I drive the Vegas - Austin commute at least once a year, and I've always dreaded the distance…read morebetween Albuquerque and Austin... a long boring stretch with no interesting stops in between to give my weary body a break. I usually avoid going through Abilene but when I saw Grain Theory pop up on an online search, I was sufficiently hungry and needing a rest so I decided to take a different route and headed to downtown Abilene. I was pleasantly surprised at the cute downtown, even more excited to find a fashionable brewery with good food and chill vibes after a long day of driving. I had dinner in the outdoor area as the sun set, and this was a lovely way wrap my day.

I will forever be amazed by cool places, especially when they appear in unexpected cities like…read moreAbilene. Located on the second story of a beautiful building in downtown Abilene sits Grain Theory, a brewpub and coffee shop towering over the city. It is a mixed indoor-outdoor space with plenty of shaded outdoor and cooled indoor seating. Looking at their tap list, my girlfriend and I were impressed by their unique beers to try. I started with the Strawberry Peach Tonic (Fruited Hard Seltzer) and she had a Bella Rose (Rosé IPA). Both were served in cool glasses, with mine being tall and skinny and hers being almost like a wine glass. Shocking to nobody, mine was quite fruity while her Rosé IPA was hoppy with an underlying rosé flavor. Next, I ordered their Oktoberfest (German Märzen) and she had their Season's End (Belgian Dubbel). She described her drink as tasting like a Biscoff cookie. My Oktoberfest was quite malty, and I was a big fan. To close, we both ordered their Luscent (Belgian Table Beer) because small beers are back in fashion and I wanted to try it. It was obviously very light but still had a good flavor that was very bready. Nice and easy to close out our drinks with. They also have food and coffee that we didn't try, but the food looked sensational from what we saw others eating. They also have plenty of board games and card games to play while you're at the brewery and many beers available to take to-go. My only minor complaint is the lack of TVs in the brewery. Maybe it's a purposeful decision, but Texas Tech was playing football, and it would be a great place to watch the game. The bartenders are very friendly and willing to let you try and sample as many beers as you need to make your decision. Grain Theory feels like the kind of place every small Texas city wishes it had. I am very excited to come back here and try more beers, especially with how excellent the space is. RIYL: Cool-shaped beer glasses or a rooftop bar

I can't think of anything bad to say about Texas Flaming Grill. They definitely have one of the…read morebest hamburgers in town, and I absolutely love their Philly cheesesteaks. My neighbor, Susan, absolutely loves hamburgers, so I took her to Flaming Grill for the first time last night. She loved it. And, I noticed something new. Their french fries are absolutely fantastic! I'm really picky about my french fries, and these might be the best in town. They have some specialty burgers that will knock your socks off! You really need to give them a try!

Great burger. Great chili cheese tots. Amazing. Love the patties cooked to order. Just a good…read moreclassic bacon cheeseburger.

Wow, this place really impressed us. Trendy design and great food -- I spent 10 years in Abilene…read moreback in the 80s, and a spot like the Cork & Pig was not what I expected to find here. My wife had the asian salad, and she says it was the best she'd ever had. I had the fish tacos with mac and cheese, and both were unusually flavorful and had a great texture (I rarely eat much mac and cheese, but I finished all of this). Service was good, friendly and helpful. I appreciated the decor and general vibe of the place, inside and out, including the music. My only quibble might be that parking was a bit tighter than expected, but not a problem. Great place overall, and we were discussing how we might find an excuse to return, plus wishing a branch would open closer to Houston.

Slow wait staff. Limited brunch menu and no substitutions. Example flour tortillas instead of…read morecorn. Same goes for the sandwich bread. Our food was cold. Eggs must have been sitting for awhile and were cold as could be. Bacon was not cooked and looked like it barely saw the grill.. There are better options for brunch. Won't be back!

Pretty good - easy atmosphere - didn't really like the food options and beer wasn't as cold as we…read moreremembered from our first time. But we would go back.

I saw a special the BCBG was running. Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at lunch, sandwiches…read moreare BOGO free. Off we go! The dining room and full bar are very nice. A large covered patio and outdoor stage are great for live music. Some Sunday nights are blues jam, which I intend to go to! Anyway, the food was great. We tried the club, chicken sandwich, and the Bahn Mi. Excellent! We will definitely be back!

The food was beyond amazing. We ordered a couple of sirloins and the spinach dip all of it was…read moredelicious. The service was amazing, we never had to ask for anything.

Steak and potato were amazing! Staff were excellent. Highly recommended. Will stop here again the…read morenext time I'm in town.

Outsider I got in to town late and was looking for some good…read moreeats on a Monday evening. Blue Barrel was close by. When I pulled in it looked like they were closed due to little signage and low lighting. There are a few people dining and I grabbed a spot at the bar. Ordered a drink to start and it was so-so. I got the carnitas fries as that seemed to be a popular item. They were mediocre as well. Staff was friendly but not too attentative. Service was quick. I'd check out other spots if back in town.

Looking for a place to watch the game in Abilene? Look no further, Blu Barrel is the spot!…read more We stayed in Abilene for 1 night on a road trip and were looking for a place to watch some football and wow we were impressed with this place! If only it was here during my ACU years. Dozens of TVs , quick and friendly service, and good food! I don't like pickles usually but their fried pickles my husband ordered were quite good and I couldn't stop grabbing more. I got the club sandwich which was just perfect. Highly recommend this establishment.

Just left this place. Met friends here for lunch. This…read moreplace is large, lots of outdoor seating and the inside is large too. Healthy lunch crowd for a weekday meal. Our server was friendly and energetic. She took us through what they have. Sides are communal, there was bread, beans, mash and cream corn. These were unlimited and free but not to be taken away. My husband has the chicken fried steak. It was the size of the dinner plate. He said it was super tasty. The batter was light, and steak was moist even though it's well cooked through. I had the lunch size catfish. Chose the tartare sauce. The batter was also light and fish was flaky. I took a bite of the chicken tender (our friends ordered), it was moist too! We finished lunch with a cherry cobler and their homemade fresh cream. If was to die for. Gotta try.

SPECIAL NOTE: This place is REALY dark inside, so please be aware. If you are low vision, have…read morepoor eyesight or wear readers, you might struggle in this place. I had to use my flashlight to read the menu and to get opt the restroom in the back. Menu is simple, making it easy to figure out what to order. The homemade rolls are delicious and they have butter and honey on the table. I had their chicken and dumplings and my spouse had the CFS. I felt that the cream gravy was lack-luster and needed more seasoning. The chicken and dumplings were on-point and the sides we selected (mashed potatoes, corn and green beans) were delicious. I do wish that they had regular size spoons (or teaspoons) available. i did not like using a giant serving spoon to eat. But that did not detract from the taste of the food.

Probably the most expensive restaurant in Abilene, but it has great food, good cocktails, friendly…read moreservice. My wife and I have been several times and will continue returning. We haven't had anything bad and the fried cactus, and seafood are real standouts. Great place to celebrate special occasions.

New to Abilene, I was looking for fine dining and Copper Creek seems to be one of the few…read morerestaurants that comes up when I do a search. I found it overall be adequate, but not great. The food was just okay and the ambiance was nice, albeit slightly dated and themed. Read on for details... Food: The steaks were very good. They just were. No complaints there. The calamari was too heavily fried; downright crunchy, and the calamari may as well have been absent. If I had been blindfolded, I honestly couldn't have been able to distinguish between the fried green beans (I think?) that were in the mix and the calamari itself. The sides were unremarkable. As was the table bread. The dessert I chose was a special; a peanutbutter pie. It was very rich, and would have been all right paired with some fresh whipped cream atop; instead it was smothered in chocolate sauce, despite the chocolate ganache which was a significant part of the pie itself. It made for any almost inedible dessert. ...So why the 3 stars? The service was perfect. And don't forget that steak...

I recently stopped by The Biscuit Bar for brunch, and it did not disappoint. First off, the…read morelocation is beautiful--set in a charming part of town with outdoor seating overlooking a lake, complete with fountains and a walking trail. I tried both the Monte Cristo and the Philly biscuit sandwiches, and they were fantastic. Especially the Monte Cristo with the sweet and savory balance. Great food, great atmosphere. I'll definitely be back to try more of the menu

Oh my goodness what can I even say. The atmosphere was so relaxing and the natural sunlight was…read moregorgeous, there amount of space is incredible on top of the back patio with even more room. The service was amazing, we were greeted as soon as we walked in and immediately taken care of with no wait, as well as bid a fond farewell on the way out. The food was semi quick and absolutely delicious, the biscuits were so fresh and re-freshing. As a first time try I cannot wait to go back!

Outstanding! Stopped…read morefor dinner driving through Abilene on the way to Midland from FW-D. Delicious burgers, Nashville Not Chicken and chili fries. Also: Texas craft brews on tap! Excellent service too. This will be a regular stop for our family's trips to Abilene

Had no napkins had no ice tea had no sweet tea. Hamburger was good. People were nice for $13 for a…read morehamburger. I'd think they could bus some tables. I know now they cater to younger folks but to stay in business restock and keep them updated. Sorry not a happy customer.