This has got to be hands down the #1 spot in Junction for Good People, Great Food, and FUN!…read more Stopped in one night to ask about renting some Kayak's and paddling the river. Heck I figured with a name like this, how could I go wrong right? Man it didn't disappoint at all! There was a very nice lady named Janna who was working at the counter who got us off on the right path with not only a waitress to help us with some food and drink orders, but put connected us with a gentleman named Billy to get things started on the Kayak rentals. A lady named Cathe stopped by and asked us how were were doing and we struck up a conversation with her over the good live music that was playing as well as the quality of customer service we had received so far. Once our food arrived it didn't disappoint by any means either. The appetizers were piping hot and the SAMPLER is the way to go! As soon as I seen the "Hawg Dawg" on the menu I was sold! Bacon wrapped sausage, cradled in a green onion-cream cheese smeared toasted bun, topped w/grilled onions, shredded cheese, jalapenos... OH MY... this was phenomenal!! Kids' Stuff Small Burger was ordered for the youngster in my crew and it was very good tasting as the patty was handmade! Very generous portions for just $4.50! We also ordered the SHRIMP TACOS and requested to "load up on the Chipotle Sauce, and Pico"!! Not only did they make the Tacos as normal, but they also brought some on the side so we could add to our tacos as we desired! Brilliant idea by this staff, and awesome customer service. We finished off trying the Oreo Bombs and the Funnel Cake. This took us back to the state fair all over again! It's exactly what it tasted like and we almost put ourselves into a Food Coma! Whenever I am anywhere NEAR Junction I stop by here for the customer service alone! Janna, Billy, and Cathe are wonderful, and the Paddling trip down the River took us right at about 4 hours. Really amazing to have such a wonderful adventure of the River, Food, and People! This is a hidden gem in Texas for sure!

Great find! My husband and I stopped in here while traveling out to Big Bend, and loved it. Great…read moreservice from Jenny, and wonderful food from the cook. Relaxing atmosphere and good music playing. It was also great that they were conscious about keeping things sanitized, and only doing outdoor seating. Dogs allowed and water bowls outside. Only thing I would suggest: add hanging water-bags to deter flys on the patio. They were quite annoying. We will for sure drive out of our way to come here again.

Though I grew up in rural Virginia, the majority of my family lived in upstate South Carolina and…read moreTattnall County, Georgia. The women in my family were superb cooks. Many of them had a specialty: one reliably fried her chicken juicy, crunchy, and golden-brown; another made buttermilk biscuits that were always flaky, layered, and tender, with a subtle, tangy flavor and a rich, buttery taste; yet another baked exceptionally delicate, intensely-flavored coconut cakes; etc. I was taught and encouraged by these ladies - my Meemaw and my aunts - to manage a kitchen, and, to this day, their influence abides. My father was a restaurant man, but at home, he, my grandfather, and my uncles, all of whom would've called themselves "traditional", mostly limited their culinary efforts to food they could prepare outside. From an early age, these men taught me to work with grills and smokers, which is to say that as soon as I was strong enough, I was put to work, hauling wood before a cook and clearing ashes afterwards. And that was as close as I got to cooking with the men, until one special day, when, at 10 years old, my Uncle Buddy allowed me to baste the hog as it spun on the spit. It was another three years before I was permitted to poke the fire. Cooking, for the men, was guided by custom and tradition, a set of rituals that they'd learned from their elders. They didn't prevent my participation because they didn't trust my talent; they just hadn't finished teaching me yet. But eventually, I earned my place by the fire, and, having proved myself capable, I was entrusted with special tasks of increasing importance: grilling meats (a throwaway - kid's play - in the men's eyes); making basting sauce - the "mop" - or what some call barbecue sauce; and, in my late teens, assisting with the butchery. In the decades that followed, I traveled the United States, trying dozens of local BBQ variants. I won't criticize the barbecue of places that don't do it well, but I will say that if you're going to make the stuff and charge money for it, maybe go see how it's done in Memphis and eastern North Carolina, where my favorite types of "Q" come from. Don't just light a fire and open for business; learn something first. At home, I've owned several smokers, and I've made and eaten a lot of a LOT of BBQ. I use pecan (or a pecan/cherry mix) when I want the taste of the thing I'm smoking to stand out, or when there's not much meat to the bite. Ribs, fish, and special dishes like pizza and involtini get the light smoke. I use hickory or oak when I want an old-school BBQ flavor, or when the cut I'm cooking is large enough that it won't smoke all the way through. Those woods make excellent pork shoulder, prime rib, and leg of lamb. The one wood I won't smoke with is mesquite. Never again. The few times I used it, my food tasted the way country air smells in the summer, when road crews get to resurfacing the County road. But I know that the problem is me, because one day, a while back, I ate outstanding mesquite-smoked BBQ at Lum's in Junction, TX. That morning, I'd left Luling for Van Horn, and, since I'd missed the more famous spots in the Houston area, I was set on finding a decent plate of BBQ before I left the state. Yelp and TripAdvisor said Lum's was a good choice, which gave me hope that the place would have what I wanted. I walked in, happy to note that Lum's was not so much a "restaurant" as a "dining hall," the sort of place that serves a basic menu to lots of people, quickly and without complication. You grab a tray, shuffle down the line, choosing from a meat (or two or three) and a couple of sides, a drink and maybe a sweet treat to finish. Park yourself in a comfortable chair at a heavy wooden table, and get to eatin'. The menu board offered brisket, turkey, pork ribs, pulled pork, pork loin, and sausage. There was chicken, too, but that's not why I was there. The sides included something called "Spicy Spaghetti" which, had I been sticking around, I'd definitely have tried, but pasta wasn't on my short-list of Things To Eat In Texas' Hill Country. I picked brisket (because Texas), pulled pork and ribs, and sides of potato and cucumber salads. My plate came with white bread. And with my feast, I drank sweet tea, as God intended. What did I miss? The spaghetti, and sausage, and pinto beans and mac 'n cheese. Next time. The meats were expertly done: tender, moist, not greasy, and they'd been handled carefully by the pit master, so that the seasoning hadn't been knocked off as they were shifted from smoker to service line. Before I left, I paid my respects to one of the owners and asked what sort of wood he uses, as I couldn't quite identify the smoky flavor. I was surprised when he said, "Mesquite... we're surrounded by it!" There was no acrid, creosote-y bitterness; instead, the flavor was smooth, savory, and delicious. Lum's showed me that mesquite can work. But not at my house; I just don't have the touch.

There are plenty of better BBQ's than this in California, Nevada and elsewhere, not to mention TX-…read morebut I heard it's the best in town here. I had the brisket, it seemed kind of dry, not the melt-in-your-mouth quality I was hoping for. They ask for a tip checkout but I'm not sure why- they didn't deliver or pick up anything. That all being said, the food was pretty good- not fantastic- but worth a try and better than fast food in any case. The staff was upbeat and friendly and the building was stylish in a western way.

Food and service was great and the restaurant was very well kept. No complaints at all.read more

Server was pleasant, but they are definitely lacking help. Food took a while to come out and wasn't…read morenecessarily worth the wait. Not the most horrible burger, steak fingers were so chewy you couldn't get a clean bite and the strawberry shake was basically strawberry milk which was not good at all.

Wow what a great place. Best burger I've had in years. Perfectly cooked with their own farm raised…read morebeef... angus... we even bought some ribeye to take home. Don't pass this cafe by.

Woohoo! What a fantastic "find"! From the minute you walk in to the minute you leave, you're…read moretreated like family. We were greeted right away, seated, & had drink orders taken right away. We started with a 1/2 order of onion rings. Yes, my pic shows a 1/2 order! Totally crispy & delicious! I ordered the daily special (fried fish) & my husband had hamburger steak. The fish, hush puppies, & okra were perfectly fried. The Cole slaw was creamy & definitely homemade. My hubby loved his hamburger steak, gravy, & grilled veggies. Everything was cooked just right & tasted homemade. My lunch ended with a cupcake. Gotta love that! Lots of locals were eating lunch here. That's always a good sign. Super cute "farm" decor.

Nice spot to stop and eat while traveling on this side of Texas. Currently on a family trip and had…read morean inconvenience but had to stop to eat. Glad we came here, food was good, restaurant was cozy and staff were friendly and helpful. Would come back next time we're in town. 10/10

Service was friendly and prompt. If you want an alcoholic beverage, you will need to pay $5 to join…read morethe club. My friend enjoyed her old fashioned but my g&t was tasteless. We ordered the steak cubes, grilled potatoes, and mixed veggies to share. Some of the cubes were tender, some were tough. Veggies were overcooked but the potatoes were good. We tried the cheesecake for dessert - it was not fresh and we didn't finish it.

One of the only food options in town. Open for lunch and…read moredinner. Old steakhouse feel and seating. Dark tables and booths. Old pictures line the walls. Chicken fried steak was nicely made with homemade mashed potatoes. Gravy was smooth but lacking flavor. Husbands rib eye was juicy with the typical chunk of fat on the tip. Service was slow because of the large families dining.

Tiny little Diner on the side of I-10, it was easy off and on the freeway access as we were passing…read morethrough. My queso chicken was good, but the chicken breast was tiny, the size of the palm of my hand and I am a small woman. There's certainly nothing fancy here. It seemed that there were some of locals, I don't think there are many choices for food in this town. I felt it was a bit pricey for the portion I received, not a place. I would stop if I was passing back through.

The BEST Texas bbq I've ever had in my life. Everything, and I mean EVERY THING was phenomenal!!!…read morefrom the brisket and ribs, down to the coleslaw, beans, potato salad, bread, and sauce. This team of two people work so well together. Thank you from the bottom of my very full belly for feeding my family this absolutely amazing meal. p.s. The peach cobbler is to die for Dave Vianest 25 year veteran executive chef.

This was a surprisingly wonderful find. When you order a plate, it comes with 2 sides, a drink and…read morea dessert. I ordered the Brisket plate with Pinto Beans and Potato Salad. The brisket was moist and delicious, the Peach Cobbler was very good, as was the Pinto Beans and Potato Salad. The Lemonade was refreshing and delicious.

This is how I imagine fine dining should be. Hill and Vine is elegant. The moment you walk in,…read moreyou're greeted with a warmth and friendliness from the staff. While they did say the wait would be long, it turned out to be ten minutes. And while waiting, they have dedicated seating in a lounge. The actual dining area was lovely, with nicely spaced tables and fast friendly service. Our waitress Lauren was kind and had the best recommendations. I loved the steak and mashed potatoes! The other dishes and appetizers were also very tasty and filling. One of my favorite spots in town!

While visiting Fredericksburg, I was looking forward to our dinner here. We arrived early evening…read moreon a Monday and it was busy! We were told outside was a short wait but inside was available. We opted to wait and 15 min later we were outside enjoying the weather. Our server was awesome - unfortunately the rest of the service was not. We ordered two whiskey cocktails and they were very watered down. We then split a burger and fries and the buns were soaked in grease so badly we could squeeze it out of the bun. The server agreed it was bad and without us asking, she put in for another burger, which was awesome. The second one came out and it was better. I had asked for ranch with the first burger, never got it, asked again with the second and it arrived from the kitchen at the end of the meal. Nothing seemed to be going right and our server was in the weeds. I felt bad for her. Don't think I'd be back again with so many other options.

We enjoyed the most wonderful lunch, into early evening at Arch Ray! Our lunch was served…read moreflawlessly by Kaleb, we all shared every thing, steak & salad, pasta , sliders,burgers, all prepared perfectly, of course we had flights of beer, extremely hard to pick a favorite , peach, s'mores, texas crude, to name a few. Then we were invited to a tour of the distillery , the family history of this venue is rooted in Texas (deep) . After our tour we settled in by the fireplace grouping and enjoyed a lemon drop and a chocolate cake pecan bourbon old fashion... it's hard to say what was the best thing.. people ? A great server Kaleb? A private tour with Gary brewmaster, and even the owners stopped by to make sure we were happy!! We will be back soon.. chef's kiss

My wife and I drive out to Fredericksburg from Austin one-or two-times a month. We find ourselves…read moreat the Arch Ray for lunch or dinner more than any of the other amazing places in town. The atmosphere is mid-upper scale relaxed, the servers are always pleasant and attentive and the room expansive, with a lot of natural light. Longest bar we've seen, and the bar seats are super comfortable. All the food we've tried has been excellent. I like the Caesar with grilled chicken, the Chicken-Fried steak, the standard Burger. My wife speaks highly of the Baby Back Pork Ribs and the Catch of the Day, especially if it's Texas Red Fish. We've done the Charcuterie board a couple times and if you are only sort of hungry and just want to nibble while you drink - perfect. The beer list changes, but they are all well done and nice and cold. I've had the Smooth Old Fashioned, no complaints and wife enjoys the Margarita's. The wines are excellent. Our favorites are the Tempranillo, Mourvèdre, Viognier and surprisedly the Riesling, usually not a fan. We haven't been to a concert on site yet, but we have enjoyed the live background music and sitting on the huge covered outdoor area, with a breeze it's even barrable in mid-summer. After the drinks and meal, we might go do a tasting at the two wineries onsite or restock my Ranch Cut Reserve Bourbon. Pricing - It is on the high side, but you can become a member and save 15%, plus get 4 free drinks per month. There are so many great options in the Fredericksburg area. Put Arch Ray on your rotation and you won't regret.

Met a friend here for lunch, and had the chicken-fried steak. Good for the price and the service…read morewas impeccable!

Service was great. I got the sirloin and I was disappointed, it was pretty tough, even med-rare…read more.. Some of the guys got burgers and those looked good. Salad bar was good. Ambiance was ok