Local Guide

No-Gi jiu jitsu, Muay Thai and kids martial arts, voted Best Martial Arts Gym 2025.

Veteran-owned brewery with house beers, a kitchen, and a patio.

Family-owned Mexican restaurant at 1004 Main serving Bastrop since 1998. Corn and flour tortillas are made fresh in-house every day, and breakfast…

Vintage clothing, glass, and antique linens on Main Street.

Sit-down Italian restaurant and pizzeria on Loop 150, a short drive from the downtown blocks.

Local growers and makers every Saturday morning, 10am to 2pm.

Local craft beer bar.

Coffee shop inside the Bastrop Fitness Project on Martin Luther King Drive, brewing beans roasted locally by Texas Coffee Works. Good Wi-Fi inside…

Bastrop's city hall on Chestnut Street, home to city offices and council meetings.

Antique shop right on Main Street in the middle of the downtown shopping blocks.

Collective of health and wellness businesses on Martin Luther King Drive, housing a gym, pilates, jiu jitsu, chiropractic care, and a cafe under one…

Family florist serving Bastrop since 1969 with a downtown storefront.

Local history museum with docent-led tours.

Live theater and music downtown.

The city's public library on Church Street: books, free wifi, kids' programs, and a quiet place to work downtown.

Kayak and canoe outfitter based at Fisherman's Park, running day paddles and overnight camping trips on the Colorado River. Started as a…

Miles of piney trails and fishing at Mina Lake, minutes from downtown.

Small barbecue joint on Highway 71 West that has been smoking meat since 1982. The beef sausage is made from scratch daily, and it's a favorite pit…

Neighborhood bistro in Smithville.

Thrift shop with antique and modern goods.

Central Texas brisket and barbecue downtown, Thursday through Sunday until they sell out.

Grab-and-go coffee shop and scratch kitchen on Pine Street known for big breakfast burritos wrapped in fresh 14-inch tortillas. Salsas and dressings…

Family recipes from the central and coastal regions of Mexico, serving Bastrop since 1987.

Bastrop County park with sports fields, walking trails, and a river park.

Coffee and handmade espresso drinks in Elgin.

Covered food truck court on Chestnut Street downtown with a rotating lineup of trucks and vendors. An easy answer when nobody at the table can agree…

Pay-what-you-can cafe run by the Serenity Star recovery community.

Family-owned nursery on Highway 71 known for Texas natives and two-dollar herbs and veggies. They also do landscape design and host events on the…

Small-batch spirits in a historic brick storefront.

Mexican seafood and michelada restaurant in Bastrop open daily.

Bastrop's CrossFit box on Hwy 71 with daily classes.

Mexican plates, cold beer, and margaritas on Loop 230 in Smithville.

Entertainment complex on Chestnut with eight movie screens, sixteen bowling lanes, an arcade, and a full bar and grill. Live stand-up comedy takes…

The city park on the Colorado River.

Gallery in a historic downtown building on Water Street showing bronze and stone sculpture alongside original paintings and fine jewelry. The 7,000…

Aerial arts and fitness studio in Hunters Crossing. Silks, lyra, pole, bungee, and yoga classes for kids and adults.

Wholesale and retail nursery on Highway 21 East specializing in native Texas perennials. They also carry shade and fruit trees plus organic soil and…

Hemp-derived CBD and Delta-8 store with a dedicated Bastrop page.

Historic buildings turned into shops and restaurants between Main Street and the river.

Resale shop on Chestnut Street mixing antiques, vintage finds, and yard art from Mexico. Open Monday through Saturday.

Home of the Rockne Historical Association pioneer village.

Family-owned cafe and gelato shop in downtown Smithville.

Coffee trailer next to the Shell station on Highway 21, across from Bastrop State Park. They pull espresso drinks and cold brew most mornings until…

24-hour infrared workout studio in the Highway 71 shopping strip. Hot yoga, pilates, cycle, and HIIT sessions run inside heated sauna pods.

Gi/no-gi BJJ, judo and striking for kids and adults.

Riverside icehouse with craft beer and Colorado River views.

Tex-Mex food truck, known for barbacoa and carne asada.

Established Mexican restaurant on Hwy 71 open daily, known for large portions and fajitas.

Thai cafe in historic downtown Bastrop.

Local coffee shop in Smithville.

Clothing, accessories, and footwear for women, men, and kids.

Large, well-stocked plant nursery on Hwy 71 E.

Family-owned Mexican grill on Hwy 95.

Family Italian plates and pizza on Highway 21 in Cedar Creek.

Bastrop dance studio (est. 2015) offering classes for ages 2+.

Antiques, books, and goat's milk soaps.

Regional arts center with rotating exhibits and classes.

Our Community Centered studio Main Street Yoga is so much more than just a yoga studio. Our mission is to provide a space for community…

Main Street cafe and bakery that Texas Monthly named one of the best small-town cafes in the state. The chicken fried steak and homemade cream pies…

Smoked sausage and barbecue, a longtime Elgin smokehouse.

Local songwriters and bands most weekend nights, on the river.

Southern Italian kitchen that opened on Main Street in fall 2025, part of a small family of pizzerias with New York roots. Wood-fired Neapolitan…

Scratch bakery and cafe on Main Street in Smithville.

Family-run catfish house at 1014 Main, frying catfish and shrimp battered to order since 2013. Many recipes come from the owner's Paw-Paw, whose…

Bed and breakfast in a Victorian home under the pecan trees at the edge of Silk Stocking Row, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A…

Steakhouse tucked off Main Street on Chestnut, with brick walls and a piano bar. Big-city steakhouse cooking in downtown Bastrop, open evenings…

Burgers, sandwiches, and grill plates in downtown Smithville.

Downtown juice and smoothie bar using whole foods, with online ordering.

Thai/noodle restaurant in Lost Pines Plaza open daily with delivery and pickup.

Steaks, burgers, and weekend live music on Main Street in Red Rock.

Women's clothing boutique on Main Street with hand-picked, western-leaning pieces.

Burger joint on Highway 21 across from the state park entrance, winner of best burger in Bastrop County 16 years straight. The jalapeno cream cheese…

Award-winning burgers and cold drinks, the Paige sister of Roadhouse Bastrop.

Country grocery and community stop in Rockne.

Clothing, skin care, and home goods on Main Street.

Breakfast, brunch, and coffee on Highway 290 in McDade.

Little cupcake shop at 1010 Main baking everything from scratch since 2012. Flavors rotate, with favorites like peach cobbler and cookie dough…

Old-fashioned general store with a cafe in back, gifts, and local goods.

Barbecue trailer in the Chestnut Grove food truck court that gives part of its proceeds to charity. The menu runs from classic smoked meats to…

Bastrop outpost of the Elgin original, which has been making sausage since 1882. Full barbecue menu plus a fresh meat market, with a drive-thru if…

Central Texas barbecue and hot sausage, an Elgin institution since 1882.

Lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch on Main Street.

Pilates and fitness studio on Highway 71 teaching reformer, mat, barre, and power yoga in private sessions and small group classes.

Candy store on Loop 150 that has been around since 1995, with over a hundred bulk candies plus fudge and chocolate-dipped strawberries. They make…

Sister-owned coffee shop in downtown Bastrop.

Latino-owned taqueria on Highway 304 open early for breakfast tacos and lunch plates. Doors open at 6 most mornings and wrap up by mid-afternoon.

Bubble tea, coffee, and smoothie shop with its own website.

Family-run shop on Highway 71 making paletas by hand in small batches with real fruit. They also serve crepes and espresso drinks, and there's a play…

Family-run cafe and roastery on Highway 71 between Bastrop and Smithville, roasting single-origin beans in small batches on site. Pastries are made…

Open-air market in the Hunters Plaza parking lot every second Sunday. Local artisans and crafters from Bastrop and the surrounding area set up to…

A historic Main Street building housing seven small art shops.

Three-acre market and event grounds on Highway 304 with over a hundred flea market booths, food vendors, a dance hall, and an air-conditioned sports…

The historic iron truss bridge over the Colorado River downtown.

Bar and grill at 931 Main where locals catch the game over burgers and wings. Open until midnight on weeknights.

Independent bookstore on Main Street owned by author Ryan Holiday.

Elgin city park with ball fields, a pavilion, and a playground.

A drive-in grocery and deli on Main Street, a Bastrop fixture since 1946.

City park on the Colorado River with camping, disc golf, and river access.

Art pieces and gifts made by local artists.

Bastrop's first indoor playground for kids 2-10 with open play and parties, 4.9-star rated.

Barbecue joint in Smithville.