Hill Country Food & Wine Guide
by Virginia B. Wood & the Cuisines staff
Fri., April 13, 2001
Burnet
Storm's Drive Inn (12)
700 N. Water (Hwy. 281), 512/756-7143 Daily, 6:30am-10pm
All the locals in Burnet, Lampasas, and Hamilton know that the best place for burgers, no contest, is a Storm's Drive Inn. This small-town Central Texas chain boasts outlets in all three places, dating back to the Fifties. Maybe that's why the burgers are so good, the fries are fresh cut, and you can get a basket of shrimp or catfish with fries for $5.40. Eat inside so the kids can play in the small arcade or order from the car. A friendly, well-mannered carhop will bring you an old-fashioned, burger-joint meal prepared the way they've been doing it since before anyone ever heard of golden arches.
Tea-Licious Tea Room (13)
228 S. Main, 512/756-7636
Mon-Sat, 11am-3pm
This relatively new spot on the historic town square is developing a following among antique shoppers, weekend visitors, and locals alike. The menu features soups, salads, sandwiches, daily specials, and scrumptious desserts. Word is the ladies are branching into catering as well.
The Verandas Guest House (14)
108 E. League, 512/715-0190
A few years have passed since Austinites Mary and Wayne Brown bought this limestone building that began life as a stagecoach stop in 1856 and housed everything from private homes to hotels to brothels before they refurbished it into a lovely bed and breakfast house. With the Browns' loving care and attention, the Verandas now proudly boasts a Texas Historical marker. The three suites elegantly decorated in period antiques are popular resting places for visitors to the Highland Lakes area.