Blue Bonnet Cafe (3)

211 Hwy. 281, 830/693-2344

Monday-Thursday, 6am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 6am-9pm; Sunday, 6am-1:45pm

www.bluebonnetcafe.net

River City Grille (4)

700 First, 830/798-9909

Sunday-Thursday, 11am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 11am-11pm

www.rivercitygrilletx.com

John Kemper used to eat breakfast every morning at the Blue Bonnet Cafe. He loved the place so much that in 1981, he decided to try to buy it. He’s now the owner of the Blue Bonnet Cafe, one of the oldest ongoing restaurants in the Hill Country. At the spry age of 77, the cafe continues to pack in the customers. Even with the 60 seats added a few years back, you can count on standing in line for lunch for at least a while. Most people don’t mind the wait; it gives them a chance to enjoy watching the waitresses perform their deft maneuvering as they rush – in a friendly manner – to serve more than 2,000 people per day. The crowds pack the place for the fair prices, good food, and incredibly tasty baked goods. Every day, they bake biscuits, yeast rolls, and an assortment of delicious pies, all from scratch.

A few years later, Kemper met Paul Brady, a veteran executive who had worked at Victoria Station, Chili’s, the Olive Garden, and Chuy’s. They bought a property right on the water and named it River City Grille. The gorgeous views are the initial draw, but the sports bar offers a great opportunity to sample the cold beer; the 2-inch-thick, double-hand-battered, deep-fried onion rings; and a burger while watching the Longhorns beat up all the other teams in the Big 12. The River City Grille also specializes in prime rib and Black Angus steaks. – W.M.

This article appears in August 4 • 2006.

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Wes Marshall is the author of What's a Wine Lover To Do? (Artisan) and The Wine Roads of Texas (Maverick), as well as the Executive Producer of the PBS television series of the same name. Wes has written for The Austin Chronicle since 1999, covering wine, cocktails, food, and travel.

Mick Vann is a retired Austin chef who is a food writer and restaurant critic, cookbook author, restaurant consultant, and recipe developer. He moonlights as a University of Texas horticulturist with a propensity for ethnic eats and international food, particularly of the Asian persuasion, but he also knows his way around a plate of soul food or barbecue.