My daughter got married at Chapel Dulcinea 2 weeks ago, and it was absolutely magical. The chapel…read morestaff were excellent to work with and I was very pleased. HOWEVER, for convenience, we also chose to have her reception on site at the Veranda Room, since it was to be a small gathering (45-50 people). Indigo and Joe, the couple in charge of renting and maintaining the Veranda Room, left a LOT to be desired. Indigo was our first point of contact. She seemed extremely uninterested in showing us the venue and was very difficult to get ahold of from day 1. When we were finally able to plan to meet her with the wedding coordinator, she showed 15 minutes late and skulked in the back of the room, not approaching or interacting with us in the least, until I approached her and asked if she was Indigo. During this meeting, we laid out the entire reception plan. As is standard, our coordinator outlined a specific table setup inside, which included dancing on the patio. Indigo was present for this meeting, yet we were not told any of what we outlined (with her) during that meeting was an issue until the day before the wedding. Admittedly, this was ultimately a shortfall on the part of the planner (she misunderstood the number of tables available), but it also tells me that Indigo was not in any way engaged in the lengthy conversation we all had with her that day and didn't actually look at the plan until the day before the event, which was then followed by several frantic phone calls to me for a resolution. Fast forward to the day of...they don't give you much time to set up the entire reception, as the reception reservation was from 5-10 pm (the ONLY availability without having to reserve it all day, we were told), and the ceremony time that came with it was 5:30-6:30, with no wiggle room whatsoever. We knew this and planned accordingly, but would never have been able to pull off such a tight schedule without a LOT of help. According to Indigo, Joe was 'in charge' of sound. However, he was always 'unavailble' and never showed to go over their sound system until 10 minutes before the couple walked in, and then announced that we were not allowed to have music on the patio, where we had planned weeks before, WITH INDIGO, to have the dancing. Thank heavens our planner was able to pivot on a moment's notice, or things would have taken a nosedive. It did cause me to miss a lot of the photo time between the ceremony and reception because I had to pair up with the day of coordinator to become the conflict resolution specialist, for which, as the mother of the bride, I'm still pretty salty. To add insult to injury, my daughter (the bride) reported that, during the reception, Joe approached her and announced loudly in front of her group of friends that they are running the place at a loss and made a big deal about how he and his wife "have to come back to clean up whenever there is a wedding." It warrants noting here that we paid full asking price for this venue, so if they need more to run the place at a profit, they should include it in their price point instead of trying to guilt the bride at the reception! Also, if it is a problem to work at night to close up a wedding venue after a reception for which the client is packed up and gone by the contracted time of departure, they SHOULD NOT RUN A WEDDING VENUE! Despite the absolute unprofessional behavior of this couple, the other people in charge of making this wedding reception happen were able to work around them and make it beautiful, which is the reason for my 3 star rating. If the experience would have relied solely upon Joe and Indigo, my rating would have been lower. In short, I absolutely recommend that you either retain a wedding planner who is adept at working with inconsistent and misinformation or get married in the chapel and have your reception off-site. The Alchemy bar staff was superb, the chapel staff were great at helping us work around Joe and Indigo, and it turned out beautifully, despite our difficult interactions with them.

This venue is beautiful and the team made my party a breeze…read more Tuscan Hall is already beautifully decorated with garland and lighting. The tables and table linens are included, so the only decor I added was centerpieces. The room has a great sound system and a projector with a big screen. The room was perfect for my party with 40 people--not crowded, not cavernous. Could have easily held 50, and more if you take advantage of the beautiful outside area. It was too cold during my event. Many of my guests commented on what a beautiful, intimate venue it was. And don't be scared that it seems far from Austin. Many of my guests used Uber or Lyft and didn't have any problem getting a ride.

Let my start by saying not all of the photos for Thurman's mansion are truly this event space…read more This is the building with the large front lawn and large columns. It has a semi large ballroom that would easily house 125. The floors are a nice terra-cotta tile and this space has large windows. On the right hand side there are a few windows with stained glass. Check the photo I posted they are very lovely. At the very end of the room is a distinctive wooden bar. The wood is stained dark and it has an aged look to it. There are double doors that lead to the 1st floor patio. This area is a very nice space for cocktails, I would date say you could get 50 to 75 people out there. Beyond the patio are red brick stairs that lead to the large lawn. The large lawn is where you can play lawn games and or hold a ceremony. I will be honest you can hear some of the traffic on the main road. I am sure that would be less noticeable if soft music was playing.the next thing I noticed about this place is that the upstairs are dedicated to the wedding party. There is a suite for the bride and the groom both with their own bathroom. There is also an elevator and a sitting area outside of the suites where a quick meal might be had. All and all I think this is a cute venue. It's an attractive property and all the chartering is handled by Salt Lick.

Hand me a parasol, lace up my corset and find me a Mr. Darcy--this place was from another time!!…read more *contented sigh, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a wedding held out at Thurman's Mansion this past weekend. What a beautiful venue!! I had never even heard of it until I got the invitation. Thurman's Mansion is part of the Salt Lick Family--located just East of the Salt Lick on 1826. Gorgeous iron gates pique the curiousity of drivers and beckon guests in. The venue is a large mansion overlooking well manicured grounds and vineyards. The view of the mansion from the back is just breathtaking. A huge porch covers the back of the building--dramatic pillars hold up a second story balcony. Wide steps lead up from the grounds to the back doors of the reception hallf/main room. I saw the mansion on two different days in two very different ways--Friday afternoon for the rehearsal, I saw it set up for an outdoor wedding. The sun shining down, bride practicing her walk from the sweeping steps of the mansion down to the corner of the lawn where the trellace waited, people lining the stone walls around the perimeter of the lawn watching the practice. I felt like I stepped into a Jane Austen movie--my friend had planned a glorious outdoor wedding on the grounds. Much to her dismay, God and the torrential downpours decided that it would be better to have the ceremony indoors. Rather than ceremony outside and reception inside, both ceremony and reception were inside. The staff had set up about 40 chairs where the dance floor would have been. Double doors were open at the back of the small seating area allowing the pitter-pattering of the rain outside as the background music while they exchanged vows. The reception was a seated dinner for about 150 guests. Salt lick does catering--very fun to have the family style dinner Texas Style w/ cobbler as dessert. A nice alternative to the traditional wedding scene. The porch was a great place for conversation and mingling--they had the bar and some hors d'eouvres set up out there while the guests waited for pictures to be taken. The rain let up for exactly an hour--enough time for outdoor pictures! I honestly think that my friend got the best of both worlds...a unique, beautiful, romantic and intimate indoor wedding ceremony complete with rain and tears. Then outdoor pictures overlooking the vineyards with the mist hovering over the land. I swear I could hear Mr. Darcy beckoning to me while I watched from the porch... My hat goes off to you, Thurman's Mansion. You successfully transported me to another time. Bravo.

My daughter's wedding was there this summer and the staff was very professional and accommodating…read moreand they truly led us through the day with no hitches. In the months leading up to the wedding, they were very responsive to questions and knowledgeable about the area and had great suggestions for caterers and other services. It's a beautiful venue, and the dining room/dance floor is the central highlight of the venue - spacious and easy to maneuver and still able to accommodate a wedding party of 150+ people. Great venue, but what truly makes it special was the kind and professional staff who helped everyone have one of the most memorable days of our lives.

I fell in love with this venue online, and our first time at the venue I fell in love even more!!…read moreThis venue is so unique and stunning. It's not your typical looking venue at all and that's what caught my eye and that's what I loved the most. This venue is beautiful in every single way, we had our ceremony outdoor and the reception inside. Everyone was blown away!! The venue needs minimal decorations because of the interior design throughout the whole venue. The reception area is stunning with the most beautiful chandeliers and the most amazing natural light shining through. We were obsessed with the big tables and how they really didn't need any table cloths. We absolutely loved our big day and got so many compliments for the beautiful venue we chose. We will forever recommend this venue!!

Today (5/24/26) is only the second time I've been here and more likely than not the last time as…read morethey're closing this tasting room on 6/13/26. Fear not, the factory (distillery) in Buda isn't going anywhere. The folks here told me the property and buildings are being taken over and another business will be coming in. It just makes me sad because we love it here. We love everything about it and took for granted that it will always be here. The tasting room and distillery are huge and so tastefully put together. See what I did there? Lol. The grounds are the epitome of Hill Country. Amazing views of wildflowers, brush, and sky all about. Lots and lots of outdoor patio seating, food truck area, large indoor seating, tasting bar, large ordering bars, gift shop, games, and lots more. I'm reviewing as they're leaving because this is another one of those draft reviews that I've been waiting to be finished for a long time. I gotta get better at that lol. Anyway, that matters not because this place still deserves an incredible review. Absolutely amazing drinks and people. It (was) a great way to wind down after a day of outdoor activity in Hill Country. A+++++

Deep Eddy Vodka is one of my all time favorite vodkas. Who knew that I'd get to visit their actual…read moredistillery one day? The space is huge, staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and the vodka flavors were unbelievably good. We had the opportunity to check out their newest, chocolate espresso which I predict will be a major hit. I plan to return for a longer stay and enjoy their outdoor space to eat, drink and soak up some warm Texas sun.

This was the BEST venue I could have picked. It is beautiful inside and out, inexpensive, has…read morelodging available if you want it, the staff is beyond amazing, and it has indoor and outdoor options for the ceremony available and a reception hall! I could not recommend this place any more. They truly made our day perfect beyond what we thought possible. Wish I could give it more stars!! Thank y'all so much for the wedding of our dreams, again!!

Two months ago I was given the task of finding an offsite location for my companies upcoming…read moreoffsite and thought Ruby Ranch would be a wonderful fit for our needs. How wrong I was! Upon arriving, I started to notice that the upkeep of the property was very poor. This is just a small list of issues we encountered: AC units were not working, the kitchen refrigerator was not cooling which cost us over $100 in spoiled items, the kitchen sink had no water coming out, our staff had no hot water in the mornings for showers and one of our teammates got stung by a scorpion while using the towel from her bedroom restroom. With all of these problems arising, I decided it was time to call the owner/property manager Madelyn. As I spoke to her mentioning what we were experiencing, her only reaction was that no AC unit works in Texas when it's 100 degrees, which I know is not valid. She then proceeded to ask me what time we wanted to leave the next morning. This completely caught me off guard as I thought that being the owner you would try and resolve issues your paying guests are encountering. This was far from the response I was looking for! After planning this offsite and having several team members as well as speakers staying at the location, we could not just leave to find another space. We all had to deal with the situations at hand and try and get through the next 3 days the best as we could. Following check out, I decided to email Madelyn regarding all of the problems and inconveniences we all had to handle. Still no professionalism fro her regarding her venue to paying customers who keep her in business. I would think being a family owned business, you would treat your customers with respect and reply on the word of mouth business. We as a company, nor I personally will ever use Ruby Ranch again or refer it to anyone who is searching for a venue. Hopefully this helps someone else from going through the same experience!

My daughter had a Friday evening wedding here in late October, and it was absolutely magical. The…read morestaff were tremendously helpful and answered our seemingly zillion questions effortlessly in the months and weeks leading up to their special day. We arranged for a non-traditional chair set up (they have really much white chairs that don't really need anything) and for the gas lanterns to be lit for the ceremony, and the set up was completely flawless when we arrived. The views are stunning pretty much any time of year, just perfect for amazing Hill Country photos, and you don't need a whole lot of extra decor...nature has it covered. We brought in only 2 black metal lanterns donned with candles and florals and perched them on the wood stumps on either side of the bell tower door at the front the for the ceremony, and it was perfect in every way. We highly recommend this location for a small wedding-you won't be disappointed!

Beautiful place with an amazing and natural ambiance! Photos do not do it Justice and even when…read moreextreme heat, you can get lost in it's atmosphere.

Picturesque! Cheers from Tuscany !…read more Bravo! This restaurant was well worth the drive. Trattoria felt like an escape to Tuscany. The outside and inside is a knod to Tuscany. I enjoyed my time here. Don't forget to get some gelato on your way out. The service was spectacular and the waiter was so knowledgeable about the menu . Now, let's get into what I ate. Appetizers: Bread- I'm not sure what the proper name for the bread is, but it was so good. The bread was like a warm hug. It had a welcoming taste. I can't even explain it fully. The texture was phenomenal. It was like a cornbread and a roll put together. Artichoke fritters- This dish surprised me. I didn't expect to like it so much. It was fried to perfection and flavorful. I honestly didn't need the sauce . Meatballs- The meatballs were the best I've had in my life. They were covered in a well prepared sauce. Entrée: Snapper with pesto pasta- My snapper was very flavorful. The only downfall of the snapper was the size. For the price, I expected a whole snapper. The pasta was good, but I'm not a huge fan of pasta. I also ordered brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts were cooked very well. Dessert: Biscoff and almond gelato - This was a perfect ending to to a wonderful meal. The gelato flavors change often. I will definitely go again!

I'm awarding 5 stars for our two recent visits. But, there's a point I'd like to make. Yes, this is…read morea dining destination and prices are commensurate with the experience. For most pasta dishes, I'd hit Mandola's in Austin. Save about $10 an entree and some gas money. A few weeks ago I didn't want to venture too far off the ranch. Wife and I ended up at Lisina on Saturday. Calamari to start was crisp and not chewy. Caesar salad followed and was a nice example of the dish. Lisina is also a little skimpy on offering bread refills. We finished with drinks and the panna cotta. Just over $100 for this experience. WELL, the next day I needed to take mom out for her anniversary. Dad has long passed but I always try to do something special. Sunday highlights forthcoming. This time with mom and Rooster along we started with the carpaccio. The presentation really wowed because it looks like red plate until you realize all that color is shaved tenderloin. White plate underneath! The greens, parmesan, and aioli was one of the best I've had. Mom went for the gnocchi; Rooster goes for the Mezzaluna ravioli. This is now Rooster's fave restaurant. I went back to the appetizers section and selected the crab cake. Zero complaints on these dishes. Don't forget mom's wine. Gelato and cake to finish the meal. I think I've dined here once since my 2009 review. Yup, steak pics still accounted for on Yelp. Trattoria Lisina is still going strong in Driftwood. Expect $$$$, this meal was almost $300. Good food ain't cheap folks.

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 love this place! Quiet with a nice koi pond and fountain. Always green and there's a heart…read moreshaped pathway.