Lauren West has seen a huge transformation in her historic hometown, which she describes as part hipster and part honky-tonk. As a kid she used to take daytrips outside of Lockhart. Now that she’s a mom, Lockhart’s charm has been discovered. There’s always something to do in town.
“A lot of people compare Lockhart to the old, old Austin,” says West, the business development director for Corridor Title, LLC. “Now you have all these really hip people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. They are artists and musicians…you are going to see a fully tattooed girl walking around in Wrangler jeans.”
The main attraction is the hot, sweet and tangy barbecue. In 1999 the Texas legislature ratified Lockhart as the BBQ Capital of Texas. Today, people come from all over the world to go to hot spots like Kretz, Smitty’s, The Original Black’s and the new Terry Black’s barbeque to name a few. Barbs BBQ, where the queue for lunch begins at 9am on weekends, has earned a Michelin star, a global gold standard rating for culinary excellence.
The flavors complement Lockhart’s small-town feel. Here, community isn’t just about the connections people make, it’s about the choice to slow down, ask about each other’s day and share kindness.
“You are going to meet locals, and you are going to love them because of who they are,” says Megan Carvajal, the chief executive officer of the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce.
“I think the unique things are what happens in between what you are doing. You might get stuck in the middle of a small march or parade or stumble onto live music.”
The music scene in Lockhart is beginning to rival the barbecue, so keep your eyes out for musicians as well as chefs who gravitate to this old cattle town on the Chisholm Trail.
The cattle drives used to rule these roads. But as the saying goes – if you build it, they will come. Holly Malish, the new executive director of the economic development corporation for the city, recently moved to Lockhart from New Braunfels and has seen a lot of growth in central Texas throughout her career. She is excited about the expansion of the Lockhart State Park, which recently bought two ranches, adding 188 acres of prime birding wildlands, and plans to build a new recreation center, pool and visitor’s center where the clock museum used to be.
“You build the spaces and the community makes the quality of life,” she says. “I saw a horse parked by Chaparral last week. The owner stopped to chat before getting coffee. Where else do you go downtown and see someone riding a horse.”
Itinerary:
9am: Coffee at Chaparral Coffee & Cantina, a local hub (for people and horses) on the town square.
10am: Wander about town for the local color and decide which barbecue spot to go to for lunch.
The Attic – One-of-a-kind antiques in the attic.
Happy Haunt – Mystery bookstore in the basement with garlic on the doors.
Dr. Eugene Clark Library – the oldest continuously operated library in Texas, named for a local physician.
12pm: Barbecue lunch, Barbs BBQ is only open Friday-Sunday.
2pm: Drive to the Lockhart State Park and roll down the windows. Download your Merlin app and listen for the Purple Martins, Woodpeckers and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers.
4pm: Find a barstool at the Old Pal Tavern. You never know who you will meet.
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Take the kids duckpin bowling. There’s an arcade at Spare Change and a hipster scene at Big Bob’s.
6pm: Dinner at Commerce Café where you can watch the chefs in action in their open kitchen or double dip in the BBQ scene.
8pm: Follow your ears to find the best live music in town. You might end up at Case Room, Loop & Lil’s or back at Old Pal for some honky-tonk.