This place is great. I ran out of food while camping at a nearby 5-day music festival so I drove…read moreinto Smithville and had breakfast here. It's entirely donation based. You place your order and then take a seat and when they bring out your food, you get a little pocket to put cash into to pay whatever you want. The food was great and it benefits addiction recovery. My only complaint is that they really really really need to put fans on the patio cause I was swatting away flies the entire time I was eating. I wouldn't eat outside again. I went for breakfast and had a 3-meat omlette which I actually couldn't even finish cause I was full. It was a little weird getting the apple juice in a cup full of ice but I guess I could have gotten more if I wanted it. I'd like to back for lunch sometime.

I wanted to thank the staff for making my last two Friday's feel special…read more I am new to Texas and have been wanting to come and try out this spot. I'm also a first time mom and not working currently so my funds are low for spending. The staff (shout out to the ones I've met so far) Kevin, Brittany and Terrance took the time to explain how the cafe works. so many delicious options, I went with the jalapeno popper omelette which did not disappoint. Brittany helped navigate a coffee I would enjoy and I did! Try the Vietnamese iced coffee so good. my daughter and I sat outside and met Terrance, who came right up and introduced himself. made sure we were doing good and dj'd some great tunes. I'm not sure who was at the counter today but she was lovely. thank you all for the experience and great food

Great food and service in a friendly hometown atmosphere. We try to make it by every time we're in…read moretown.

Dropped into the airport in Smithville and they recommended this place. So glad they did! We had…read morea really good breakfast and then got muffins to go. Blueberry and Apple Cinnamon were delicious! They gave a good variety of other pastries as well. Service was excellent. Will happily go back!

My husband and I have stopped at Hruska's multiple times when traveling. It's a gas station that…read morehas a convenient store, a grill and bakery. I usually call in our order when we are about 20 minutes away from our stop. Everytime I call in the order the person on the other end is friendly and repeats back what we order. The convenient store part of Hruska's has a lot of items that you can choose from to purchase and they have clean bathrooms which is a positive. When we get there we park, walk in and head to pick up our food at the counter. It's usually labeled with the ticket stapled to the bag. We then get in line to pay for our food. The line is usually backed up but moves fairly quickly. There is also a small area with tables and chairs that you can sit at and enjoy your meal or sit there if you need a rest. For my meal I usually order a Hamburger which comes with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions. I usually get mine with mustard. Their burgers are so good and a good size. Overall Hruska's is a great stopping place while traveling. Whether it's for gas, a bathroom break, or if you want to grab something to eat this is a one stop shop place.

A must stop if you are traveling between Houston and Austin on Hwy 71. I'm usually a Bucees guy,…read morebut this place specializes in something that the beaver doesn't. Kolaches! Arguably one of the greatest foods ever invented. Atleast in my world. How can you go wrong with bread filled with sweet or savory fillings? Hruska's is about halfway between Houston and Austin and a perfect rest stop to fill up on gas, use the clean facilities, grab a snack or indulge in their amazing baked goods. They are steeped in history and have been around for decades passing along the family recipes. It's obviously improved structurally over the years from a country store and looks like a modern gas station now. It's always pretty busy every time I have stopped in, but they are a well oiled machine and keep the masses moving with excellent customer service. They have all your gas station essentials like snacks and beverages. What sets them apart is their bakery. Here, they label their kolaches as the traditional fruit filled variety. I like them, but they are never my first choice. I love the ones with meat inside. Here, they label these as pigs in a blanket. They have a large variety of both. I usually go for a regular sausage and cheese, but over here, they sell a delicious pan sausage kind. On top of all their sweet and savory baked goods, they also sell burgers on the grill. Their burgers have made it to the Texas Monthly Top 50 burger spots. I have yet to try it. Overall, this is an always stop place for me. I highly recommend stopping here to stretch your legs and enjoy a delicious pastry while you're at it. I will definitely be back.

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.

The ice cream thete is honestly the best I've had in a long time. The staff and owner are really…read morenice and respectful. I also love their decorations, it's a really cute cafe.

I have been dying to try this place for the longest!! Was a huge fan of your moms when it was there…read moreand wanted to try. I came for Mother's Day out with a friend. Walked in super cute and quaint not packed at all. Front counter was nice and clean there were menus up front to order placed and everything seemed reasonably priced. I ordered a Cesar salad as well as my friend and I got an Italian soda for my drink. We also ordered two cookies. We sat down took about 35 ish minutes for salads to come out and when we got our salad it was a house salad and not a Cesar salads. We didn't want to wait so we decided to just eat that came. Italian soda was really good the salad was delicious and the cookie was super hard I couldn't even break it in half bc it was so hard I ended up tossing it. Overall good vibes

This is a new Mexican cafe, open for breakfast and lunch…read more They did a good job with the ambiance inside, with beautiful barn doors and a butterfly theme. And they keep the place exceptionally clean. Our server made us feel very welcome even though we showed up just before closing time (they close at 2 pm Tue - Sun and are closed all day Monday). Half the menu was breakfast and the other half was lunch. Beverages were colas, coffee, tea, lemonade and horchata. Lunch here is your typical Mexican lunch menu: tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, etc. They also had two specials today: Enchiladas Verde and Quesabirria Tacos. We tried and enjoyed both. The enchiladas had a lot of chicken in them. And while the birria lacked its typical au jus to dip the tacos in, they were still quite authentic and flavorful. The complimentary chips and salsa comes with a bean dip, and with two additional chile options, a spicy red chile and a chile verde. It was nice having all those options. For a healthier option, they also offer a large bowl of tortilla soup with spanish rice on the side. I'm not sure why they choose to open a Mexican restaurant right next to a Mexican restaurant, but the two restaurants are very different and keep different hours. We will come back to try their breakfast, as that appears to be their specialty.

Limited service hours but the breakfast tacos were amazing and very large. They have almost…read moreanything you want added to your tacos. Will definitely keep. This on my return list.

I was after some gluten free cookies, and I didn't want to drive into Austin to find any. After…read moregoogling local gluten free bakeries, Tough Cookie Bakery in Bastrop came up. They have gluten free options as well as vegan options and options for those who can have gluten. I went there for three out of the six days that I was on vacation in that area. I had originally wanted a chocolate chip cookie, but they didn't do just regular gluten free ones. However they did have gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. I'm not a big fan of peanut butter, but I thought I would try it since I was really craving a cookie. I had just the one, and it was so so so good! It didn't taste overly of peanut butter which was a win for me! It had just the right amount of peanut butter and chocolate chips. It was crispy around the edges and chewy towards the middle. I went back that same day and got two more of those cookies. The other days I went I got the same thing. One day, I did try their gluten free apple butter bar which was just as amazing! Service was fantastic! Each day I went, there was someone I hadn't seen before working. Each of them were super nice and friendly. The bakery itself had a very calm ambiance about it. It had a lot of space inside if you wanted to eat your meal or dessert inside or you could get it to go. I also love how Tough Cookie Bakery supports the LGBTQ+ community. There was a pride flag painted outside of the bakery, and that just made me love the place that much more! I would definitely recommend Tough Cookie Bakery in Bastrop. I can't wait to go back once we're back in the area at the end of this month.

The history and charm of this shop immediately caught our attention and drew us in. The original…read morefurniture pieces add such a warm and nostalgic touch to the overall aesthetic, and the staff couldn't have been friendlier. The only letdown was finding out that the ice cream isn't homemade or unique to the shop--it's just Blue Bell. Now, as a lifelong Blue Bell fan, I'll never turn it down, but with a place that has so much originality and character, we were hoping for a menu that reflected that same spirit. Still, it's a cute spot and worth a visit for the atmosphere alone.