Road Trip to Round Top, Texas

Have you ever taken a road trip to Round Top, Texas??

In case you’re not familiar with Round Top, let me give you the Cliff notes version. It’s SO fun!!

No, seriously, here is a little info about this very small Texas town. Round Top has a population of 90. Yes, you read that right, 90!

Twice a year, this tiny town becomes a haven for vintage loving, antique hunting, and junk shopping folks. If you love anything from vintage, chippy, farmhouse, European, thrifted, and even fine antiques, this is your place. There are even some great clothing and jewelry vendors thrown into the mix.

The shows are held twice a year in late March/early April and again in late September/early October. They span 2- 3 weeks, include about 75 venues and stretch about 11 miles of Highway 237 in Round Top. There are also some smaller shows in several neighboring towns. There are approximately 100,000 people that visit for each show.

You truly have to see it, to believe it!

My husband and I went to the fall show last October. We had a great time, but it was hotter than the surface of the sun!!

While we were there, we discovered several great restaurants, a pie shop, wine bars and shops that are open even when the antiques festival is not going on. Right then, we decided we wanted to come back and try out this quaint little town when the weather was cooler and without the crowd.

So, this past weekend, we made a last minute decision to go for a couple of nights. When I have gone in the past, I’ve had to stay so far out of town, because the lodging during the shows is hard to come by if you don’t book early. For this trip, we wanted to stay closer to town, and my sweet friend, Tara Royer Steele, that owns Royer’s Pie Haven recommended several places.

We ended up booking The Farmstead which is only about 3 miles from the downtown area of RT. Ya’ll, this place was amazing!! The rooms are adorable and comfy, and the hostess is so sweet and friendly.

Our room had a queen bed and large bath. Many of the rooms have multiple beds and there are even a couple of cottages with multiple rooms and a kitchenette. The rooms are beautifully decorated with antiques as well as modern farmhouse decor.

The dining area is equally as cute! Breakfast was served here each morning.

One morning we sat inside and the other morning we sat on this adorable deck area.

I cannot recommend this place enough! And by the way, this is not a sponsored post. I just loved it so much, I wanted to share. You can take a look and make reservations here. And please tell them I sent ya!

Next up, wining and dining. This adorable wine bar, Prost, has become a favorite spot for us when we visit.

The wine selection is great, the hosts are super friendly and helpful and they have an amazing patio area complete with a fire pit.

If you’re not a wine person, but prefer a cocktail, Ellis Motel is your place. Don’t be deceived by the name, it’s not actually a hotel, but a very eclectic spot with a bar area and several rooms outfitted with loungy furniture making it great place to relax and unwind.

The Garden Company restaurant is a favorite spot for lunch or dinner. They have a wide selection of things on the menu that are fresh and seasonal. I have personally enjoyed the fish tacos and amazing salads for lunch and beef tenderloin, pork chops and some fabulous fish specials for dinner.

They have a great deck/patio area complete with twinkly lights and this unbelievable live oak tree. Or you can dine inside the 1914 farmhouse that has been completely redone.

Another favorite stop for dinner is Lulu’s. The food at this place is amazing, and the service is impeccable! Lulu’s is set in a rustic stone building with a beautifully decorated interior. Although it is called Lulu’s Italian, there is a wide variety of items on the menu and it is quite a culinary experience.

And then there is the iconic Royer’s Round Top Cafe. This quaint little spot has been around for more than 30 years. I remember on my first trip to RT, we went to Royer’s on someone’s recommendation (because did you really go to Round Top if you didn’t eat at Royer’s?) and it did not disappoint. I have eaten here every single trip since. They serve ‘contemporary comfort food’, offering everything from grilled shrimp blt on jalapeno sourdough bread to grilled pork tenderloin with a peach/pepper glaze to an incredible steak or chicken fried steak.
The decor is funky and quirky, to say the least. A must see when you’re in town.

And don’t forget the pie!! They’re actually known for these amazing little pretties.

And if you didn’t get enough pie at dinner, you can pop over to Royer’s Pie Haven. Owner, Tara Royer Steele, (yes part of the Royer’s Round Top Cafe family) opened the pie haven several years ago and it is amazing! Tara is the sweetest soul and recently wrote a devotional book called ‘Eat, Pie, Love’, which I highly recommend. You can order a copy here and follow Tara on Instagram here.

Round Top Coffee shop (formerly Expressions) is our favorite morning stop. They make a great latte and have a buffet style breakfast or breakfast tacos. You can dine in or sit on the cute front porch. This is definitely a favorite of the locals and most of them will give you a friendly hello and even welcome you into their conversation.

Now, for a bit about the shopping. I was a little concerned there might not be many things open during a non-show time. Although, there isn’t a huge amount of stores, there were certainly enough to keep me busy for the time we were there. A few of my faves are….

The decor alone is worth the trip to the Farmloft! They offer the popular Magnolia Pearl clothing line along with funky jewelry and vintage finds. The interior and front porch are decked out with amazing vintage pieces, many of which, are for sale.

Although they are known for the beautiful handmade jewelry, Richard Schmidt offers lots of clothing and gift items in addition to the jewelry line.

A few others that I unfortunately didn’t get photos of are Wimberly Inc., Kilgore’s Modern Country, Tutu and Lilli, and Southern Beasts, just to name a few.

This tiny little town has so much to offer, including beautiful Texas sunsets. There are many other attractions, not mentioned here, in Round Top and neighboring towns. The Bluebell Creamery and the Antique Rose Emporium are in nearby Brenham, and the Rohan Meadery is only about 15 miles away in La Grange.
The Round Top Festival Institute is located just outside of town and is an internationally acclaimed musical education institute and hosts several concerts throughout the year. They have also created a unique 210-acre campus “Festival Hill” containing major performance facilities, historic houses, extensive gardens, parks and nature preserves,

I’m certainly no expert on the subject of a road trip to Round Top, Texas. I just wanted to share my experience visiting during a non-show time of year. I hope you find this post and info helpful. Please message if you have any questions.

blessings
michele