On the Road

Explore miles of unique shops, craft beer, and good eats in Boerne

Take a Boerne selfie before running to the town's Hill County Mile.

Photo courtesy of Visit Boerne

When it comes to Boerne (hint: it's pronounced “Bur-nee”), you won’t just find an elevated Hill Country destination with beautiful scenery and outdoor experiences.

The town is also famous for its Hill Country Mile, a Texas-sized marathon of colorful shops and boutiques, restaurants, galleries, breweries, and more, all nestled in historic downtown and steeped in local charm.

With more than 80 places to visit on the Mile, you’ll quickly see why it has been recognized as one of the “Top 25 Small Town Main Streets in America.”

Check out this short list of highlights:

Where to stay
Right in the heart of the Mile, you’ll feel immediately at home with two distinct, elevated hotel options, both of which have been beautifully renovated.

At The William, luxury comes with a side of whimsy, with each of the regal-contemporary rooms being individually named after a native place or plant.

You also have access to incredible food just downstairs at Cypress Grille, where they specialize in wood-fired steaks and house favorites like buffalo burgers, chili-spiced pork shank with black truffle, and crispy eggplant with marinated Manchego cheese.

You’ll also fall in love with The Kendall, tucked along Cibolo Creek. The boutique property includes an 1859 Greek Revival structure along with 34 uniquely decorated, rustic-elegant rooms, cottages, cabins, and suites.

Make sure to get dinner at Peggy’s on the Green, with its elevated, Southern-inspired menu.

Where to eat
In addition to Cypress and Peggy’s, the list of the Mile’s restaurants is long and has something for every taste.

For the best smashburgers, Philly cheesesteak, and hand-crafted milkshakes around, Blacksmith Grill is your place. It's housed in one of the oldest buildings in town and is fun for the whole fam — the kids will love the arcade.

It’s always Taco Thursday at Boerne Taco House, which serves up the best handhelds.

Experience Spain by way of Boerne at Botero Wine + Tapas, where traditional tapas are served with a glass of sangria and a side of live music.

Where to shop
One of the many things to love about The Mile is that it’s home to local, independent boutiques rather than big-box retailers. So you’ll find things that you won’t see anywhere else, paired with major hometown hospitality at every turn.

Definitely swing by The Corner Cartel; it’s one of the Mile’s longest-running businesses and is 7,000 square feet of goodness from makers selling clothing, jewelry, handmade bath and body products, home decor, candles, and more.

Then head to Under the Fig Tree and Ella Blue for women's fashion and Bechants Men’s for the guys. And for the culinary-minded, Texas Gourmet Pantry and Boerne Epicure Gourmet Market are chock-full of spices, snacks, mixes, and gifts.

What to drink
The Mile is home to three breweries, all within walking distance of each other and all major players on the craft brew scene.

Cibolo Creek Brewing Co. is a casual-cool spot with seriously good beer and a locally sourced, creative pub menu.

Tusculum Brewing Company also has a way with their made-in-house beer and food, with pub pairings like Pilsner and pulled pork sandwiches.

Free Roam Brewing Co.’s mission is to strengthen the community through the love of craft beer — and, with one sip, you’ll easily see how they are doing just that.

Between the three breweries, you’ll probably find live entertainment, music, and fun special events at any given time, making a full weekend of brew-hopping time well spent.

For a cocktail vibe, the 1920s industrial-themed Richter Tavern slings handmade concoctions that are created and served from behind the second-oldest bar in Texas; it was saved from a turn-of-the-century fire and has been used in Boerne for more than a century.

What to do
Learn how to shake up your own drinks at Assemble Cocktail Workshop, where they will school you on such things as brunch essentials, tequila drinks, and Tiki Texas bevvies.

Or get your creative juices flowing another way over at Makers Place, where you can take a paint-and-sip class, fire up some painted pottery, or get creative on your own pre-sketched canvas.

And just steps off the Mile, you can hop on the meticulously maintained Cibolo Creek Trail to walk, jog, bike, or fish while taking in the serene views and the historic properties and pocket parks along the way.

Run toward the Hill Country Mile and learn more at Visit Boerne.

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Your Expert Guide

Oak Cliff: The underestimated historic and culturally rich 'hood

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman

Kay Wood

There are so many great places to live in Dallas that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Bishop Arts is a huge attraction, but Realtor Kay Wood wants people to know that Oak Cliff is a lot more than just Bishop Arts.

"Oak Cliff has a really rich and complex history," the Briggs Freeman agent says. "I think it's one of the most underestimated neighborhoods in Dallas."

Wood has lived in Oak Cliff with her high school sweetheart-husband since 2008, but she's been helping people buy and sell homes there for the past 15 years, currently with her business partner Brian Davis.

"The neighborhoods here are close to everything but still relatively affordable compared to other areas of DFW," she says. "I love all the historic homes with their architectural interest and variety, the strong sense of community engagement, and how there's so much to explore. Whether you're looking for the best new restaurant, the most authentic taco, film festivals, the zoo, the best public high school in Texas, parks, nature preserves — I could go on all day!"

Wood offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in "the Cliff." Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
The list is long: Nova ("you have to get the hummus," Wood says), Encina (pro tip: don't skip the blue cornbread), Cibo Divino for pizza and wine on the patio, coffee from Peaberry ("my husband swears their Vietnamese coffee is the best in town"), oysters at Boulevardier, the Perfect Picnic at Eno's Pizza Tavern, tio's elotes next to El Si Hay, the pistachio ice cream at Joy Macarons, and the spicy lobster ramen at Ten Ramen.

Wood advises picking up a great bottle of wine from Neighborhood Cellars and some steaks from Cooper's Meat Market. And, of course, there are tons of taco options in the neighborhood: "We can't get enough of Maskaras, Trompo, and Taco y Vino," she says.

Where to play
Marvel at the best skyline views in town while playing a round at Stevens Park Golf Course, take a walk through Twelve Hills Nature Preserve, bike along the Trinity River, or play disc golf at Founders Park.

The Kessler Theater is "such a great and intimate venue" for concerts, while the Texas Theater adds a touch of history to movie-watching. Escape to The Wild Detectives for books, music, and poetry, or head to the Dallas Zoo for a wild day out — "our whole family loves to feed the giraffes," Wood says.

What to see
Oak Cliff is home to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial at Kiest Park and the La Reunion Monument at Stevens Park Golf Course that honors some of Dallas' earliest settlers.

On Jefferson Boulevard, you can pop into the Oak Cliff Cultural Center for regular art shows, and "my daughters love to walk down the street and look at all the quinceañera dresses in the shop windows," she says.

Where to live
A few years ago, Wood helped her buyers purchase 626 Rainbow Dr., a rare, two-acre midcentury modern estate that's wrapped on three sides by a babbling creek.

"When you're there, it's really hard to believe you're less than four miles from downtown Dallas," she says. The buyers hired local architect Eddie Maestri to update some aspects of the house while carefully preserving its midcentury style. There was an original barn that had been previously converted to a studio, but the buyers reinvented it as a guest house and added a pool and outdoor kitchen.

"It's hard to say what a 'typical' Oak Cliff house would be, because we have some of the very best examples of almost every architectural style in town," Wood says.

"In Winnetka Heights, you'll find Craftsman architecture (four squares, bungalows, Sears catalog, etc). Kessler Park has Tudors and Colonials and Texas eclectics from notable local architects like Charles Dilbeck and David R Williams. Stevens Park has all of these, as well as Spanish Revival and Dutch colonials. Wynnewood, North Kiestwood, and Wynnewood Hills have some of the best midcentury moderns in Dallas, as well as wonderful ranches. East Kessler has cutting-edge contemporaries that take advantage of the rare-to-DFW hilly terrain. You could teach a pretty comprehensive architectural history of Dallas without ever leaving Oak Cliff."

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Kay Wood lives, works, and plays in Oak Cliff. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email kwood@briggsfreeman.com, or call 214-908-5442.