My friend works as an engineer at SpaceX, and I've always been curious and wanted to do the tour…read more Unfortunately, they require 72 hours' notice to get approved for a pass. Since it was my last day in town and I was headed to the airport later, we didn't have enough time to arrange it. Instead, he suggested taking me to Boring Bodega, which is located literally across the street from the SpaceX Bastrop Facility, so at least I could snap a few photos from there.
I was seriously confused at first because pulling up to Boring Bodega feels a little like stumbling into a pop-up oasis in the middle of rural Texas. This place looks more like the entrance to a country fair than a cafe. Off to the side, a row of food trucks greets you like an informal welcome committee, their colorful signs and picnic tables giving the place a casual, anything-goes vibe. Lol.
Then you walk inside... and suddenly it makes sense.
Boring Bodega is a unique "future fancy" grocery store and community hub located in the heart of Hyperloop Plaza. Owned by Elon Musk's Boring Company, the place blends like a full-service market with a modern, tech-forward aesthetic. Think Silicon Valley startup energy meets Texas roadside market.
Walking aisle to aisle, you realize this place has a little bit of everything going on.
One section feels like a boutique grocery market, stocked with high quality snacks, pantry staples, and grab and go foods. Another aisle carries drinks of every kind like sodas, energy drinks, sparkling waters plus a massive beer and wine selection. They even have shelves dedicated to pet food and pet supplies, which makes sense because people seem to hang out here for a while.
Toward the back you'll find a his & hers barber shop, which caught me completely off guard in what I initially thought was just a convenience store. There are also spaces designed for community hangouts and games, and outside you'll spot pickleball courts, making it feel less like a store and more like a social hub for the surrounding tech campus.
My friend also mentioned something pretty cool. Apparently, there's a tunnel employees can take from inside SpaceX that connects underground to Hyperloop Plaza, so employees there can pop over here without even going outside. Not sure if that's insider privilege or just peak Elon-universe infrastructure, but it definitely adds to the whole futuristic vibe of the place.
And yes--they also do made to order sandwiches and light cafe items.
Since it was my last day before heading to the airport, my friend and I grabbed a quick lunch here. I ordered the $10 Falafel Veggie Pita and my friend went with the $13 Carne Asada Protein Bowl. The portions were massive and the quality was fresh.
Overall, Boring Bodega is one of those places that defies easy categorization. It's part grocery store, part cafe, part hangout, and part tech campus convenience hub all sitting across the street from SpaceX in Bastrop.