be to serve ice cream to patrons, especially little kids who are so looking forward for a treat. The world can be so cruel and harsh and unfair for these workers, to be so upset and bored at work. Do yourself a favor blue bell!!!! Replace and hire others who actually would enjoy working at a creamery/ parlor.

We are soo glad that we took our friend's advice and started purchasing the Wagyu ground beef…read morepackage. Once a month delicious ground beef! Easy to pick up for us in LaGrange! We have also tried the delicious "chuck eye" steaks and top sirloin! Its so nice to know we are eating healthy home grown beef

I highly recommend Weise Farms! We tried their Wagyu for the first time this evening and it was so,…read moreso amazing! We've never had beef that good. I highly recommend trying it!

If you haven't made it over to the Royal Tomato yet, wait no longer. Locally grown organic…read moreproduce, an impressive international foods selection, and great prepared meals that rotate daily. Not to mention a fine variety of everything else, from cleaning supplies, to local meats, to spices, to, what's this, apricot paste? Fantastic. I was so delighted to find out about this place, and sorry it took so long to discover it. That said, in the midst of this pandemic, after months of sitting outside the chaos of the Bastrop HEB for its mediocre curbside offerings, this experience was like a vacation! We picked up lots of produce, but also tried the prepared meals. My husband had the Korean pulled pork with kimchi, which was fantastic, and I had the ravioli with pesto, pine nuts, and fresh local tomatoes. I'm not the biggest fan of pasta in general, but this was so very good. I can't wait for another, before tomato season is through. Thank you, Royal Tomato! The weight of this year's day to day got a little lighter.

I love royal tomato. I've always wanted a little farmers market in Smithville. The owner is very…read morenice and helpful. She constantly keeps an assortment of fresh produce, meats, cheeses and different pantry items. I love the oyster mushroom she gets. Those are fantastic.

9/10 chicken and dumplings 9/10 roasted turkey sandwich…read moreAll I can say is wow. Best chicken and dumplings I've had. Sandwich was very fresh. If there was a McAllisters right next door, I'd come to the bakery 9 out of 10 times. I almost ordered a gallon of soup to go. Had to settle for a cup There's a small seating area in the store. Next time I'll grab a drink and chips from there. Staff very friendly

For a town celebrated for its charm, I expected this bakery to embody the same warmth…read more As a first-time visitor and tourist, I naturally had questions about the bakery's history and the pastries they're known for. The woman who appeared to be the bakery manager, working around 8:15 a.m., answered every question with an attitude that felt forced, dismissive, and unwelcoming. When someone says, "This is my first time here," it's usually an opportunity to create a memorable experience--not make them feel like they're interrupting your morning. I won't be rating the bakery's famous pigs in a blanket because, to me, hospitality is part of the product. Outstanding customer service can elevate good food to a great experience. Without it, even the town's signature pastry loses some of its appeal.

We have been stopping here on our way to the H-town area for over 10 years. As you enter you can…read moreimmediately smell and see their large assortment of kolaches and homemade pies and pastries. They also offer sandwiches and wraps. I love their chicken salad wrap! There are a few tables but most folks get their goodies to go. They do have coffee and some cold drinks. The attached convivence store has a full assortment of drinks. Service is always friendly and I believe some of the folks behind the counter have been there for many years. Pro tip: Parking in front by the gas pumps and convenience store is hectic. Park on the side by the bakery entrance.

The best fruit cake so far Just next to the gas station…read moreA nice place to go for coffee in the winter

Small convenience store with ice cream, fudge, beer, wine, candy, a few t-shirts. A few tables to…read moreeat in, plus porch. Right next to the steakhouse. Not a fancy place, but ice cream prices were inexpensive.

I go there every day the staff are very kind and the ice cream is delicious ! If you're not a fan…read moreof ice cream that's ok because they have chips,candy's,sodas, and more sooooo good